Group X “Get the Vote, part II.”
(Front cover. We see the members of Group X lined up in front of a
wall.)
Cap (N):
Sentenced!
(Page 1, panel 1. The jury room. We see the 6 man 6
woman jury debating the situation.)
#5: It’s
clear to me they’re guilty. I think we should vote now.
#1: All right, I have no problem with that. All in favor of convicting them, raise your hands.
(Panel 2. 3 men and 3 women
raise their hands.)
#1: All
opposed?
(Panel 3. The 3 other men and 3 other
women raise their hands.)
#4: Deadlocked.
#1: Let the debate begin.
(Panel 4. They start the debate.)
#5: They are
guilty. There was no question that they were the ones who
tried to vote.
#8: Ah, but the question isn’t just did they try to vote, we also have
to think about several other issues as well. One that came up was “were their
civil rights violated?” To me, the answer to that question is yes.
(Panel 5. They continue to argue.
#5: So what
if their civil rights were violated, who cares about
that? They’re guilty as sin and must be punished
accordingly.
(Page 2, panel 1. They
continue to argue.)
#11: Let’s
turn this around. Suppose you were arrested for trying to vote, then hauled down like they were. Suppose you were the one
who got molested... wouldn’t you want the jury to find
you innocent of all charges? Wouldn’t you want the jury to investigate the
trouble that the police caused you?
#5: This is ridiculous. I am not on trial here, they are!
#2: Ladies, gentlemen... please maintain proper
decorum here. This is a jury room, not some shouting match.
(Panel 2. They continue to talk.)
#1: He’s right... let’s review the testimony here.
(Panel 3. Later. We see the jury
voting again.)
Cap (N): And
several hours of reviewing the testimony later...
#1: All in favor of finding them guilty...
(Panel 4. Three people raise their hands.)
#1: All
opposed?
(Panel 5. The other 9 raise their
hands.)
#5: Damnit, I’ve had enough of this #$@@&*#*!!
(Panel 6. #5 pulls out a gun.)
#5: We’re
going to vote again, and this time, everyone will vote guilty!!!
#9: Oh my God!
(Page 3, panel 1. #1 tries to
calm #5 down.)
#1: Look, just
put that gun away, and everything will be alright.
#5: Nothing will be alright until those $%+# mutants are dead!!!
(Panel 2. #10 jumps #5 from behind, struggling with the gun.)
#5: Hey!! Leggo!!
(Panel 2. #7 takes her purse and strikes #5 in the head.)
SFX:WHAM!!
(Panel 3. #5 lets go of the gun, and pulls back, staggering.)
#5: Uhn...
#1: Your behavior here is reprehensible, Juror #5. I’m afraid that we’re
going to have to have you taken off the jury.
(Panel 4. Recovering, #5 lunges at #1.)
#5 NEVER!!!
(Panel 5. #1 pulls a karate move, and #5 goes crashing into a
wall. Various objects from his person go flying out.)
SFX: WHUMP!!
(Page 4, panel 1. #4 pulls
out the wallet.)
#4: Hey,
look at this...
(Panel 2. #4 holds up a card from #5’s wallet.)
#4: You’re a
card-carrying member of the Friends of Humanity!! How
did you get on this jury?
#5: Gimme that!!!
(Panel 3. #10 and #3 restrain #5.)
#1: You are hereby kicked off the jury, #5.
(Panel 4. Courtroom. We see the jury
file in, and the Judge and the lawyers present.)
Judge: Have
you come to a decision?
#1: Your honor, we have made a discovery that will hurt these
proceedings. One of the jurors was not who he said he was. Juror #5 has turned
out to be a member of the friends of Humanity. We ask that he be removed from the jury. He has also attempted violence to
coerce us to find them guilty.
(Panel 5. The judge and lawyers are shocked.)
Judge: I
see... well, we can’t have a biased man on the jury, can we? Backup juror #1
shall take the place of juror #5.
(Page 5, panel 1. The next day. The new Juror #5 speaks.)
Cap (N1):
And the next day...
Cap (N2): The new juror #5 is installed.
#5: I’ve seen some civil rights violations before, but this is horrific.
They were dragged away without having their rights
read to them. They had to endure being put in holding
cells with some of the criminals they brought to justice. Ms. Jones was unnecessarily violated. We have to find them innocent.
(Panel 2. #1 calls for a vote.)
#1: Then we
should vote again. All in favor of finding them guilty?
(Panel 3. Nobody raises his or her hands.)
