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“GHOST OF A CHANCE”
An IRON MAN ADVENTURE by Fred Van Lente
© 2007 Marvel
SPLASH: Tony Stark in his secret workroom in the bowels of the Stark International complex (last seen in MAIM #4, “Hostile Takeover”), hard at work on a new kind of Iron Man armor: SUBTERRANEAN ARMOR! Wearing goggles (“Safety first” is the S.I. motto), Tony is welding what looks like an enormous DRILL BIT on the end of a sleeve of Shellhead armor! Show his current armor encased behind him so we manage to get I.M. himself onto the front page.
1. CAPTION: In just a few hours, my latest set of Iron Man armor will be complete.
2. CAPTION: Shellhead’s subterranean togs will allow me to drill deep below Earth’s surface – and withstand the molten heat of the planet’s core.
3. TITLE: GHOST OF A CHANCE
4. CREDITS: Written by Fred, etc. …
Panel 1: Tony is distracted by a blinking light on his phone.
1. SFX: brrr brrr brrr brrr
2. CAPTION: Eh? Can’t answer that--
Panel 2: Tony prepares to lower his Iron Man subterranean helmet on a servo-arm into a vat of LAVA!
3. CAPTION: --not when I’m so close to the finish line!
Panel 3: Cut to the Stark International corporate jet, soaring over a high European mountain range.
4. BLURB: The
Balkans:
5. RHODEY (in jet): Told you he wouldn’t pick up!
Panel 4: Inside the cockpit, Rhodey flies the plane. Pepper leans over his chair in a skiing outfit.
6. RHODEY: Tone got bit by the “inventing bug” bad, Pepper – that’s why he didn’t come along on the annual S.I. corporate retreat this year.
7. PEPPER: That’s okay, Rhodey. I just wanted to thank him again.
Panel 5: Angle on the plane passenger cabin, which looks just like the interior of a commercial airliner. S.I. executives wearing skiing outfits swap jokes and goof around in the seats there.
8. PEPPER (OFF): Renting out a ski resort in Central Europe was his best idea yet!
Panel 1: The whole cockpit suddenly tilts 45 degrees to the left! Pepper is thrown off her feet – and Rhodey is nearly thrown out of his chair!
1. PEPPER: WHOA!! Some turbulence!
2. RHODEY: Turbulence my foot – the controls suddenly got minds of their own!
Panel 2: Outside, we can see that a TRACTOR BEAM has shot out of the mountains and is dragging the plane toward it!
3. RHODEY: We’re veering waaaay off-course to the east!
4. RHODEY: Almost looks like – some kinda ray is pulling us that way!
Panel 3: Rhodey’s radio squawks at him as he struggles futilely with the stick.
5. RADIO (jagged): Stark International Jet-1! This is the Latverian Air Force!
6. RADIO (jagged): You are about to enter our country’s airspace without permission! Repeat, you are about to illegally enter Latveria’s airspace!
7. RHODEY: No kidding, genius! Your freakin’ tractor beam is dragging us kicking and screaming there!
Panel 4: Rhodey and Pepper both look off-panel – shocked!
8. JAGGED FLOATER: Stark-1,
you have violated Latveria’s strict no-fly
zone!
9. JAGGED FLOATER: We insist you land under military escort– or be shot down as a hostile aircraft!
10. RHODEY: Military escort? What military escor—
11. SFX (“off”): tap
tap tap
Panel 5: Rhodey startled as he sees a DOOMBOT flying alongside his cockpit – pointing DOWN! Use the Doombot design Skottie Young came up with for this issue’s cover.
12. RHODEY: Yaaaahh!
Panel 1: Exterior shot of several flying Doombots (they’ve got boot jets, just like Shellhead himself), pacing the jet in the air!
1. PEPPER (in jet): I-I’m scared, Rhodey. Isn’t L-Latveria that country ruled by—
Panel 2: The S.I. jet lands in a airstrip just outside CASTLE DOOM – which looms forbodingly in the background. The Doombots have flown there with them but break away as Rhodey’s landing gear touch down.
