Group X
Solos: Diving Owl: “Lifeline”
(Front cover. We see Diving Owl trying to talk a man down from a
bridge. Mercy stands nearby, hovering in the air.)
Cap (N):
Death, or life?
(Page 1, panel 1. The I-20/ State highway 360 interchange,
Cap (N1):
Cap (N2): In this city between
Cap (N3): Tonight, the city best known for the Ballpark in
(Panel 2. On one of the taller bridges, there is a young man
walking to the topmost part of the bridge. John is about 14, blonde hair, brown
eyes, wearing a T-shirt, shoes and blue jeans.)
Cap (N1):
Meet John Taylor.
Cap (N2): A B average student in class.
Cap (N3): He has a bright future.
Cap (N4): If it were not for one thing...
(Panel 3. John stops at the topmost part of the bridge.)
John’s thoughts:
(I cannot take it anymore. I want to die.)
(Panel 4. He looks out over the scene, and sees the cars
rushing by below.)
John’s thoughts:
(1) I wish it didn’t have to be this way.
John’s thoughts: (2) Why me?
(Panel 5. Below, Diving Owl spots John.)
Cap (N1): It
was a routine patrol for him.
Cap (N2): Until now.
Cap (E): Someone’s up there... in trouble!
(Panel 6. Eagle pushes his badge.)
Eagle: (1) Computer,
patch me through to 911.
Computer: Confirmed.
Operator: 911 emergency.
Eagle: Operator, I’m at the I-20/360 interchange. There’s a young man on
one of the bridges and it looks like he’s going to jump. I’ll try to talk him
down, but we need help here.
(Page 2, splash page. Leave room for credits here. Eagle rushes to John.
Half the page shows Eagle on side, the other half shows John on the bridge.)
Cap (E):
Must reach him in time...
John’s thoughts:
(Page 3, panel 1. Eagle
arrives at the top of the bridge.)
Eagle:
Please do not jump!
John: Who are you?
(Panel 2. John faces Diving Owl.)
John: Who
are you?
Eagle: My name is Diving Owl. I would like to help you here.
(Panel 3. John turns away.)
John: You could
never possibly know what I’m going through.
Eagle: Then talk to me about it. I want to understand.
(Panel 4. John gets on the barrier.)
John: I
don’t have time for this.
Eagle: Then make time. I want to help you.
(Panel 5. Eagle gets close to John.)
Eagle: I
have seen a lot of things, and I just might be able to
help you.
(Page 4, panel 1. John gets
upset.)
John: You
want to know what’s wrong!? I’ll tell you what’s
wrong! I’m a mutant!
Eagle: There is nothing wrong with being a mutant.
(Panel 2. John rolls his eyes.)
John: I
can’t touch anyone. If I do, they become very nauseous,
get headaches, and other discomforts. Now, let me die.
(Panel 3. Eagle stops him from jumping by grabbing his legs.)
Eagle: I
will not let you do this. There is another way.
John: There is no other way!
(Panel 4. Eagle pulls John off the railing.)
Eagle: I do
know what you’re going through.
John: Bull$#|+!
(Panel 5. Diving Owl turns invisible.)
Eagle: Like
you, I am a mutant. Unlike you, I chose to use my powers to help others.
John: Aw, man...
(Panel 6. Diving Owl sets John down on the bridge.)
Eagle: When
my powers first manifested themselves, I was invisible for 3 days. Please, at
my base there are medical experts that can help you...
(Page 5, panel 1. Mercy, the
alien found in the Incredible Hulk series, appears.)
Mercy: Let
him go.
(Panel 2. Eagle turns to face Mercy.)
Eagle: Who
are you?
Mercy: My name is Mercy. I have come to help him end his suffering.
(Panel 3. They continue to talk.)
Eagle: So you’ve
come to save him as well? You are a bit late for that.
Mercy: The only way out of his suffering is for him to end it all.
(Panel 4. Eagle is taken aback.)
Eagle:
Should he commit suicide, he will continue the circle in which he has been.
John: What are you talking about?
(Panel 5. Eagle returns to John.)
Eagle: You
have been here before, in past lives. Several times, in fact.
You grow up some, have something go wrong and then commit suicide.
Mercy: Past lives? You speak of nonsense.
