Exiles:
Economic Power
(Front cover. The Exiles are surrounded by people in rags, male and female. The Exiles look very nervous as the people around them crowd in.)
Man: Please, we'll do anything you want, just give us some food.
Woman: We're desperate; we'll do anything you want…
Morph: But we don't have any food…
(Page 1, panel 1. The scene is a minimall. The stores, however, are vacant, and signs inside them read "For Lease: Call (202) 555-2386." The windows are dirty, and the place doesn't look like it's been cleaned in a good while.)
Cap (N1): Reality 14,128,238,401.The place is Washington, D.C.
Cap (N2): A place of deep despair and depression.
Cap (N3): The unemployed outnumber the employed by over a billion.
Cap (N4): This assignment for the Exiles will be their toughest yet.
(Panel 2. The Exiles teleport in.)
Morph: Well, another reality, another problem to solve.
Nocturne: Wonderful. Another reality in ecological disaster. Man, I had my fill of cleaning things from last time.
(Panel 3. Mimic checks over the Tallus.)
Mimic: Well, the Tallus says we have to help them revive their economy.
Sunfire: Revive their economy?
(Panel 4. Morph shapeshifts into an Original series Star Trek uniform.)
Morph: Damn it Calvin, I'm an adventurer, not an economist!
Mimic: I have no idea how to do that, or even what to say. Anyone here have any knowledge of economics?
(Panel 5.)
Sunfire: I took a basic economics course in high school. I don't remember much from it, however….
Voice (From off panel): Please… help me…
(Page 2, panel 1. Enter a man dressed in rags. He is of middle age.)
Man: I need food… I'll do anything for food…
Mimic: Well, we'd like to help you, but we don't have any food…
(Panel 2. The man gets on his knees.)
Man: You must help me! I haven't eaten in three weeks! Please!
Mimic: We really can't help you. We don't have any money, just like you.
(Panel 3. More people enter, and all are attired in rags. They all approach the Exiles.)
Man: Help us please!
Woman: I've got three children to support! Please help us!
(Panel 4. The people start crowding around the Exiles.)
Various people: Help us! We'll do what you want, just help us!
Morph: Calvin, I think we're in over our heads here!
Mimic: Illyana, get us out of here!
(Panel 5. The Exiles teleport out as the people get very close to them.)
Man: What the --!?
(Page 3, panel 1. The Exiles teleport into a library. The place is dirty, dusty, and dimly lit.)
Morph: Phew! That was close!
Nocturne: What is this place?
(Panel 2. They look around the place, casing over the rows of books.)
Magik: It appears to be some kind of a library.
Mimic: There should be something here that will give us information on what happened. Start searching for clues, everyone.
(Panel 3. Sunfire is in a section of the library, and looking over some of the books.)
Sunfire: Guys, I found the history section!
(Panel 4. Sunfire pulls out a book. Its title is "The Rise and Fall of the Carthaginian Empire.")
Sunfire: The Carthegean Empire?
(Panel 5. Morph and Nocturne enter as Sunfire reads the book.)
Sunfire: The Carthaginian Empire ruled from about 350 b.c. to 510 a.d. They were the most expansive empire of their era, ruling from modern Britain through Egypt and much of the area around the Mediterranean.
Morph: What are you talking about?
(Panel 6.)
Sunfire: That's what this book says… it also says that Carthage conquered Rome in 144 b.c. Well, where I came from, the opposite is true.
Nocturne: Where I came from, they never fought each other.
Morph: Where I came from, they fought each other to a standstill.
(Page 4, panel 1. Sunfire puts the book back on the shelf.)
Sunfire: We should be looking for more recent history.
Morph: Right.
(Panel 2. Nocturne pulls out another book that is further down the line from the others.)
Nocturne: This looks promising. It says something about 1999.
(Panel 3. The three of them read the book Nocturne holds open.)
Nocturne: On September 11th, 1999 there were five planes hijacked. They were rammed into the World Trade Center towers in New York, two into the pentagon in Washington, and one rammed into Air Force One while the President was in it. Over 10,000 people were killed.
(Panel 4. Mimic has joined in behind them.)
Morph: Afterwards, the president said he had discovered a little known terrorist group called Al Qaeda was responsible. He ordered that all military forces hunt down these terrorists and destroy them. From this prolonged war all economic forces were directed to rooting out these people and destroying them. It was too draining on the economy, and as a result…
(Panel 5. Magik enters as well.)