#1: All in favor of finding them innocent?
(Panel 4. Everyone raises his or her hands.)
#1: We’ve
made a breakthrough. Ladies and gentlemen, we are
going to go back to the judge, and render our decision.
(Page 6, panel 1. The judge
faces the jury.)
Cap (N):
Later that day, back in court..
Judge: Have you reached a verdict?
Jury: We have, your honor.
(Panel 2. The foreman hands the
bailiff the verdict.)
Judge: Let’s
see the verdict.
(Panel 3. The bailiff hands the verdict to the judge.)
Cap (Juror #1):
Here goes...
Cap (Juror #7): No matter what happens, there’s going to be a riot...
but I think the FOH will cause less damage than the mutant population will.
(Panel 4. The judge looks over the verdict.)
Judge: Will
the defendants please rise?
(Panel 5. The members of Group X stand.)
Cap (L1):
It’s up to you, Divine One.
Cap (L2): I hope you’re going to do the right thing...
(Page 7, panel 1. The judge
reads the verdict.)
Judge: On
count number one: we the jury find the defendants not
guilty of disturbing the peace. On count number two: We the jury find the defendants not guilty of violating the voter
protocol act. On count number three: We the jury find
the defendants not guilty of assaulting a public official. On count number four
for Ms. Jones: we the jury find the defendant not
guilty of evading arrest.
(Panel 2. The members of Group X are relieved.)
Judge: It is
within my powers to overrule the jury in cases where instructions may have been
misinterpreted. The question before the jury was not are
these laws constitutional, the question was are these mutants guilty of
violating them. Using that criteria, I find all
defendants guilty as charged on all counts. Sentencing will begin at 10:00
tomorrow morning.
(Panel 3. The judge bangs the gavel as all stand.)
Bailiff: All
rise...
Lotus: (shocked) He... overruled the jury?
Cap (N1): Not what she expected.
Cap (N2): But what can you do when the rules aren’t fair,
Cap (N3): And nobody will change them?
(Panel 4. Go outside the courtroom to see a blonde female
reporter in a woman’s business suit standing in front of the camera.)
Reporter:
Yes Frank, we have just gotten the verdict from the court, the jury found the
members of Group X not guilty of violating the law, however the judge overruled
the jury and found them guilty. At this point we don’t
know what the ramifications are of this, as the mutant community is notoriously
unpredictable. Sentencing will begin tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
(Panel 5. The reporter continues to talk.)
Reporter:
Well, there has been a lot of questioning about these laws, which have a
candidate recognition test, literacy test, and other barriers to keep mutants
from voting. As we all saw with the video, the
election official stated plainly that their right to vote was being denied
because they were mutants.
(Page 8, panel 1. Downtown
Cap (N):
Then, all hell broke loose.
(Panel 2. The verdict is read.)
Voice: (from
a loudspeaker) The jury has acquitted them of all
charges. However, the judge overruled the jury and found them guilty of all
counts.
(Panel 3. Suddenly a riot breaks out.)
Man: Damnit, it’s time that everyone know we aren’t gonna take it anymore!!! We want
our rights and we want them now!!!
(Panel 4. Chaos erupts as mutants attack normal human beings.
We see one large, strong mutant strike a police officer, sending him down.)
Mutant I:
Power to the people!!
SFX: WHOK!!
(Panel 5. We see another mutant pick up a minivan, and throw it
into a building.)
Mutant II:
Deny us no longer!!!
SFX: WHAM!!
(Panel 6. Another mutant strikes a policeman,
causing blood to come from his mouth.)
Cap (N1): It’s
been brewing for a long, long time.
Cap (N2): Tensions that have built up over many years erupt.
Cap (N3): Nobody is safe.
SFX: POW!!!
(Page 9, panel 1. The riot
spreads. We see another mutant tear the support out from a bridge.)
Mutant: Try
and deny this!!!
SFX: RUMBLE!!
(Panel 2. The bridge collapses.)
Cap (N1): It
will spread.
Cap (N2): Nationwide.
(Panel 3. Songbird enters, making a bridge out of sound.)
Moonstone:
You people are playing right into their hands!
(Panel 4. Enter the rest of the Thunderbolts.)
Hawkeye: Try
to stop them! Keep the damage to a minimum!
Cap (Hawkeye 1): We were right to come here.
Cap (Hawkeye 2): But we’re going to need a lot of support here.
Cap (Hawkeye 3): Too bad the local heroes are in jail now.
Cap (Hawkeye 4): We could really use them.
