Avengers vol. 3 #49

Title: “There are No Words..."

Writer: Kurt Busiek

Penciller: Kieron Dwyer

Inker: Rick Remender

Colors: Tom Smith

Editor: Tom Brevoort

ONE

Tom Ð will we have the "And there came a day/Stan Lee Presents" legend in this issue? If so, it should go here. Then...

Open with a small establishing shot of AVENGERS MANSION, running across the top of the page. [H]

Cut inside, to the Avengers Situation Room, introduced in #38 and seen in #40 as well. We're specifically looking at a narrow slice of the status globe, showing the hologram-heads of CAPTAIN AMERICA, the SCARLET WITCH, the JACK OF HEARTS and PHOTON clustered together, with the card underneath indicating that they're off-Earth and that contact has been lost. [V]

Another slice of the globe, with holo-heads of THOR, FIREBIRD, SHE-HULK and HERCULES, with a line connecting them to France and a card indicating that they're supporting military action there. [V]

A somewhat wider shot. Looking past the globe at the WASP from behind; she's seated in a chair at a control board, in front of a couple of video screens, one showing WONDER MAN (powered up) and the other showing the GENERAL from #45. [If we see any of the holo-heads from the globe display in the foreground, let's see WONDER MAN, to show he's in California.] Anyway, the WASP was facing those screens, but she's turning sharply, her attention caught by something -- [V]

-- and we see what she's looking at: A wide radar-screen-like display, showing a cloud of blips, one larger than the others. (This is Kang and the Sentinels heading for Washington, but they're just radar-blips here). Maybe there's a flashing red "danger" light next to the screen. [H]

On the WASP's face, looking uneasy and worried.

[indicia at page bottom]

TWO

Cut to a long shot of a French landscape, with smoke rising from a destroyed village somewhere. It's evening. [H]

Zoom in on an army camp, flying both the French flag and the UN flag. [H]

Larger shot. From behind and to the side, we see THOR and FIREBIRD, a little beat up and grimy from all the fighting they've been doing, are walking through the camp. Exhausted SOLDIERS are slumped, relaxing, on the ground, WOUNDED MEN are carried by on stretchers, and there's mud and grime everywhere. This is not a happy Army camp Ð these people are exhausted from fighting valiantly but being pushed back, unable to stop the enemy advance. [H]

On THOR, taking this all in. His face looks weary, haggard, consumed with all the death he's been seeing. [S]

On FIREBIRD, looking up at him, worried that he'll quit the Avengers after all this, as he said he was planning to. [V]

THREE

FIREBIRD reacts, as her wrist-communicator within her glove starts beeping. [V]

She activates it, and that circular holo-screen activates, showing us the WASP's grave face. [V]

Closer on the WASP, grave, as she explains what's going on. [V]

On THOR and FIREBIRD, taking it in, concerned. [H]

Pull back to see THOR spinning his hammer, the circle of the spin glowing as it forms a portal in the air. [S]

The portal hanging in mid-air, fully-formed. [V]

THOR and FIREBIRD step through, their destination unknown as yet. [V]

FOUR

Cut to a long shot of WASHINTON DC, with that defensive ring-wall around it. [H]

We see speck in the sky, much like what the Wasp saw on her screen, but this is for real. [H]

The specks get closer, and we can see that the large one leading them is a humanoid shape. FIGHTER PLANES are approaching from the foreground. [H]

And a largish panel, from the p.o.v. of a FIGHTER PILOT, close enough to see that it's the gigantic KANG-image, leading the flight of SENTINELS, from last issue, walking downward through the air. [S]

On KANG, looking lordly and grim. As he points toward the city, obviously giving a command. [V]

[Note: If I haven't mentioned it yet, we're playing Kang in this story as a very capable, confident, relaxed commander Ð an old campaigner, a general who knows exactly what he's doing, and who doesn't need to raise his voice. As such, he won't rant and rave like a classic Marvel villain, but instead be very cool and contained and military, an aristocratic general, not a raving loon.]