(Page 6, panel 1. The police
arrive below, and get out of the squad cars.)
Policeman: String up
the nets. We’re going to send Dr. Lonson up there.
(Panel 2. We see some policeman get
out nets. Above, Mercy looks down on the scene.)
Mercy: Why
are they doing this?
Eagle: Each one of is a piece of a more divine puzzle. To loose someone
is to loose the part of that picture. Everyone here has a purpose - else they
not be here.
John: This is fine and all, but what does that have to
do with me? My life has had little if any purpose.
(Panel 3. They talk some more.)
Eagle:
Perhaps your life will start having purpose starting tonight- maybe it is this
for which you have been designed.
John: I’ve been designed to stand back and try suicide while some Native
American new age fruit and a purple hared mutant argue
over me?
Mercy: I am not of your planet.
(Panel 4. Continuing.)
Eagle: Not
necessarily - but perhaps you will find your path tonight.
John: This is getting to confusing for me.
Mercy: Just relax, I will have this fool out of
your way so you can get on with your business.
(Page 7, panel 1. Eagle grits
his teeth, and ignores Mercy.)
Eagle: Tell
me, do you have any family? What about friends or lovers?
John: Yea, I got a family. I have friends and a lover. What of it?
(Panel 2. The next panels are with the three of them talking
things over.)
Eagle:
Imagine how they would feel if they knew you had committed suicide - they would
be in grief, in mourning. Do you want your last act to be making everyone who
likes you cry?
Mercy: Such attachments are unwarranted. They may be sad for awhile, then they will forget about you and go on with their
lives.
(Panel 3.)
Mercy: No
person is expendable.
Eagle: And no person is replaceable.
(Panel 4.)
John: I
don’t get it all. Both of you are confusing me even more than before. I can’t
touch anyone anymore!
(Page 8, panel 1.)
Eagle: Life
is more than touching people. There are other things to cherish and enjoy.
Mercy: He has only two options: Live a life of misery or die now.
(Panel 2.)
Eagle: If
you live your life in black and white, you will never know the beauty of a
rainbow.
Mercy: And you won’t have to ponder any decision for days on end.
John: I’m jumping - only so I don’t have to listen to you two.
(Panel 3. John goes over to the edge, but is
stopped by Eagle.)
Eagle:
Please, do not let those who stray from the path sway you. You are here for a
divine purpose, and you will see it soon.
Mercy: If there is a God, why does he allow suffering to occur? Why does
he let babies die?
(Panel 4. Eagle spins around to Mercy.)
Eagle:
Sometimes, the only purpose to a life is to let the being know there is a life.
As to why suffering occurs, that is a long and complicated answer.
(Panel 5. Mercy smiles.)
Mercy: In
other words, you don’t know.
Eagle: I am reminded of the tale of the man who
came upon a starving child. He asked the Grandfather why the
Grandfather would permit this child to starve, and couldn’t he do something
about the situation. The Grandfather responded: “I did, I made you.”
(Panel 6. John thinks about things.)
John: So my
main purpose here... is to learn?
Eagle: Learn, live, grow, and seek the divine
purpose of your existence.
(Page 9, panel 1. Mercy
sticks her hand in Diving Owl’s head.)
Mercy: I
think we’ve heard enough out of you.
Eagle: That is not a good idea.
(Panel 2. Mercy is shocked spiritually, and reacts as if she is
having a severe electric shock.)
Mercy: AAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!
(Panel 3. Mercy falls, but Diving Owl grabs her.)
Eagle: I did
try to warn you...
Mercy: Uhn....
(Panel 4. Eagle pulls Mercy to safety.)
Eagle: There
is more to life than you could ever suspect...
John: She was your enemy. Why rescue her?
(Panel 5. Eagle faces John.)
Eagle: She
was not my enemy... she was misguided.
(Page 10, panel 1. Mercy nurses her head.)
Mercy:
What... what did you do to me?
Eagle: It is more what you did to yourself. That which you saw was the
spirit in one of its most powerful forms. You will find that the spirit can be
very powerful.
(Panel 2. Eagle turns to John.)
Eagle: My
friend, come with me. I have access to some of the best people in the world. We
can help you, train you to use your powers to help
others.