2. RHODEY (in jet): ‘Fraid so, Pepper.
Panel 3: Doombots watch ominously as Pepper and Rhodey file down the gangplank off the jet, followed by the rest of the S.I. employees.
3. RHODEY: The biggest, baddest, most powerful super-jerk there ever was…
4. DR. DOOM (OFF): Welcome, criminals.
Panel 4: Reverse angle: big panel: There’s DR. DOOM in all his armored glory, awaiting his captives’ arrival!
5. DR. DOOM: I am the Chancellor-for-Life of the glorious Republic of Latveria.
6. DR. DOOM: But to you…
7. DR. DOOM: …I am Doom.
Panel 1: Back in his lab, Tony admires the completed SUBTERRANEAN ARMOR. It should be huge, bulky, and have DRILLS instead of hands.
1. CAPTION: Huh.
2. CAPTION: That actually took a lot less time than I thought.
Panel 2: Tony approaches the ringing/blinking phone.
3. SFX: brr
brr brr brr brr
4. CAPTION: Now I can finally get that…
Panel 3: As Tony picks up the receiver, however, a kooky ray streaks out of the receiver—He reels back, startled—
5. TONY: Hel—
6. SFX: BZZAAPP!!
7. TONY: Yow!
Panel 4: Tony practically falls on his ass as he sees DR. DOOM projected in hologram form out of the ray coming from the phone receiver!
8. DR. DOOM (jagged): I presume I need no introduction to you, Tony Stark.
9. TONY: Doctor Doom!
10. DR. DOOM (jagged): Indeed. I am transmitting myself via sonogram from Castle Doom in Doomstadt, capital of Latveria…
Panel 5: In the hologram, Doom gestures behind him, where we can see Rhodey, Pepper and the other S.I. employees gripping the bars behind a mass cell in the bowels of the Castle Doom dungeons.
11. DR. DOOM (j, OFF): …where I have thwarted your clumsy attempt at industrial espionage…
12. DR. DOOM (j, OFF): …and
imprisoned your would-be spies in my
castle dungeons.
13. TONY (OFF): What? What are you talking about?
Panel 1: Dr. Doom holds up a garden-variety disposable camera along with a map.
1. DR. DOOM (jagged): Your employees attempted to sneak into Latverian airspace. They carried cameras… maps…
2. TONY (OFF): They were carrying what any tourists going skiing in Moravia would carry … which is exactly what they were doing!
Panel 2: Sinister close-up of Doom.
3. DR. DOOM (jagged): You cannot prove that. Your people violated Latverian law-- my law.
4. DR. DOOM (jagged): They go on trial for espionage in five hours.
5. DR. DOOM (jagged): I need not tell you what the penalty is should they be convicted.
Panel 3: Tony glowers angrily at holo-Doom.
6. DR. DOOM (jagged) On the other hand… as head of state, it is well within my power to pardon the criminals…
7. DR. DOOM (jagged): …should
you see fit to provide the Republic some sign of… diplomatic good faith.
8. TONY: Spill it, Doom. Name your price.
Panel 4: Angle on a super-hi-tech thingamajig in one corner of Tony’s lab.
9. DOOM (OFF, j): My sources tell me you have developed a cosmic ray decontamination device for the American space agency.
10. DOOM (OFF, j): I want that device. I want to be the sole owner of that device.
Panel 5: Tony watches holo-Doom fade from view.
11. DOOM (jagged): You have five hours to gather together all documentation and prototypes for this invention.
12. DOOM (jagged): I will contact you then with instructions for delivery.
13. DOOM (jagged): Then and only then will your employees be released from my jails.
14. SFX: Click
– vmmmmmmm…
Panel 6: Close up of angry Tony – in one corner, draw the FANTASTIC FOUR, so we know who he’s talking about.
