BY JACK “KING” KIRBY
THE COMPLETE VISUAL NOVEL IN PENCIL FORM
THE COMPLETE VISUAL NOVEL IN PENCIL FORM
BY JACK “KING” KIRBY
TwoMorrows Publishing Raleigh, North Carolina
SILVER STAR: GRAPHITE EDITION Published by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Silver Star and all associated characters are ™ & ©2006 the Jack Kirby Estate. Editorial package ©2006 TwoMorrows Publishing. All rights reserved. With the exception of artwork used for review purposes, none of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without permission of the Jack Kirby Estate. Edited and designed by John Morrow. Front cover color by Jack Kirby. Back cover color by Tom Ziuko. Non-pencil art shown in this book was inked and lettered by Mike Royer (issues #1-4) and D. Bruce Berry (issues #5 and 6), except for the covers of issues #2 and #6, which were inked by Mike Thibodeaux. Art reconstruction on select inked pages was by Chris Fama. Printed in Canada • First Printing, March 2006 • ISBN 1-893905-55-1 Special Thanks To: Lisa Kirby and the Kirby Estate • Mike Thibodeaux • David Schwartz Chris Fama • Jay Erish • Steve Sherman • Heritage Comics Also Available from TwoMorrows Publishing: Captain Victory: Graphite Edition For more on Jack Kirby, check out THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR magazine, available from TwoMorrows Publishing. Read excerpts and order at: www.twomorrows.com
CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Silver Star #1: Homo Geneticus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Silver Star #2: Darius Drumm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Silver Star #3: The Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Silver Star #4: Satan’s Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Silver Star #5: The World According To Drumm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Silver Star #6: The Angel Of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 Screenplay: Silver Star, Super-Hero! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
EXTRAS Early rendition of Silver Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Title Page Original Screenplay drawing #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Darius Drumm concept drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Unused Silver Star #3 cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Final 1980s illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Original Screenplay drawing #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Unused Silver Star #4 cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 Preliminary concept drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152-153 Jayne Davidson drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154-155 Anything Goes #2 illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Convention sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 ABOUT THE COVER: In Kirby’s files was this handcolored stat of the original pencil drawing he included with the Silver Star screenplay. ABOUT THE BACK COVER: Mike Thibodeaux inked this teaser ad, which ran in the pages of Pacific’s other Kirby comic, Captain Victory And The Galactic Rangers. Color by Tom Ziuko.
3
INTRODUCTION
his youthful compatriots on the Lower East Side of New York where he was raised, to his many dust-ups within the comics industry, from censorship in the 1950s, to struggles over creative control of his work in the 1970s and ownership of his original artwork in the ’80s. Jack Kirby (1917-1994) has been dubbed the King of Comics due to his amazing output during a 50-year career as a comic book creator that began in the late 1930s. His ideas and innovations in the field are innumerable, being creator or co-creator of Captain America, Romance comics, Kid Gang comics, the Marvel Universe (including the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Thor, Silver Surfer, and more), the New Gods, and many others. After departing the comics field in 1978 to pursue a career in animation, he waded back in three years later with a new series for the start-up Pacific Comics company, Captain Victory & The Galactic Rangers #1 (November 1981). After the initial success of Captain Victory, Pacific went to Jack for a follow-up in late 1982, and he dug out Silver Star. The concept had started with that single drawing in 1975, and morphed into a movie screenplay by Jack and assistant Steve Sherman in 1977 (complete with Kirby illustrations to help potential investors visualize the idea). Finding no takers for it as a film, the idea languished in the Kirby files until Pacific came a’calling. The original screenplay is reproduced here, and while the final comics series was based on it, the screenplay provides some extra depth to the characterizations that aren’t evident in the sixissue Pacific Comics series also presented here. (An interesting sidenote is Jack’s choice of a character’s name in the third issue. One of Kirby’s pals growing up on the Lower East Side of New York City was young Albie Klinghoffer. They were close childhood friends, and the illfated Albie Reinhart in Silver Star #3 was likely named after him. Ironically, Albie Klinghoffer’s brother Leon, also a childhood friend of Jack’s, met an untimely death when he was murdered by Palestinian terrorists who hijacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro on Oct. 7, 1985, roughly two years after Jack completed Silver Star. Also, the young girl Tracy in issue #1 was named after Jack’s own granddaughter.) It’s unclear if Kirby intended Silver Star to be an ongoing, open-ended series, or if it was meant to last just six issues from the start. He tended to view all his comics work as having unlimited potential; as long as the audience kept buying it, he’d keep creating new scenarios for the characters. As the series progressed, payments from Pacific Comics reportedly came slower and slower, and the company went into bankruptcy not long after Kirby’s final issue. But the finale to Kirby’s tale doesn’t seemed to be forced in the final issue, leading me to believe that, at the very least, Kirby intended to wrap-up the tale of Darius Drumm in a six-issue arc before continuing the adventures
by John Morrow
he Silver Star is the fourth-highest military decoration awarded to an individual in the Army, after the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal. It was established by Congress in 1918, to be given to a person “cited for gallantry in action” who “performed with marked distinction.”
T
The original concept drawing for Silver Star, dated January 1975.
Private First Class Jack Kirby was honorably discharged at the end of World War II with several battle ribbons, but the shiniest adornment he received was a Bronze Battle Star. Still, he was obviously aware of the Silver Star medal when he came up with the title character of the “Visual Novel” you’re about to read. As evidenced by the image above, Kirby first conceived of the character in January 1975, three decades after his own military service ended. But from his earliest days, Kirby was constantly involved in battles large and small, from gang fights with 4
Jack suffered various health concerns as the series progressed from February 1983 to its conclusion in January 1984, and the observant viewer can spot deficiencies in the penciling quality. The same is true of Kirby’s own hand-lettering which, in the later issues, tended to get harder to read. So we chose to reletter all the pencil pages, using the finished lettering from inked stats and the published comics, to keep the reader from getting boggeddown by trying to decipher Jack’s handwriting. Despite this, and the occasional purple prose (including Kirby’s first-ever in-print use of the word “gonads”!), his sense of storytelling never waned. Neither did his legendary ability to produce pages on deadline. Despite Kirby having a full-time job as an animation conceptual artist at the time, the book stuck to a strict bi-monthly schedule throughout its run, with the only glitch being an extra Jack Kirby (left) with assistant Steve Sherman, mid-1970s. month between issues #4 and #5. This is more than likely attributed to the switch to D. Bruce Berry as inker with #5 of Silver Star with another antagonist. (the Disney strike ended in mid-series, sending Mike Royer Since the early 1970s, Jack made it a habit to back to his day job), rather than Jack’s ability to deliver. photocopy his penciled pages before they were inked, and Rounding out this book is a cornucopia of Silver Star Silver Star was no exception. Presented here is Kirby’s drawings, ranging from initial art that accompanied the original “Visual Novel,” still in pencil form, taken mostly early screenplay, to later convention sketches and special from the photocopies he made before Mike Royer and D. illustrations done well after the series had wrapped. The Bruce Berry’s inking. The complete Silver Star story is deterioration in the quality of Kirby’s pencil work may be Kirby’s most brutal work; death abounds in each issue, evident in the later drawings, but his affection for his last with undoubtedly the highest body count of any comic he original comic book creation still comes through. ever produced. Many of the scenes in issue #6 are downBesides presenting Kirby’s last great epic in pencil right creepy, perfectly evoking the sense of dread and form, this book helps preserve Kirby’s legacy in another foreboding that a real-life Angel of Death would likely way. A percentage of the proceeds goes to the Jack Kirby cause. Seeing it in Kirby’s rough pencil art enhances that Museum and Research Center, an online resource for mood even more, in this writer’s opinion. scholars, historians, and fans of Jack’s work to see it in its For the covers, we’ve opted to present both penciled various forms, and to learn more about his remarkable life and inked versions for comparison. Regrettably, pencil and career. TwoMorrows photocopies of much of the Publishing has undertaken the first issue, and all the two-page task of digitally archiving the spreads from the series, are thousands of photocopies Jack missing. (Kirby rarely photomade of his pencil pages, so copied his massive two-page future generations will have spreads, probably because of access to a portion of his remarktheir oversize nature, and not able body of work before it was easily fitting onto single 11" x altered by inkers, editors, and 17" copies.) In these instances, publishers. I encourage anyone we’ve printed stats of the finwho enjoys this book to go to ished, inked and lettered art, or www.kirbymuseum.org and conpages from the actual color sider joining this worthwhile, comics, reconstructed for ongoing project. black-&-white reproduction by While few would consider Chris Fama. In addition to letKirby’s handwritten note for lettering page 13 of issue Silver Star to be Kirby’s finest #5, from the back of a pencil xerox for the issue. ting the reader enjoy the entire work of a 50-year career, it’s story uninterrupted by missing arguably the best of his last stint pages, it’s fascinating to see the level of polish the inkers in comics. Other than some pin-up drawings, and a handand letterers added to Kirby’s pencil work, and their contriful of stories using DC Comics’ corporate-owned characbutions to the series should not be overlooked. Mike Royer ters (for which Jack had little affinity), Silver Star was the was a favorite inker of Kirby’s, having handled most of his end of the line for Kirby’s comics career. He went out on a 1970s output before becoming an illustrator for Walt high note, providing us with his unique brand of gallantry in Disney Studios in the late 1970s. But a fortuitously-timed action one last time, in a career where he continually perstrike at Disney freed up Mike to tackle Silver Star #1, his formed with marked distinction. He was certainly deserving first full story inking Kirby in years. of the award the title character is named after. ★ 5
One of two drawings Kirby included with his original Silver Star screenplay.
