Denver 5 Comics 86-90

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 086
1. THE SPIDER is surrounded by people, many of them in costume. There's an assembled crowd. In the very back, the two uniformed figures from Comic 085 (Guards 85-1 and 85-2) are visible.

CHORUS

"Love your costume!"
"Were you there Friday?"
"Is this your first cosplay?"

THE SPIDER
"Ah, no. I come every year."

2. Same shot, but there's the flash of someone taking a picture and THe Spider squints slightly at it with all of his eyes. In the background, Guards 85-1 and 85-2 are getting closer, plowing through the crowd.

CHORUS

"Look at that articulation on the mouth!"
"I don't think he's tall enough."
"Can I get a picture with you."

3. Same shot, but The Spider is looking back, directly at the approaching security officers.

CHORUS

"Does the real Spider have that accent?"
"You let me take a picture with you last year."
"What's with the jacket?"

The Spider
"Well, you see, I'm ah..."

4. Wider shot. The Spider is moving into the crowd, off of the right side of the panel and handing his jacket back to TYLER FOSS, who was just off of the left side of the panel for the rest of the strip. Tyler is utterly bewildered at this. 

THE SPIDER

"Yes, we take a few pictures."

Denver 5 Comics 81-85

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 81
1. TYLER FOSS and THE SPIDER are walking around Cherry Creek Mall. Tan, faux marble floors and facades. Glass dividers and storefronts with bright silver handrails and detailing. In the background, there are some cosplayers. They and others look at the pair of metas as they walk into a clothing store, side by side.

Tyler: "You don't have to watch me; I was just kidding with you about causing trouble."

 
2. The Spider is checking out a rack of coats on a clearance rack.

Tyler: "I just wanted to hang with someone without a lecture on Ehm-theory and responsibility."

3. The Spider has picked out a coat [See reference] and is taking it to check out.

Tyler: "...you notice how we never train to work as a team?"

4. The Spider is offering the coat with a pile of cash to a cashier who is staring, aghast, at his mouth. Tyler looks sad.

The Spider: "We're not a team." "We'll never be a team." "We'll never work together."

Denver 5 Comics 76-80

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 076
1. THE DENVER FACILITY BREAK ROOM (See Comic 11 for reference). In addition, there's a Key Rack on the side of the refrigerator, towards the front so it doesn't catch on the door. THE SPIDER is sitting in the couch, reading a copy of The Rocky Mountain News (a newspaper which is defunct IRL). Through the interior wooden door behind him, TYLER FOSS is leaning through.

TYLER FOSS

"Hey. I'm going to the mall. Wanna come?"

2. We're looking at The Spider head-on, from a POV just inside of the newspaper. He's pointing his left hand at his face.

THE SPIDER

"This is not a mask. I'm a violent vigilante."

3. We're back to the POV from Panel 1. The Spider's word bubble continues across to this panel. His hands are both back on the newspaper. Tyler is standing in the room now.

THE SPIDER

"I'm hated by criminals, wanted by the police, and loathed by activists hunting for a cause."

4. Same POV. Tyler is curious and has stepped a bit closer to The Spider.

TYLER FOSS

"You're worried they'll catch you?"

THE SPIDER

"I'm worried your ego will be collateral damage when they do."

 

Denver 5 Comics 71-75

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here. 

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Strip 71
1. CYBERPARANOID exits Professor Wilson's office, MARCUS and ALEXANDER are waiting outside. Marcus is a short man with a bookbag and thin-rimmed glasses. He's wearing a polo shirt and slacks. Alexander is taller and thinner, but still shorter than Cyberparanoid. He has long, dirty hair that could be blonde on a good day. He carries a beaten spiral notebook. Both are white and about the same age as Cyberparanoid. Both have been waiting for CP for a while, with Alexander leaning on the wall and Marcus standing, facing the direction they are about to walk.

Marcus

"About time. We're probably going to be late to Lit."

Cyberparanoid *smugly*

"Don't worry about it."

2. Alexander is looking over his shoulder while they walk down the hall, which has white paint over large bricks that come halfway up the wall. Other students pass behind them, including CLIFF WHITE, who has just passed them and is giving Cyperparanoid the stink-eye.

Alexander

"Took long enough. He suckin' off his best student in there?"

Marcus *rolling his eyes; he's a bit tired of Alexander's crudeness*

"Ugh."

3. They continue walking through the building, passing Rockin' Fuel vending machines.

Cyberparanoid *smiling*

"Actually, he wanted to say he expected better work out of me in the future."

Marcus

"Only you could make that sound like a compliment."

Denver 5 Comics 66-70

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 66
1. CLIFF WHITE (Well-built, young male, dark hair) in a shower (chest-up). There's a "beep" sound happening in the background.