(Panel 5. We see a tanker truck enter, and try to hose everyone
down.)
Voice (from
the truck): You are ordered to disperse immediately!
Return to your homes at once!
(Panel 6. Aqueduct, wearing a shirt and blue jeans, steps
forward.)
Aquaduct: Not very bright of you.
(Page 10, panel 1. Aqueduct turns the water back onto the tanker,
tearing it to pieces.)
SFX: CRACK!! SKRENCH!!
(Panel 2. Moonstone turns intangible as a laser shot passes
through her. Next to her, Hawkeye is firing arrows as fast as he can.)
Moonstone: Hawkeye,
we need help!
Hawkeye: I’ll try to get the Avengers...
(Panel 3. Hawkeye fires his bow as he pulls out his Avengers ID
card.)
Hawkeye: Code Red emergency! I’m in
(Panel 4. Jarvis comes on the screen.)
Jarvis: I’m
sorry, Master Hawkeye, but there’s a riot going on here in
Hawkeye: Damn!
(Panel 5. A mutant strikes Hawkeye with a laser shot, sending
him down.)
SFX: SMACK!!
Hawkeye: UHN!!
Moonstone: Hawkeye!!
(Panel 6. In another part, we see Sonnos trying to contain the
trouble. Nearby is Jolt.)
Sonnos:
There are too many of them!
Jolt: We have to keep fighting, Sonnos!!
(Page 11, panel 1. An ice-wielding mutant strikes Jolt, locking her in
ice.)
Mutant IV:
DIE, TRAITOR!!!
Sonnos: Stop this!! The need for non-violence
is more critical than ever!
(Panel 2. Sonnos is hit with a psi-blast as Jolt breaks out of her icy prison.)
Jolt: UHN!
SFX: SKRESCH!! POW!!
(Panel 3. Sonnos goes down, hurt.)
Jolt: Sonnos!
(Panel 4. Jolt rushes Sonnos out of the scene.)
Jolt: I’m
taking you back to your headquarters.
(Panel 5. Inside the jail. We see some
of the mutants break a wall down, allowing the male members of Group X to
escape.)
Mutant III:
Flee, my brethren! You now have your freedom!!
(Panel 6. Diving Owl remains stalwart.)
Diving Owl:
This is not the way, my friends...
Bakerman: We appreciate the thought,
but we’d rather try legal means first.
(Page 12, panel 1. The mutants are confused.)
Mutant III: What?
You’re not leaving!? Are you out of your mind!?
Mindpath: Far from it. We are here because it is the law. The
way to fight unjust laws is not with violence, but with reason.
(Panel 2. The mutants back off.)
Mutant III:
They have you whipped into their mindset. You are not our brothers... you are
traitors.
(Panel 3. Outside. We see Atlas being thrown into the
Reporter:
And as you can see, the scene is total chaos. Riot police have been called in
and so have the national guard. However, considering
that most major
SFX: WHAM!!!
(Panel 4. Suddenly the reporter is struck
in the back of the neck, killing him.)
SFX: POW!!!
Mutant II: Listen up, people of the world!!! We
are not going to take it anymore!! You have beaten us,
you have humiliated us, and you have tried to destroy us!!
We will not be beaten!!
(Panel 5. We see several army helicopters, tanks, and other
equipment entering.)
Cap (N1):
Here comes the cavalry.
Cap (N2): What little good it does.
(Page 13, panel 1. The tanks fire tear gas into the crowd.)
SFX: BLAM! BLAM!
(Panel 2. We see a mutant contain one of the gas pods with a tk shield. Another one blows the gas back onto the army.)
Mutant V:
Your instruments of repression are useless! Don’t try to stop us!!
(Panel 3.
Cap (N1):
The riot is worldwide now.
Cap (N2): No place is safe.
Siryn: Stop this!!
Ye’re doin the wrong thing!
(Panel 4. Cannonball tries in vain to contain several mutants
with his force-field blast.)
Mutant VI:
Traitor!! We don’t need your kind here!
(Panel 5. The members of X-Force regroup,
surrounded by about 75 or so angry mutants.)
Domino:
Can’t we all just get along?
(Panel 6. Suddenly Deadpool comes
flying in, having been struck by someone.)
Deadpool: Lookout!! Fire in the hole!!*
Cap (N): *Apologies to the web site of the same name.
(Page 14, panel 1. Deadpool lands at the feet
of Siryn.)
Siryn: Wade?
