BACKSTORY PAGE
Previously On. Runs along the left side of the page interspersed with downsized panels from the previous issue where/if space permits.
A disaster unlike any other. A meteor has struck a major American metropolitan area directly. The entire Dallas/Ft. Worth region has been devastated, but even as it slowly recovers, an infection has begun to spread across the city ruins killing some, and changing others.
Allister Dewitt; son of a Texas minister, college sophomore, student athlete, and infected. Alister’s body is being corrupted by and alien virus brought to earth. He is stronger, and faster than he ever was before, however, his arm has been horribly twisted and mutated. His mind and personality may also be in the process of alteration.
Not everyone is as horrified by what they have become as Alister is though. His old classmate Erika Moore has formed a cult around herself, dedicated to worshiping the infection. Now Alister and Gemini have stumbled into the horrifying truth behind the cult’s rituals….
Character Bios. Runs along the right side of the page and each section is matched with a close up of the character’s face.
1. ALISTER DEWITT:         Born and raised in a small town outside San Antonio, Alister had a happy childhood and was close to both his parents and his older brother. His father was the reverend of the rural area’s small country church and he a was smart and active youth. He left for Arlington to attend university.
2. GEMINI:                           A strange woman with a mysterious past. She appears to be in her early twenties with a figure most would consider perfect. She’s also displayed great intelligence and knowledge of computer science. Although she tries to hide it, she speaks with a very light English accent.
3. FATHER LEO:                  Father Leo is an ordained Catholic minister holding a Ph.D. in Theology from Notre Dame. Although initially considered to be on the fast track for promotion within the Catholic hierarchy, Leo has been hesitant to leave his local community where he is an important civil rights activist.    Â
4. DR. ALISON RICHARDS:          Dr. Richards is one of the world’s foremost experts bio-chemistry. Although she’s barely in her thirties, she is science wunderkind of the first order. She could have had a position at any university in the world, but chose Sothern Methodist University to be close to her ailing mother, who passed away before the impact event.
5. ERIKA MOORE:              A classmate of Alister’s. She came from a pampered upper middle-class upbringing, which saw her attend college despite being not particularly gifted academically. She quickly became well known as a party girl around campus. After her infection she began a cult dedicated to worshiping the infection.
6. DR. CASTOR:                   The CEO of Castor Pharmaceuticals. He holds multiple degrees in biology as well as medicine. In addition to his pharma business, he also has investments in several other major industries and is one of the richest men in the world. He is the official face of the government’s relief efforts.
7. THE CONCIERGE:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The Concierge follows Dr. Castor wherever he goes. She was a test subject for Castor Pharmaceuticals most cutting-edge research regarding genetic manipulation and hormonal effects on human growth. This has given her physical abilities at the peak of human potential.
8. KRISTOF VULT:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kristof was a Romanian geneticist working behind the iron curtain. After the collapse of communism, he was hired by a cabal of wealthy technocrats to create clinical immortality. To do so he studied the ancient vampire lore of his homeland, but a horrible accident transformed him into an artificial vampire.
PAGE ONE (one panel)
Panel 1. Intro page. ERIKA consumes severed hunks of infected flesh with great relish while surrounded by her cultists. ALISTER and GEMINI look on with horror.
1. ALISTER: What the…?
2. GEMINI: …Jesus Christ…
PAGE TWO (five panels)
Panel 1. ALISTER begins the wretch. GEMINI tries to steady him.
1. ALISTER: I think I’m going to be sick…
2. GEMINI: Quiet, she’ll hear you.
Panel 2. ERIKA looks up towards where ALISTER and GEMINI are hiding.
3. ERIKA: No fears, my dears. I’ve been waiting for you down here since you arrived.
Panel 3. ALISTER and GEMINI are surrounded by armed cultists.
4. ERIKA (OFF): Bring them to me!
5. GEMINI: Get out of here Alister. You can force your way past these guys.
6. ALISTER: I’m not leaving you behind.
Panel 4. ERIKA continues to be fed by her handmaidens nonchalantly while the cultists bring ALISTER and GEMINI to her.
7. ERIKA: Welcome home, my love.
8. ALISTER: You’re sick Erika! Crazy! You’ve turned into some kind of FREAK!
9. ERIKA: Now Alister, that’s very disappointing for me to hear.
10. ERIKA: It would almost be enough to make me reconsider my feelings for you…
Panel 5. A close up of ERIKA smiling wickedly and looking distinctly inhuman.
11. ERIKA: If I didn’t think you looked so tasty!
PAGE THREE (five panels)
Panel 1. KRISTOF is silhouetted in the moonlight streaming in through a window. Behind him DR. RICHARDS is laying on a mattress in a small makeshift dormitory in the hospital.