Caption:
University of Colorado, Denver
Campus Village Apartments

2. Cliff is getting out of the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist. The Beeping continues.

Cliff (Internally):

He's up!  Finally, I am going to have a conversation with my roommate about--

3. Cliff is facing out of a bathroom and into an empty sleep area with two beds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzi4JLfT2qU). The beeping has stopped, as has his train of thought. We can see an invisible CYBER PARANOID with a bookbag waiting by the open door to the hallway outside.

4. Cyberparanoid is still invisible and is outside of the door to his room, which is being slammed shut.

Cliff:

"Can't even close the damned door when he leaves!"

Denver 5 Comics, 61-65

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 061
1. THE DENVER FACILITY CENTRAL CLASSROOM. It has two rows of four wide tables. Each table has a four seats and each row his higher than the next. At the front of the room are a large electronic "blackboard," a simple, wooden podium, and a table with a matte black top. Brown, zig-zag soundproofing covers the side of the room. There are single doors on either side of the front of the room and double doors on each side of the back wall. TYLER FOSS and THE SPIDER are entering the front right door with notebooks and pencils. You can see the entire front room of the class here and only The Spider and Tyler are visible.

TYLER FOSS

"Class? Really?"

2. Same shot, but Tyler is moving towards the front left table. Spider is trailing further behind, taking the room in.

TYLER FOSS

"This is way too early. I just woke up, like, five minutes ago."

3. Shot over Tyler's shoulder as he puts his books on the table. He's looking off to the left in surprise. This is probably the first shot which allows you to see the two back doors of the classroom.

TYLER FOSS

"I was up until two playing--"

THE SPIDER (OFF-PANEL)

"I've been up for 72 hours sraight."

4. POV is from Tyler. The Spider is sitting at the left table, second chair from the center aisle stairs. His posture is tight and focused, spine straight, feet on the floor. As much as possible, he's staring straight forward.

THE SPIDER

"In another 12, the hallucinations start."

Denver 5 Comics: Description Interlude, Pt 01

Last week I mentioned I'd be taking a few weeks off to work on the next storyline. While I was doing that, I wanted to put up some new descriptions of supporting characters and places that would be appearing in various parts of the comic. Next week is more character description, but this week is about the U.N.I.T.Y. Headquarters at 0° - 0° .

Tac-0

U.N.I.T.Y. headquarters is located at 0° Latitude by 0° Longitude, in the Gulf of Guinea, about 600 km (334 nm) away from Ghana. It's considered a world heritage site and is technically administered by the United Nations. Water depth: 5 km.

It is an island centered around a geologically active depression with steam coming out of it. A low, wide semicircular building reaches just over halfway around that depression and spreads from that area to just a few dozen meters from the beach. The building is divided into three regular parts by piping and boilers which are part of the geothermal power system. The three parts of the building each have three more regular breaks, a higher central area with helicopter pads and lower areas that are designed for metas to fly to an from the buildings directly. The walls of those buildings are windowless and flat black, with white struts that run along the inside of the sections which support helicopter pads. Painted in UN powder blue along the exterior of each building is “U.N.I.T.Y.”

Denver 5 Comics, 56-60

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 056
1. In the police station office from strip 28. OLDER OFFICER is looking up from a report he was reading. OFFICER 56-1 (Female) is standing in the doorway. She's carrying a folder.

OFFICER 56-1

"Spider caught Jesse Childs."

OLDER OFFICER

"St. Lukes?"

OFFICER 56-1

"St. Lukes."

2. OFFICER 56-1 and OLDER OFFICER still in the office, but Older Officer is getting his coat on. She's reading the folder to him.

OFFICER 56-1

"They say Childs flipped his car through The Spider."

OLDER OFFICER

"Fucking Spider."

3. OFFICER 56-1 and OLDER OFFICER walking through the police station towards the exit. She's still reading the folder. He's grabbing a coffee from a small table with coffee supplies.

OFFICER 56-1

"Units were already in the area because of a building collapse."

OLDER OFFICER

"Fucking Spider."

4. OFFICER 56-1 and OLDER OFFICER outside of the police station, just past the awning from comic 37 (This was incorrectly described as an eave when it is in fact an awning.). The older officer has his keys pulled out is unlocking the key to his car. His other hand is still holding the coffee.

OFFICER 56-1

"There was a second vehicle involved in the crash. We don't think it's related."

OLDER OFFICER

"Fucking Spider."

Denver 5 Comics, 51-55

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 051
1. THE SPIDER is still in the loft from Strip 50. He's holding a shotgun casually while looking at a crumpled girl (50-1) on the floor.

Spider

"Tell me she's new."

2. FRANKLIN and SAMANTHA are standing on the right and left side of the loft window. Samantha is obviously angry, but carries her rifle in a very casual left shoulder arms. Franklin looks obviously worried, and holding one hand as if to halt THE SPIDER while grabbing a slip of paper from his pocket with the other.

Franklin

"She's new! She's new!"

3. THE SPIDER moves past FRANKLIN AND SAMANTHA to the window. Franklin is looking to his right (towards Cohort 50-1) and lifting the hand as if he's still holding the paper even though he isn't.