6
7
If you’re viewing a digital version of this publication, PLEASE read this plea from the publisher! his is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, which is NOT INTENDED FOR FREE T DOWNLOADING ANYWHERE. If you’re a print subscriber, or you paid the modest fee we charge to download it at our website, you have our sincere thanks—your support allows us to keep producing publications like this one. If instead you downloaded it for free from some other website or torrent, please know that it was absolutely 100% DONE WITHOUT OUR CONSENT, and it was an ILLEGAL POSTING OF OUR COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. If that’s the case, here’s what you should do: 1) Go ahead and READ THIS DIGITAL ISSUE, and see what you think. 2) If you enjoy it enough to keep it, DO THE RIGHT THING and purchase a legal download of it from our website, or purchase the print edition at our website (which entitles you to the Digital Edition for free) or at your local comic book shop. We’d love to have you as a regular paid reader. 3) Otherwise, DELETE IT FROM YOUR COMPUTER and DO NOT SHARE IT WITH FRIENDS OR POST IT ANYWHERE. 4) Finally, DON’T KEEP DOWNLOADING OUR MATERIAL ILLEGALLY, for free. We offer one complete issue of all our magazines for free downloading at our website, which should be sufficient for you to decide if you want to purchase others. If you enjoy our publications enough to keep downloading them, support our company by paying for the material we produce. We’re not some giant corporation with deep pockets, and can absorb these losses. We’re a small company—literally a “mom and pop” shop—with dozens of hard-working freelance creators, slaving away day and night and on weekends, to make a pretty minimal amount of income for all this work. We love what we do, but our editors, authors, and your local comic shop owner, rely on income from this publication to stay in business. Please don’t rob us of the small amount of compensation we receive. Doing so will ensure there won’t be any future products like this to download. TwoMorrows publications should only be downloaded at
www.twomorrows.com
Early concept drawing of Darius Drumm.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
Unused cover for issue #3. 52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
Attention is drawn to the lead tank—the bouncing, crunching, relentless forward movement of its treads— the crusty, primeval effect of its armor—and above all, its coughing cannon which seeks out its victims and blasts them out of the soil. Each time the gun spits, a man dies. Bodies take aimless flight, performing crazy acrobatics in the light of cruel, red flashes which dissolve in oily smoke. And each time this happens, the camera quickly shifts to one face barely seen above its ground shelter. And each time this happens, the view of that helmeted head grows larger in the field of view, so that the rise of some terrible emotion can be registered in reaction to what is taking place. The audience is watching young MORGAN MILLER, twenty-five years of age and in sudden confrontation with the outrage of war. He is our principal character. And, he carries within his gene structure an extraordinary biological scenario. Like information fed to a computer, violent emotion initiates the activation of this strange process, which must run its course, comparable to a natural reflex. MORGAN MILLER is not an ordinary guy. His is not an ordinary anger. When his emotions peak, they trigger a white flash in his brain which spreads like an electrical storm to the other parts of his body. White flashes erupt in dramatic succession in his vital centers until the interior of his body seethes with pyrotechnic effect. This is the moment when MORGAN MILLER earns his Silver Star, a military decoration won by many men before him, but never in the manner peculiar to MORGAN MILLER alone. He is suddenly galvanized into action. His entire body glows like a newly-stoked furnace and a radiating nimbus effect has outlined him in motion. MORGAN looks like a comet gone berserk. In the face of devastating cannon fire, he flings his rifle away and races directly at the enemy. Morgan’s squad looks on in disbelief as he suffers two hits with heavy caliber stuff which ricochets off his body. MORGAN is staggered but seemingly unhurt. He resumes his run and reaches the closest tank. MORGAN seizes the steel monster with one hand and throws it at the tanks behind it. The camera catches it arching through the air as it lands upon another tank in an explosive gush of sound and flame and twisted metal. The last we see of MORGAN in this scene is his attempt to smother the flames from his burning clothes. He writhes and rolls in a paroxysm generated by the war and his own maturing body. The scene dissolves as he lies panting on the ground, face up, eyes closed, mouth open; the charred, smoking fabric of his clothes has peeled away from his heaving chest to reveal not a wound suffered in this astounding action. ★★★★★ The film’s storyline officially begins at this point. The logo and list of credits pass across a large dramatic shot of MORGAN MILLER, positioned to be fitted with the silver suit and helmet he will wear throughout the film. (See accompanying drawings for design.) MORGAN is given the unique outfit by people off-
Silver Star, Super-Hero! The Original Screenplay © Jack Kirby and Steve Sherman (Like Captain Victory, the concept of Silver Star began in the mid-1970s as a movie screenplay by Jack and Steve Sherman. This first draft story treatment was initially submitted on March 11, 1977 (WGAW Reg. #166408). As you’ll see, the final comics series was based on it, but this original version helps to flesh out some of the characterizations that were missing from the comic. Our thanks to Steve Sherman for sharing this with us.) he film opens with a small, bright spot on an empty screen. It is the image of a pretty girl, which is enlarged with a smooth rapidity in view of the audience, until it attains a reasonable level of clarity. She’s a lovely brunette, with a round, serene face which bears slight traces of concern. She is young (no more than 20 or 22 years of age). She looks at the audience, searchingly—seeking but not finding. Her face is beautiful in sadness, but even more so, as she hides it with a cool grace. This is KATHY LORRAINE, who shares the love of the film’s principal character, MORGAN MILLER. KATHY is a special person who has the ability to transmit her image via mental projection. This ability is as natural to her as flexing a limb. And, in the uncanny refinements of this facility, there are spin-offs which provide an ample variety of effects, both spectacular and innovative. (Girl faces audience in entire cameo) KATHY says, “I don’t know where you are, Morgan. I’ve been reaching out to you, but you haven’t responded.” She lowers her eyes as the sadness returns. When it’s been replaced by some sort of resolve, she again raises her head. “But, I understand, Morgan,” she continues. “I-I just hope—well—” she pauses, trying to maintain her composure. “Well—as soon as you can, Morgan, please reach out to me. I’ve written a song for your birthday, and I’m projecting it on the slim chance that you may hear it—I love you, Morgan...” The girl begins to fade in a sort of electrical display as the music starts. And, as she dissolves to make way for the succeeding scene, the music remains to flow across the action which follows. The song should be synchronized to end when the action is over. ★★★★★ This scene follows, with the view of a beleaguered American position on a chewed-up landscape in Vietnam. The camera sweeps the field like a swiveling cannon (which it is) and catches the reaction of the dug-in riflemen to the intensity of action during the height of a tank attack. Some of the men cower in their holes, others fire; a few break cover and leap into the open to escape the murderous cannon fire.
T
139
screen. Represented by their hands alone, these helpers aid him in this dressing ritual, tugging, tightening, running fingers expertly to mold fabric to contour, and finally bringing the gleaming silver helmet into view. As it is placed and secured to MORGAN’s head, the credits have run their course and the scene is enlarged to reveal MORGAN’s immediate surroundings. He is the lone occupant of an isolation ward supervised by COLONEL WALTER HAMMER, M.D., who stands by as ward men complete the job on MORGAN. The medics are in a jovial mood. They treat MORGAN as if he was some awesome company mascot. They call him SILVER STAR and make reference to the symbol of that decoration which has been embossed on the suit. They also indicate that MORGAN is the subject of some pretty tall stories which have evidently been passed on by personal testimony of the men who witnessed the initial action. The COLONEL and MORGAN are left to face each other when the ward men are dismissed. HAMMER studies the young man’s reactions to what is seemingly a ridiculous development. Although MORGAN looks magnificent in the outfit, he expresses his unease and is told that the suit was designed to save his life. The silver in its fabric is utilized in the same fashion as the lead rods in an atomic reactor. MORGAN learns that he could become the victim of a runaway metabolism which must be limited by the presence of silver. The COLONEL asks for MORGAN’s trust. He refrains from patronizing him or probing too deeply into his personal background. He tells him that his condition will disqualify him from further military duty and that the prospects of a medical discharge are in the offing. MORGAN is neither overjoyed nor disconsolate. He projects the image of a self-contained young man caught in a bizarre situation. The silver suit absorbs his attention and he inquires if it’s to be worn continuously. The COLONEL repeats its importance and its function. He cautions MORGAN against stress situations and commends the suit problem to the young man’s own judgment. He can wear it beneath ordinary clothes or take his chances on leading a placid life. His great enemy is emotional disturbance. Without the suit to protect him, MORGAN can be consumed by an energy level that could burn down a forest. HAMMER congratulates MORGAN for winning the Silver Star and speculates upon an exploit which has inspired a legend among the men. Officially, it is accepted that MORGAN, single-handedly, stopped a tank attack with a recoilless rifle (a bazooka-type weapon). However, the COLONEL is certain this is not true, and MORGAN himself will not challenge the version recorded by the Army. He meets all inquiry with silence until the issue is withdrawn. At this point, the COLONEL apologizes for restricting MORGAN to the isolation ward and its small, surrounding camp area. But MORGAN indicates that he’s not unhappy. The food’s okay and the ward men are good handball partners. In fact, the very idea of restriction causes MORGAN to smile. For, he harbors a secret the COLONEL is not yet aware of. As for HAMMER, he reflects upon that
