Top Cow - The Madding Crowd, Part 10 - R.A. Wonsowski

Believe it or not, the general seed of this story started as my first Top Cow submission. Particularly my villain of choice, in a way... Hopefully this answers a few mysteries...Happy Halloween!

Synopsis: Jack Ryder has been separated from the Creeper, with the wrong mind in the wrong body. Jack goes to investigate the pharma labs responsible, where multiple subjects have been separated from their "shadow aspects" by mysterious black diamonds., when he is suddenly ambushed...

All backgrounds are flat black. Layout:
111
234
555

Panel 1- Off-kilter POV. The CREEPER is being dragged down to the ground at the legs by a swarm of DARKLINGS. Their teeth and claws are bared and the CREEPER is feeling both tear at him.

(Off-Panel): Well, well...I knew I had tasted your madness before...

CREEPER: ...rrRRRGh...

(Off-Panel):....didn't I kill you once?

Panel 2- Foreground, the CREEPER is now swarmed to the waist by rabid DARKLINGS; some at the fringes are licking their chops. Behind, the shapes of Drs. SKOLOS and YATZ merge into one, like the weaving of gelatinous tendrils.

SKOLOS: Ah, you and your ilk have an annoying knack for not staying dead.

YATZ: But that will soon change. I see you've met the Darklings.

Panel 3- Foreground, the CREEPER is now dragged lower, and DARKLINGS now clutch about as high as his chest and shoulders; one scratches at his face and his expression is one of fear. Background, the two forms have coalesced into the DARKNESS, approaching from behind; we see his carapace-like armor, but only the glowing blue and pupilless eyes are visible of the head.

DARKNESS: They are an outward extension of the Darkness within Jackie Estacado.

DARKNESS: With him fully in the thrall of the Black Diamond, they are the willing cannon fodder for my army.

Panel 4- Foreground, the CREEPER is now brought to his knees, eyes shut as he starts to panic, the DARKLINGS completely covering him except for his head, and one DARKLING has clamped his mouth shut. Background, the DARKNESS is fully visible, towering over the grand guignol. His faceplate is in place, but instead of Jackie's long black hair, there is a black medieval leather skull-cap with stitching down the middle and two long and thick leather thongs dangling to the chestplate, one in front of each pointed ear.

DARKNESS: I can now hunt the I-Am and mount His head on the topmost spire of my castle. I can raze His creation in the Seven directions.

DARKNESS: Such is the power of the Darkness.

Panel 5- Close-up, the CREEPER's face, eyes wide with the terror of recognition, mouth still clamped by Darkling hands. From behind, the faceplate pulls apart and away from a face, 2/3 darkened, the other third an ashen grey, fiery violet eyes from below the skull-cap, our villain is finally revealed as he grinningly nibbles seductively on the CREEPER's ear. A Darkness-gauntleted  hand holds a Black Diamond in front of their gaze.

ECLIPSO: And whose hands are better to wield it than mine.

The Darkness - Little Beasts - Brian Manton

1.
Wide narrow panel. Cruella De Vil's eyes, piercing.

Cruella: In a moment I'll have what I came for.

2.
Cruella's POV, downward angle. Jackie Estacado, beaten and bloody on the ground. Two adult dalmatians cower beside him.

Cruella: While all of you will end up as sausage meat, alone on some sad, plastic plate.

3.
Cruella stepping out from the darkness. Darkness 'armour' begins to envelop her. Her hands, clawlike and raised.

Cruella: Dead and meaty and red. No friends, no family, no pulse. Just slapped between two buns, smothered in onions, with fries on the side.

4.
Emerging from the darkness behind Cruella, Darklings. These Darklings are perversions of the dalmatian puppies they have corrupted.

Cruella: To me my Dah'klings.

The Darkness - Permission To Land - Niel Jacoby

Full splash: In a Moebius-esque style, we see neo-glam band The Darkness, comprised of lead vocalist/guitarist Justin Hawkins, lead guitarist Dan Hawkins, drummer Ed Graham, and bassist Frankie Poullain standing atop the spacecraft from the cover of their 2003 album Permission To Land. They are in otherworldly, Kirbyesque outfits, belting out their hit single I Believe In A Thing Called Love.