15. CAPTION: I wasn’t born yesterday. There’s only one use Dr. Doom would put a cosmic ray decontaminator to…
16. CAPTION: …he’d use it to attack his archenemies, the Fantastic Four, who gained their powers from accidental cosmic ray exposure!
“Panel” 1: In the upper left hand corner, draw a digital “counter” that shows how much time Tony has left before his friends go on trial. Don’t make it too big, though! Right now it should read:
Panel 2: A despairing Tony droops his head, pressing his fists into the worktable.
1. CAPTION: I can’t let my technology fall into Doom’s hands – but I can’t abandon my friends, either!
2. CAPTION: But five hours … Latveria is on the other side of the world! Even if I could get there in time…
3. CAPTION: …if I stormed the castle as Iron Man, my employees are his hostages. I’d endanger their lives!
Panel 3: Smash zoom into a close-up of Tony: he has a revelation!
4. CAPTION: Unless…
5. CAPTION: It’s a huge risk… But it’s not like I have a lot of options!
Panel 4: Tony rushes past a row of specialty Iron Man armor, including: the original bulky Yinsen-era Armor from MAIM #1 … the Deep-Sea Armor from MAIM #5… the Space Armor from MAIM #6… until he reaches a suit with a tarp draped over it, lying on a slab like Frankenstein’s monster.
6. CAPTION: Of all my specialty armors … the Deep-Sea armor… the outer space armor…
7. CAPTION: The one I haven’t had a chance to try out yet…
Panel 5: Tony pulls off the tarp, revealing his shiny, plastic, almost clear suit of “GHOST” ARMOR lying beneath! It can look a lot like this: http://www.ironmanarmory.com/plasticarmor.html
8. CAPTION: …is my plastic “Ghost” Armor!
9. CAPTION: I
designed it for missions requiring the utmost stealth!
Panel 1: Close on Tony’s arm as he snaps on the sleeve and gauntlet of the armor.
1. CAPTION: An advanced form of the Kevlar-like polymer they make bulletproof vests out of has been fused with synthetic ceramics to make the suit as lightweight as possible.
2. CAPTION: And the whole thing’s covered with miniature video cameras and projectors! It’s basically a big, Tony-shaped T.V. screen …
Panel 2: Same shot: when the invisibility effect is activated, Tony’s arm becomes totally see-through! We only see a white outline.
3. COMPUTER CAPTION: INVISIBILITY:
ACTIVATED
4. CAPTION: …that displays what’s behind my back on the front of my body – and vice-versa.
5. CAPTION: It renders me, for all intents and purposes, invisible!
Panel 3: Tony dons the Ghost Armor helmet.
5. CAPTION: A thermal lining disguises my heat signature from infrared sensors…
6. CAPTION: …and a noise-reduction engine makes the whole suit as silent as the grave.
Panel 4: Tony clad head-to-toe in the Ghost Armor. God damn, he looks bad-ass.
7. CAPTION: The only downside – and the only reason I never took it out on a test drive before –
8. CAPTION: -- is that there’s no weapons in this armor! I didn’t have room once all the “silent running” tech and invisi-imagers were installed.
9. CAPTION: I may be able to sneak into Doom’s castle, but if I get caught I’ll be totally defenseless.
Panel 5: Ghost Iron Man dashes into the hangar where the SUB-ORBITAL SPACE-PLANE is housed! You remember this beauty, don’t you, folks: she appeared last in the first two pages in “The Titanium Trap,” our Free Comic Book Day 2007 story.
10. CAPTION: I guess I’ll just have to make sure I’m not caught.
11. CAPTION: As for getting to Latveria in less than two hours…
12. CAPTION: …time to dust off the sub-orbital space plane!
“Panel” 1: In the upper left hand corner, the counter should read:
Panel 2: The sub-orbital space plane shoots straight up into Earth orbit like a rocket with Iron Man behind the wheel (though not necessarily visible in this shot).