smile, but decides against further inquiry. He ends the conversation and leaves the ward. MORGAN watches the COLONEL close the ward door behind him and is left to himself in the silence of the large room. He then examines his silver suit, raising one arm and then the other to his enigmatic scrutiny. His eyes travel down his own length and his head moves slowly from side to side. An undefinable sadness seems to overtake his entire being as he slowly seats himself upon his bunk bed. MORGAN unsnaps his helmet, removes it, and puts it at his side. For a moment, MORGAN stares ahead, preoccupied with some unnameable thought. He turns his head in the direction the COLONEL had taken and locks his gaze upon the closed door. Slowly, his head swivels to a nearby metal table. He moves with the swiftness of a cobra and tears the table in half as one would a sheet of paper. He then tears off two of the legs and tosses the entire mess into a corner of the room. MORGAN has made his statement on this segment of his life, and on war. The camera moves in for a close-up of MORGAN’s face. The beginning of a smile is forming on his lips. It broadens until we can see his teeth. MORGAN, suddenly, looks at the camera. His eyes seek some unseen object. He says, “Kathy! Kathy! I’m reaching for you!” His face lights up with unmistakable happiness. He is looking at a person we cannot see. He says, “Oh, there you are. Guess what, Kathy? I’m going home.” ★★★★★ CUT TO: A hand slamming shut a door. COLONEL HAMMER stands at the closed door, staring at two men waiting for him in his office. One is his executive medical officer, MAJOR JOHN LAWRENCE. The other man is from the Intelligence sector. His name is FLOYD CUSTER. HAMMER regards them with equal distaste. He chews out LAWRENCE, his exec. “You had to do it,” he says. “You had to make big ones out of little ones—and now, he’s here.” LAWRENCE retorts that there is something the Medical outfit has charge of that’s too complex for them to handle—that it has ramifications which extend far beyond its existing image. The COLONEL calls him a quaking, shaking, little jerk. “What we’ve got here is a boy—who needs cool and rational treatment, and that’s what he’s been given,” the COLONEL says. “Don’t want to spook the kid, is that it, Colonel?” says CUSTER. The EXECUTIVE OFFICER rushes in on the heels of CUSTER’s query. “You bet he doesn’t!” says LAWRENCE. Then, to the COLONEL, “Tell him! Tell him about the case history we’ve amassed on this kid. Tell him about the X-Factors! The wild, regenerative blood cells! The tendency of the tissue fibers to attain a steel-like hardness! And the brain! Tell him about the brain! Tell him about the damn phenomenon we’ve got on our hands!” The Intelligence man, CUSTER, resumes his questioning of the COLONEL. “Do you think that kid could’ve lifted the ‘Charlie’ tank like the stories say?” COLONEL HAMMER explodes with restrained vehemence. “Now listen, you two, before you begin chasing squirrels, let me warn you about pursuing this case 140
with the wrong approach. That boy is neither a superweapon nor a freak! He’s an enlisted man who may not like being prodded and pushed and harried into living to our liking. He suffers when he’s under stress and it’s downright criminal to make him do it for God and Country.” Then, pointedly to CUSTER, “And I can tell you, mister, that it’s downright dangerous!” “You mean—” “I mean that we’re stumbling around in the dark of night with an animal we can’t identify!” “A tiger—? A super tiger?” “I mean, we don’t know!—That it would be wise at this stage not to make any sudden moves. The correct procedure would allow Morgan Miller to remain untouched by outside sources; to grant him self-development along lines of his own making. In short, mister, leave him be!” “You mean—forget about him?” The COLONEL sits and pushes tobacco into his pipe. “You’re not about to do that, not after Intelligence has requisitioned and read his case history. I’m merely suggesting that you stand off and don’t press him. At any rate, I’ve given him a medical discharge. I’m sending him home. As his doctor, I’ve acted in behalf of his personal welfare.” “How about your country’s welfare, Colonel?” counters CUSTER. At this point, LAWRENCE chimes in with the same question. “How about it, Col. Hammer? Even we doctors have higher commitments. You can see that I’ve made mine. How about—” “Can that sh*t, Lawrence!” yells HAMMER. He turns to CUSTER, stares intently and says, “Now, I’m going to state myself clearly and for the last time, as a man, a doctor, and an officer in the service of his country. What we do in regard to Morgan Miller from this moment on may earn us a blessing, a curse, or a disastrous situation we’re not equipped to cope with—unless we sit back and learn what we’re dealing with!” “Sounds like something bigger than the bomb,” says CUSTER. “We have an accurate count of our bombs!” answers HAMMER. The Colonel’s last statement is followed by an oppressive and meaningful silence in which LAWRENCE and CUSTER exchange uneasy glances and reflect moodily upon these final words. HAMMER is now extremely casual. He seems to gave gotten a great weight off his shoulders. He leans back in the chair behind his desk and puffs contentedly on his pipe. At intervals, he casts sidelong glances at the two men, who are still absorbing his words. CUSTER, eyes narrowed, turns to HAMMER and asks the question bedeviling his thoughts. “How many Morgan Millers, Colonel?” HAMMER studies him, blows a small cloud of smoke and says nothing. The camera moves in on CUSTER’s face as he repeats the question. “How many?” We slowly fade-out on CUSTER’s worried expression. ★★★★★
The action now shifts to 1976 and the major storyline of the film. Our principal setting is a substantial community somewhere along the coast of Southern California—something along the lines of a Santa Barbara or a San Diego—large enough to provide a varied background, but small enough to give the feeling of Everytown, USA. MORGAN MILLER has returned home from the Army. He has enrolled as a student at the university, specializing in biochemistry, a field which quite naturally intrigues him. His air of confidence masks his innermost feelings. He knows that he is a walking bomb, that he possesses a power that at any moment could be triggered into explosive destruction. Yet it is also a power that can be controlled. and with the help of the silver suit, MORGAN has learned to keep a check on that power. We are also introduced to his girlfriend, KATHY LORRAINE, a lovely brunette no more than 20 or 22 years of age. She and MORGAN share a special relationship, for KATHY has a very high ESP sensitivity. Through this, they are able to reach out to each other no matter how far apart they may be. Meanwhile, the Intelligence department, headed by CUSTER, has been surreptitiously keeping MORGAN under close surveillance. This, of course, has not gone unnoticed by MORGAN. In some spectacular visual scenes, he eludes them by exercising his mental and physical powers. It has now become evident that MORGAN can project illusions of such realistic quality, they become immediately acceptable to the human eye. However, his products are totally diversionary and innocent in nature. But in each attempt to follow MORGAN, the field agents are found in various circumstances, either injured or killed. CUSTER, who is now in charge of the Silver Star file, decides to utilize the services of COLONEL HAMMER, who he feels will fare better in a confrontation with this young phenomenon, who in his opinion has now evolved to a dangerous level. The next scene opens with a car speeding along an isolated road somewhere on the outskirts of the city. The driver is COLONEL HAMMER. He is dressed in civvies, looks well-groomed and still puffs his pipe. His expression, as ever, is cool, thoughtful, and sober. He seems preoccupied and alert at the same time. His car proceeds for a tolerant period, when there is a sudden, loud splattering sound against his windshield. HAMMER registers surprise and shock. His speeding car is beset by three demonic figures which have materialized out of thin air and are clinging to the vehicle. One creature is at the driver’s door and two at the windshield. They are real horrors (flaming eyes, shark teeth, and scaly, semi-human bodies). HAMMER does his best to keep control of the car as these things batter at his windows with an insane savagery. The glass begins to crack beneath their blows and the sounds of this terrible pounding heighten the effect of this frightful attack. The camera catches the action, as the car veers crazily in its effort to hold a steady course on the road. HAMMER releases one hand from the wheel to guard his face from flying glass. The screaming of his 141
wheels now mingles with the pounding like a wild cacophony scored in Hell. HAMMER, forced off the road, heads for certain collision with an outcropping of rocks, managing almost at the point of contact to avoid the danger in a swerving, reeling, shrieking stop. Then, complete silence sets in as a cloud of dust settles upon the scene. Inside the car, HAMMER is thoroughly shaken and slightly bruised. He is also stunned by the fact that the demons have vanished as if they’d never appeared. If onlookers were to discover him at that moment, it is quite evident what their assumption would be. HAMMER, however, is made of stern fiber. Although plagued by the irrationality of the experience, he nevertheless continues his journey. He prods his car into motion and regains the road. Then he speeds off into the distance. At this point, we watch the receding car through the framework of a man’s legs. The camera lens rises up the length of his back until it focuses upon his head. He is wearing a costume not unlike the one worn by SILVER STAR (MORGAN MILLER), but of a different color. The metallic threads glisten with a deep cobalt blue. We don’t as yet see his face, but we hear his laugh. We listen to it grow louder. We watch it rattle his frame as he turns slowly about to face the viewer. He is a man with the face of a hunting hawk—sharp, angular, yet massive in its strength and fierceness. Yet it is an almost inhuman face, for the bridge and browline of the forehead extend farther out than normal, almost to the point of grotesqueness. It is the face of the film’s villain, a character and a role that requires the talents of a Jack Palance. What we see is the face of DARIUS DRUMM. He is now overwhelmed by his own laughter. The hawk’s-head is thrown back and the mouth, widely distended. There is a tearing sound of displaced air and DRUMM simply blips out from sight. The scene ends with a shot of the silent, empty road. ★★★★★ SHIFT TO: The interior of a comfortable ranch-type house. A man sits busily at work on his notes in a rather large study (typewriter, supplemental material, bookshelves, etc.). The atmosphere in the room is a mixed blend of journalism and academia. What looks like disorganization is actually comfortable order. We’re looking at BRADFORD MILLER, the father of MORGAN. He is a man in his middle fifties, and reflects the sense of tragedy which accompanies the acquisition of wisdom. He is a solver of problems and a creator of more. From his window, he can see HAMMER pull up in his car. He rises slowly as if speculating upon the prospect of dealing with this visit. MILLER reaches for a cigar, lights it and waits for the doorbell to chime. When it does, he walks unhurriedly to answer it. HAMMER is admitted to the vestibule. As he and MILLER face each other, we begin to realize that there is a bridge of years which links them both. They know one another well. MILLER says, “Hello, Walt.” He takes note of HAMMER’s “banged up” condition as he talks. “I was beginning to wonder when you’d show up. Glad you made it.” HAMMER smiles rather coldly. “Are you, Bronco?’“
