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RAPID CITY #38 by Josh Dahl joshdahl75@gmail.com Page 1 Panel 1 Emperor ghost declares his ascendancy. 4 panels Looking past several tall buildings, straight up into the sky. The sky is black with storm clouds, rain is falling. There is a dark shape up among the dark shapes. Very similar panel, but now lightning is arcing across the sky and lighting up that shape. It is the mummy-like SAHHA hanging from his flying banners among the tall buildings. Tight on Sahha's eye area, looking down at the reader. As much of a doom-looking storm-over-the-city as the rest of the page will hold. The finger pointing. 6 panels KNUCKLEDUSTER looking appalled at what she has witnessed, she is pointing off panel. The sky is darkening. KNUCKLEDUSTER She... Panel 2 Wide shot setting the scene. Still at the grave from last issue. FLAMETHROWER, SIDEKICK, DARYL, and NATE stand around. DESPERADO is helping SWITCHBOARD up. Knuckleduster is pointing at Switchboard. Everyone is still a bit shell shocked. Desperado is barking back at Knuckleduster. Sidekick is paying attention to the woozy Nate. KNUCKLEDUSTER She tricked us! How could you do that? DESPERADO Knuckleduster, you don't know what you're talking about. KNUCKLEDUSTER I know it was you two the brought us here. And look what happened! Panel 3 Flamethrower getting between Desperado and Knuckleduster. Flamethrower is addressing Knuckleduster. DESPERADO Switchboard didn't know this was going to happen.

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Rapid City #39

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FLAMETHROWER You're just as much a part of this as any of us. DESPERADO But she's the one that believed that lunatic. Panel 4 Switchboard coming up aggressively behind Desperado, she is yelling at Knuckleduster, defending herself. SWITCHBOARD He lied to me. SOUND EFFECT WHAM Panel 5 Switchboard, Desperado, Flamethrower, and Knuckleduster, all looking off panel toward the source of the noise. SOUND EFFECT WHAM WHAM DARYL (op) What happened? Panel 6 What they see. Daryl standing beside the delivery truck they arrived in, his armor aura is now metal. He is slamming one open hand against the wide side panel of the truck. SOUND EFFECT WHAM DARYL What happened? SOUND EFFECT WHAM Page 3 Panel 1 What happened. 5 panels Everyone looking over at Daryl, who is still at the truck. There are some dents in the metal where he has been pounding. SOUND EFFECT WHAM DARYL What happened? SOUND EFFECT WHAM FLAMETHROWER Daryl?

Rapid City #39

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SIDEKICK Dude? Are you ok? Panel 2 Close on Daryl. DARYL Stop it. You're all acting crazy and we don't even know what happened here. Panel 3 Now folks turning to look at Nate, who is still a little hunched over. NATE I think I know. When that guy touched me, he showed me what he was doing. He failed his mission and was trying to tell me... SWITCHBOARD Who was he? Was that Emperor Ghost? FLAMETHROWER What was his mission? SIDEKICK And who are you? Panel 4 From almost Nate's point of view. Looking at these strange people surrounding him. Sidekick is closest, and Daryl is just stepping over from the truck. NATE My name's Nate, I'm a groundskeeper here. Who are you? Superheroes? SIDEKICK Yeah. I'm sidekick. This is my girlfriend Flamethrower. SIDEKICK That's Desperado and Switchboard. And.. DARYL Daryl. Hi. SIDEKICK Daryl. And Knuckleduster. NATE Oh, hi. It's nice to meet you guys. Panel 5 Nate leaning forward a bit to engage the crowd. NATE Ok, now gimme those questions. But slowly. It's like, I know this stuff, but I have to find it and, sorta, translate it.