Sunfire: The world's economy collapsed.
Morph: This sounds like a very big problem.
(Panel 6. Sasquatch approaches the others, in Heather Hudson form.)
Sunfire: That's where this book ends.
Mimic: Well, now that we've got a little background, we've got to find out what to do. Anyone have any ideas?
(Page 5, panels 1 and 2. Silence as the Exiles uneasily stare at each other. Panel 3.)
Sunfire: Well, this is a library; they must have some books on economics around here somewhere. We should read up on all their economic theories.
Morph: Good idea.
(Panel 2. The Exiles are reading various books. Panel 3. The White House. The place is surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards.)
Cap (N1): So why is the economy still in complete ruins?
Cap (N2): The answer won't be found in any history book.
Cap (N3): It was subtle and complete.
(Panel 3. In the oval office, the President sits at his desk.)
Cap (N): Looks can be deceiving.
(Panel 4. Another man in a suit and tie enters.)
Man: We've had reports of people not dressed in rags in the city.
President: What? Find them at once and bring them to me!
(Panel 5. The president looks grim-faced at the viewer.)
President's thoughts: Who are they? How dare they not dress in rags!
(Page 6, panel 1. Morph is reading a book on economics.)
Cap (N): Several hours later…
Morph's thoughts: Who came up with this stuff?
(Panel 2.)
Morph's thoughts: I think this thing is written in Greek or something.
(Panel 3. The other Exiles around him are reading the economic books.)
Nocturne: This is very confusing.
Sunfire: How could people have set up a system to allocate scarce resources and not completely understand how it works?
(Panel 4.)
Morph: That's our government for you.
Mimic: Nonetheless, we've seen this economic collapse's results; it's up to us to put it back together.
(Panel 5.)
Nocturne: Maybe we're going about this the wrong way.
Mimic: What do you mean?
(Panel 6.)
Nocturne: Why send a bunch of people into a reality where they have to fix something they don't understand? Our credentials on economics were flimsy at best.
Morph: Maybe nobody else wanted the job?
Mimic: So you think that maybe it's our fighting skills that are needed and not our minds?
(Page 7, panel 1.)
Magik: Maybe it's both.
Mimic: Well, now's the time we take some action. There's got to be a leader around here somewhere – someone in charge of something.
(Panel 2.)
Sasquatch: All we've seen is people suffering and nobody in charge. Are you sure this society isn't in anarchy?
Mimic: The place was dirty, but none of the windows were broken, and the stuff in that minimall was still in there.
(Panel 3. The Exiles gather up next to each other.)
Mimic: Magik, teleport us out of here, and into the street again.
Magik: Right.
(Panel 4. The Exiles teleport out of the place.)
Cap (N1): Thus the steps begin… to ruin or redemption?
(Panel 5. They teleport in front of the White House.)
Magik: This should give us some starting point.
Mimic: The White House, that's a good idea.
(Panel 6. The Exiles are surrounded by guards who point automatic rifles at them.)
Morph: Or maybe not…
(Page 8, panel 1. Magik draws her sword and readies herself for a fight.)
Mimic: Hold on, Illyana. Let's see what they want first.
Soldier: You! Why aren't you dressed in rags! You should be begging like the others! Surrender or die!
(Panel 2. The soldier looks at Magik.)
Soldier: You are not permitted to have weapons! Surrender now and your deaths will be swift and painless!
Magik: Still think they're going to be nice to us?
(Panel 3. Mimic armors up.)
Mimic: Looks
like we've got to fight our way in, guys.
(Panel 4. The
soldiers fire their weapons, and the Exiles fight back. Sasquatch turns into
her Sasquatch form. In this panel, we see all the Exiles attacking the guards.
The firing of weaponry continues as does the Exiles' dodging of the fire until
otherwise noted.)
Guard: These humans have special powers! They can't
be real!
(Panel 5. Morph
strikes the guard who said that with a fist in the shape of a sledgehammer.)
Morph: We're very real, all right… we are the Exiles!
(Panel 6. Nocturne and Sunfire are standing back-to-back with each other. Sunfire is casting flame blasts in front of her; Nocturne is shooting hex bolts left and right.)
Sunfire: Just how many of these guards are there?