1. CAPTION: This experimental jet shoots straight up into outer space at a kilometer a second…
Panel 3: The plane in very, very, very low earth orbit, arcs across the outer atmosphere’s surface.
2. CAPTION: …literally hopping between continents before dropping back down to its intended destination.
Panel 4: The sub-orbital space plane drops down over the Latverian mountains. Far in the distance on the ground, we can see the spires of Castle Doom.
3. CAPTION: The autopilot will take over from here.
4. CAPTION: Before Doom’s flying robots can catch up with it – or even identify it -- the space plane will be far outside Latverian airspace.
Panel 5: Ghost Iron Man in the open hatch of the plane, wearing a parachute!
5. CAPTION: Without me, though.
Panel 1: Iron Man jumps out of the plane!
1. CAPTION: Couldn’t put boot jets in this armor – way too noisy.
Panel 2: Iron Man pulls the ripcord on the chute.
2. CAPTION: So we’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.
Panel 3: Big panel: Iron Man in a PARAGLIDER parachute, glides down toward the camera! Ref.: http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/275645
3. CAPTION: Haven’t
paraglided since that Easter on St. Croix.
4. CAPTION: Let’s hope it all comes back to me – fast!
Panel 4: Reverse angle – Tony in paraglider headed right for the forbidding towers of CASTLE DOOM, which should look appropriately huge and forboding.
5. CAPTION: Gotta … aim for that tower … perfectly…
Panel 1: Iron Man not-entirely-gracefully lands, feet first, on the top of the tower! This is one of those “parapet” type castle towers, with a peaked roof and a spire on top – Tony lands on the top, roof part. Ref.: http://edp.org/Germany/Nuernberg/Castle7.jpg
1. CAPTION: Just made it!
Panel 2: As Iron Man lets go of the paraglider – the wind has caught it up, so it’s fluttering skyward – he appears to press a small button on one of the cords…
2. CAPTION: And by flicking this switch I send the faintest of electrical currents through the glider…
Panel 3: The paraglider instantly dissolves before our very eyes into ash!
3. CAPTION: …causing it to instantly self-destruct, leaving no traces for guards to find.
4. CAPTION: Its special material works on the same principle as magicians’ “flash paper”.
Panel 4: Ghost Iron Man swings down over the edge of the tower roof to the parapet below. There’s a doorway there that leads into the interior of the tower.
5. CAPTION: I’ve only got two hours to find Pepper and the others.
Panel 5: The invisible – OUTLINES ONLY -- Iron Man sneaks down the very narrow, winding medieval tower staircase, complete with stained glass and everything.
6. COMPUTER CAPTION: INVISIBILITY:
ACTIVATED
7. CAPTION: Call me crazy, but if they’re being held in the dungeons…
More below . . .
“Panel” 1: The counter now reads:
Panel 2: In the large group cell in the bowels of Castle Doom, Pepper and Rhodey greet their Latverian LAWYER who is led into the cell by a Doombot. All the Stark employees are wearing grey PRISON UNIFORMS. Like British SOLICITORS, the Latverian lawyer dresses in robes and one of those funny 18th century wigs. Enough British court dress reference to choke a horse: http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/courtdress/annexd.htm
1. CAPTION: “…I
should find the quickest way to the basement!”
2. RHODEY: What now, ugly? Come to gloat?
3. DOOMBOT: Negative. The-Master-has-generously-provided-you-with-defense-counsel.
Panel 3: Pepper leaps at the chance to talk with a lawyer.
4. PEPPER: A lawyer! Thank goodness!
5. PEPPER: I don’t know where to even begin! These charges are completely trumped-up! We haven’t been allowed a single phone call…
6. PEPPER: …and the food is terrible!
7. LAWYER: Byre et ohyeblikk.
Panel 4: A baffled Pepper gets handed documents by the lawyer.