Rapid City #39

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SWITCHBOARD (possibly op) Who was that, and what was he doing here? Page 4 Panel 1 Info dump. 5 panels Close on Nate, brow furrowed and deep in thought. NATE His name is... Nate? That can't be right. Well, I don't know what his name is. And he was here to stop, the other one, Emperor Ghost. NATE They both come from worlds that are more like spirit worlds. Emperor Ghost, though, likes to put his mark on all of the worlds that he can. Panel 2 Still focused on Nate, but pulled back some to see the others focusing in him. At this close, mostly just Sidekick and Switchboard are close enough. NATE Nate, Ghost Nate, has been trying to stop him. Emperor Ghost only wants worlds that are, like, ripe. Easy for him to get to. So he has sensors out there in I-don't-know-how-many different worlds. When certain conditions appear, things that will make it easy for him to invade, he sends his heralds through. Panel 3 Flamethrower in the foreground. She is one of the furthest from Nate. He is in the background, so we can see most of the others between them. FLAMETHROWER And this 'Ghost Nate' follows them through. NATE Not exactly. It's like he watches... SWITCHBOARD He watches the same signals. That's how he got here ahead of Emperor Ghost. He... Panel 4 The gaping armor in the foreground. Switchboard and Knuckleduster looking over at it guiltily. Of course the others are in the shot, but they are not as important. SWITCHBOARD Did we kill him? Panel 5 Nate stepping toward the suit. Desperado in the background looking at Switchboard. NATE
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No. This suit is more like a receiver. He was being sent... No, more like "broadcast" into it. When that connection broke, he was pulled back home. DESPERADO So, what now? Page 5 Panel 1 Panel 2 What now? 6 panels Close on Switchboard. Looking troubled. Wider shot centered on Switchboard, others looking to her. SWITCHBOARD I don't know. Panel 3 Small shot of Flamethrower and Sidekick FLAMETHROWER Well, those things are in the city right now. We have to go. Panel 4 Small shot of Daryl. DARYL And do what? Panel 5 Small shot of Knuckleduster. KNUCKLEDUSTER Something... right? Panel 6 Small shot of Desperado. DESPERADO Switch? Page 6 Panel 1 Rampage in the city. 7 panels Tight shot of CALCULUS looking very serious, buffeted by wind and rain. EMPEROR GHOST (op) Calculus, I owe much to your dedication and your vision. Panel 2 Wider shot showing EMPEROR GHOST standing on a deserted roof-top terrace with Calculus, Mike, and the tattoo artist. Ghost is stretching his long fingers around Calculus's head. EMPEROR GHOST For this, I grant you vision through any eyes. Panel 3
Rapid City #39

Tight shot of the artist, GRAVES.

by Josh Dahl

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EMPEROR GHOST Graves, your images ushered me into this reality. Panel 4 Another version of panel 2, but now with Graves. EMPEROR GHOST Your images, now, shall be as reality for any before you. Panel 5 Tight on PRISON MIKE. EMPEROR GHOST Mike, much was gained through the strength of your loyalty and commitment. Panel 6 Another version of panel 2. Now with Mike. EMPEROR GHOST For this I grant you the strength of the ghost realms. Panel 7 Very low angle shot looking up at the three humans as they lean over the edge of the balcony. Behind them, Ghost looms high above. EMPEROR GHOST Go, and tell all who will listen that power can be theirs if they but serve the name of Emperor Ghost. Page 7 Panel 1 Switchboard goes to Wraith. 5 panels Establishing shot. Switchboard and Desperado stepping away from his bike and towards a fence around a boarded up machine shop. Switch is leading and Des is trailing behind. She is looking up at the dark sky with worry. DESPERADO What are we doing here? SWITCHBOARD Don't act stupid. We're here to see Wraith. DESPERADO Yeah. Well, he and I don't exactly get along. Panel 2 Switch turning to get in Desperado's face. One arm is gesturing up at the sky. Desperado just taking it. SWITCHBOARD Are you not seeing this? Do you not get what's going on here? There is an evil god attacking the city. SWITCHBOARD Wraith and his people are going to be the front