Spider

"Thank you."

4. FRANKLIN moving to the left while SAMANTHA is leaning out the window.

Samantha

"YOU'RE A PIECE OF SHIT, SPIDER!"

Denver 5 Comics, 46-50

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 046
1. Location is inside of the building described in Comic 045. POV is over the shoulder of THUG 46-1 in the back, right corner of the store. He's behind a counter that runs the length of the back of the store with an opening on the far end, opposite the entrance. On Thug 1's left are two windows—one broken where THE SPIDER entered—and three pillars. Two other thugs are behind the pillar (Thug 46-2 and Thug 46-3). Thugs 46-2 and 46-3 are both hunched and covered in glass. The opposite wall also has three pillars with two more thugs behind it (Thug 46-4 and Thug 46-5). On the right wall are piled shelves from when the building was a convenience store. Behind them are Thugs 46-6 and THUG 46-7. THE SPIDER is in the center of the floor, Thugs 1, 4, & 5 have guns (M-16's, with optional, futuristic flourishes if you want) trained on him. He's crouching low, coming up from his three point stance when we last saw him.

Spider (Internally)

"There's a rumor I got my name from my first night out."

2. Same shot as panel 1. Gunfire is erupting. THE SPIDER is crashing through the counter that was in front of THUG 46-1, grasping his assault rifle. The Spider's face is intimidating. Staggered above THUG 46-6 and THUG 46-7 are indistinct glints of thrown grenades (M-84 stun grenades), two each.

Spider (Internally)

"I fell into a hideout, and took out eight gangers."

3. Close up on THE SPIDER, crouched on THUG 46-1's chest. Thug 46-1 is unconscious. The Spider's right arm is straight back because he's thrown 46-1's assault rifle at 46-4. You can either pan out to show his hand after the throwing motion. Alternatively, while I usually eschew motion lines for The Spider, as he's often moving too quickly for them, they would be acceptable here.

Spider (Internally)

"They think eight is my limit. So they always send nine."

4. POV over The Spider's shoulder as he looks back and up at the grenades.

Spider (Internally)

"It was fifteen."

Denver 5 Comics, 41-45

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 041

1. CITIZEN #41-1 & CITIZEN #41-2 are walking past a laundromat. If you look at the top, The Spider's shadow should be running down the building and across the sidewalk.

Citizen #41-1
"'Come in the long way!' What's wrong with Leo?"

2. Same shot as panel 1, the two are moving at a fast walk. Approaching an alley on the right.

Citizen #41-2
"Probably the same thing makin' him protect this Childs guy."

3. Close up on Citizen #1

Citizen #1
"I heard The Spider is looking for him."

4. Same scene as panel 3. In the background, you can see THE SPIDER.

Spider
"I heard he just found him."

Denver 5 Comics, 36-40

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 036

1. THOMAS SMITH are TYLER FOSS are in Tyler's cell block. Snake is fighting down laughter and even wiping away a tear.

Smith

"You are literally, heh-heh, the only person here who cares about that."

2. Same scene. Closer on Smith as he wraps a hand around Tyler's cell bars as if to steady himself. The other is off to the side, as if demonstrating something.

Smith

"Prosecutors want convictions. The Michaels family wants someone punished."

3. Same scene. Closer on Smith, who's now gripping the bars with two hands and leaning in.

Officer

(1)"Childs certainly doesn't care how guilty he is."

(2) "Would you rather stay in his place?"

4. Same scene. Same distance from the two, but pivoting the POV to focus on Tyler through the bars, who bears a combination of shame and resignation.

Tyler

"No."

Denver 5 Proof of Concept, pt 02

A few months ago, I and a friend kicked around an aborted comics project featuring superhuman jerks being jerks on a truly superhuman level. Character descriptions are here and the pilot plots are posted below.

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005
*Doctor Bob, sitting at a desk with Tyler. This is a profile shot instead of the head-on shot of 001. It established that although the words are the same, this is actually a different strip.*
(DB): "All metas trained by U.N.I.T.Y. may be called upon at any time to serve a front-line role in an emergency."
---
*Shows Tyler using a defibrillator over a dummy. DB's voice continues, but he is, again, not present.*
DB: "Basic first aid should be administered unhesitatingly and expertly. U.N.I.T.Y. certification means saving lives, and doing so responsibly."
---
*Shows Tyler moving ambulances over a simple map of a city with fires on various buildings. OR with parts of a miniature city in front of him, a 'scoreboard' is behind him with a countdown timer and words similar to "Crisis Response Scenario 03." Regardless of the exact image, DB is again only narrating and not present. Again.*
DB: "Whether it's because of your meta abilities or perceived affiliation with U.N.I.T.Y., others will often defer to you in a crisis."
---
*Cuts back to Bob and Tyler in the room.*
DB: "Your goal is to be ready for any—"
Tyler *incredulous*: "Wait. The Spider is here?"