"It's Always Christmas"

Page 1

SPLASH

Leave room for the title, credits and indicia at the bottom.

Caption: "There's this old, played-out record that I can't get outta my head." Leave room for titles and credits at the bottom of the page. A fighting-mad BUCK WILD bursts through a window and wades through an impossibly-thick hail of bullets. He shakes his fist in rage. "Alright you mother-lovin', finger-lickin', chicken pluckers! You done messed up now! Cause I'm Buck Wild, Mercenary Man!"

Page 2

Caption: "It's Marvin Gaye, singing about the only things you can depend on, 'Taxes, death and trouble.'" Buck is hip deep in frightened, black, heavily-armed THUGS. He's shoving one in the face, punching another, all the while shrugging off close range gunfire. "You think you can hurt me wit' guns? Bullets bounce offa my tungsten-hard skin like they was chicklets!"

Caption: "The music's way better'n the movie it came from." Wild is smashing the heads of two of the thugs together. "You don't have a chance anyways, what with my belief-defying strength!"

Caption: "It's like the soundtrack to my life." A Thug shoots his gun at Buck's face. "Defy this, you motherless scum!"

Caption: "And I can't get it outta my head. The music or the pictures." Buck holds his eye in pain. "Sweet Easter! You shot me in the eye!"

Caption: "Pimps in platform shoes. Big, black studs. Fat, sloppy, rag-headed mammies." Tight on Buck, showing his gritted teeth in anger! "Things is sho nuff about ta get ugly!"

Page 3

Caption: "Bug-eyed jigaboos, runnin' from shadows. "Drug dealers, in fine clothes, wit fine hoes." Buck grabs the gun and gun hand of the offending thug. "You-you crushed my hand!"

Caption: "The record's played out, alright. But nothin' new ever came along to take its place." Buck throws the thug into several other thugs.

Caption: "So I keeps that song runnin' through my head." Buck wraps an iron beam around his routed foes. "That takes care o' you. Justice is done."

Caption: "It ain't much. It ain't even good. But it might be all there is." Buck raises one fist in victory. "And now, I gots to get paid!" An off-panel speaker, "Buck Wild. I've been expecting you."

Caption: "And that's better'n nuthin'. Ain't it?" Tight as Buck turns his head in surprise to look at something off-panel. "Who...? "—

Page 4

Caption: "I knew I was in trouble soon as I saw her. Beautiful as ever. Betty Davis Eyes, Angela Davis hair, and those hip-huggers..." New angle reveals, LYSISTRATA JONES, dressed as in the trading card, but holding a glowing WHIP with a pussy willow on the end. —"You!!! Lysistrata Jones!"

Caption: "I wanted ta let her go. But I had ta take her in." Angle on both. Buck is defiant. "So all o' this muscle is under your hypnotic spell."

Caption: "I'm a mercenary, and I already cashed the check." Favoring Lysistrata as her hand goes to the coiled whip on her hip. "That's right, you big hunk of Buck, you. This is a trap!

KRAK Lysistrata strikes Buck with the whip. "And once you've had a taste of my P-whip"—

Lysistrata has thrown back her head in a lusty laugh. A slack-jawed, mentally controlled Buck, stands wrapped in the whip. —"You'll be my slave forever!" Caption: "The music in my head started again.

And that's the last thing I remember."

Page 5

SPLASH

Leave room for the legend at the top of the page.

Looking up from below a grim ROCKET (she's keeping her jacket zippered shut now, as she's maybe a hint heavier than we've seen her before) standing on the ledge of a building. It looks like she's about to commit suicide. "My name is Raquel Ervin. But most folks call me 'Rocket.'

I'm fifteen years old.

I'm a super-hero.

I'm pregnant."

Page 6

New angle, closer. She's standing on the narrow ledge of a skyscraper. It's a long way down.

"Let's see. What else?

I'm getting fat.

I have to pee all the time."

New angle, closer still. "None of my friends are in my corner anymore.

"I've missed school for two weeks straight.

My grandma hates me.

And my mother..."