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line, they need to know what we know. DESPERADO No, we're the front line. Panel 3 Now she is fully yelling at him. He is yelling back. SWITCHBOARD We were the front line, and we screwed it up. We caused this. You remember that? When we cracked open the guy who was going to stop all this? DESPERADO We? Don't try to put this on me, you psycho. I followed you. SWITCHBOARD Yeah, you jumped right in line when Calculus was lying to me. But now, now, that we're going to someone who can actually help you decide to speak up. You love screwing up, don't you. Panel 4 He shoves her back into the fence. She is shocked. DESPERADO Screw you. Panel 5 Low shot from behind Desperado. He is tensed up, fists ready to fight. Some sparks on his cyber parts. Switch has her bar up, ready to swing. She is full of fear and rage. Get away. 5 panels Close Switch. Very angry. SWITCHBOARD Get the hell away from me! Panel 2 Desperado screaming and shaking his fists, like he wants something to punch. DESPERADO Errraaaaa! Panel 3 Desperado in the foreground, running. He is full of fear and rage. Back behind him, we see Switchboard, still holding up her bar. Switch hunched over, exhausted after the emotional outburst. WRAITH's balloon comes from off panel. WRAITH That's why you never work with junkies... Panel 5 Large shot focusing on Wraith. He is right next to Switchboard, but on the other side of the fence. He

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Rapid City #39

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is an undead cop whose body is made of twisted metal and leather. Switchboard is looking up at him with surprise. SWITCHBOARD Wraith! WRAITH They always turn on ya. Page 9 Panel 1 Panel 2 Panel 3 Panel 4 Daryl alone. 6 panels Daryl walking barefoot on a deserted city street. The skies are dark and it is very windy and rainy. Daryl looking down at his bare feet standing in a dark puddle. Similar shot, but now an aura of cement is starting to cover his feet. The main focus of this shot is a lit up fire truck coming up the street. Daryl is off to the side, but we can see that the aura has mostly covered him. From just behind Daryl as he watches the fire truck blast past him. It is made of color, motion, sound, and force. He looks small. Daryl looking down at his aura-armored hands as rain water drips from them. He looks frustrated and sad. Fire truck already in the distance. Emperor Ghost builds his army. 6 panels Tight shot on the back of a RAPID CITY DEAD MEN biker jacket/vest. Pull back slightly to see a hand with a can of spray-paint spraying "emperor" across the central image of the patch. BIKER (op) Like this? Panel 3 Pull back further to see Prison Mike, in his own Dead Men colors, standing next to the biker doing the painting. He has added "ghost" to the patch now. There are a few other bikers hanging around in the kitchen of a crappy house. PRISON MIKE Put it on. Find out. Panel 4 Panel 5
Rapid City #39 by Josh Dahl

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Elsewhere, a family of three hides from the torrential rain in a glass walled ATM kiosk.

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Shot of the child suddenly gawking with fear out into the storm. Panel 6 From inside the booth, all we can see is a wall of water splashed up on the windows and the family flinching. SOUND EFFECT RRRRRRRRRRRRR Page 11 Panel 1 The Dead Men Ride. 2 panels Top two thirds of the page. About a dozen bikers, led by Prison Mike, blasting through the storm. Most are manifesting various demon/ghost powers. These can include mental powers, illusions, some energy powers... but no actual physical changes. Anywhere we can see sky on this page, we see Emperor Ghost huge and looming over the city. Shot of several back patches modified to read "EMPEROR GHOST". Knuckleduster. 6 panels Large shot of two cars that have collided in an intersection, and are now isolated there by torrents of thick, running, water. Two women and a man are on top of one of the cars. The rain is falling hard and they look scared. The water is more than 1/2 way up the door of each car. From the point of view of someone on the car, a shot of Knuckleduster standing in the shallow water nearby. She is yelling, but her words are mostly obscured by the rain. KNUCKLEDUSTER Just stay calm. You're going to be ok. I'm going to come and get you. Panel 3 Knuckleduster, who is kind of short, walking stalwartly into the current, toward the STRANDED MOTORISTS. Shot of the water rising around her hips as she walks. Shot under the water of her feet being swept up into the current. Shot from the POV of the car people of Knuckleduster being swept down below the dirty surface. Beneath the surface. 5 panels Knuckleduster still under the water, slamming uncomfortably into the door of one of the cars.
by Josh Dahl