Nocturne: Too many by the looks of things!
(Page 9, panel 1. Mimic sticks his claws into another guard.)
Mimic: Guys, try to make your way towards the entrance to the White House! We'll find out the answer inside!
SFX: SKLURCH!
(Panel 2. Magik slices two guards at once with her sword.)
Magik: There are a lot of them… but they sure are sloppy!
SFX: SLASH!
(Panel 3. Morph and Mimic have made it to the front door.)
Mimic: This way, Come on, guys! We can make it inside!
(Panel 4. Morph has a large hole that he has shapeshifted into his stomach. Bullets whiz through that hole.)
Morph: Jeez, you guys couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!
(Panel 5. Most of the Exiles reach the front door.)
Nocturne: Whoever's in there sure doesn't want us to come in.
(Panel 6. Sasquatch breaks down the front door.)
SFX: CRASH!
(Page 11, panel 1. The Exiles arrive in the oval office, and see the president sitting at his desk. The firing of weaponry has temporarily stopped.)
President: What do you people want? You've hurt a lot of my people coming here!
(Panel 2. The Exiles approach the president.)
Mimic: We want information.
Morph: Why are so many people unemployed?
Sunfire: Why do you allow so much suffering to go on?
(Panel 3. The President stands up.)
President: Because that's the way we like it.
Sasquatch: You like to make people suffer? You like people going around the streets begging for food?
(Panel 4. The president pushes a button on his console.)
Magik: Have you lost all feeling for your fellow humans? Don't you care about the people around you anymore!?
(Panel 5. The president shapeshifts into a Skrull.)
Skrull President: Who said I was a puny earthling? We skrulls have conquered your pathetic world and are turning it into our world!
Sunfire: A Skrull?
(Panel 6.)
Skrull: While your pathetic armies were fighting each other in your so-called war against terrorism, we easily swept in and took over this mudball. We shut down all your businesses. We killed all your leaders. We installed replacements and made this planet for the Skrulls!
(Page 12, panel 1. About 20 heavily armed guards enter, and point lasers at the Exiles' head.)
Skrull: I don't know where you got such nice clothing or how you managed to get past the detectors, but you are a problem to us. Kill them all.
Magik: You heartless butchers! You murdered my brothers Mikael in front of me!
(Panel 2.)
Skrull: When we took over this world, we murdered lots of leaders… and replaced them with us.
Mimic: So all the world's leaders are Skrulls.
(Panel 3.)
Skrull: Anyone who works on this pathetic mudball is a Skrull. We kill your kind at our whims. However, you are different than the others. You have superhuman powers. We will dissect you to see what makes you different.
Morph: Ugh…
(Panel 4.)
Morph: I'm not a big fan of being cut to pieces.
Skrull: You have little choice in the matter! We outnumber you!
Magik: You outnumbered us outside, and we still got in here.
(Panel 5.)
Skrull (to Magik): And you! Where did you get that sword from!? You humans aren't supposed to have weapons!
Magik: I got it from a guy named Belasco…
(Panel 6. Magik plunges the sword into the president Skrull.)
Magik: Now you're going to get it!
(Page 13, panel 1. Chaos breaks out as the guards start firing again.)
Morph: Great. Thanks, Magik!
(Panel 2. Mimic, now in armored form and claws bared, sticks his claws into a Skrull guard.)
SFX: Shrulk!
(Panel 3. Sunfire blasts a guard's gun with fire, causing it to jam.)
Sunfire: Well, back to this mess again.
(Panel 4. Morph strikes a guard with sledgehammer-shaped hands.)
Morph: Well, one thing's for sure, it doesn’t get boring with you guys very often.
SFX: POW!
(Panel 5. Nocturne hits a Skrull with a hex bolt that was about to strike Morph.)
Nocturne: More fighting and less comedy, Morph!
Morph: Right.
(Pages 14-15. Two panel page. The Exiles are busy killing all the Skrulls there.)
Morph: These guys sure aren't much of a match for us.
Mimic: I think they're really out of practice.
Sunfire: Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.
Nocturne: What she said.
(Page 16, panel 1. The Skrulls are defeated. We see the Exiles standing amongst a plethora of Skrull corpses.)
Cap (N): Some time later…
Mimic: That seems to take care of the guards here.
Sasquatch: We still have a big problem though. These Skrulls are worldwide and there are really too many of them to take out.