1. DR. RICHARDS: Will you go and help them?
2. KRISTOF: Do you want me to?
Panel 2. DR. RICHARDS sits up in bed and embraces KRISTOF who has turned towards her.
3. DR. RICHARDS: Yes.
4. KRISTOF: Then perhaps I shall…
Panel 3. KRISTOF turns away again, towards the window.
5. KRISTOF: …Afterall, I have my own reason for wanting to see the cult destroyed.
6. KRISTOF: And the current chaos would seem to provide an excellent opportunity to settle this grudge I bear towards them.
Panel 4. KRISTOF opens the window. Behind him DR. RICHARDS holds him and kisses his neck.
7. DR. RICHARDS: Come back to me safely.
8. KRISTOF: Of course, my love-
Panel 5. KRISTOF throws himself out the window while DR. RICHARDS watches.
9. KRISTOF: -I had no intentions of doing otherwise.
PAGE FOUR (five panels)
Panel 1. KRISTOF glides from rooftop to rooftop across the city.
1. KRISTOF: What fools these mortals are.
Panel 2. KRISTOF stops on an overhang and looks down at rioters in conflict with police and national guard.
2. KRISTOF: There lives are so short and petty…
3. KRISTOF: …And yet they devote their small measure of time to even pettier pursuits, to cut their limited time even shorter.
Panel 3. KRISTOF walks along the rooftop. There is illumination coming from fires off panel down on the street.
4. KRISTOF: And here I am! Greatest fool of all. Squandering my own immortal life to try and save them from their own folly.
Panel 4. KRISTOF shouts towards the heavens while chaos continues to reign far below him.
5. KRISTOF: Enough! This cult opposes me and so it must be destroyed! So I deal with all who think to stand in my way! By my own will I defy all who seek to hold me back, even my own fate!
Panel 5. KRISTOF glides off again.
6. KRISTOF: Now! The hunger is upon me again. I shall drink from my enemies until I am bloated on their sweet blood!
PAGE FIVE (five panels)
Panel 1. MR. FOX and MS. KIDD are flying in a military helicopter and looking down on the rioting below.
1. MR. FOX: Things seem to be proceeding according to plan.
Panel 2. MS. KIDD looks over at MR. FOX who appears totally impassive.
2. MS. KIDD: It doesn’t bother you that innocent people are getting hurt and killed down there?
3. MR. FOX: No.
Panel 3. MR. FOX looks back at MS. KIDD who seems uncomfortable.
4. MR FOX: Does it bother you?
5. MS. KIDD: It does, in fact.
Panel 4. MS. KIDD folds her arms and looks troubled. MR. FOX remains robotic.
6. MS. KIDD: I know what it takes to make an omelet. But this is a big mess he’s setting off. A wildfire like this on dry grass could burn out of hand real quick.
7. MR. FOX: We have our orders. Our only concern is carrying them out to the best of our ability.
Panel 5. A wide shot of an entire squad of gunships approaching the cult compound. MS. KIDD’s voice comes from the lead aircraft.
8. MS KIDD (OFF): I keep telling myself that.
PAGE SIX (six panels)
Panel 1. Back in the underground chamber, ERIKA presses herself against ALISTER who tries to keep her away. In the background, out of focus, KRISTOF climbs into the chamber.
1. ERIKA: I can’t understand why you’re being so difficult.
2. ALISTER: I have this irrational phobia of being eaten.
Panel 2. ERIKA continues to rub herself against ALISTER who appears to be becoming confused. Above them, KRISTOF clings to the ceiling and hides in the shadows.
3. ERIKA: I wouldn’t ever really eat you sweetheart. I love you; can’t you see that?
4. ALISTER: What are you talking about…? I don’t…?
Panel 3. GEMINI strains against the cultists who hold her back and shouts at ERIKA. The sound brings ALISTER back to his senses.
5. GEMINI: Get off of him you bitch!
6. ERIKA: Mouthy little thing, isn’t she? I’m a much more your type.
Panel 4. ALISTER pushes ERIKA away and stands beside GEMINI.
7. ALISTER: I don’t think so. I’m not the ‘Father’. I don’t want anything to do with you, not now, not ever.
Panel 5. A close up of ERIKA shaking her head.
8. ERIKA:                             Disappointing. Well, enough doses of my pheromones will eventually bring you around. Once I’ve dealt with my erstwhile rival, that is.
Panel 6. ERIKA orders her cultists to attack, but KRISTOF is already swooping down to attack her from the ceiling.