He walks at MILLER’s side toward the living room. “The road leading to your house is rougher than a mine field at midnight.” They seat themselves. MILLER says (in reference to HAMMER’s bruises), “Morgan and I had nothing to do with that. Perhaps you’d like to clean up. While you’re at it, I’ll fix you a drink.” “No need for that. I expect to get the full treatment on my way back. A monster, perhaps, something big that will bite me in half.” HAMMER pauses. “However, I’ll have that drink. I can certainly use it.” “Still the same?” (MILLER rises to oblige.) HAMMER says, “I haven’t changed, Bronco. You know what I drink. But do you still regard me as a friend?” MILLER, at the bar, replies. “Walt, I swear to you that Morgan and I had nothing to do with what happened. But I’ll have to agree that you’re in great danger. Morgan and I will do all we can to help you.” HAMMER explodes, “Dammit, Bronco, how was it done? I had foul-looking demons swarming over my car, and I almost killed myself trying to get rid of them. Someone’s hallucinating in 3-D and if it isn’t Morgan, then who is it?” As MILLER hands him his drink, HAMMER continues. “You and your damned “Genetic Package!” An intellectual cowboy with a yen for saving the human race! I should’ve throttled you in the Fifties, before you slipped out of sight!” MILLER, reflecting, says, “We had some good times then, didn’t we, Walt? Young world beaters with the zeal to do wonders with the human body—.” HAMMER says moodily, “Yeah, and who’d have thought that Bronco Miller, the mad Geneticist, would produce the wildest human body of them all. When Morgan was brought to me in ’Nam, I somehow knew at once that you’d done it, Bronco; that you’d “lone-wolfed” it and begat your post-atomic man. The super-survivor who could outlive whatever we did to destroy ourselves.” “I still believe it, Walt.” (MILLER sits with arms folded on his knees, staring at the floor.) “We’re going to use that bomb and we’re all going to die. But through people like Morgan, the human race will survive—by proxy.” This last thought disturbs HAMMER, who quickly tries to change the subject. “Is Morgan here? I’d like to speak to him.” “He’s in his room.” MILLER rises to his feet. “C’mon, Walt, it’s this way.” MILLER and HAMMER walk down a short hallway to MORGAN’s room. The door is closed. MILLER knocks. No answer. He knocks again, and slowly opens the door. “Morgan—?” The room is lit by the last rays of the setting sun. The clear, vibrant orange of the fall sky bathes the room in a soft glow. Sitting on the bed we see MORGAN in a yoga-like position. His body is rigid, like a statue. He stares past the room, past the walls, past the sky itself. It looks bizarre to HAMMER, while MILLER remains nonplused. HAMMER walks over to MORGAN and touches him. He tries to move him, but he can’t. “What is this?” HAMMER asks. MILLER chuckles slightly. “Well, he’s just not here, Walt. Morgan’s like a building without a tenant—like a 142
chrysalis that a butterfly has abandoned.” HAMMER is puzzled. “What the hell are you talking about, Bronco?” “Morgan’s just not here,” MILLER answers. “He’s somewhere else, and I think it’s with Kathy.” (As MILLER says this, the camera slowly moves in on MORGAN’s open, staring eyes. It moves in closer and closer until one eye completely fills the screen. But the camera doesn’t stop. It keeps on moving, past the eye, through it, and—in a dazzling burst of color—we are drawn into the world of SILVER STAR.) The colors meld into each other, gradually taking on form. We are on a hilly, green field—an endless meadow, dotted by large green shade trees. The sky is a watercolor blue, broken up only by a few puffy white clouds. It is a Maxfield Parrish storybook surrounding. It is serene. Suddenly, from behind a slight rise in the landscape— WHAM!—two bodies come whizzing by—MORGAN and KATHY—hand-in-hand, flying through the air. Like playful dolphins, they perform acrobatics in the air. As they shoot by the camera, we follow them around trees, over hills, etc. Higher and higher they go, until the Earth itself seems to disappear. Now we’re in space—not the outer reaches of our universe—but hurtling through a galaxy of brilliant novas, flaming suns and rocky planets. KATHY and MORGAN race through the sky like shooting stars. They continue to travel until we are immersed in a pulsating light show. Then, with ever increasing rapidity, a face is flashed on the screen—a leering, demonic face. The light show begins to dissolve in oily disintegration. MORGAN and KATHY find themselves back over the green hills. But there is now a change. The sky is darker, the air has a sharp chill. And then, like a blanket, a giant shadow is cast over the land. A sinister bat-like creature appears. It is huge and menacing. It takes off after MORGAN and KATHY. As the monster passes over the land, it leaves a trail of parched ashes where there was once greenery. The screen with quickening speed fills with the image of this paradise being charred by the creature. (Smoke trails, fireballs, etc.) MORGAN yells to KATHY, “Break away, quickly!” As he says this, KATHY blinks out, followed by MORGAN. The camera hold on the scene, the landscape devoid of any life—the charred hills, trees hanging like broken fingers. The monster slowly circles, searching for its vanished prey. And over all of this, we hear the mad laughter of DARIUS DRUMM; laughter which grows louder and louder until the monster itself blinks out. CROSS DISSOLVE TO: MORGAN MILLER’s room. BRONCO MILLER and HAMMER are suddenly aware of movement within MORGAN’s body. He begins to breathe heavily as if he has just been involved in some strenuous activity. MILLER wants to know what happened. MORGAN is confused, but slowly regains his composure. “That thing,” MORGAN asks. “What was it?” He then proceeds to tell MILLER and HAMMER what transpired. MILLER turns to HAMMER and says, “That’s what I
was trying to tell you. It’s someone else, not Morgan. I don’t know who yet, but whoever it is, it’s after all of us.” HAMMER and MILLER then go into a history of MILLER’s experiments with the “Genetic Package.” He asks MILLER how many people he injected besides MORGAN. MILLER tells him that there were four others besides his son. He gives HAMMER the history of his experimentation, naming the others: “SUPER” SAM HOPKINS, the black superstar of football; “SAMSON” FISCHER, the “Evel Knieval” type strongman; CHRISTOPHER SHALE, known to police as “Shamrock” Shale because of his renown as a cat burglar of the highest caliber; and finally “HURRICANE” JAYNE DAVIDSON, movie stuntgirl and former race car driver. HAMMER is incredulous at all of this. He is torn between his friendship with MILLER and his duty to his job. As a scientist he is awed; but as a man he is frightened. As MILLER places his notes and portfolios on his desk, the camera moves in to show a photograph of “SUPER” SAM HOPKINS. As we move in we CUT TO: The next day. We are at a football stadium. It is a standard set-up. The game is in progress, the stand is packed with fans. We pick up on “SUPER” SAM who plays for the home team. It’s a tight score, with SAM’s team behind. The announcer in the booth tells the crowd how SAM is the team’s only hope. SAM has to catch this next pass for the touchdown. During all of this, we cut back and forth between the crowd and the field. As the camera pans the crowd, we recognize the face of DARIUS DRUMM in the stand. As the play begins, we move in on SAM’s face— eager and confident. The ball is hiked. SAM runs out for the pass. The quarterback fades, cocks his hand and the ball flies through the air like a missile. We cut back to DRUMM, who smiles, then back to the football, still in mid-air, which has taken on the appearance of a bomb. SAM is in the clear as the ball gets closer and closer. As soon as he clutches it from the air, there’s an explosion. The crowd is in shock. Pandemonium breaks loose as we see, on the ground, “SUPER” SAM, smoke rising from his lifeless body. ★★★★★ CUT TO: A large bank building at night. A group of three men are shown breaking in—cutting alarms, etc. One of the men is “SHAMROCK” SHALE, the cat burglar. As they move through the building, they are suddenly confronted by a guard. He shoots at SHALE, who amazingly keeps coming towards him. He knocks the guard out and the group proceeds to the huge vault. SHALE walks over to the vault and, grasping the tumbler in his hand as if he is going to open it in the conventional way, he yanks it out, concrete and all. He reaches through the hole and rips the entire door off its hinges. He enters the vault and, as he gathers up the money, we see the wall of the vault start to glow with a faint reddish hue. As the intensity rises, the money begins to smoke. Suddenly it bursts into flames. As SHALE tries to leave the vault, there is a sudden flash of light, and when the smoke clears, we see all that is left of “SHAMROCK” on the steel floor. ★★★★★ 143
CUT TO: A “Magic Mountain” type amusement park. It is night, but everything is gaily lit. There is plenty of noise and activity. The camera tracks toward an area where there is a carousel. A large crowd has gathered around it. The M.C. comes out and announces that “SAMSON” FISCHER will now perform the amazing act that has won him worldwide acclaim. He motions, and a group of park employees start to get on the carousel. Perhaps they are dressed in some spectacular outfits. The spotlight then turns on “SAMSON.” He’s young, well-built, but he looks far from strong enough to perform the feats of strength that are expected of him. The M.C. continues, “Now you’re going to see something really spectacular. I can’t even figure out how it’s done myself.” Now the supports on which the carousel is resting lift slightly off the ground, just enough for “SAMSON” to squeeze underneath it. The carousel slowly begins to turn. The people on it are cheering and waving enthusiastically. As the camera pans over their faces, we recognize one of the riders as DRUMM. We shift to the parking lot where BRONCO MILLER and MORGAN arrive. They immediately hurry towards the amusement area. Meanwhile, “SAMSON” has begun to lift the massive carousel and its riders. It is arranged to turn as it rises, and the crowd reacts to the sight with stunned disbelief. But there is a subtle increase in speed within the carousel which quickly jumps to maximum and transforms the ride into a wildly spinning horror. A shower of sparks flies from its strained electrical circuits. The screaming riders, clinging for support, are flung like puppets into the recoiling onlookers. BRONCO and MORGAN struggle through the panicked human mass in a fruitless attempt to reach the doomed “SAMSON,” who is still beneath the whirling carousel when it collapses upon him in one, terrible, fiery display. His rescuers are too late. They sadly depart in their car, searching for answers to the triple deaths in the experimental group. And it is then that MORGAN mentions the intruding face of his fantasies. It is then that the possibility of an outsider enters their speculations. MORGAN listens to his father confirm a worrisome suspicion engendered by the series of misfortunes which has claimed all those in the perimeter of his genetic experiments. BRONCO turns to his son and says, “In this age of man’s arrogance, it’s rather humbling to admit that Nature, itself, has experimented genetically and produced a new species to replace man. Yes, son, just as modern man replaced Neanderthal, it is now his turn to vanish.” To MORGAN, this premise is as plausible as his own existence. He eyes BRONCO intently and speaks. “A natural... You think a natural is picking us off—eliminating us as competitors...?” “Right, son. We have a natural enemy. Who he is, I don’t know— but we will soon enough, I fear.” As the car zooms down the highway, we hear the sound of engines