8. PEPPER: Come on. No speak-a de English?
9. PEPPER: How can we prepare a defense if we can’t communica—
10. PEPPER: What’s this?
Panel 5: Angle down on the paper in Pepper’s hand – it’s marked at the top, in English: “CONFESSION”.
11. PEPPER: You want me to sign thi—
Panel 6: A furious Pepper hurls the papers and pen at the lawyer, who cringes in terror. Rhodey has to restrain her.
12. PEPPER: That’s your strategy? You want us to plead guilty and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court?
13. PEPPER: The mercy of a guy whose name is Doctor Doom?!?
14. PEPPER: You’re like the worst lawyer ever! Why I oughta—
15. RHODEY: Pepper, Pepper – calm down, hon. I’m sure Doom has got this pencil-neck under his thumb just like everybody else in this sorry country.
MORE
Panel 7: Rhodey holds Pepper, who buries her face in his shoulder, crying softly.
16. PEPPER: I know, I know! I just want this nightmare to end!
17. RHODEY: Chin up, girl.
18. RHODEY: You know our boss man. I’d bet dollars to donuts…
Panel 1: Big panel of the GREAT HALL of Castle Doom – a combination of the Middle Ages and the near-future, plasma screens and “D” banners hanging everywhere. Robots and servants dash about. The P.A. system blares propaganda. Basic great hall ref.: http://www.pickatrail.com/venus/1/winchester_hall.html
1. CAPTION: “…Tone’s figuring out a way to spring us right now.”
2. JAGGED FLOATER: Sig freed, Latveria, i gernit rogelan af Doom!
3. COMPUTER CAPTION: TRANSLATION
FILTER: LATVERIAN
Panel 2: Angle on
one end of the Great Hall, where the still-INVISIBLE Iron Man is pressed
against a wall underneath an Orwellian banner that reads, “DOOM IS HOPE”.
5. CAPTION: The Ghost Armor may not have the room for sophisticated programming like a translator…
6. CAPTION: …but it does have a cellular comm unit that can transfer live feed back to the S.I. mainframe in New York for translation.
7. JAGGED FLOATER: <Rejoice, Latveria, in the iron rule of Doom!>
Panel 3: Big panel as the invisible Iron Man stands before a huge plasma screen that depicts a propaganda image of a terrifyingly evil IRON MAN (regular gold and red armor, albeit “evil” – maybe modeled after long-time future man Iron Man 2020: http://liquidcross.com/ironman2020/gallery.html) randomly blasting stereotypical fat, hot dog-eating, cowboy hat-wearing Americans with his repulsor rays. Fat Americans run away, managing to hold onto their hot dogs.
8. JAGGED FLOATER: <Only Doom’s strength prevents our beloved Fatherland from being overrun by the super-powered terrorists of the West!>
9. JAGGED FLOATER: <America’s Iron Monger is among the most evil of them, cruelly oppressing the workers of robber baron Tony Stark!>
10. CAPTION: So these are the lies Doom uses to scare his subjects into submission.
Panel 4: Invisible Iron Man pokes his head into a doorway off the Great Hall.
11. CAPTION: And here’s the nerve center of his Ministry of Fear.
Panel 1: Iron Man’s POV: A bunch of Doombots work over computer consoles and big monitors showing what looks like some kind of cable news show, a shopping network, etc.: Western TV programming in general.
1. CAPTION: He’s ruthlessly capturing and censoring any and all Western media coming into the country – making sure his warped view of reality is the only one Latveria gets.
Panel 2: Invisible Iron Man looks down, startled, when he hears.
2. CAPTION: Say… That gives me an idea for some insurance--
3. SFX (DOWN): Yip!
Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip!
NOTE TO LETTERER:
There cannot possibly be too many
“yips” in any of these panels…
Panel 3: Angle down – Iron Man’s POV: one of those little annoying yipping rat dogs is right at his heels, looking right up at him, barking.