Deadpool: (dazed) O.k., Mr. bully, you can have my lunch money... but I’m telling my
mommy on you.
(Panel 2. The mutants advance on X-Force and Deadpool.)
Mutant VII:
See the forest for the trees! They don’t care about us! They want to destroy
us! We have to take drastic action - and now!!
(Panel 3. The mutants attack, pounding on X-Force and Deadpool.)
SFX: POW!! WHAM!!
(Panel 4.
Cap (N1):
Cap (N2): And near M. I. T., the usual drunken frat games are stopped by
crazed mutant riots.
Cap (N3): Leaving Generation X to minimize the damage.
(Panel 5. Synch, having synched to Gaia’s power, tries to stop the oncoming mutants.)
Jubilee:
There’s like way too many of them! We’re like being totally overwhelmed!
Synch: We have to keep fighting, Jubilee... it’s our only hope of making
it out alive!
(Panel 6. Husk is struck with an acid,
causing her skin to burn.)
SFX: HISS!!!
Husk: UHN!!!
Psi balloon: (Pointing to Chamber) HUSK!!
(Page 15, panel 1. Penance slashes the acid throwing mutant, cutting her
face and clothing.)
SFX:: SLASH!!!
(Panel 2.
Captain
(Panel 3. A mutant strikes Captain
Mutant IX:
Nobody will keep us down anymore!!
SFX:WHAM!!!
(Panel 4. An intangible mutant is seen
kicking a hole into the Vision.)
Vision:
Please try to calm - SQUARK!
(Page 16, panel 1. The White House. We see
several mutants rioting outside, attempting to break into the place.)
Cap (N1):
And in
Cap (N2): A desperate gambit is about to take place.
(Panel 2. Go inside to see the President with several
advisors.)
Advisor: Mr.
President, I see little alternative in the matter.
President: I just wish there was another way, Mike...
(Panel 3. The president picks up a red phone.)
President:
Go code 14. Authorization Bravo 3 Golf 22.
(Panel 4. The president sheds a tear.)
President:
May God have mercy on my soul for what I’m about to do to the people who
elected me.
(Page 17, panel 1. Back in
Cap (N1):
And code 14 is implemented.
Cap (N2): The riot will stop.
(Panel 2. There is a mass of bombs dropped.)
Cap (N1):
Some bombs contain explosives.
Cap (N2): Some contain tear gas.
Cap (N3): Some contain psychic disruption fields.
Cap (N4): But nothing is left to chance.
(Panel 3. We see everyone, including the army and police, go
down, collapsing.)
Cap (N1):
It’s a 50-50 shot whether it is fatal or not.
Cap (N2): However, this is used only in extreme
emergencies.
(Panel 4. Go back to the President.)
President:
I’m the first president to call a code 14. I pray that I will also be the last.
(Page 18, panel 1. The next morning. We see devastation everywhere, no building
has gone undamaged. The place is a mass of rubble, broken down or
destroyed army equipment, and dead bodies.)
Cap (N1):
Order was finally restored.
Cap (N2): But at a terrible price.
Cap (N3): Over 400 dead in
Cap (N4): Thousands nationwide.
Cap (N5): All because of a verdict.
(Panel 2.
Judge: Now,
do not let the previous day’s events sway you on what your task is: You must
find a punishment for our guilty defendants.
#1: We have, your honor. In these five minutes,
we have all agreed on the punishment. They should be fined $50 each, the
minimum penalty.
(Panel 3. The judge thinks things over.)
Judge: I
will consider your recommendation.
(Panel 4. Lotus suddenly discharges a white light from her
forehead onto the judge.)
She-Hulk: Lecita, what are you doing!?!?
Lotus: I don’t know! It’s just happening!!
(Panel 5. Two bailiffs restrain Lotus, severing the connection.
The judge goes down, hurt.)
Judge: UHN!!
(Page 19, panel 1. Juror #1 sees something fall out of the judge’s
robe.)
#1: Wait a
minute...
(Panel 2. Juror #1 goes over, and picks up a card.)
#1: You’re a
member of the Friends of Humanity as well!!
#4: Mistrial!!
(Panel 3. The Clerk takes control of the situation, while the
other restrains the judge.)
Bailiff: It’s
a sad day when one of our own goes bad.
Clerk:There
will be a new trial, everyone. Or, if it’s acceptable
to both parties, we can go with the jury’s original verdict.
(Panel 4. Martinson faces the She-Hulk.)
Martinson:
Frankly, I’ve never seen another case where the defendant’s civil rights were violated so much. Ms. Walters, I cannot
in good conscience continue this. I would like to go with the jury’s
verdict.