9. ERIKA: Kill her-
10. ERIKA: AUGH!
PAGE SEVEN (five panels)
Panel 1. KRISTOF latches onto ERIKA’s shoulders, but she is remarkably strong and struggles with him. ALISTER and GEMINI take advantage of the distraction to free themselves and begin fighting the cultist as well.
1. GEMINI: Now’s our chance!
2. ERIKA: When I was a little girl, I had a bat tangled in my hair.
Panel 2. ALISTER sweeps the cultist aside with ease, but tries not to lethally wound any of them. GEMINI runs for cover.
2. ALISTER: It’s too dangerous for you here! Get to cover!
3. ERIKA (OFF): I didn’t like it then…
Panel 3. ERIKA tosses KRISTOF off of her with tremendous force.
3. ERIKA: …And I don’t like it now!
Panel 4. KRISTOF goes into a glide in the air.
4. KRISTOF: I assure you it was no pleasure for me either.
Panel 5. ERIKA begins to retreat with her handmaidens while the rest of the cult sends a hail of gunfire at the heroes.
5. ERIKA: KILL THEM! KILL- ALL OF THEM!
PAGE EIGHT (five panels)
Panel 1. ALISTER and KRISTOF battle the cultists.
1. ALISTER: I got this one!
2. KRISTOF: And I have these, but they come at us like ants!
Panel 2. More cultists enter the chamber as the battle continues.
3. KRISTOF: They replace their numbers as quickly as we strike them down!
Panel 3. Action scene of ALISTER.
4. ALISTER: You have any ideas?
Panel 4. Action scene of KRISTOF.
5. KRISTOF: We cannot stay here! We must break out soon or we shall be overwhelmed by their numbers!
Panel 5. ALISTER and KRISTOF are forced back-to-back by the tide of battle. Small debris falls from the ceiling as a result of an explosion somewhere above them.
6. ALISTER: Well, it’s now or never. I think we ought to-
7. FX: BOOM!
8. ALISTER: -Just great! What now!?
PAGE NINE (two panels)
Panel 1. Outside the cult compound smoke is rising from a recent explosion. The military helicopters are swarming everywhere and troops are roping down to ground level. Armed cultists are beginning to emerge from the compound to investigate
1. MS. KIDD: There! We’re flushing them out!
2. MR. FOX: Fire another one.
Panel 2. A massive battle scene. The troops and cultists exchange gunfire while the helicopters drop missiles.
3. PILOT: As ordered.
4. FX: BOOM!
PAGE TEN (three panels)
Panel 1. Underground ALISTER, KRISTOF, and GEMINI quickly make a plan.
1. KRISTOF: Someone else has begun an attack above ground.
2. GEMINI: Then this may be our only chance to get that woman.
3. ALISTER: I can handle Erika, if you two can keep her goons off me.
Panel 2. Their meeting is broken up by gunshots.
4. GEMINI: Are you sure…?
5. ALISTER: Pretty sure.
6. FX: BANG! BANG! BANG!
7. KRISTOF: We don’t have time for more than that!
Panel 3. ALISTER and KRISTOF knock the cultists aside and GEMINI follows after them.
8. ALISTER: Let’s go!
PAGE ELEVEN and TWELVE (montage)
Fighting continues between the military and the cultist above ground, and between the cultists and the heroes below ground. ERIKA attempts to escape into the underground tunnels, attended by her handmaidens. During her escape soldiers rappel down to block her path and ERIKA begins killing them herself. There are explosions everywhere and the entire structure begins to collapse. The government agents are leading the military assault. MS. KIDD has an FBI flak vest on and is gunfighting with a pistol. MR. FOX has removed his glasses and uses his telepathic abilities to force cultists to kill themselves.
PAGE THIRTEEN (five panels)
Panel 1. ERIKA and her handmaidens have made it away from the fighting and are in a large sewer chamber. ERIKA is chewing on one of the dead soldiers.
1. ERIKA: We’re away from the fighting now, but they’re already following us.
2. ERIKA: Go back the way we came and kill anyone you meet.
Panel 2. KRISTOF points down a passage where the underground cavern meets a sewer tunnel. ALISTER and GEMINI are following behind him.
3. KRISTOF: She went down this way.
4. ALISTER: Something reeks.
5. GEMINI: It’s a sewer.
6. ALISTER: Besides that- It smells like… rotten eggs…?
Panel 3. A close up of a broken gas line.
7. ALISTER (OFF): Oh, jeepers creeps.
Panel 4. The handmaidens leap into the tunnel and open fire on the trio. They have removed their robes and also show minor signs of mutation on their bodies, but less extensive than ALISTER or ERIKA.