4. CAPTION: Grrrrrrrreat.
5. SFX: Yip!
Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip!
6. CAPTION: In order to achieve total silent running, the Ghost Armor stores all emissions, which is supposed to mask my odor from even the most sensitive noses…
Panel 4: Invisible Iron Man runs down the corridor away from the dog, but it just follows, barking at him.
7. CAPTION: …but this is the first time I’ve worn this suit…
8. SFX: Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip!
9. CAPTION: …and clearly some kinks still need to be worked out!
Panel 5: Two Doombot guards look at the dog rushing past barking at literally nothing.
10. SFX: Yip!
Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip!
11. DOOMBOT #1: Query: Investigate?
12. DOOMBOT #2: Response: Affirmative.
Panel 1: A snooty butler/waiter type, holding aloft a tray with food, emerges from the swinging doors of the kitchen to yell at the dog.
1. BUTLER: <Kristoff! Shush! The Master is meditating in his study!>
2. BUTLER: <Should you disturb him, it will be the end for all of us!>
Panel 2: The invisible Iron Man brushes past the butler, the dog close on his heels.
3. BUTLER: <Kristoff! Bad dog!>
4. SFX: Yip!
Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip!
5. CAPTION: I absolutely refuse to go down in history as the first super hero to be defeated
by an annoying little rat dog.
Panel 3: He spots the DISHWASHER’S STATION, piled high with dirty dishes – on top of one dish is what looks like the gnawed remnants of a pork chop bone.
6. CAPTION: Here we go.
Panel 4: Invisible Iron Man knocks most of the dishes over, startling the dishwasher.
7. CAPTION: Sorry, pal.
8. SFX: KKKRAASSHH!!!
9. DISHWASHER: <Aw, no!! >
Panel 5: Invisible Iron Man throws the pork chop bone as far as he can across the room – that gets Kristoff’s attention.
10. CAPTION: Now while everyone is looking the other way—
11. CAPTION: Look, Kristoff!
12. CAPTION: Magic flying pork chop!
Panel 6: Kristoff runs off in one direction after the pork chop – the Doombot guards from the previous page follow him. Invisible Iron Man runs off in the opposite direction.
13. CAPTION: Good boy!
14. CAPTION: Now go play in traffic.
“Panel” 1: The counter now reads:
Panel 2: Big panel of the front part of the dungeon area. A big gate separates the guard area from the hall of cells beyond, including Pepper and the gang’s. A single Doombot stands guard beside the gate.
NO COPY
Panel 3: Angle on the Doombot guard. He looks down in confusion…
1. DOOMBOT: ?
Panel 4: Doombot’s POV: KRISTOFF the dog is sitting at his feet, tail wagging maniacally, clutching the pork chop bone in his teeth.
2. SFX: pant pant pant pant pant
Panel 5: Doombot moves forward. Standing behind him we see in the INVISIBLE Iron Man!
3. DOOMBOT: Imperative-to-quadruped: Return-to-upper-levels.
4. DOOMBOT: This-area-is-restricted--
Panel 6: Behind the Doombot, we see Iron Man has managed to get a panel on his back open. He is preparing to join to wires together…
5. CAPTION: That’s it, Kristoff.
6. CAPTION: Just distract him one second longer…
Panel 1: The Doombot short-circuits in a blaze of flashing electronics and smoke! Kristoff flees in terror.
1. SFX: SSCHHRRAAKKK!!
Panel 2: Invisible Iron Man picks up a ring of keys off the fallen robot.
NO COPY
Panel 3: Iron Man BECOMES VISIBLE in front of the Stark employees’ cell as he unlocks it! As one might imagine, the prisoners are delighted to see him.
2. PEPPER: Iron Man! I knew it! I knew the boss wouldn’t leave us behi—
3. IRON MAN (WHISPER): Ssshhh!! Quickly and quietly, now!
Panel 4: Iron Man opens the unlocked cell door and the employees come pouring out.
