Long_Ethan_SuperheroSketchpad.pdf

THE RISE OF SUPERHEROES AND THEIR IMPACT ON POP CULTURE // SUPERHERO SKETCHPAD

WEEK 1

Upload an image of your mythic god/goddess and use it to replace the placeholder image on the left. Then,

enter the characteristics about your god/goddess and your rationale for choosing this mythic figure.

CREATE YOUR SUPERHEROS MYTHIC INSPIRATION

NAME OF GOD : Hermes

GENDER : Male

CULTURE OF ORIGIN : Greece

PERSONALITY TRAITS : Cunning

thief, master of disguise, gets

away with almost everything

3

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 1

RATIONALE

I want a master thief who never

gets caught, whos able to move

things at a fast rate, and

ultimately ends up being good.


WEEK 1

Upload an image of your mythic god/goddess and use it to replace the placeholder image on the left. Then,

enter the characteristics about your god/goddess and your rationale for choosing this mythic figure.

CREATE YOUR SUPERHEROS MYTHIC INSPIRATION

NAME OF GOD : Carmen Sandiego

GENDER : Female

CULTURE OF ORIGIN : America

PERSONALITY TRAITS : Brilliant

thief, blends in wherever she goes,

obsessed with the biggest prizes.

4

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 1

RATIONALE

She needs to be a master thief

who is difficult to find. And

really likes the more exotic

treasures. Blending in and

getting away.


Write a few sentences explaining a contemporary social or political issue that will influence the conflicts your

superhero will encounter. If youd like, add an article describing the issue from a recent news publication.

FIND A CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL INFLUENCE

5

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 1

DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE:

Theres a startling trend happening in the country that concerns me. It seems more and more today that dissenting voices are

ridiculed, ignored, and even threatened. There is this Popular Thought that is supposedly what everyone believes, or should believe,

and when anyone comes against it they are called bigots, racists, sexists, haters, and much worse. Free speech has become very

limited with the rise of the PC culture, and to make sure we dont offend anyone no one is allowed to say anything that disagrees with

anyone. If you do disagree then it is believed you must hate the person/group you came up against. It saddens me really, because it

feels like the variety and diversity of the country is being watered down from lots of tributaries in unique areas that make up the river,

into one streamlined river that only goes one place. The screams of tolerance from people who wont tolerate an opposing view feels

very far from what America is.

Theres also this strange, fervent desire to be noticed or famous. Social media has everyone acting like their day to day is fantastically

interesting. Everyone wants to be super special. They dont realize they already are unique and special in their own way, but maybe

not in a way that people watching TV or Instagram would want to follow. In their effort to get followers/subscribers and likes, they

flow along with the mainstream thought that media perpetuates (usually the PC-est one). So many people wanting to be celebrity

special actually makes them so similar that in the end, no ones special.


Your superhero needs at least one superpower! It can be something that the original god possessed or something

you create on your own. Do keep in mind how the power will aid your hero in the conflict you identified. If youd like

to add an image that illustrates the superpower, feel free though its not required.

CREATE YOUR SUPERHEROS SUPERPOWERS

6

DESCRIPTION OF PRIMARY SUPERPOWER:

WEEK 1

DESCRIPTION OF SECONDARY SUPERPOWER:

INSTRUCTIONS

Can vibrate. He can focus it mainly into his hands. With this, he can shake

something hes touching to the point that it hits a frequency that weakens the

connections holding the molecules of the object together. He can, in essence,

break solid, heavy things just by touching them. So no door is closed to him,

and no lock stands in his way. Perfect for a thief.

Blades in his hands. Installed as a rite of his guild, every member has them.

They come out as a single, short, spade-shaped blade on each hand, but can

separate into four forks. Also handy for breaking and entering, as well as

fighting if the need arises. And cutting, of course.

Male Character


Your superhero needs at least one superpower! It can be something that the original god possessed or something

you create on your own. Do keep in mind how the power will aid your hero in the conflict you identified. If youd like

to add an image that illustrates the superpower, feel free though its not required.