8. HANDMAIDEN: There they are, sisters! FIRE!
Panel 5. The gas leak explodes engulfing KRISTOF and the lead handmaidens in flames. ALISTER and GEMINI are both thrown back by the blast, ALISTER does his best to shield GEMINI.
PAGE FOURTEEN (four panels)
Panel 1. Outside the complex, the military is advancing down into the cult compound, but the government agents are remaining on the ground level to coordinate with a gruff looking man, SARGE. There are several cultist bodies and a few soldiers on the ground.
1. SARGE: Took ‘em by complete surprise. Most hostiles were down in the first few minutes.
2. MR. FOX: Their leader?
3. SARGE: She’s retreated into an underground tunnel system with the few remaining cultists.
4. MR. FOX: She can’t be allowed to escape.
Panel 2. Everyone reacts with surprise as a massive explosion occurs up the street from the compound.
5. SARGE: Advanced recon teams sustain serious casualties. We’re building up force for a heavy assault-
6. FX: BOOM!
Panel 3. The soldiers rush for cover. The agents and SARGE watch the raining debris like tough guys.
7. SARGE: Well, I’ll be goddamned…
8. MS. KIDD: I think your heavy assault just started! Get moving!
Panel 4. SARGE rallies the troops and starts leading them towards the blast site.
9. SARGE: You heard the lady! Let’s move out!
PAGE FIFTEEN (six panels)
Panel 1. ERIKA is trapped under a collapsed section of tunnel.
1. ERIKA: Damn. Well, isn’t this is a fine mess.
Panel 2. ERIKA reacts to hearing something moving in the rubble.
2. ALISTER (OFF): …rrr…
3. ERIKA: Is someone there?
Panel 3. ALISTER emerges from the darkness in a berserker state. He’s covered in blood and carrying the severed head of a handmaiden. He also has blood spread around his mouth like he’s been tearing meat with his teeth.
4. ALISTER: Rrrrr…
5. ERIKA: Uh oh.
Panel 4. ALISTER looks around animalistically, while ERIKA tries to avoid notice.
6. ERIKA: Not now.
7. ALISTER: Rrr!
8. GEMINI (OFF): Alister!
9. ALISTER: …?
Panel 5. GEMINI is similarly pinned beneath rubble. She seems badly injured and is calling for help.
10. GEMINI: I need help! Hurry, please!
Panel 6. ALISTER tosses the head aside and wanders off towards GEMINI. ERIKA breaths a sigh of relief and starts to free herself.
11. ERIKA: I’ve decided you can have him. Good luck with that one, bitch.
PAGE SIXTEEN (six panels)
Panel 1. ALISTER approaches GEMINI, but he remains in an animalistic state.
1. GEMINI: I’m pinned under here. It’s too heavy for me to lift up by myself.
2. ALISTER: Rrr…?
Panel 2. GEMINI realizes what’s happened to ALISTER, but remains calm and tries to direct him carefully.
3. GEMINI: Listen, Alister. It’s me, it’s Gem.
4. GEMINI: I need you to help me. Do you understand?
Panel 3. A close up of ALISTER with an expression that’s difficult to read.
5. GEMINI (OFF): Are you with me?
6. ALISTER: I-
Panel 4. ALISTER pushes a massive piece of shattered concreate off of GEMINI.
7. ALISTER: GAH!
8. GEMINI: Oh, thank God.
Panel 5. ALISTER bends down to pick up GEMINI.
9. GEMINI: The military will be all over this place in a second. My ankle’s sprained, I need you to carry me out of here. Can you do that for me?
Panel 6. A close up of GEMINI clinging tightly to ALISTER while he carries her away at inhuman speed.
10. GEMINI: Thank-you.
PAGE SEVENTEEN (five panels)
Panel 1. SARGE leads a group of soldiers into the unground tunnels.
1. SARGE: Remember, orders are no prisoners.
2. SOLDIER: Right, sarge!
Panel 2. Soldiers finish off wounded cultists in the wreckage of the explosion. SARGE approaches a soldier who is standing by fragments of ERIKA’s discarded exo-skeleton.
3. SARGE: Is that what I think it is?
4. SOLDIER: If you think it is what I think you think it is… then I think so.
Panel 3. A wounded handmaiden with a gun, crawls along the ground out of sight towards where SARGE and the SOLDIER are talking.
5. SARGE: Great. The dragon lady is not going to like hearing about this.
Panel 4. The government agents arrive on the scene. MS. KIDD kills the handmaiden casually with a shot to the head.