4. IRON MAN (WHISPER): Rhodey, can you find your way back to the S.I. jet?
5. RHODEY (WHISPER): You bet.
Panel 5: A running Iron Man leads Rhodey and the others down a hallway, rounding a bend…
6. IRON MAN (WHISPER): Lead on. We need to get there before Doom discovers you’re go—
Panel 1: Big panel – Iron Man is brought up short as he discovers DR. DOOM is standing right there, arms crossed, waiting for them!
1. DR. DOOM: Before Doom discovers what?
2. DR. DOOM: Please. Finish your sentence.
3. DR. DOOM: I am dying of suspense.
Panel 2: Iron Man hurls himself at Doom – the two grapple as alarm lights and klaxons sound.
4. IRON MAN: Run—
5. DR. DOOM: That would be as futile as your rescue attempt, Armored One…
6. SFX: BWOOP!
BWOOP! BWOOP!
7. DR. DOOM: …now that the castle has been put on high alert.
Panel 3: Dr. Doom sends a sudden charge of energy from his gauntlets through Iron Man’s body, knocking him senseless!
8. SFX: SHHRRRAAKKKK!!
9. IRON MAN: Arrrrrggh!!
Panel 1: Dr. Doom stands over the defeated, smoking Iron Man. The Stark prisoners reel back fearfully.
1. DR. DOOM: “Ghost” technology, eh? Most impressive…
2. DR. DOOM: …for a simpleton.
3. DR. DOOM: But utterly useless against the genius of Doom!
Panel 2: In Doom’s Gothic library, he watches on a monitor an Iron Man-shaped WIREFRAME makes his way through his castle.
4. CAPTION: “Did you forget that one of my greatest enemies is an Invisible Woman?”
5. CAPTION: “Cloaked though you may have been from the five senses, sophisticated motion detectors picked you up the minute you entered the castle!”
6. CAPTION: “It has been most amusing, watching you grope through my home, trying to stumble your way to your friends…”
Panel 3: Doombots pick up the unconscious Iron Man by both arms.
7. DR. DOOM: …but the game has now ended…
8. DR. DOOM: … and the victor, as always, is Doom.
Panel 4: The Doombots drag Iron Man into a traditional, British-style COURTROOM! Doom strides in before them. Behind the Doombots, though not necessarily visible in this shot, are the captured Stark employees.
9. DR. DOOM: Your presence here indicates your employer has foolishly refused to meet my eminently reasonable terms.
10. DR. DOOM: A pity.
11. DR. DOOM: I
see no reason to delay any of your trials,
then.
“Panel” 1: The counter reads, of course:
Panel 2: Close up of a Doombot bailiff making a pronouncement…
1. DOOMBOT BAILIFF: All-rise!
2. DOOMBOT BAILIFF: Latverian-Supreme-Court-now-in-session!
Panel 3: A chilling sight: wearing one of those traditional 18th century-style judge wigs, Dr. Doom sits in green judge’s robes atop the bench in the center of the chamber.
3. DOOMBOT BAILIFF (OFF): Chief-Justice-for-Life-the-honorable-Doctor-Doom-presiding!
Panel 4: Angle down from the bench: IRON MAN is shackled to the floor in the middle of the courtroom – a neck brace is attached to a long chain which is itself attached to fetters on his wrists and ankles, which is then bolted to the floor. Standing beside Iron Man is the attorney we saw visited Pepper earlier. The captured Stark employees sit in the gallery behind. The courtroom is guarded by a phalanx of Doombots.
4. DOOMBOT BAILIFF (OFF): Defendant-Iron-Man-is-charged-with-twelve-counts-espionage-one-count-Doombot-destruction-twenty-counts-plotting-the-overthrow-of-the-Republic.
5. DR. DOOM (OFF): How does the accused plead?
6. LAWYER: One
hundred percent guilty!
Panel 5: Close on menacing Judge Doom.