7

DESCRIPTION OF PRIMARY SUPERPOWER:

WEEK 1

DESCRIPTION OF SECONDARY SUPERPOWER:

INSTRUCTIONS

One of the Anthro race, she appears as a humanoid chameleon. Her innate

power is the ability to change her features enough to blend into her

surroundings. She can change her skin color, eye color, hair color, bend her

features, but not to the point of being a shapeshifter. She tweaks, she blends.

One of the things she cant change very well are her hands, which are

like a chameleons gripping, two-toed hands. The plus side is that they

are very strong, giving her the ability to climb easily, and the strength to

crush anything in her grasp.

Female Character


To balance your superpower(s), youll need at least one weakness, though you may add a second. Once again,

describe each below and add a visual representation if youd like.


8

DESCRIPTION OF PRIMARY WEAKNESS:

WEEK 1

DESCRIPTION OF SECONDARY WEAKNESS:

INSTRUCTIONS

Sense of home. Was born abandoned and taken into his guild when they discovered what he could do.

Only a few members remain of the guild, and they really only care for their steals. When he is ripped from

that only sense of home (dreary as it may be) he feels lost. Being isolated or abandoned weakens him

internally to the point its difficult to use his powers.

The Arianhod Alloy. A metal discovered in the City depths that has amazing

energy qualities, providing tons of output without being consumed. Its side

effect though, is that it nullifies all powers.

Male Character


To balance your superpower(s), youll need at least one weakness, though you may add a second. Once again,

describe each below and add a visual representation if youd like.


9

DESCRIPTION OF PRIMARY WEAKNESS:

WEEK 1

DESCRIPTION OF SECONDARY WEAKNESS:

INSTRUCTIONS

She was once very good, but after living a life ridiculed for her looks she gave up trying to be kind. She turned

bad when she discovered she could use her powers to get what she wanted and not even be noticed. The

taunting from her past, though, put a scar on her heart, making her believe no one would ever love her

because of her looks. And so she believes shell be alone for the rest of her life and hides her true face. Shes

afraid to be kind again too, for fear it will leave her weak as when she was a child.

The Arianhod Alloy. A metal discovered in the City depths that has amazing

energy qualities, providing tons of output without being consumed. Its side

effect though, is that it nullifies all powers.

Female Character


At the end of each week we will include a few scratch pages for you to record anything else youd like to add as

you develop your superhero. Feel free to delete these pages or add more by copying and pasting them.

SCRATCH PAGES

10

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 1

In this world, the majority people of have superpowers. They call it Favor. It can range from being very powerful and earth-moving to very

subtle and even kind of useless. There are the usual things like flying, fire manipulation, great strength, and telekinesis, but some people

have Favor like making others invisible, creating silence, hearing radio waves, and remembering something forever if its written on their

skin. The City uses people with certain Favor for certain jobs, like cryokinetics as firefighters and flyers for messengers. A small portion of

the population doesnt have Favor though, and people call them Greys. Theyre not terribly looked down upon, especially in the City which

has technology to even things out, but also because people can receive Favor later on in life at random times, so everyone is potentially

Favored.

There is a full world Ive developed for a longer story arc which includes the Northern Islands which are very tribal and tropical. The Lost

Continent in the west that houses huge ruins of a dead civilization. The Frozen South, and also the Lands at the End of the East. On the main

continent, there is the northern seaside kingdom, the desert between Mountain Spine, the Dendrilion Village made of plants, the island

kingdom in the southern bay, the mysterious Calm Before the Storm plains, and up in the northeast, the City, all by itself.

The City is where the story will center.


11


SCRATCH PAGES

12

WEEK 1

The City with no name is where the first season/story arc takes place. An ancient place that is as deep as it is tall. Every instance of the

City that has ever been has been built upon the ruins of the previous City. A magnet for war, it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times.

Though the City is now a towering steampunk-like bastion of progress, it stands on layers and layers of ruins, each specific to the era it was

built. Not many people go into the Depths, save for the poor and destitute that dwell in the first layer, and a few brave archeologists who

venture only a few layers further. Large monsters and creatures of the Depths occupy the lowest regions, keeping any explorers from

reaching the greatest treasures lost to the oldest eras.