revving up. CUT TO: A rocky section of countryside. We see cameras, lights, and other movie paraphernalia. We move in to the director talking to a strikingly beautiful blonde behind the wheel of a really souped-up car. The girl is JAYNE DAVIDSON, known professionally as “HURRICANE” JAYNE. The director is telling her about the shot he has lined up. He mentions the fact that it’s a dangerous stunt, but that she’s the best there is. She tells him not to worry, that she’s confident she can get it in one take. The director is amazed that she is able to pull off these terrific stunts. As everyone assumes their positions, she starts up the car. We see this cliff at the end of the road which the car is to go over. The car starts up and, from her POV, we see the cliff rushing towards us. Meanwhile, MORGAN and his father have arrived on the scene, but too late to stop the stunt. The car with JAYNE in it rushes towards the end of the cliff and descends into the canyon. (The impression is that she has remained in the car the entire time.) As the dust settles, the camera moves in on the car at the bottom of the canyon. It’s a total wreck. As we pull in, we see JAYNE, unhurt, sitting behind the wheel as if nothing has happened. She adjusts her rear-view mirror to look at herself, and starts to smooth her hair. At the same time, the crew (followed by MILLER and MORGAN) are running to the edge of the cliff. We cut back to the car, where JAYNE has a smile of self-satisfaction on her face. Almost instantaneously, she is aware of someone sitting next to her. She turns, and there sits DARIUS DRUMM. He says nothing. He reaches over and pulls out the cigarette lighter, touches it to an unlit cigar, and—WHAM!—there’s a huge explosion. The car is engulfed in flames, with JAYNE trapped inside. Instantly, MORGAN rushes into action. He leaps into the air and descends into the canyon. He jumps on top of the car and rips off the roof. He pulls JAYNE out. (Meanwhile, the flames have burned off most of his outer clothing, revealing his silver suit.) As he pulls JAYNE out, we realize that she is miraculously unhurt. MORGAN pulls her to the side. She mumbles something about a man. MILLER arrives at their side, as the crew tries to douse the flames. Both MILLER and MORGAN then notice that JAYNE is starting to glow. That same eerie transformation that overcame MORGAN in Vietnam is now happening to JAYNE. MILLER decides that they must rush her back to the house. (He covers his actions by telling the crew that he’s a doctor.) As they help JAYNE to their car, we... CROSS DISSOLVE TO: A close-up of a tape recorder. We hear the voice of COLONEL HAMMER. The camera pulls back to reveal him in an office, dictating into the machine. He is giving a summation of what MILLER has told him. “My estimation of Dr. Miller’s experiments with the genetic package is a verdict of uncertainty. Though successful to a degree, they exhibit elements of instability which diffuse any final results.” He goes on to include the deaths of the various members of the experimental group. 144
In addition, he expounds the possible existence of an outsider, unknown to either MILLER or MORGAN, who may be responsible for these tragedies. HAMMER continues, “My own premise is that...” His voice falters and stops. Then, he is jolted from his seat as the recorder bursts into flames. We hear a voice say, “Machines, Colonel Hammer, are an abomination in the eyes of God.” HAMMER is visibly startled by the sight of DARIUS DRUMM, who sits facing him from the opposite end of the room. “The Lord is in all things produced by Nature, sir,” DRUMM’s voice is calmly modulated. “HE is in whatever materializes from this Earth, a limitless bounty which man converts, and yes, perverts, sir, into mechanical garbage of this kind.” HAMMER is still off balance as DRUMM continues. “The world is littered with your junk. It rusts on the land and rots in the sea, and yea, the moon itself now sports its share.” DRUMM pauses for dramatic effect and goes on, more softly, “You’ve been found ‘wanting,’ sir; ‘Mene Mene Tekel,’ so to speak. In short, Man’s hour is at hand.” HAMMER voices his consternation. “You’re the other one,” he says. “The outsider!” “Alas, I’m the only one,” replies DRUMM, “but made most potent by natural selection! I am the newest of God’s great works and until of late, most humble in my restraint, and disciplined in the use of my natural powers.” Warily, HAMMER tries to draw him out. DRUMM is only too willing. In one of his statements, he makes mention of his father, a preacher. “How he did shout the Word,” says DRUMM, “but, like the rest of your kind, the swine couldn’t live by it! He tried to destroy me, the holy product of his own loins, and I smote him with power not given to the damned.” HAMMER has assessed his visitor and feels the touch of fear. He tries to reason with DRUMM. He tells him not to judge all men by one bad, personal experience, to talk to people and relate to them in the group sense. DRUMM leans forward and sneers at HAMMER. “And do you talk to the beasts before you destroy them?” His mouth creates an evil smile. “Do you converse with the cow on her way to slaughter? No, sir. To whom the Lord giveth dominion, thus shall he decide the fate of all lesser life. Yes, Colonel, you’ve tinker-toyed your way into extinction! There’s a new Master, here!—One who stands equipped to rid this world of destructive pests with limited sense and cancerous soul!” As DRUMM speaks, the demons who attacked HAMMER in a previous scene slowly materialize in the room. HAMMER is alarmed. “Behold my own creations, sir! Organic! Functional! (DRUMM points to his forehead) And shaped by divine process in the ultimate factory!” DRUMM laughs, but it is low and derisive. The demons advance on HAMMER. DRUMM says, “These are more than the stuff that dreams are made of. They are an extension of my will. The execution of that will!”
The demons, moving in unison, spring on HAMMER. They knock him out of his chair and back into a corner. The chilling laugh of DRUMM mixes with the agonizing screams of HAMMER. DRUMM suddenly blips out, followed by the demons. Smoke slowly rises from DRUMM’s chair. The camera pans over to HAMMER— horribly mutilated and dead. We slowly fade-out. ★★★★★ Open up back at the MILLER house. MILLER, MORGAN and JAYNE are in MORGAN’s room. MILLER has a spare silver suit which he puts on JAYNE (or she goes and puts it on. It depends on how racy you want to get.) who then tells them about the man sitting next to her in the car. They discuss the fact that there is a natural outside of the experimental group. JAYNE is confused. MILLER explains to her his work. “But why does this—this ‘natural,’ whoever he is, want to kill us?” she asks. “I don’t know why, Jayne,” he answers. “Maybe you’re competition to him. Maybe he sees you as a threat. At the bottom of all attacks is fear.” MILLER then leaves to get some medicine for JAYNE, leaving her alone with MORGAN. We begin to sense that there is a strong attraction between the two of them. They talk, and MORGAN explains to her how he’s managed to live with his special powers. Besides being beautiful, JAYNE is also very sharp. She catches the meaning in MORGAN’s tone and realizes that deep down, he considers himself a kind of freak. JAYNE tells MORGAN a little about her life. About how she has yet to find a man who she feels strongly about, etc. Being on the aggressive side, she makes it clear that she could really go for a guy like MORGAN. He then tells her about KATHY. (During the course of this conversation, we hear the phone ring in the other room. MILLER picks it up.) JAYNE and MORGAN continue to talk, until they notice MILLER standing by the door. His face is ashen. MORGAN notices and reacts. “Dad! What is it?” “It-it’s no longer just the experimental group, son. Hammer’s dead.” MORGAN reacts violently. He tells his father that they must find this “natural” before he strikes again. MILLER asks MORGAN how he’s going to find the “natural.” MORGAN answers, “The same way he found us. I’m going to reach out—I’m going to grab him, and I’m going to kill him!” MORGAN’s father is shocked. He tries to talk him out of it, but MORGAN is really worked up. “This is beyond the laws of man. We’re made for a new world—a world that man never made. We’ll have new laws. Laws for ourselves. Among men, we live by their laws, but among ourselves we’ll have to find our own laws!” MORGAN sits down on the floor and goes into the yoga-like position. His father tries to stop him, but it is too late. MORGAN is already rigid; frozen in the manner he was earlier in the film. JAYNE, of course, is confused by most of this. Once again, the camera moves in on MORGAN’s face. This time, though, the light/pattern effect instead of 145
melding into a pastoral scene, becomes harsh and grating. Abruptly, we are plunged into total darkness and silence. There is no indication of either up or down. Then, from far away, we see a figure in a familiar silver suit approaching the camera. The camera remains stationary, as the figure gets closer and closer. We recognize that it is MORGAN. There is still silence. He is moving briskly, with determination. He moves close enough until we have a shot of him from the waist up. The camera pulls back just enough to allow us to see that MORGAN is in some kind of underground cavern. He moves down a corridor, then into a room. He stops. The silence is quickly broken by the voice of DARIUS DRUMM. “Welcome to my home, young friend.” We cut to a shot from MORGAN’s POV. The room is done up in a medieval setting. MORGAN’s gaze settles on DRUMM. He is seated in an ornate chair, decorated with archaic symbols. He is dressed in his silver-blue suit, only now he is also wearing a flowing cape and a hood of some sort. Next to him, on a large carved wooden stand, rests a huge Bible. DRUMM speaks in the manner of a man who knows he has the upper hand. “I realize that you are here in, shall we say, spirit. Nevertheless, you are welcome just the same. I’m so glad that we have an opportunity to discuss the situation with one another.” MORGAN threatens DRUMM. DRUMM merely laughs at this. “As a tool of the Lord, I am impregnable. Like the right hand of God, I have the same strength and power.” MORGAN is puzzled by this remark. “Who are you, and what is it you want?” DRUMM now goes into an extended monologue. As he speaks, we see an image begin to form almost on the air itself. We are drawn to it, as the picture becomes DRUMM’s story. We see that we are somewhere in the deep South. It is a muggy summer night. There is a weather-beaten revival tent set up, lit by flickering torches. As we move inside, we see that the place is pretty well packed. There is a lively spiritual being hammered out on a piano. At the front of the tent is a raised platform. On it is a podium, behind which stands a man. He is roughly 40 to 50 years old. He is a stern-looking man, with sharply etched features. He is “BRIMSTONE” BILLY DRUMM, the father of DARIUS. Seated behind the podium, hands folded in his lap, is a young boy of 12 or 13. It is DARIUS. The forehead is not as prominent as when he is an adult, but the same hawk-like features are evident. As the music ends, BILLY DRUMM begins his sermon. It begins slow, but builds to a frenzied crescendo. Lights dim, the wind howls, people scream, etc. The scene becomes a little too carried away and the people begin to panic. BILLY DRUMM calls an end to the meeting and everyone leaves. Later, back in their trailer, we see BILLY berating the youngster. The boy just stares at him sullenly. Beneath BILLY’S anger, there is a well-spring of fear. Fear brought