Tight on Rocket's resolute face. She just made a decision. "My mother told me that she wishes I'd never been born."

Rocket's pov. Looking through her feet at the street, far, far below. "All things considered, there's only one thing to do."

Rocket swan dives off of the building, her arms spread gracefully.

Page 7

Rocket falls serenely towards the ground. Maybe you can "blur" the background into speedlines, manga-style.

Long on the ground, as Rocket IMPACTS. She is lost in the huge, glowing, energy effect. It's her inertia power, but it looks almost like an explosion.

Big panel. Rocket zooming out of the "explosion" on a plume of energy. Her fists are balled, she's ready for action. "And that's to take out my frustrations on unsuspecting criminals."

Long. Establishing a boarded-up, but heavily reinforced CRACKHOUSE. "Case in point. This is one of the very few crackhouses on Paris Island that the Blood Syndicate hasn't got around to smashing."

Long, from behind Rocket, arcing down from high in the sky towards the crackhouse. "By the time I get through with 'em"—

Page 8

—"They'll wish I'd left them for the Syndicate. Interior the crackhouse, Rocket BURSTS through the wall. Armed guards (dressed in street clothes, not uniforms) react to the sudden explosion.

The guards have regained some of their composure. "_____ ! It's Rocket! Gun her down!"

Several Guards blast away with their guns at an off panel Rocket.

New angle favors Rocket. The bullets strike her glowing energy field, and drop harmlessly to the ground. "That's all you got?"

Tighter as Rocket raises her hands, preparing to fire a blast. Caption, "My inertia-storing belt picked up enough energy from my fall to take out a hundred losers like these."

Page 9

Rocket fires the inertia energy from her hands, the blast hammers the guards, scattering them across the room.

The Guards are laying limply all over the room. Rocket is lifting one terrified guard by his lapels. "I got a message for you: Keep that poison out of my neighborhood and away from our kids."

Favoring the Guard in Rocket's hands. "____ you! The prison's are full. I won't do any serious time."

Rocket is lifting the Guard with one hand, and has her other, ominously glowing, fist pulled back to punch the guy. "Who said anything about sending you to jail?" Off-panel speaker, "Rocket! Leave this to the authorities."

Similar to previous, but tighter. Rocket's face is in shadow, she's looking up at something above her off panel. "Huh?"

Page 10

Big panel. Wide to reveal a disapproving ICON floating in mid-air, arms folded reproachfully across his chest. "Icon?" "Put him down. Now."

Rocket lets the guard slump to the floor. "Oh. Alright."

Icon is wrapping three or four of the guards up in metal rods as Rocket stands aloofly and defiantly to the side. "We respond to problems with appropriate force, Rocket. That man was already subdued. What did you think you were doing? "

Favoring a shrugging Rocket, she isn't the least bit sorry. "When my mom was pregnant with me, she ate cantaloupe all the time. Call it a mood swing."

Icon is not amused, he's waving a finger in an unimpressed Rocket's face. "When your mother was pregnant with you, I doubt seriously that she risked your life and her own battling armed criminals." "Yeah, so?"

Page 11

Favoring Icon. "So I think it's past time that Rocket took a maternity leave." Rocket protests "But the belt"--

Icon pushes his advantage, --"The belt does protect you and the child better than any earthbound technology could, but that's beside the point. You have new responsibilities to attend to now."

Icon and Rocket are heading for the door (we need to see it). Icon has softened, Rocket is listening. "We have to begin to prepare for your future. Your education. Day care for your child. I've given the matter some thought, I'd like to share my ideas with you if"--

Wide. Icon and Rocket react as the wall right next to the open door EXPLODES inward.

Big panel of Buck Wild, he's just burst through the wall. Debris is everywhere, and plaster and dust settles on his shoulders and hair. He looks as threatening as possible, under the circumstances. "What it be 'bout, Homeys! You Icon and the Rocket, right? Well I be Buck Wild!"

New angle show a disbelieving Icon and Rocket reacting to the approaching Buck. "This here particular crackhouse you done busted up is the sho 'nuff property of my main mistress, Lysistrata Jones."