FIVE

The SENTINELS soar to the attack, diving and blasting at the city, blasting fighter planes, etc. [H]

But the blasts aimed at the city burst against a bubble-like force-field the defense wall has projected around the city. It's invisible, so it's only defined by the splash of the blasts. [H]

Plodex-tech armaments at the tops of the defense-walls' towers swivel to lock onto the Sentinels Ð [V]

-- and they blast, blowing at least one SENTINEL to bits, and damaging others. In the background, we can see more PLANES getting destroyed, and a couple of parachutes here and there, indicating that some pilots are living through this. [S]

On KANG, cocking an eyebrow, intrigued, musing. [V]

SIX KANG

cocks his head upward, calling something to the sky. [long V]

And high up in orbit, we see Damocles Base, its "blade" pointed toward the Earth. [V]

Inside the base somewhere, we see some of KANG'S MEN, in a control-room/fire-control-room chamber, very hi-tech. They're manipulating controls, working at displays and arrays and such, like a futuristic version of a NASA control room. The SCARLET CENTURION stands impassively at the back of the room, his helmet off, his arms crossed, watching the activity. [V]

KANG points down toward Washington, very solemn, like Caesar deciding on an execution. [V]

Big panel. Damocles Base fires a blast -- [V]

[Note: The men in the fire-control room aren't the armored soldiers we saw invading France, but technicians. Still in futuristic outfits, but not battle-armor.]

SEVEN

-- and the blast blows the crap out of a large section of the defense-wall, blowing it up spectacularly, in a big panel. [long V]

KANG looks pleased. [V]

The base fires again. [V]

We see two or three more sections of the wall being destroyed. [H]

KANG looks satisfied, a "That takes care of that" look on his face. [H]

EIGHT

KANG strides forward, the SENTINELS behind him, stepping into Washington's airspace. PLANES seen in the distance behind them, arcing around for another attack. [V]

A vertical, disc-shaped portal opens in mid-air (we see it from the side, mostly) Ð [V]

-- and THOR, FIREBIRD and the WASP come through. [V]

Looking past them (in mid-air) at the giant KANG, looking at them as if they're fleas, come to annoy him. [H]

They charge, attacking. [H]

NINE

Cut to the White House. [H]

The PRESIDENT stands in the Oval Office, looking out the window at flashes of energy in the sky Ð all he can see of the combat going on. He's got his hands clasped behind his back Ð I figure he'd be frustrated that all he can do is observe, but his manner would be very contained. [V]

FOUR or FIVE SECRET SERVICE AGENTS come in, one of them doing that hand-to-the-ear-talking-to-someone-via-radio thing. [V]

They surround the PRESIDENT, so there's no way at him but through them Ð [V]

-- and hustle him out of the room. {H]

Through the Oval Office window, we see, out on the White House lawn, a helicopter with the Presidential Seal on it, its PILOTS on board, armed SECRET SERVICE AGENTS around it, their guns out, coats blowing from the rotors. This'll be where the President's headed, to evac him from the city. [H]

TEN

We see a general melee panel, as the AVENGERS and the FIGHTER PLANES mix it up with the SENTINELS. [H]

We see THOR smash through a SENTINEL, borne along by his hammer. [S]

We see FIREBIRD melting a SENTINEL's face with an intense blast of holy fire that splashes around its head. [S]

We see both of them flying off to attack more SENTINELS. [H]

Below, we see that the highways out of the city are jammed with cars, as people try to get out of the city. DRIVERS are waving their fists, shouting, PASSENGERS are weeping, PEDESTRIANS are running by, or climbing over the cars Ð these people want to get anywhere but here... [H]

ELEVEN

We see the WASP soaring toward a SENTINEL's head. [H]

She flies inside its mouth Ð [V]

-- and inside, rips up wires and blasts circuit-boards to smithereens with her Wasp's sting Ð [V]

-- and then flies out as its head explodes. [V]

Below, we see cars jammed up against the inner surface of the defense walls, PEOPLE climbing on them, trying to get some purchase on the walls, so they can climb up and over. Frantic, panicked activity (someone pounding their fists vainly on the wall?), but it should be pretty clear that they're not going to be getting out. [H]

TWELVE

Another melee panel, this time with the Avengers getting the worst of it Ð THOR getting blasted by a SENTINEL, FIREBIRD dodging a blast that's coming way too close. But there's something coming from the West, arcing over the horizon toward the battle -- [H]

-- and it plows through the SENTINEL on FIREBIRD's tail, shattering it to smithereens Ð [S]

-- and we see that it's WONDER MAN, as bits of SENTINEL fall all around him. He's determined, grim looking. [S]

He gives the others a quick wave, acknowledging that he's joining the fight. [H]

The WASP, in the foreground, gives him a welcome-to-the-fight thumbs-up as he rockets into another SENTINEL.