6. MS. KIDD: The dragon lady isn’t going to like what?
Panel 5. SARGE shows the agents the exo-skeleton. MR. FOX begins removing his sunglasses.
7. SARGE: We taken out the cult, but the primary infected we were looking for escaped.
8. MR. FOX: That is… unfortunate.
PAGE EIGHTEEN (six panels)
Panel 1. MR. FOX bears down on SARGE and holds him with his gaze.
1. SARGE: Advanced teams also reported seeing the DeWitt kid, or something like him… but he also managed to slip away.
1. MR. FOX: It seems as though the troops in this city consistently find ways to fail.
Panel 2. A close up of SARGE who is trying to hold up under the mental pressure being exerted on him by MR. FOX.
2. SARGE: That’s not exactly fair… Nothing like this was ever covered in training-
3. MR. FOX (OFF): No, it was not. Because no one could have foreseen anything like this before now.
Panel 3. A close up of MR. FOX using his hypnotic gaze with black eyes.
4. MR. FOX: Instead, you were trained to expect the unexpected. And to adapt to new circumstances, whatever they may be.
5. MR. FOX: These are the new circumstance we are in, and which we will remain in for the foreseeable future. And yet you have failed to adapt to them.
Panel 4. MS. KIDD tries to pull MR. FOX away from SARGE who has begun to bleed from his nose and ears.
6. MS. KIDD (OFF): Agent Fox…
7. MR. FOX: You have failed. Again. And again.
8. MS. KIDD:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Agent Fox, stand down!
Panel 5. MR. FOX puts his glasses back on.
9. MR. FOX: I apologize for my unprofessional behavior, Agent Kidd.
Panel 6. MR. FOX stalks out while straightening his tie and MS. KIDD follows him. The SOLDIER assists the SARGE.
10. MS. KIDD: Sweep this place thoroughly. I want samples of everything sent to the laboratory.
11. SARGE: Yes- yes, mam.
PAGE NINETEEN (five panels)
Panel 1. ALISTER lands on the fire escape outside their hideout with GEMINI in his arms.
Panel 2. A shot from inside the apartment of ALISTER climbing through the window.
Panel 3. The same shot, but ALISTER is now standing stock still. He continues to hold GEMINI.
1. GEMINI: Uh, you can put me down now.
Panel 4. ALISTER lays GEMINI down on the bed.
2. GEMINI: Are you doing better now or-
3. ALISTER: Gem?
4. GEMINI: Yes…?
Panel 5. Another close up of ALISTER. He’s mildly confused, but his expression remains difficult to read. There are still traces of blood around his mouth.
5. ALISTER: How did we get back here?
PAGE TWENTY (six panels)
Panel 1. GEMINI sits up and embraces ALISTER.
1. GEMINI: What’s the last thing you remember?
2. ALISTER: The explosion.
Panel 2. ALISTER returns her embrace.
3. GEMINI: My leg was broken, you carried me back here.
4. ALISTER: Did I do anything else…?
Panel 3. A nightmare flashback to ALISTER in a berserker state leaping on the disoriented handmaidens in the sewers and viciously biting and tearing at them with his teeth and claws.
Panel 4. Another nightmare flashback of ALISTER covered in gore. He is swinging his claws and disemboweling gun toting handmaidens and cultists.
Panel 5. Another nightmare flashback of ALISTER mounting a wounded handmaiden and tearing her head off while devouring chunks of meat from her torso.
Panel 6. A close up of GEMINI pressing her face against ALISTER’s chest.
5. GEMINI: Not you. No.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE (MONTAGE)
ALISTER and GEMINI kiss and progressively become more intimate. At the end of the page GEMINI is about to undress and ALISTER stops her.
1. ALISTER: Wait…
PAGE TWENTY-TWO (four panels)
Panel 1. ALISTER and GEMINI sit disheveled and breathing heavily on the bed.
1. ALISTER: Let’s just… take it easy for now.
2. GEMINI: Yeah, okay. Maybe that’s a good idea.
Panel 2. ALISTER is concerned that he has upset GEMINI and embraces her.
3. ALISTER: I just don’t want to rush into anything.
4. GEMINI: I know, I’m agreeing with you. A lot has happened very quickly, there’s no reason this has to.
Panel 3. GEMINI pulls ALISTER down so they’re both laying on the bed.
5. GEMINI: I just hope your done insisting on sleeping on the floor.
6. ALISTER: I guess I am.
Panel 4. A shot from above. ALISTER and GEMINI lay in bed together, still clothed. GEMINI has fallen asleep curled up with her head on ALISTER’s chest. ALISTER lays on his back and stares directly upwards with a completely dead expression.