on by the knowledge that his son is becoming increasingly powerful. BILLY’s anger causes him to reach for a large, leather strap. He raises his hand to strike the boy. DARIUS does not move. He stares at the man with unbridled hate. Swiftly, the strap begins to wrap itself around the man’s throat. Like a constricting snake, it becomes tighter and tighter around BILLY’s throat, until he falls to the ground, gasping and pleading for his life. The strap loosens around his neck. BILLY’s worst fears have been realized. His son has gained the advantage. As the sequence ends, the camera moves us back into the room where DARIUS and MORGAN are. DRUMM finishes off his story. He tries to impress on MORGAN that he is a natural, while MORGAN is merely a man-made creation. The argument becomes heated. MORGAN lashes out at DRUMM, telling him that he isn’t the hand of God. He says that DRUMM is a mutation—an accident—like the plague, like leprosy, like a deadly cancer. He tells DRUMM that if he’s deadly, he’s no better than those things. “You’re a virus! And like a virus, you must be wiped out!” DRUMM is a picture of contained fury. As MORGAN advances towards him, we see an amoebae-like substance slowly begin to form around DRUMM’s chair. The formless entity gradually assumes the shape of a man-like creature. MORGAN is taken aback. DRUMM taunts him. “Well, my young friend, are you so afraid of a virus that you cannot bring yourself to touch it?” The repellent creature advances on MORGAN, who gingerly backs away. The creature rushes MORGAN, smashing and destroying whatever is in its path. MORGAN strikes back, and what ensues is a knock-down, drag-out fight. Finally, MORGAN gains the upper hand and, as he does so, the creature blips out. DRUMM smiles and says, “Well, let’s not end it here. I’ll give you something else to fight. We can continue this forever.” MORGAN realizes that it is a stand-off. As DRUMM’s derisive laughter begins to echo throughout the room, MORGAN blips out. ★★★★★ CUT TO: MORGAN’S room. His father and JAYNE are pacing worriedly. As MORGAN snaps back, we see on his face that he is really let down. “I-I couldn’t attack him that way. He’s too strong.” He then fills them in on what happened. MILLER asks if he can remember the location. MORGAN tells him that it was underground and he couldn’t tell. They come to the conclusion that they must battle DRUMM in the flesh. MORGAN also reveals his concern over KATHY, who, having seen DRUMM’s face in the fantasies, is subject to his attack. We end on that note. ★★★★★ DISSOLVE TO: The coastal section of town. Rising up from the beach is a steep palisades, covered with a sparse growth of shrub. We pick up on a wooden, clapboard house, evidently abandoned. We move past the house and toward a cave in the side of the cliff. The camera moves in, and we recognize the subterranean passageway as the corridor that MORGAN passed through. Once 146
again, we find ourselves in the presence of DARIUS DRUMM. He is alone in the darkness. Across from him is an empty chair. We move in on DRUMM. He begins to speak. Someone answers him, and we pull back to reveal a mirror image of DRUMM not seated in the chair. Through the conversation, we show that DRUMM uses this ‘double’ of himself to come to grips with whatever problem he is faced with. This image, though, can only answer DRUMM’s questions with a question, frustrating DRUMM to no end. These sessions always end with DRUMM lashing out in fury at the image. Finally, the double says, “Why don’t you get rid of me? After all, I’m only a product of your imagination.” DRUMM blips him out. “Get the hell out of here!” Then to himself, “Only one left. Only one. I’ve got to get rid of him.” We learn that DRUMM fears anyone with powers equal to his. He continues to rave, until we are aware of another figure in the room. DRUMM turns and we see the conjured up image of his father, BILLY DRUMM. “There you are, father. You don’t look as tough as you used to.” “Well, this is the way you would want me to look, isn’t it?” answers the man. “Yes, this is the way I always saw you—as the sniveling hypocrite that you were!” “Whatever I was, I was myself.” “You drank! You had women! You perjured the Holy Word!” “I was a man if I was anything.” This is the response which DRUMM anticipates. He explodes in triumph! “Precisely! A man! A waste! A discard, ruled unworthy to dream of Angels! I am everything you couldn’t be. When you raved against the Devil, I produced him! When your followers begged to be healed, it was I who healed them! And when you wanted them cleaving to your every word, it was I who nailed them to their seats! You were just a hollow image, even as you are this moment, envious and fearful of the real power, the omnipotent will of your little boy, Darius!” His father replies, “It’s true, Darius. You kept me in fear, from the very day that you were born.” DARIUS laughs scornfully. “Yes, you cringing, little beast! You drank to still your quaking heart, and lusted to make the most of what little time you had left, for despite your vile raging, you knew that I could kill you whenever I chose to.” DRUMM motions to the image to follow him, as they make their way through a maze of passages. They halt before a giant steel door (fifty feet high). At DRUMM’s mental command, it begins to open slowly, emitting the rush of wind from its interior. DRUMM and the image enter the great room beyond the door, and DRUMM points at the mind-boggling object which rotates slowly with a majestic grandeur. It’s a planet, glowing greenish-blue, like the Earth itself. DARIUS says, “Look at it, preacher Drumm! Could all your mouthing of the scriptures have produced this pristine world? No! Your kind waits for the Lord’s Judgment, and when you’re scourged and cleansed by his flame, I’ll have this world for my very own. I shall live
here, until the Lord’s work is done.” With a flourish, DRUMM moves to a side door. “And this, he says, shall be the instrument to achieve that purpose!” He throws open the door. “Behold! The Fireangel!” There inside another huge anteroom, we see a giant bat-like monster. It is the same creature that menaced MORGAN and KATHY earlier. It is no longer an ethereal fabrication of DRUMM’s mind, but a solid, living monster of destruction. DRUMM’s father cries out, “You mean acceptable to yourself! Things that cannot harm you. Things that you aren’t afraid of!” At this remark, DRUMM begins to strike the man, beating him to the ground. The figure screams out— “How long, Darius? How long are you going to keep bringing me back? I’m still your father.” “I hated you. You’re a man!” The figure of his father looks up—“And what are you, Darius? Give me your answer. What are you? If that thing is an angel, then surely you are the Devil himself!” The camera moves in on DRUMM’s face. A face clouded with uncertainty—a face marked with fear. We realize that DARIUS DRUMM is unsure of what he is—a superman, a God, or, indeed, the Devil. With a wave of his hand, he blips out the image of his father. We fade-out on a shot of DRUMM, the planet, and the Fireangel in the background. ★★★★★ The story now moves back to MORGAN and KATHY. All is not right between them. KATHY has learned of JAYNE, and MORGAN is caught up in his feelings for the two girls, as well as his fears over KATHY’s safety. They get into an argument, and KATHY storms off. Meanwhile, DR. MILLER and JAYNE are trying to track down the area in which DRUMM’s caves are hidden. They aren’t having any luck. MILLER explains to the girl that he never considered the fact that his experiments would interfere with the lives of the experimental group so much. JAYNE says she understands. We go back to MORGAN, alone on the campus with his thoughts. The tension is beginning to show on him. We move on to a scene of KATHY about to get in her car. She hears something behind her and turns around, startled. She sees that it is MORGAN. He says that he’s come to apologize. KATHY begins to acquiesce, when suddenly, her ESP begins to tell her that something is wrong. Before she can do anything, MORGAN grabs her keys and shoves her in the car. As he gets in and starts it, we see him change to DARIUS DRUMM. Cut back to MORGAN, who gets a mental picture of KATHY trying to reach out to him. He realizes that DRUMM has KATHY. The emotional upheaval becomes so great that his outer clothes begin to smoke from the heat of his body. As his outerwear rapidly disintegrates, MORGAN takes to the air in his silver suit. He quickly spots KATHY’s car speeding through traffic. He lands in front of it, but DARIUS swerves to avoid him. MORGAN takes off after them on foot. He leaps over cars and through traffic. He gets close enough to grab on to the bumper, which comes off in his hand. 147
As the car pulls away, DRUMM conjures up a group of man-like monsters to fight MORGAN (referred to from here on as SILVER STAR). The creatures jump on SILVER STAR’s back. He turns and slams them across the street—against cars— through buildings, etc. It is a real super fight. People are fleeing. There is pandemonium everywhere. The cops arrive and are dumbstruck by what is going on. One of the creatures tries to climb up a building. SILVER STAR shakes the structure, and the monster comes hurtling down to the pavement with a sickening thud. As soon as it hits the ground, it blips out. One cop yells at a creature to halt. It doesn’t and he fires at it. For his troubles, the monster knocks him about 20 feet through the air. SILVER STAR smashes another creature and sends it hurtling through a number of rooms, crashing through one side of a building and coming out the other side. Finally SILVER STAR defeats the monsters, and he leaps into the air, leaving the street in a shambles. ★★★★★ CUT TO: MILLER and JAYNE, who have finally narrowed their search down to a section of the coast near DRUMM’s sanctuary. On the car radio, they hear of the fight. MILLER remarks that DRUMM has finally made his move. They take off toward the palisades. ★★★★★ We now find DRUMM with KATHY safely ensconced at his underground lair. DRUMM tries to put her at ease. He carefully looks her over. DRUMM, who has had little contact with women, is fascinated by her beauty. He takes her hand, then sharply pulls back. “No,” he says, “I’m not like him. I’m not like my father.” KATHY looks at him. “You’re the face—the face in our dreams.” “Of course,” he says. “I’m the face in everyone’s dreams. My face will dominate the world. Everyone will see this face before they die!” “What gives you the right?” KATHY says. DRUMM puts his hand on the Bible. “This sanctifies whatever I am doing. Do you think I was put here for nothing? I am one of a kind! I was put here to have dominion over all that I see. Whatever I create will make the world a better place.” He moves in closer to KATHY. “But first, I must destroy those who would stand in the way. After I wipe out Morgan Miller and his father, I’ll be ready. Then, it will only be me, and perhaps you, my dear.” KATHY is really scared of DRUMM now because she can see into his mind—the same way she sees into MORGAN’s—but DRUMM’s mind is a horrible place. As DRUMM talks, he begins to enter KATHY’s mind. He tries to convince her to join him by showing her how his world will be orderly. “I’ve looked into your fantasies. I know the kind of places that you and Morgan go to. That kind of thing is hogwash! That kind of thing is degenerate. I’ll give you something different, something denied to the young and inexperienced, standards beyond their reach! There is nothing so base and deceiving as the idealistic frumpery