Justin Hawkins(with music notes and stuff): CAN'T EXPLAIN ALL THE FEELINGS THAT YOU'RE MAKING ME FEEL!
MY HEART'S IN OVERDRIVE AND YOU'RE BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL!

Inset panel: This is in a workplace comic strip-esque style, like Dilbert. Thoughtballoons contributor Niel Jacoby is sitting at his trusty laptop, and is staring quizically at his phone, having recieved a message.

Phone: NO, NO, NO. IT'S IMAGE COMICS' THE DARKNESS.

Niel: AH CRAP.

The Darkness – If You Give A Darkling a Cookie – MK Stangeland Jr.

(Relevant Background Information: Way back when, the video game version of The Darkness was one of the very first games reviewed by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw for his Zero Punctuation series. That game review featured versions of the Darklings referred to as Imps that have since come to serve as secondary characters alongside Yahtzee himself for each video review.)

(5 Panels)

Panel 1: JACKIE ESTACADO is on the phone talking to SARA PEZZINI. He’s sitting in a chair in a dimly lit room.

JACKIE (1): Sara, I have a problem.

SARA (1): (From Phone) What about it concerns me?

JACKIE (2): It involves The Darkness, that’s what.

Panel 2: JACKIE looks to another part of the room where we see some of the DARKLINGS, who don’t look all that right. They look like they’ve let themselves go and turned into slackers, with part of their design referencing the ZERO PUNCTUATION IMPS.

JACKIE (1): There’s something really off about the Darkling. I only just noticed it, but I think something’s been happening to them for a while.

SARA (1): (From Phone) Are they getting rebellious or something?

JACKIE (2): No, they’re…I don’t know how to describe it. But they’re getting lazy and now all the really want to do is goof off.

Panel 3: JACKIE continues to talk with SARA as the DARKLINGS slack around and goof off around him.

SARA: (From Phone) You’re kidding.

JACKIE (1): I wish.

JACKIE (2): I can’t help but wonder if I might actually prefer them getting rebellious to this $#*^.

Panel 4: JACKIE stands up as he continues to talk to SARA.

SARA: (From Phone) So what’s causing it?

JACKIE: That’s the worst part. I ain’t got a %&(#*#$ clue!

Panel 5: Cut to a dimly lit house in Australia. Here, we see a bunch of ZERO PUNCTUATION IMPS lounging about and goofing off inside the house of BEN CROSHAW, better known as YAHTZEE. These IMPS should have a modified design that makes them look much closer to their DARKLING counterparts, while still preserving the primary aspects of the IMPS. Among the activities they IMPS should be doing is sitting on a couch and playing an unseen video game on a TV in front of them.

YAHTZEE is sitting in a chair nearby, looking mildly frustrated by the way the IMPS have made themselves at home but either unable or unwilling to do anything about it, essentially putting up with them. There might potentially be one IMP here that’s sitting or lying on top of his head in some fashion, or possibly other IMPS that are interacting with him in some way.

TEXT BOX: Meanwhile, in Australia…

(END PAGE)

The Darkness - Ends and Means - Grant McLaughlin

1 - Jackie and a random guy sit at a table across from each other.  The only source of light is a single candle that sits on the table between them.  The light tapers off towards the edges of the panel, leaving those portions in darkness.  The guy is tied to his chair and has been beaten and bruised.  His head hangs down near the table top.  Jackie, on the other hand, looks fine.  The only visible indication as to what he's been up to would be some rolled up sleeves.  He has his hands on the table, looking seriously at the guy.

CAPTION: Light and dark.

GUY (quietly, weakly): please

2 - Move the perspective closer in to the candle.  Have the man's hanging head partly visible on one side of the panel, including the blood and sweat that's been pooling on the table.  On the other side, Jackie balls his hands in fists.  The candle's flame wavers, lowering the level of light again.

CAPTION: Can we subvert their meanings to our own ends?

GUY (quietly, weakly): i'm innocent

3 - Move the perspective closer still to the candle.  It is all that can really be seen at this distance.  The guy's head is no longer visible, but Jackie has moved his hand to extinguish the candle with his fingers.  Small amount of smoke rises from the new darkness.

CAPTION: Or must we ultimately be subverted to theirs?