Page 12

Buck punches a surprised Icon through the air. "And dat means you gots ta get thumped, big time!"

Exterior the crack house. Hurled by the force of the blow, Icon smashes through a wall and flies out into the street. Wherever you can, show African-American BYSTANDERS watching the fight throughout this sequence.

Back inside, Buck is heading towards a surprised Rocket, who is looking at where Icon flew off panel. "Now then, fine, foxy mama. I don't usually hit sisters, but if you give me any lip I'll"--

--"Icon!" A concerned Rocket zooms past a reacting Buck towards where Icon flew.

Outside Rocket zooms out of the hole in the wall Icon's body made towards a foreground Icon. He's flat on his back. "Are you all right?"

Page 13

Icon is sitting up, rubbing his jaw. Rocket is bending over near him. "I am fine. Just embarrassed." "Yeah."--

--"I can see why." Concludes off panel Rocket. Back on the crack house, Buck bursts through the wall again, even though the open door, and the hole Icon's body made in the wall are clearly visible. "Aunt Jemmima's do-rag! You's about a tough son of a biscuit!"

Buck has lifted a car over his head with both hands. "But baby, once I lay a taste o' my belief-defying strength on you, you'll be out fo the count in a Uncle Ben's instant!"

Icon and Rocket stand side by side preparing for the attack. "His dialect is unfamiliar." "You're telling me. Kinda sounds like Chester Himes meets Amos and Andy. I don't think it's slang, though. I think it's brain damage."

Buck THROWS the car at Icon and Rocket. "You mother-huggin', flock-plugin', hogs-head chesse-eaters! Take this!

Page 14

Icon has taken flight, and CATCHES the flying car in mid-air. "I believe I will."

Icon in mid air, throws the car back at Buck. "But only for a moment."

Buck dives out of the way of the car, which smashes to the ground nearby. "Sweet Easter! I better duck. Mama Wild didn't raise no fools!"

Icon is standing over the fallen and angry Buck. "I'd argue that contention vigorously."

Buck has thrown a punch at Icon's face Icon has calmly caught the punch in his hand. "You motherless"-- "Ah. Ah!"

Page 15

"Absolutely. No. Mothers." Icon is crushing Buck's fist painfully. Buck is grimacing in pain, trying not to go to his knees.

Icon is calm as he continues. "Yield." Buck is on his knees, still fighting. "I won't give up. I gotta beat you! I gotta!"

"Get away from him!" Tight on Icon reacting as an empty soda can bounces off of his head. "What...?"

New angle wide to reveal many black folks from the neighborhood, they're not happy with Icon (who has turned his head to face the crowd, but hasn't let go Buck's fist ). "Get away from him! Buck Wild's one of the good guys!"

Angle on a puzzled Icon. "But...But he attacked us for shutting down a crackhouse." "He must've had a good reason."--

Page 16

Back on the crowd. --"Over the years he's helped all of us out, one time or another." "And he let us pay him on installment!" "Yeah, let go of him! He's the only hero we got!"

Buck is still on his knees, but he's waving the crowd off with his other hand. "No...don't let me go...keep crushing my hand...pain is...good...he'ps me... focus....he'ps me remember...

Buck's pain clouded face fades into a flashback of a young Buck Wild (GIANT afro, and mutton chops) facing a judge, who is banging his gavel. Captions, "I do remember. It all started when I wuz convicted fo a crime I didn't commit.

I plea bargained down from the crime I really did."

Young Buck behind bars. "The joint was rough. but I wuz gonna do my time real quiet-like and go straight."

But one of the racist pig prison guards had other ideas..." A fat white PRISON GUARD beats Buck with a billyclub, while saying, "You call me Mister Charlie, boy!"

Page 17

Buck in a hospital bed. He's badly beaten up. A kindly labcoated Scientist looks at a clipboard. "I knowed right then that there was no way I'd survive my sentence."

The scientist from last panel watches as Buck signs a legal document. "That's when I volunteered fo the experiment."