She-Hulk: So would I.
(Panel 5. The Clerk smiles.)
Clerk: Then
case dismissed.
(Page 20, panel 1. Group X headquarters. We see
the members of Group X fixing the place up after the riots. They are outside,
working on the grounds.)
Cap (N1):
The next day.
Cap (N2): The members of Group X repair the damage that was done to their place.
Cap (N3): Nobody was spared the riot,
Cap (N4): Not even the defendants in the trial.
(Panel 2. We see Sonnos try to erect a trellis that was trampled. He is flying, holding the lattice up.)
Cap (N1): It
will take time.
Cap (N2): But people will rebuild.
Cap (N3): And life goes on.
(Panel 3. We see Starshot and Bakerman
replanting some rose bushes that were knocked over in
the garden.)
Bakerman: Ah, but
could a rose’s beauty ever compare to the woman I love? No; for the beauty of a
rose lasts but a year or so; the beauty of love is forever.
Starshot: Yer still not
getting out of this, love.
(Panel 4. Bakerman piles dirt around
the base of a rose bush.)
Bakerman:(1) Sorry, Sara. But when
you’re near me, my thoughts cannot help but turn to love.
Bakerman:(2) That is, when we’re not being attacked.
Starshot: We’ve still got about 10 more of these bushes, love.
(Panel 5. Bakerman looks over an
antique rose bush as he sets it into the ground.)
Bakerman: You know,
I can’t help but be reminded of the roses I had growing up as a child... my
father grew them to impress my mother. She said she always felt radiant when
she had a rose in her hair... I heard dad tell her the rose’s beauty paled in
comparison to hers...
Starshot: Sounds like ye had a great family,
love.
(Panel 6. Bakerman puts soil around
the rose bush’s base.)
Bakerman: Actually, no...
we were pretty dysfunctional at times... and their
marriage ended up in a very bitter, messy divorce that lasted over a year and a
half. Two days after the divorce was finalized, Mojo kidnapped me.
Starshot: Well, at least ye know who yer
parents are... Me parents abandoned me as an infant.
(Page 21, panel 1. Bakerman waters the rose
bushes with water from a bucket.)
Bakerman: Well, if
nothing else, I’ll always be here for you, Sara...
Starshot: An’ I’ll be here for ye too, love....
(Panel 2. Go over to see Lotus and Diving Owl in their room, by
themselves. He wears a pair of shorts; she is in a sexy nightgown.)
Cap (N1):
That evening.
Cap (N2): After a long day of work,
Cap (N3): They can finally relax.
Cap (N4): They are in their rooms in the jet.
(Panel 3. The two of them embrace.)
Lotus: I’m
so glad this whole trial mess is over now.
Eagle: I am as well... and I hope some good has come out of it.
(Panel 4. We see Lotus and Diving Owl kissing.)
Cap (N1):
It’s only natural that they love.
Cap (N2): Love is what we are here for.
(Page 22, panel 1. Go over to see Degree talking to Shamrock. He wears a
nightrobe; and she wears a nightgown.)
Cap (N1): Meanwhile...
Cap (N2): They’ve had a rough day fixing the pool.
Shamrock: I’m glad that’s over.
Degree: So am I, Molly. I hope we never have to
go through with that again.
(Panel 2. Degree puts his hands on Shamrock’s shoulders.)
Degree: You look
like you need a good backrub.
Shamrock: Aye... It’s been t’long
since I felt really loved, love... an’ ye make things
so wonderful f’r me...
(Panel 3. Shamrock smiles as Degree continues
to rub her back.)
Degree:
Actually, I was hoping you would let me be with you tonight, seeing how my room
got trashed and the bots are still fixing it...
Shamrock: Ye just want t’have me in bed, don’t
ye?
(Panel 4. Degree continues to rub Shamrock’s back.)
Degree: No,
I know we’re both too tired for that... but sleep would be better if you were
with me...
(Panel 5. Shamrock turns around, and the two of them embrace.)
Shamrock:
Well love, alright. But if ye
try t’take advantage of me, I’ll play Lorena Bobbitt.
Degree: You’ve made me so happy, Molly. Your trust in me will be well rewarded.
(Panel 6. They have laid down in bed
next to each other. They are beneath the sheets now.)
Shamrock: Mmm... well, it is nice being next t’ye, love.
Degree: Well, let me make it nicer.
(Panel 7. They kiss.)
--End--