through which you’ve been dragged in the name of puppy love! In my charge, you shall be a more mature and discerning creature, the harmonious counterpoint to my own desires.” And as DRUMM mercilessly invades her mind with the psychotic violence of his own personality, he is in effect committing mental rape. “We’ll see the wonders of the universe as they truly are,” he says, invoking images that hover between a snakepit and a front seat at an autopsy. He leads Kathy into microcosmic places where monstrous curiosities fester and swim. Then, in great, expanding sweeps, DRUMM subjects KATHY to a variety of extraterrestrial sights of an overwhelmingly repellent nature; life worthy of clinical study, but hardly of the kind that inspires warmth and affection. What DRUMM is showing her is his own version of happiness, the power to dissect and examine with impunity, whatever strikes his morbid fancy. It is a cold and cruel lifestyle in which nothing is safe from his brutality. We watch DRUMM destroy worlds, wipe out intelligent creatures he deems unfit in his scheme of things. DRUMM is the most dangerous of types, a perfectionist in the most extreme sense, who views whatever displeases him as filth. Finally, the ordeal becomes too terrible for KATHY to bear. She screams in protest. DRUMM shuts down his nightmare tour in a gesture of contempt. He says to KATHY, “You’re not capable of making monumental choices, are you?” KATHY, still overcome, continues to sob softly. DRUMM says, “No, I guess you can’t. You’re not big enough. You’re defective. All you have is promise—you’re useless.” KATHY asks him to give it all up. DRUMM all but ignores her as he is caught up in the realization that this is the moment he has been anticipating. He takes the girl by the arm and shows her the planet. He then reveals the Fireangel. He tells her how no one will be spared, how it is a time for cleansing, like Sodom and Gomorrah. DRUMM announces that the time is at hand, as he sets loose the Fireangel. The huge beast ponderously tests its wings. With a shriek, it takes to the sky. It circles slowly over the water, and then heads toward the city. SILVER STAR arrives in time to see it appear over the water. He leaps into the air and grabs on to the monster. It thrashes him about. The car with MILLER and JAYNE pulls up. They see SILVER STAR struggling with the creature in the air. The beast hurls SILVER STAR to the ground. He is shaken, but not hurt. He sees his father and JAYNE. “Kathy,” he yells out. “Drumm has Kathy in those caves underground!” JAYNE gets the message, and streaks off down an embankment. SILVER STAR starts to take off again after the Fireangel, when he is abruptly stopped by a strange sensation. His body begins to glow with terrific intensity— an intensity that surrounds him in a brilliant silver halo. MILLER sees what’s happening. “My god, it’s the XFactor!” he exclaims. “You’re beginning to change again, Morgan!” And we see SILVER STAR go through this terrific 148
transformation as he becomes the “multi-stage man.” He breed of beings. becomes totally sheathed in a skin of bright metallic silJAYNE and MORGAN take off into the sky. The ver, from head to toe. camera moves in on KATHY’s face. She turns to MILLER He streaks off into the sky after the Fireangel, who and says, “Do you think that Drumm was really has been burning up anything in its path. At the same destroyed, Doctor?” time, underground, JAYNE has found DRUMM and He turns and looks at her. “That’s hard to say. Can KATHY. DRUMM is shocked. we be certain that someone with that much power—ener“I thought I killed you!” he says. gy—can be truly destroyed?” “You thought wrong, Drumm! And that was your She shivers slightly. “Then do you think that if there mistake; in fact, two mistakes—one, trying to kill me and was one Darius Drumm—there are others?” MILLER two, in not succeeding. And that’s two mistakes more puts his arm around her, protectively. “That, Kathy, is than any man or god is allowed!” something that we’ll all have to live with.” DRUMM threatens to kill KATHY. JAYNE attacks As they turn and head back for the car, MILLER him. DRUMM tries to throw everything he has against looks over his shoulder, in the direction of the sea. We her. In doing so, he begins to lose control over the follow his gaze and, as the camera pulls back to reveal the Fireangel. two silhouetted figures on the bluff, we see two brilliant We cut back to SILVER STAR fighting the beast. It points of light racing through the heavens. Over this we turns and heads back for the caves. SILVER STAR follows it. superimpose: He realizes that KATHY and JAYNE are in there, so he ★ THE END ★ races ahead of the monster, in order to get them out. He breaks in just in time to see DRUMM about to deliver the final blow to JAYNE. SILVER STAR wades into the battle, knocking DRUMM to the floor. He tells the girls that they must get out before the Fireangel returns. DRUMM gets up and SILVER STAR chases him into the grotto where the planet is. They struggle, and SILVER STAR hurls DRUMM into a pit beneath the planet. He then lifts KATHY in his arms, and he and JAYNE run through the caverns and out into the open. As soon as they make it out, we see a side of the cliff fall away, as the planet crashes out. It hangs suspended over the ocean. With a chilling scream, the Fireangel heads for it, and as he crashes into it, there is a tremendous explosion. The planet shatters, hurling fragments everywhere. The four figures standing on the bluff dive for cover. When the sky clears, they get up and dust themselves off. It is then that they, and we, notice that JAYNE too, has become totally silver-ized. MILLER explains it as the final evolution in the “multistage” process. They can, however, change back and forth—and we see JAYNE and SILVER STAR return to their normal state. KATHY realizes that it is over between her and MORGAN, but she is not too unhappy, for she knows Perhaps Kirby’s final drawing of Silver Star, from 1987. that JAYNE and MORGAN are a new 149
Second of two drawings Kirby included with his original Silver Star screenplay.
150
Unused, unfinished cover for issue #4. 151
152
Early conceptual drawings of the main characters.
153
154
Silver Star’s screenplay love interest Jayne Davidson, and her later reuse in a Kirby animation concept. 155
This piece appeared, inked by Joe Sinnott, in Anything Goes #2 (December 1986).
156
A mid-1980s convention drawing.
157
THE TWOMORROWS LIBRARY R! WINNE D R A AW EISNER
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
TOP ARTISTS DISCUSS THE DESIGN OF COMICS Top creators discuss all aspects of the DESIGN OF COMICS:
DICK GIORDANO
CHANGING COMICS, ONE DAY AT A TIME MICHAEL EURY’s biography of comics’ most prominent and affable personality!
• Covers his career as illustrator, inker, and • WILL EISNER • SCOTT HAMPTON editor, peppered with DICK’S PERSONAL • MIKE WIERINGO • WALTER SIMONSON REFLECTIONS on his career milestones! • MIKE MIGNOLA • MARK SCHULTZ • DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI • MIKE CARLIN • Lavishly illustrated with RARE AND NEVER SEEN comics, merchandising, and • DICK GIORDANO • BRIAN STELFREEZE advertising art (includes a color section)! • CHRIS MOELLER • MARK CHIARELLO • Extensive index of his published work! If you’re serious about creating effective, • Comments & tributes by NEAL ADAMS, innovative comics, or just enjoying them DENNIS O’NEIL, TERRY AUSTIN, PAUL from the creator’s perspective, this guide is LEVITZ, MARV WOLFMAN, JULIUS must-reading! SCHWARTZ, JIM APARO & others! (208-Page Trade Paperback) $26 US • With a Foreword by NEAL ADAMS and Afterword by PAUL LEVITZ!
An unprecedented assembly of talent drawing NEW autobiographical stories: • Barry WINDSOR-SMITH • C.C. BECK • Sergio ARAGONÉS • Walter SIMONSON • Brent ANDERSON • Nick CARDY • Roy THOMAS & John SEVERIN • Paul CHADWICK • Rick VEITCH • Murphy ANDERSON • Joe KUBERT • Evan DORKIN • Sam GLANZMAN • Plus Art SPIEGELMAN, Jack KIRBY, more! Cover by RUDE • Foreword by EISNER
THE DARK AGE Documents the ’80s and ’90s era of comics, from THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and WATCHMEN to the “polybagged premium” craze, the DEATH OF SUPERMAN, renegade superheroes SPAWN, PITT, BLOODSHOT, CYBERFORCE, & more! Interviews with TODD McFARLANE, DAVE GIBBONS, JIM LEE, KEVIN SMITH, ALEX ROSS, MIKE MIGNOLA, ERIK LARSEN, J. O’BARR, DAVID LAPHAM, JOE QUESADA, MIKE ALLRED and others, plus a color section! Written by MARK VOGER, with photos by KATHY VOGLESONG. (168-page trade paperback) $24 US
(160-Page Trade Paperback) $24 US
THE
(176-pg. Paperback) $24 US
STREETWISE
TOP ARTISTS DRAWING STORIES OF THEIR LIVES
HERO GETS GIRL!
THE LEGION COMPANION • A history of the Legion of Super-Heroes, with DAVE COCKRUM, MIKE GRELL, JIM STARLIN, JAMES SHERMAN, PAUL LEVITZ, KEITH GIFFEN, STEVE LIGHTLE, MARK WAID, JIM SHOOTER, JIM MOONEY, AL PLASTINO, and more! • Rare and never-seen Legion art by the above, plus GEORGE PÉREZ, NEAL ADAMS, CURT SWAN, and others! • Unused Cockrum character designs and pages from an UNUSED STORY! • New cover by DAVE COCKRUM and JOE RUBINSTEIN, introduction by JIM SHOOTER, and more! (224-page Trade Paperback) $29 US
COMIC BOOKS & OTHER NECESSITIES OF LIFE WERTHAM WAS RIGHT! SUPERHEROES IN MY PANTS! Each volume collects MARK EVANIER’S best essays and commentaries, plus new essays and new illustrations and covers by Mark’s GROO collaborator and MAD artist SERGIO ARAGONÉS! 200-page Trade Paperbacks • $17 US EACH
BEST OF THE LEGION OUTPOST Collects the best material from the hardto-find LEGION OUTPOST fanzine, including rare interviews and articles from creators such as DAVE COCKRUM, CARY BATES, and JIM SHOOTER, plus neverbefore-seen artwork by COCKRUM, MIKE GRELL, JIMMY JANES and others! It also features a previously unpublished interview with KEITH GIFFEN originally intended for the never-published LEGION OUTPOST #11, plus other new material! And it sports a rarely-seen classic 1970s cover by Legion fan favorite artist DAVE COCKRUM! (160-page trade paperback) $22 US
ALL-STAR COMPANION VOL. 1 ROY THOMAS has assembled the most thorough look ever taken at All-Star Comics: • Covers by MURPHY ANDERSON! • Issue-by-issue coverage of ALL–STAR COMICS #1–57, the original JLA–JSA teamups, & the ’70s ALL–STAR REVIVAL! • Art from an unpublished 1945 JSA story! • Looks at FOUR “LOST” ALL–STAR issues! • Rare art by BURNLEY, DILLIN, KIRBY, INFANTINO, KANE, KUBERT, ORDWAY, ROSS, WOOD and more!!
THE LIFE & ART OF KURT SCHAFFENBERGER MARK VOGER’s biography of the artist of LOIS LANE & CAPTAIN MARVEL! • Covers KURT’S LIFE AND CAREER from the 1940s to his passing in 2002! • Features NEVER-SEEN PHOTOS & ILLUSTRATIONS from his files! • Includes recollections by ANDERSON, EISNER, INFANTINO, KUBERT, ALEX ROSS, MORT WALKER and others! (128-page Trade Paperback) $19 US
(208-page Trade Paperback) $26 US
ART OF GEORGE TUSKA
A comprehensive look at Tuska’s personal and professional life, including early work with Eisner-Iger, crime comics of the 1950s, and his tenure with Marvel and DC Comics, as well as independent publishers. The book includes extensive coverage of his work on IRON MAN, X-MEN, HULK, JUSTICE LEAGUE, TEEN TITANS, BATMAN, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS, and many more! A gallery of commission artwork and a thorough index of his work are included, plus original artwork, photos, sketches, previously unpublished art, interviews and anecdotes from his peers and fans, plus George’s own words! (128-page trade paperback) $19 US
READ EXCERPTS & ORDER AT: www.twomorrows.com
COMICS ABOVE GROUND
SEE HOW YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS MAKE A LIVING OUTSIDE COMICS
BEST OF DRAW! VOL. 1 Compiles material from the first two soldout issues of DRAW!, the “How-To” magazine on comics and cartooning! Tutorials by, and interviews with: DAVE GIBBONS (layout and drawing on the computer), BRET BLEVINS (drawing lovely women, painting from life, and creating figures that “feel”), JERRY ORDWAY (detailing his working methods), KLAUS JANSON and RICARDO VILLAGRAN (inking techniques), GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY (on animation and Samurai Jack), STEVE CONLEY (creating web comics and cartoons), PHIL HESTER and ANDE PARKS (penciling and inking), and more!