Buck is naked, in a high-tech FREEZING TUBE. Convenient steam covers his nifties. "They was experimenting with freezing people, and unthawin' em years later. Like frozen food."

Similar to previous, Buck is frozen in a tube-shaped block of ice. "The deal was, if I survived the experiment, they'd knock some time offa my sentence."

"But it didn't work." A huge explosion.

"Before the explosion, nuthin had froze yet but my brain."

Page 18

Buck is staggering from the debris. Prison guards are shooting at him. "But somehow the accident gave me tungsten-hard skin and belief -defyin' strength."

Back in the present. "Thanks, my mellow. You c'n let me go now, I remember ever'thin'. It was 1972."

Icon has let Buck go. Buck rubs his fist. Rocket is skeptical. "Your brain froze in 1972?" "Thas right." "Hasn't thawed yet, huh?"

New angle Favors Icon, arms folded across his chest. "Continue with your story, Mr. Wild." "Ain't much left to tell, I got out of the slam a few weeks later on a weekend furlough program, and hung out my shingle."

Favoring Buck, forming a rectangular sign with his thumbs and forefingers, he's grinning proudly. "Buck Wild, Mercenary Man. Hero for Rent."

Wider to include the crowd. Buck indicates them with a sweep of his arm. "And since then it's just like the folks told you, I been fightin' evil and stuff. For a fee."

Page 19

Buck is shaking hands with a bewildered Icon. "A couple o' weeks ago, My arch enemy, Lysistrata Jones, took control of my mind wit her P-Whip. You crushin' my hand helped me regain control. Thanks."

Buck raises his fist in the air, throws back his head and shouts, "Now it's payback time! Oh, yeah! I's about to get ugly!"

Buck stalks away into the background.

Rocket turns to Icon. "You're not going to let that fool go back and fight her alone, are you, Icon?"

Favoring a thoughtful Icon. "No. I suppose that wouldn't be right."

Page 20

"Shortly..." On top of a building, Icon, Buck and Rocket look at their off-panel target. Buck is pointing. "That's it. That's Lysistrata's hide-out!"

Tighter on Icon looking at, and seriously speaking to Rocket, who is looking down at the off-panel building. "All right. You both know the plan. If we do this carefully"-- --"I don't know why you're telling me."

WHOOOM "Oh, no." Similar to previous but wider. Buck is gone. A pained Icon is looking in the same direction as Rocket. "Right through the wall, as usual."

Icon and Rocket fly down. "We'd better get down there quickly. Before she"--

--"Takes control of him again." Interior Lysistrata's Headquarters. Icon and rocket enter. Lysistrata already has her P-Whip wrapped around Buck again.

Page 21

Lysistrata turns her attention to Icon. Her whip is again at the ready. "Icon! Welcome! With your power under my command, it's only a matter of time before I'm the Queen of Black Crime. Or the Black Queen of Crime, I'm not sure which."

Icon is moving towards Lysistrata is cracking her whip at him. "I'd say neither. My alien physiology"-- KRAK

Icon has the whip wrapped around him, he is standing there slack-jawed. --"Is completely at your disposal, mistress." Rocket is looking at him in a panic. "Icon!"

Rocket is waving her hand in front of the ensorceled Icon and Buck's impassive faces. "Icon? Buck?" Behind her, Lysistrata is raising her whip.

Rocket whirls and punches out Lysistrata. "Don't even think about it."

Page 22

"Later..." Buck has Lysistrata tied up and is handing her over to a couple of cops as Icon and Rocket watch."

Buck is shaking Rocket's hand. "Thanks fo saving my butt. Twice." "Nothing to it."

Buck turns his attention to Icon. "Naw man. You wrong. Seein you two taught me a lot." "I'm not sure I understand."

Favoring a serious Buck. "Lookin' at you makes me think. Mebbe if I hadn't been frozen, I wouldn't have to be like this. Mebbe I can still be more than what I is now."

Favoring Rocket. "I wouldn't count on it, Buck. You are what you is. And 1972 was a long time ago. Maybe it's just time to move on." Caption, "Sho 'Nuff said!"

Next: What I Did On My Vacation.

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