JACKIE: I know.

The Darkness - Afraid of the Dark - Ben Rosenthal

1.  Jackie is on the floor, bloody.  He is looking at something off panel in fear.

CAPTION (Jackie)
I've never been afraid of the dark.


2.  A close up of Jackie's face.  A drop of blood comes from his eye, looking like a tear.

CAPTION (Jackie)
It was always inside of me.  A part of me.
I had nothing to fear from the Darkness.


3.  We are now looking at what Jackie is petrified of - it is his Darklings amalgamated together and in possession of The Darkness.  They stand over him, red sharp ends ready to continue the cutting.

CAPTION
Now I get it.

The Darkness - 'til the Last Teardrop Falls - by R.A. Wonsowski

Layout is 3 rows, 2 panels each.
All panels are from our POV, as if we are tied to a chair.  A single naked lightbulb hangs from the ceiling. The background is dim, but there are hints that we are in a sound recording studio.  Before us paces JACKIE ESTACADO, dressed impeccably in a white summer linen suit, with a white silk shirt. 


Panel 1 - JACKIE paces left as he looks at the floor, one hand's fingers brushing the edge of the mixing board.
JACKIE:  ...don't think I'll ever understand animals like you.  I mean...
JACKIE:  ...enough felony child porn, abduction, and abuse charges to choke a hippo...


Panel 2 - JACKIE reaches into his inside-jacket pocket.  He still can't look at us.
JACKIE:  ...add fugitive charges and extradition, and you plea out to a 15-year bit at state...
JACKIE:  ...of which you do 11...you get out, open another record label, set up a new life, and whadaya do...


Panel 3 - JACKIE throws a handful of Polaroids at us.  We know what they're pictures of.
JACKIE:  YOU PULL THIS SHIT ALL OVER AGAIN!!!


Panel 4 - In the dim background we can see one of Jackie's ASSOCIATES smashing speakers with a Les Paul guitar.  JACKIE still is looking at the floor.
JACKIE:  I don't know how you didn't get shanked in there, "short eyes".  Must've had some powerful pals in there...
JACKIE:  ...what those pals must've cost you.  Well, it wasn't enough.


Panel 5 - JACKIE finally looks at us as he begins to twist loose the lightbulb.  An ASSOCIATE is dousing the place in gasoline in the background.
JACKIE:  Shoulda never gone near Eddie's kid.  Can't have kids of my own, so I'm "Uncle Jackie" to my friends' families.  Very protective uncle, I am...
JACKIE:  Betcha you used to wonder how it'd feel, in that chair...


Panel 6 - Black panel.
JACKIE:  Gonna find out now...

Why the Darkness?

Because there are times, no matter what you do, you're screwed.

Jackie Estacado is a bastard from a long line of bastards. He grew up hard and mean, was a killer before he was legal, and was Don Franchetti's number one hitman by the age of 18.

He was also born into one hell of a curse. See, on said 18th birthday, Jackie became the next in line to host the immortal Artifact known as the Darkness.  It has been at war with the Angelus since Creation, and is the embodiment of the original Chaos that existed before.  The Darkness is passed on from the father to son as the son is conceived, killing the father to sleep within the son until the host is of age.

Which brings us to Jackie. 

Jackie has used his dark powers to climb the ladders of the criminal underworld in a trail of horror and bloodshed.  He killed his patrón (who had murdered his girlfriend, by the way), as well as anyone who stood in his way, established his reputation as a violent and ruthless murderer with the help of his minion-like Darklings, and even established a drug cartel after taking over the small island nation of Sierra Muñoz.

The Darkness also has a "one foot in one world, one foot in the other" complication.  The Darkness mated with the Angelus to créate the powerful Witchblade, a supernatural weapon that chooses its own female host to act as balance between the two.  This brings Jackie into a cosmic war that threatens to bring the universe to an early end if all 13 Artifacts are ever brought together.

And of course, a weapon this powerful also has a weakness - it can't work in the light, but can manipulate the shadows to créate a carapace-like armor, Darklings, tentacle/blades, even sentient slave creatures.  It can give Jackie anything he wants, which makes it Top Cow's ultimate monkey's paw:  be careful what you wish for...

You just may get it.