(Panel 2. Morph shapeshifts into a Skrull, looking like the dead president.)
Morph: Leave everything to me.
(Panel 3. Morph, still shapeshifted as the Skrull president, is in front of a camera that Sasquatch is operating.)
Morph: So, my Skrull brothers and sisters, we must depart this planet and never return. The high command has ordered we abandon this planet so that we may crush the evil Kree Empire who has so brazenly dared to attack us. Go, my Skrull brothers and sisters, go forth at once and avenge the deaths of our brothers and sisters!
(Panel 4. Sasquatch moves away from the camera.)
Sasquatch: That should do it.
Mimic: Let's hope that they don't discover it's a ruse until it's too late.
(Panel 5. Later on, they see the Skrull spaceships flying away from the planet.)
Cap (N): Several hours later…
Mimic: Well, it seems to be working…
Sasquatch: The easy part is over, though. Now we have to figure out how to get everything back to the way it was.
Morph: The Skrulls pretty much ransacked the treasury, and left this planet with very little to rebuild…
(Panel 6. The Exiles are holding a soup kitchen on the lawn of the White House. There are thousands of people in line to get food.)
Cap (N): Later still…
Mimic: Rebuilding will take time, and we're going to need all the help we can get.
(Page 17, panel 1. A little later, they are talking to a man dressed in rags.)
Man: So it was aliens from outer space that were controlling everything… well, thanks to your intervention, we will never let them return.
Mimic: Rule this earth well, my friend. We have to leave now.
(Panel 2. The Exiles gather in one spot.)
Mimic: Teleport us out, Illyana.
(Panel 3. Magik teleports all the Exiles out. Panel 4. The Exiles teleport in front of St. Basil's cathedral in Moscow.)
Cap (N): Minutes later, and another reality in Moscow…
Magik: We've arrived at the next place. What does the Tallus say?
(Panel 4. Mimic checks over the Tallus.)
Mimic: We're supposed to prevent a civil war from starting.
Voice (From off panel): <The Gods be praised!*>
Cap (N): *Translated from the original Russian.
(Panel 5. A man in a suit and tie comes up to Magik.)
Man: <They told us you were dead… thank the Gods you are not!>
Magik: <What are you talking about?>
(Page 18, panel 1.)
Man: <Czarina Illyana the Just… you have to come to Moscow at once to prevent your nephew the czar from launching an all-out attack on the United States!>
Magik: <Czarina Illyana?>
Nocturne: The Just?
(Panel 2. The man looks crestfallen.)
Man: <You're not Czarina Illyana the Just?>
Magik: <Illyana Rasputina is my name… but –>
(Panel 3. Morph covers Magik's mouth with his hand.)
Morph: You'll have to forgive her majesty; she's had a loss of memory.
Magik: Mnph!
Man: <Oh, this is horrible! Do you remember how to teleport there?>
(Panel 4. Focus on Magik's face.)
Magik: <Of course I do! Perhaps you could fill me in on things while we're going there.>
(Panel 5. Magik teleports the Exiles and the man out.)
Man: <Well, as you know, the people of Russia vote for their favorite child of the Rasputin family. Piotr, the second oldest, got the most number of votes. However, his brother Mikael got jealous and killed Piotr. When this was found out, Mikael was jailed and you were made czarina. Mikael's son Nikolai had you surreptitiously killed. He now sits on the throne as czar, and wants to attack America and destroy us all.>
Sunfire: Could someone who speaks Russian tell us what this is all about?
(Panel 6. Morph takes Sunfire aside.)
Morph: As near as I can gather, our friend here is a dead ringer for a dead Czarina that can help us in our mission. Let's hope this can work.
Sasquatch: Since when did you know Russian?
(Panel 7.)
Morph: In my world, Mikael Rasputin had me perform a Russian play in the original Russian. I had to learn Russian for the part.
(Page 19, panel 1. The front of the Kremlin. The Exiles teleport in along with the man from earlier.)
Magik: Well, if I can prevent a war, I will do what I can.
(Panel 2. The Exiles approach the front gate. There are several guards there, attired in Russian army uniforms.)
Magik: <I have come to reclaim what is mine.*>
Cap (N): *Translated from the original Russian.
(Panel 3. The guards turn pale as they look at Illyana.)
Guard: Bolze moi!