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View from up near the people on the car as they all flinch from the impact of panel 2, and look toward the water. Panel 3 Knuckleduster using the car for support, heading toward the rear of the car. KNUCKLEDUSTER It's ok. I'm ok now. Just had to get my footing. KNUCKLEDUSTER Everybody just hold on, ok? STRANDED MOTORIST Wait, what are you gonna-Panel 4 Panel 5 Knuckleduster at the rear bumper, her head almost completely underwater, pushing the car. Wide shot of Knuckleduster slumping near the rear bumper of the car, now pushed into safer water. The people are climbing down. STRANDED MOTORIST Thank you. KNUCKLEDUSTER No. It's no problem. Really. Page 14 Panel 1 Panel 2 Emperor Ghost and Nate. 5 panels Emperor Ghost, over the city, throws a huge lightning bolt down. Shot from the cemetery, looking in at the lightning crashing over the city. Nate is in the foreground looking toward the city. Nate looking down at the armor with interest and concern. Shot from inside the still gaping-open armor as Nate bends down to take a curious look inside. He is framed by parts of the armor and its inner workings, all of which are quite dark. Nate is reaching in and touching some fixture. From that fixture a tron-like glow is spreading in to the nearby armor workings. His eyes widen, but he is still very focused. NATE Oh, that'll work. Page 15 Panel 1 Flamethrower and Sidekick. 6 panels Huge shot of Flamethrower battling HEIKKOUS. Heikkous

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has the upper hand. Panel 2 Panel 3 Sidekick watching with concern as Flamethrower just barely deflects another blow from Heikkous. Flamethrower using two huge flame arms to pick up a nearby car. Sidekick now yelling. SIDEKICK Flamethrower! Panel 4 Flamethrower smashing the car down at Heikkous, who is deftly slicing the car in half. Again, Sidekick is yelling. SIDEKICK Flamethrower! Panel 5 Sidekick grabbing Flamethrower roughly to get her attention. SIDEKICK It's not working! Panel 6 Possibly inset over panel 5. Small tight shot of Sidekick looking very concerned. SIDEKICK Honey, it's not working. Page 16 Panel 1 Talk with Wraith. 6 panels Inside Wraith's bunker. A large, open, dis-used police vehicle storage facility. Only a few vehicles around, but lots of parts and stuff. His aid/advisor. BROADWAY is standing nearby. Wraith is turning his head to address Broadway. Switchboard is talking to them. Through this whole scene, she is holding her iron bar. SWITCHBOARD ... so I came here. WRAITH Broadway, You get all of that? BROADWAY Yeah, I got it. Panel 2 Closer on Wraith talking to Broadway. WRAITH Sound like anything we can use? BROADWAY No, Boss, nothing we can use. But I'll, you know, keep it in mind for later.

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Wraith now facing Switchboard. She is slightly offended. WRAITH If that's it, we've got stuff to do. SWITCHBOARD Stuff to do? But I just told you-WRAITH Told me what? This thing's name? Where it comes from? What do you want me to do with that, fill out a report? Panel 4 Switch looking irritated, Wraith looking a little smug, and Broadway looking even more smug. SWITCHBOARD Use it somehow. WRAITH The kid has a knack for strategy. You heard him. BROADWAY Nothing in there worth moving on right now. Nothing we can use. Panel 5 Panel 6 Switchboard looking dismayed. Wraith and Switch talking. WRAITH When I was a cop, you know what we'd do when we got a report of a stray dog? SWITCHBOARD No. What? Page 17 Panel 1 Call the dog catcher. 8 panels Medium on Wraith, telling it like it is. Broadway is visible behind him, watching everything closely. WRAITH Call the dog catcher. WRAITH The right person for the right job. Me and my guys, we stop crime and keep people safe. All of this "other universe" stuff sounds more like a superhero problem. WRAITH That's your wheelhouse, right? Panel 2 Switchboard slightly dismayed, and Wraith turning away.

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SWITCHBOARD It is, but... WRAITH So, go catch some dogs. SWITCHBOARD I told you, I tried. We all tried, and we just made it worse. Panel 3 Close on Wraith, sneering with condescension and disappointment. WRAITH So, you're done. You pass this off to me and walk away. Hey, you did your best. Right? What more could I ask? Panel 4 Switchboard breaking down slightly, losing her composure. Wraith standing tall and impassive. Judgmental. SWITCHBOARD What do you want? You want to see if I can screw it up even more? WRAITH No, I want you to put it right. Panel 5 The two just standing and looking at eachother. Switch is letting his words sink in, thinking about it. Wraith is softening slightly. From behind Switchboard, looking at Wraith. He is gesturing toward the bar she is holding. WRAITH That bar, it's the same one your grampa carried at Normandy isn't it? SWITCHBOARD Yeah. It is. WRAITH Can I hold it? Panel 7 Panel 8 Page 18 Panel 1 Tight on her hands handing the bar to Wraith. Close on him doing his version of a small smile. The past. 6 panels Wraith is still smiling and looking down at the bar which he holds respectfully in his hands. WRAITH I don't remember a lot from when I was alive. Just