THIRTEEN

The giant KANG, some distance away from the main action, watches it calmly. He may be ghostly enough to see the background through him just a little, to indicate he's a hologram, so the audience, like the Avengers, assume he has no physical abilities here. [long V]

He turns, smiling to himself, raising his hands like a pianist about to play a symphony Ð [V]

-- and brings his hands down, blasting at the city below. [V]

Buildings are shattered by the blasts. People die. [S]

THOR turns toward KANG, startled, angry Ð he didn't think Kang could do that...! [H]

FOURTEEN

THOR flies toward KANG, propelled by his hammer -- [S]

--but he passes through, harmlessly. [S]

KANG laughs, continuing to blast and destroy things below him, raking the city with destructive rays. [H]

Over a series of narrow vertical panels, we see the following:

o THOR's angry, whirling his hammer, conjuring a storm, determined to get KANG. [From here on, the skies are cloudy and dark.]

o The WASP flies up to THOR, trying to get his attention.

o THOR's not listening.

o The WASP, right in his face, shots, pointing downward and to the right.

o THOR looks Ð

FIFTEEN

We see, down below, that the Presidential helicopter has been smashed by a falling SENTINEL head. The SECRET SERVICE is ringed around the PRESIDENT, backed up against the White House wall. FIREBIRD is hovering above, ready to blast, clearly protecting the President from more rubble. [H]

The WASP suggests something to THOR, who comprehends. [V]

They fly down toward the President. [V]

THOR spins his hammer, opening a portal Ð [S]

Through the portal, we see KRO of the Lemurian Deviants, and a DEVIANT honor guard waiting. The PRESIDENT looks unsure, but the WASP is pointing, telling him to go through, it'll be all right. [H]

He goes through. [H]

SIXTEEN

THOR looks around, taking in the carnage. [H]

He tells the WASP and FIREBIRD to go through, too, pointing. The WASP argues Ð [V]

-- but THOR's firm, and they go through. [V]

WONDER MAN swoops over the fading portal, checking in, seeing if everything's okay. [V]

He and THOR rocket back to the attack, looking grim and purposeful.

SEVENTEEN

THOR and WONDER MAN hover near KANG, shouting to him, calling him out. [long V]

KANG smiles peacefully, ignoring them. He holds his hands up, palms facing one another. [V]

In the gap between his hands, an energy-sphere forms Ð [V]

-- and coheres Ð we see that there's a few lines of odd, futuristic circuitry within Ð [H]

-- and the sphere drops toward the National Mall (where the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial are) Ð [V]

THOR and WONDER MAN, horrified, streak after it -- [V]

EIGHTEEN & NINETEEN

Double-page layout:

First, taking up the top two-thirds or so of the spread, we see the sphere explode, at ground zero, in a spectacular blast of energy that blasts out in all directions. At the edges of the panel, we see buildings cracking, silhouetted against the brilliant light. We see partial silhouettes of THOR and WONDER MAN caught in the blast, as the energies of it rip through them, too, and we can't tell whether they'll live or not. [H]

Then, running along the bottom, a few more panels:

We see PEOPLE in cars caught in the blast, the light and energy of it ripping through them like an X-ray machine. [S]

We see buildings crack, and windows shatter. [S]

We see PEOPLE huddled in buildings caught in the luminous blast, as it cracks the walls all around them, and they're lit up, X-ray like, by the blast. [S]

And we see them reduced to skeletons. [S]

[Note: This is the future-version of a neutron bomb. It's not going to destroy the city, just mess it up real good, cracking facades, ripping cars apart, shattering every window everywhere. But everyone caught in the blast, provided they're not a superhero able to stand up to an energy-blast like this, will be instantly killed, the flesh burned off them, leaving nothing but a skeleton.]