(Panel 4. The guards kneel before Illyana. She smiles slightly.)
Magik: I think I will like being this czarina.
(Panel 5. Inside the palace, Nikolai Rasputin, the czar, is sitting on a throne. He is a teenage male attired in rich robes and holding a scepter. Physically, he looks like a younger Mikael. A guard enters, and bows before him.)
Nikolai: <What do you want?>
Guard: <Mighty czar, your aunt has shown up to reclaim her throne!>
(Panel 6. Nikolai stands up, shocked at what he has heard.)
Nikolai: <What!? That is impossible! I saw her dead! She is buried in St. Basil's cathedral!>
(Page 20, panel 1. The Exiles enter, and approach Nikolai. A couple of guards are with them.)
Magik: <Guards, arrest my nephew.>
Nikolai: <Who are you really? You cannot possibly be my aunt!>
(Panel 2. Magik stares stern-faced at Nikolai.)
Magik: <A genetic scan will prove my claim. Did you really think you could get away with this?>
Nikolai: <This is impossible!>
Guard: <I will get that machine.>
(Panel 3. Aside, Morph, Sunfire and Nocturne. Sunfire has a finger over her lips.)
Sunfire: He seems to be taking this really hard. I wish I could understand what he's saying.
Mimic: Ssh!
(Panel 4. End aside.)
Magik: <I will not ask you again… stand down from that throne. It does not belong to you.>
(Panel 5. Nikolai stands his ground, and stares stern-faced into Magik's eyes.)
Nikolai: <My aunt is dead! You cannot possibly be my aunt! Get out of here!>
(Panel 6. A guard enters, pushing in a television-sized device on a cart.)
Magik: <This will prove me right once and for all.>
(Page 21, panel 1. The guard points a wand connected to the device at Magik.)
Guard: <DNA scan commencing.>
(Panel 2. A very nervous pause. Panel 3.)
Guard: <She is Czarina Illyana.>
Magik: <Now that you are sure of who I am, I want my nephew arrested.>
(Panel 3. The guards grab a hold of Nikolai Rasputin.)
Nikolai: <No, this can't be right! I am your Czar! You are being deceived!>
(Panel 4. Magik sits on the throne of the Czar.)
Morph: If only all our assignments were this easy to settle.
Mimic: There's still the part of having Illyana stop the attack on the USA.
(Panel 5.)
Magik: <For my first order back on the throne, I want our forces to stand down from their attack on America. I want to talk to their President to discuss the breakdown between our countries.>
Guard: <At once, my Czarina.>
(Panel 6. Magik, now clad in a robe similar to that of Nikolai's robe, is talking on a videoscreen to President George W. Bush.)
Cap (N): Later on…
Magk: I apologize for the misunderstandings between our countries, Mr. President.
Bush: Well, I must say this is a very fortunate turn of events. I would not want more the blood of more of our sons and daughters on our hands.
(Page 22, panel 1. Magik smiles at President Bush.)
Magik: It is my pleasure to rule justly in this land.
Bush: Neither side could afford to go to war, madam Czarina. You have saved this world from a political, economic, and environmental disaster.
(Panel 2. The screen goes blank.)
Magik: Well, that takes care of that.
(Panel 3. A cute-as-a-button three-year-old girl enters. She is wearing a nice, semi-formal dress. She has blonde hair and blue eyes.)
Girl: <Mother! I am so glad you have returned!>
Magik (Quietly): Mother?
(Panel 4. The girl rushes up to Magik, and puts her arms around Magik.)
Psi balloon (From off panel): This is your daughter Nadka. You have nicknamed her 'little snowflake.'
Magik: <Yes, little snowflake. I have returned to home.>
Guard: <We took the liberty of freeing your daughter from the prisons. We hope that you do not mind.>
(Panel 5. Magik and Nadka part.)
Magik: <You have grown well, my daughter.>
(Panel 6. Later on, the Exiles are together.)
Magik: <I have to leave now, and I appoint my advisor as regent for Nadka.>
Guard: <Please, stay for a while. I fear supporters of Nikolai would take over again.>
(Panel 7.)
Magik: <Well, tell the truth about Nikolai. I'm sure once people find out how nasty he is, they will stop supporting him.>
(Panel 8. Magik teleports the Exiles out.)
Mimic: Come on, there's a whole multiverse to save.
--End--