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bits here and there. But I remember your grampa. WRAITH He was my favorite superhero. Panel 2 Switch board with her mouth slightly agape, no idea what to make of this moment. WRAITH I read all of those books they made about him and Aldous Gallant. They were good. You know why he picked the name "Switchman"? SWITCHBOARD Because of the war. Panel 3 Wraith holding the bar and looking at Switchboard. WRAITH Right. Because America had been "asleep at the switch". Those boys were over there to put that right, and that was pretty important to your grampa. Panel 4 Panel 5 Wraith handing the bar back to Switchboard. She is stunned by the nice words from Wraith. Wraith walking away, in the foreground Switch and Broadway are sharing a silent "what the fuck was that?" look. WRAITH Now, come on. We've got work to do. Panel 6 Page 19 Switchboard stepping out into the storm, bar in hand. All over. 6 panels This page is all page-wide establishing shot style images showing what is going in in the city. Graves is on a city subway platform. He is using a sharpie to draw a monster on the wall. He is drawing the tail end of it, the front parts, that he has already drawn, are stretching off of the wall and terrorizing panicked citizens. In the foreground is a shadowy figure of the interdimensional armor. In the background, we can see the city skyline, dark clouds are spreading all around it and they look like Emperor Ghost. Lots of people standing in the cold rain staring up at Sahha, transfixed. In the foreground, a mass of people huddling together in a coffee shop like Starbucks. In the mid-ground, Desperado stands in the shattered front window

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looking into several very bright lights. Maybe cars. Who knows? Panel 5 Water running across a sidewalk, the current is pushing along a pair of eyeglasses. Reflected in the water is an image of Emperor Ghost. In the dark and rainy cold, Switchboard is going around to the back of the radio broadcasting tower, under which is hidden her bunker. Yeah? 6 panels Tight shot on Switchboard's surprised reaction as she rounds the corner and sees panel 2. This could likely work well as an inset over panel 2. Large panel of Knuckleduster, Flamethrower, Sidekick, and Daryl standing around near the bunker door. Flamethrower has extended a small flame shield over the top of them to protect them from the rain, this casts them with dramatic shadows. This shot can bleed behind all of the others. Small shot of Switchboard. SWITCHBOARD What's this? Panel 4 Small shot of Knuckleduster. KNUCKLEDUSTER We're here to get to work on Emperor Ghost. Panel 5 Similar to panel 3. SWITCHBOARD Ok, then... Panel 6 Shot of Switchboard's key sliding into the lock. SWITCHBOARD Let's get to work. Page 21 Panel 1 And one more. 5 panels In Switchboard's command center. She is turning on equipment and stuff. People are crowding in. SWITCHBOARD Ok, first things first. What do we know here? SIDEKICK There were the three initial attackers, but we've seen more now. SWITCHBOARD How many?
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SOUND EFFECT ch-click Panel 2 Everyone in the control room looking toward the hallway, which leads to the door. SWITCHBOARD You guys bring anyone else with you? FLAMETHROWER No. Just us. SWITCHBOARD Who's out there? Desperado, that you? Panel 3 Broadway stepping into the doorway, still pretty heavily shadowed. BROADWAY No, it's me... Panel 4 Broadway stepping fully into view. BROADWAY ... Broadway. SWITCHBOARD (op) What are you doing here? Wraith sent you? Panel 5 Broadway stepping in among the other heroes. BROADWAY No, Wraith doesn't know about this. I'm here because of what you told us earlier. SWITCHBOARD You said that was useless. BROADWAY No, I said it was useless to wraith... Page 22 Panel 1 Group shot. 1 panel Full page shot. Everyone, for some reason, facing roughly the same direction. BROADWAY ...to you, to us, it's the thing that'll save the city. TO BE CONTINUED

Rapid City #39

by Josh Dahl

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