John: I don’t know... I mean, I won’t be able to touch anyone ever
again.
(Panel 3. Eagle approaches John.)
Eagle: You
will not know that unless you try. Most mutants eventually learn to control
their powers. You are no exception to this.
(Panel 4. Mercy stands.)
Mercy: It is
quite obvious he wants to jump, Diving Owl. Allow him
to do so.
Eagle: [turns] You just don’t get it, do you?
Look at him with an eye to the past, and use your power to see him as he was
before...
(Panel 5. Mercy concentrates.)
Mercy: I do
not see how this will change my mind.
Eagle: You will.
(Page 11, panel 1. She sees John as a slightly different young man, who
has similar but not the same features.)
John: What
are you two talking about?
Eagle: I am showing her what has happened to you before, my friend.
(Panel 2. Mercy looks at John.)
Mercy: He
does look familiar... yes... he reminds me of a young
man I helped commit suicide 18 years ago...
Eagle: He is the same young man brought back to life. His spirit has a
history of living into its teens, and then committing suicide. That pattern
should be broken.
John: Woah, wait a minute
here. Are you saying I’ve done this before?
(Panel 3.)
Eagle: Yes. You
have spent the last 3 centuries trapped in a loop of growing up, killing
yourself, then coming back again. But tonight is
special. Tonight I show you the way to break that pattern.
Mercy: I... I don’t understand. Why has he come
back over and over?
(Panel 4. Eagle turns.)
Eagle:
Because he needs to spend a full life to learn the lessons
he needs to learn. Committing suicide will prevent him from doing so this life,
but the next one will be rougher.
John: I don’t get it. Why me? Why send me here
just so I can commit suicide over and over?
(Panel 5. Mercy turns away.)
Mercy: You
speak of utter nonsense. Well, it is your choice, what do you choose?
(Page 12, panel 1. John pulls back from the edge.)
John: I want
to break the cycle.
(Panel 2. Eagle smiles.)
Eagle: You
have chosen wisely.
Mercy: I don’t get it. In a world that is overpopulated, uncaring, and hateful why try to save lives?
(Panel 3. Eagle faces Mercy.)
Eagle: (1) That is something I doubt you will ever understand. There is
more to life than hate and misery.
Eagle: (2) You’ve got to think about it.
Eagle: (3) You are powerful, Mercy. I hope you will chose to use your
powers more wisely now.
(Panel 4. Eagle turns back to John.)
Eagle: Computer, two to teleport to headquarters.
(Panel 5. Eagle and John disappear in a flash of light.)
Cap (M1): Is
he right?
Cap (M2): Have I been doing the wrong thing all this time?
Cap (M3): I need to think about this...
(Page 13, panel 1. Group X headquarters,
Sonnos: You
will be able to control your powers, señor. It will
just take a little time that's all. Concentration will help. But
you should be back to touching people within the month.
John: That’s good to hear.
(Panel 2. Diving Owl smiles.)
Eagle: Now,
are you not glad you did not jump?
John: Yes. I have so much to live for again...
thanks to you.
(Panel 3. John exits.)
John: I’m
out of the loop now, and I can’t wait to get home!
(Panel 4. Sonnos turns to Eagle.)
Sonnos: You really
hit him hard with that spirit thing, didn’t you?
Eagle: It was merely finding what was in himself.
(Page 14, panel 1. Diving Owl exits to the lobby to find Lotus
arriving.)
Lotus: Well,
I hope you had a fun evening.
Eagle: It has been... most interesting, Lecita..
(Panel 2. Eagle and Lotus embrace each other.)
Eagle: And
it’s getting better, now that you are here.
Lotus: David...
(Panel 3. The two of them embrace, and kiss.)
(Panel 4. Epilogue. Four years later, Spyre gives Diving Owl a greeting card.)
Cap (N1):
Epilogue.
Cap (N2): Four years later.
Cap (N3): Of course, we’ll show you what’s in between, but that’s
another story.
Spyre: Mail call. You got something today, David.
(Panel 5. Eagle looks at the note.)
Eagle: Interesting.
(Panel 6. He shows us the card inside. It reads:
“You are cordially invited to the wedding of Jonathan Mark Taylor and Brittany
Jennifer Meridian at the
--End--