TWENTY

The smoke clears. [H]

We see THOR, beat to hell, his costume tattered, his face and arms sooty and scratched up, struggling unsteadily to his feet. WONDER MAN, nearby, is barely conscious, trying to get up but failing. [big H]

THOR looks around. Rain is just beginning to fall. [V]

They landed in the wreckage of a destroyed building near the Mall, and all THOR sees around him is skeletons, sprawled in the wreckage -- all that remains of the PEOPLE that were huddled in their apartments or offices for safety a moment ago. [S].

The rain is heavier now. Looking distraught and disbelieving, he turns... [H]

TWENTY-ONE

... and we see the devastation. Most building are still standing, but damaged. The Washington Monument is cracked, but standing. But there are cars scattered around like toys, and SKELETONS sprawled everywhere. [H]

Small panel. THOR staggers forward, holding a skull. We see this from behind. [V]

Small panel. THOR drops to his knees out of fatigue and grief. We see this from behind, too. [V]

Large panel. Kneeling amid the wreckage, surrounded by devastation and skeletons, THOR has his face raised to the heavens, weeping as he howls out his grief and rage for the death of an entire city. The storm has fully broken now, and it's pouring down rain on THOR and the whole scene... [S] [Maybe the last two panels are insets in this.]

Cut to: A few days later. We see a sunny, bright sky. [H]

TWENTY-TWO

We're looking at a floating platform, long and thin, like the deck of an aircraft carrier, with a few lumps and shapes on the bottom, the anti-grav technology that's holding it up. It's hovering over the devastated Washington DC. Smoke is still pouring up from the city. [H]

We go closer on the platform, and see there are two groups of PEOPLE standing on it, facing each other from a distance. A podium stands between them. [H]

We see that one group of people consists of KANG, flanked by the SCARLET CENTURION and a few SOLDIERS. KANG stands, hands clasped behind his back, looking perfectly at ease. [V]

We see the other group Ð some SENATORS, the JOINT CHIEFS (including the general from page one) and the WASP. All look solemn, somber. Defeated. [V]

KANG nods his head, forward, indicating it's time to proceed. [V]

The GENERAL steps forward. [V]

TWENTY-THREE

KANG holds out a hand to halt him. [V]

KANG points Ð [V]

-- toward the WASP, who looks distraught, but realizing that Kang has always focused on the Avengers, and this is a moment he wants from the Avengers more than the US. [V]

She walks forward, toward the podium, her head bowed, her face in shadow. [H]

KANG has met her there. Close on his hand, as he offers her a pen, very like a quill pen, but made of shimmering metal. Her hand is there too, about to take it. [V]

And we look over her shoulder at the podium, as she signs the Articles of Surrender. It should say "Articles of Surrender" at the top in scrolly calligraphic script, so we know what it is. [S]

[And we'll need room along the bottom of the page for the title, with the credits running below it.]

Avengers Files rating: 8.5 out of 10

I think this issue of ‘Nuff Said is the new highest rating for one of it’s ill-conceived brethren. I still dislike Dwyer’s art, but his storytelling abilities are strong enough that I was never confused as to what was happening in the story (3.5 out of 5). As far as the story itself… unbelievable. Just completely intense and almost beyond the scope of imagining in this day and age. Excuse me for letting my political beliefs enter my critique, but I’ve read that a few people were disturbed by the immense violence in the wake of the September 11^th attacks on America. Firstly I think that one needs to realize that these are comic books, and that in comic books, villains are going to destroy things. That’s what they do. I can think of no more effect way to show what an evil man Kang is than to compare his to the scum Osama bin Laden. Furthermore, as the war against the Taliban continues I keep hearing about people saying that America is using excessive force (or that certain al Queda leaders are being let go instead of being brought to trial, or that people are concerned that al Queda leaders aren’t being treated humanely because they might get wet inside their cells when it rains) I think that this show of naked brutal devastation can serve as a reminder of why America went to war against terrorism in the first place, and that if the fictional devastation can keep someone’s mind in the proper frame of mind to hope that justice is served in the real world then I think that it is a good thing. End of lecture…

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