7. DR. DOOM: Does the prisoner have anything to say before this court passes judgment?
Panel 1: Close on defiant Iron Man.
1. IRON MAN: I do.
2. IRON MAN: Some eminently reasonable terms of my own to offer, in fact.
Panel 2: Close on shocked Doom.
3. IRON MAN (OFF): Before making my way to the dungeons, I took the liberty of attaching the cellular comm unit from my armor into one of the castle’s main cable trunks.
4. IRON MAN (OFF): You know … the ones that regulate all of Latveria’s media?
Panel 3: Cutaway to what Iron Man is threatening: Latverians in the great hall of the castle clustering excitedly around the plasma screen, which now shows a Western newscaster broadcasting by some kind of stock ticker graphic.
5. CAPTION (I.M.): “Within the hour, it will begin broadcasting Western media across the entire country.”
6. CAPTION (I.M.): “Your people will have something other than your propaganda to tell them what the outside world is like.”
7. CAPTION (I.M.): “Now… I’m sure you’ll be able to find where I’ve hidden the transmitter among the miles of fiber-optic cable.”
8. CAPTION (I.M.): “Eventually.”
Panel 4: Angle on Doom’s hand clutching the edge of the judge’s bench – he’s so angry his hand SPLINTERS the wood!
9. IRON MAN (OFF): Just as I’m sure you’ll be able to suppress any unrest inspired by this incident.
10. IRON MAN (OFF): Eventually.
Panel 5: Tight close up of Iron Man.
11. IRON MAN: Of course, it would be a lot easier on you if I just told you where the transmitter is.
12. IRON MAN: Which I would be more than happy to do…
Panel 6: Close up of furious Doom.
13. IRON MAN (OFF): …once Stark’s employees and I are safely outside Latverian airspace, of course.
Panel 7: Close up of Doom’s eyes, filled with venomous hatred.
14. IRON MAN (OFF): So what do you say?
15. IRON MAN (OFF): A fair trade?
Panel 1: Rhodey’s S.I. jet (not the sub-orbital space plane, I should emphasize) arcs home through sunny skies.
1. BLURB: And
so…
2. DR. DOOM (jagged, in jet): So you were bluffing, Iron Man? I cannot say I am surprised…
3. DR. DOOM (jagged, in jet): …but I could not risk the alternative.
Panel 2: Inside the jet cockpit, Iron Man addresses Dr. Doom on a monitor. Pepper stands nearby. She and all the Stark employees are still in their prison togs.
4. IRON MAN: If you’d let your people make up their own minds, you’d have nothing to fear from them – or me.
5. DR. DOOM (jagged): Spare me your self-righteousness. The responsibilities of Doom are far beyond your ability to understand.
6. DR. DOOM (jagged): I will not forget this insult.
Panel 3: The monitor blinks out as Dr. Doom sounds off. Pepper snaps peevishly at Iron Man.
7. DR. DOOM (jagged): We
will meet again, Iron Man…
8. PEPPER: Though it worked out in the end, Shellhead…
9. PEPPER: …I don’t think the Boss is going to like your gambling our lives on a bluff.
10. IRON MAN: Oh, it wasn’t a bluff.
Panel 4: Iron Man stands over a grinning Rhodey as he flies.
11. IRON MAN: That time, just now, when I told Doom I was bluffing?
12. IRON MAN: That was the bluff.
13. RHODEY: You, sir, are a bad man.
14. IRON MAN: Yeah, I know…
Panel 5: Cut back to the Great Hall of the castle, where Dr. Doom stands while all his servants and other Latverians point ecstatically at a plasma screen covered, in split screen, of newscasts, animated cartoons and such. Doom has his back turned to us, obviously, but he’s doubtlessly not pleased.
15. CAPTION (I.M.): “…it’s a gift.”
16. BLURB: End
Iron Man and all associated characters are the property of Marvel Comics.
Go back to the Iron Man Armory's interview with Fred Van Lente.