HOW TO DRAW COMICS FROM SCRIPT TO PRINT DVD See a comic created from scratch, as the editors of DRAW! and WRITE NOW! magazines create a new comic, step-bystep, before your eyes! (120-minute DVD) $35 US
COMICS ABOVE GROUND features top comics pros discussing their inspirations and training, and how they apply it in “Mainstream Media,” including Conceptual Illustration, Video Game Development, Children’s Books, Novels, Design, Illustration, Fine Art, Storyboards, Animation, Movies & more! Written by DURWIN TALON (author of the top-selling PANEL DISCUSSIONS), this book features creators sharing their perspectives and their work in comics and their “other professions,” with career overviews, neverbefore-seen art, and interviews! Featuring: • BRUCE TIMM • BERNIE WRIGHTSON • ADAM HUGHES
• LOUISE SIMONSON • DAVE DORMAN • GREG RUCKA & MORE!
(168-page Trade Paperback) $24 US
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS COMPANION The definitive book on WALLACE WOOD’s super-team of the 1960s, featuring interviews with Woody and other creators involved in the T-Agents over the years, plus rare and unseen art, including a rare 28-page story drawn by PAUL GULACY, UNPUBLISHED STORIES by GULACY, PARIS CULLINS, and others, and a JERRY ORDWAY cover. Edited by CBA’s JON B. COOKE. (192-page trade paperback) $29 US
CALL OR WRITE FOR OUR NEW CATALOG, OR DOWNLOAD IT NOW AT www.twomorrows.com
(200-page trade paperback) $26 US
MODERN MASTERS SERIES Edited by ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON
A new series of trade paperbacks devoted to the BEST OF TODAY'S COMICS ARTISTS! Each volume contains RARE AND UNSEEN ARTWORK direct from the artist’s files, plus a COMPREHENSIVE INTERVIEW (including influences and their views on graphic storytelling), DELUXE SKETCHBOOK SECTIONS, and more!
VOL. 1: ALAN DAVIS
VOL. 6: ARTHUR ADAMS
VOL. 2: GEORGE PÉREZ
VOL. 7: JOHN BYRNE
(128-Page Trade Paperback) $17 US (128-Page Trade Paperback) $17 US
(128-Page TPB) $19 US (128-Page TPB) $19 US
VOL. 3: BRUCE TIMM
(120-Page TPB with COLOR) $19 US
VOL. 4: KEVIN NOWLAN (120-Page TPB with COLOR) $19 US
VOL. 5: GARCÍA-LÓPEZ (120-Page TPB with COLOR) $19 US
Prices Include US Postage. Outside the US, Add $2 per DVD, $3 per Softcover Book, and $6 per Hardcover Book.
MODERN MASTERS: IN THE STUDIO WITH GEORGE PÉREZ DVD DVD companion to the Modern Masters book series gives you a personal tour of George Pérez’s studio, and lets you watch step-by-step as the fan-favorite artist illustrates a special issue of Top Cow’s Witchblade! Also, see George as he sketches for fans at conventions, and hear his peers and colleagues—including Marv Wolfman and Ron Marz—share their anecdotes and personal insights along the way! (120-minute DVD) $35 US
COLLECTED JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR, VOLUMES 1-5 These colossal TRADE PAPERBACKS reprint the first 22 sold-out issues of the magazine for Kirby fans! • VOLUME 1: Reprints TJKC #1-9 (including the Fourth World and Fantastic Four theme issues), and includes more than 30 pieces of Kirby art never before published in TJKC! • (240-page Trade Paperback) $29 US • VOLUME 2: Reprints TJKC #10-12 (the Humor, Hollywood, and International theme issues), and includes a new special section detailing a fan’s private tour of the Kirbys’ remarkable home, showcasing more than 30 pieces of Kirby art never before published in TJKC! • (160-page Trade Paperback) $22 US • VOLUME 3: Reprints TJKC #13-15 (the Horror, Thor, and Sci-Fi theme issues), plus 30 new pieces of Kirby art! • (176-page Trade Paperback) $24 US • VOLUME 4: Reprints TJKC #16-19 (the Tough Guys, DC, Marvel, and Art theme issues), plus more than 30 pieces of Kirby art never before published in TJKC! • (240-page Trade Paperback) $29 US • VOLUME 5: Reprints TJKC #20-22 (the Kirby’s Women, Wacky Ideas, and Villains theme issues), plus more than 30 pieces of Kirby art never before published in TJKC! • (224page Trade Paperback) $29 US
JUSTICE LEAGUE COMPANION VOL. 1 A comprehensive examination of the Silver Age JLA written by MICHAEL EURY (author of the critically acclaimed CAPTAIN ACTION and co-author of THE SUPERHERO BOOK). It traces the JLA's development, history, imitators, and early fandom through vintage and all-new interviews with the series' creators, an issueby-issue index of the JLA's 1960-1972 adventures, classic and never-before-published artwork, and other fun and fascinating features. Contributors include DENNY O'NEIL, MURPHY ANDERSON, JOE GIELLA, MIKE FRIEDRICH, NEAL ADAMS, ALEX ROSS, CARMINE INFANTINO, NICK CARDY, and many, many others. Plus: An exclusive interview with STAN LEE, who answers the question, “Did the JLA really inspire the creation of Marvel's Fantastic Four?” With an all-new cover by BRUCE TIMM (TV's Justice League Unlimited)! (224-page trade paperback) $29 US
COMIC BOOK ARTIST COLLECTION, VOL. 3 Reprinting the Eisner Award-winning COMIC BOOK ARTIST #7 and #8 (’70s Marvel and ’80s independents), featuring a new MICHAEL T. GILBERT cover, plus interviews with GILBERT, RUDE, GULACY, GERBER, DON SIMPSON, CHAYKIN, SCOTT McCLOUD, BUCKLER, BYRNE, DENIS KITCHEN, plus a NEW SECTION featuring over 30 pages of previouslyunseen stuff! Edited by JON B. COOKE. (224-page trade paperback) $29 US
AGAINST THE GRAIN: MAD ARTIST
TITANS COMPANION
The definitive biographical memoir on one of comics' finest artists, 20 years in the making! Former associate BHOB STEWART traces Wood's life and career, with contributions from many artists and writers who knew Wood personally, making this a remarkable compendium of art, insights and critical commentary! From childhood drawings & early samples to nearly endless comics pages (many unpublished), this is the most stunning display of Wood art ever assembled! BILL PEARSON, executor of the Wood Estate, contributed rare drawings from Wood's own files, while art collector ROGER HILL provides a wealth of obscure, previously unpublished Wood drawings and paintings.
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the NEW TEEN TITANS, this books look at the history of the ultimate teen team, from their early days in the 1960s as a team of teen sidekicks through their best-selling days in the 1980s and beyond. It explores the history of the team through the eyes of its creators, featuring interviews with MARV WOLFMAN, GEORGE PEREZ, NICK CARDY, NEAL ADAMS, DICK GIORDANO, JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ and others, as they reveal the evolution of the series over the years. Includes artwork by CARDY, PEREZ, ADAMS, GARCIALOPEZ and many more illustrating each era of Titans history! Edited by GLEN CADIGAN, with a brand new cover by PHIL JIMENEZ!
WALLACE WOOD
(336-Page Trade Paperback) $44 US
(224-page Trade Paperback) $29 US
SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS: GENE COLAN The ultimate retrospective on COLAN, with rare drawings, photos, and art and sketches from his nearly 60-year career, plus a comprehensive overview of Gene’s glory days at Marvel Comics! MARV WOLFMAN, DON MCGREGOR and other writers share script samples and anecdotes of their Colan collaborations, while TOM PALMER, STEVE LEIALOHA and others show how they approached the daunting task of inking Colan’s famously nuanced penciled pages! Plus there’s a NEW PORTFOLIO of never-before-seen collaborations between Gene and such masters as JOHN BYRNE, MICHAEL KALUTA and GEORGE PÉREZ, and all-new artwork created specifically for this book by Gene! Available in Softcover and Deluxe Hardcover (limited to 1000 copies, with 16 extra black-andwhite pages and 8 extra color pages)! (168-page softcover) $26 US (192-page trade hardcover) $49 US
TRUE BRIT
CELEBRATING THE UK’S GREAT COMICS ARTISTS A celebration of the rich history of British Comics Artists and their influence on the US with in-depth interviews and art by: • BRIAN BOLLAND • ALAN DAVIS • DAVE GIBBONS • BRYAN HITCH • DAVID LLOYD
• DAVE MCKEAN • KEVIN O’NEILL • BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH and other gents!
(204-page Trade Paperback with COLOR SECTION) $26 US
TwoMorrows. Bringing New Life To Comics Fandom. TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Dr. • Raleigh, NC 27614 • 919/449-0344 • FAX 919/449-0327 • e-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • www.twomorrows.com
L
egendary artist Jack Kirby first conceptualized Silver Star in the mid-1970s as a movie screenplay, complete with illustrations to sell the idea to Hollywood. Too far ahead of its time for Tinseltown, Jack instead adapted his “Visual Novel” as a sixissue mini-series for Pacific Comics in the early 1980s, making it the last original creation of his career. Now, “King” Kirby’s final, great series is collected at last, this time reproduced from his powerful, uninked pencil art! Read the complete story of Homo-Geneticus, the New Breed of humanity that spawns both hero (Silver Star) and villain (the nefarious Darius Drumm), leading to one of the most action-packed narratives and spellbinding climaxes ever conceived on a comics page! As a special bonus, read Kirby’s provocative screenplay, reproduced in its entirety, including illustrations and never-published character sketches! Plus there’re pin-ups and other rare Kirby art, and an historical overview to put it all in perspective! A percentage of profits from this book go to the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center!
TwoMorrows Publishing Raleigh, NC
$19.95 In The US ISBN
1-893905-55-1
Silver Star ™ & ©2006 the Jack Kirby Estate.