The City above ground decided that the world had ravaged its buildings and people enough, and built a

revolutionary Wall surrounding the perimeter. With an ingenious machine that uses a common mineral along with

heavy water as fuel to turn electrical power into light waves, a shield was erected to protect the City from the

dangers of the world. Over time, though, it had the adverse effect of trapping citizens inside. The dangers of the

world were exaggerated over the years as people whod actually known what the outside world was like died,

leaving only the ones whod never experienced them to imagine the worst. Turning their focus inward, the City

progressed much faster than the rest of the world, creating wondrous steam-powered inventions that have made

the City the most advanced place in the world.

The only problem is that the mineral used to power the Wall has begun to run out since they are restricted to one

spot, and soon the Wall may fall. So the Lord Prime increased the number of expeditions to the Depths to search

for more fuel or better yet, a new source of power lost in the bones of the ancient Cities.




SCRATCH PAGES

13

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 1

While exploring a layer of ruins in the Depths from the Arianhod Age, City archeologists come upon an artifact that houses a strange silver

metal. They cut off a small piece and ignite it to see if could be a viable power source for the Wall. The piece burns a bright blue and burns

hot and steady without consuming the metal. Its a perfect replacement for the dwindling mineral theyve been using. But when the

archeologists with Favor try to use their powers, nothing happens. All the Favored try, but with no success. They snuff out the chip of burning

metal and start to flee whatever is in the ruins taking their Favor away, but realize their powers have returned. The only explanation is the

metal when its on fire. It could be the best source of fuel to power the City Wall, but at the expense of nullifying peoples Favor.

When the Arianhod Alloy, as they name it, is brought to the surface and explained to the Lord Prime and the City Council, a debate arises.

Do the people of the City allow the threats of the world in after a century or more of being closed off and allow Favors to remain, or do they

power the Wall with the new fuel, and nullify the Favored. Many people see the cost as too great, but others see it as a justifying sacrifice.

To protect all of the City, the Favored should give up their powers. Many Greys agree with this but not all, and even some Favored (with fairly

inconsequential powers) side with the use of the Alloy. The debate becomes more heated and personal, and soon a conspiracy to remove

the Lord Prime (Favored) is set into motion, so that the Wall will stay up.




SCRATCH PAGES

14

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 1

Anthros:

There are people in the world who are like humanoid animals. They are called Anthros. They speak and act and think like a normal human,

but with the features and attributes of any kind of animal. Jaina is chameleon in her appearance and it directly relates to her Favor. The

Lord Primes though, isnt. He is a lion Anthro with the Favor to remember anything he reads. It makes him very wise and knowledgeable,

perfect for leading.

There are many Anthros in the City, including deer, monkey, tiger, wolf, fox, and crocodile. Outside the City, it is much more diverse, with

bear, octopus, bird, raccoon, rhino, panther, gorilla, rabbit, kangaroo, dog, horse, and pig. They live in all the corners of the world, in all the

different cultures. They are as common as Favor.


Its time to start putting it all together! Highlight the SUPERHERO NAME and replace it with your characters original name. Then, go to

Insert > Photo > Picture from file to add the digital sketch of your superhero. Last, insert text to re-enter your SUPERPOWERS AND

WEAKNESSES and to write your characters ORIGIN STORY.

YOUR SUPERHERO BIOGRAPHY

16

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 2

ORIGIN STORY

Leo Thursby SUPERPOWERS AND WEAKNESSES Can shake at great speed. Can shake objects to a frequency that the

connections between molecules weaken, allowing him to break virtually

unbreakable things. Extendable blades in hands, come out as short spade-

shaped blades that separate into four forks.

Abandoned at birth, he was found by one of the small, rogue guilds of the

City; a band of thieves. His Favor intrigued the thieves and they raised him to

use his abilities to break into buildings. His hand blades are a rite of the

guild which every member has. They double as both defense, and an

assistance tool in stealing. The other members found ways of using their

Favor to help them steal, but Leos was innately suited for the job, and he

quickly became the best of the small guild. Over the years, only one other

thief in the City matched his skill and became a bit of a rival: the chameleon

Anthro, Jaina. Though he hates when she bests him, he enjoys the

competition.


The world Ive created for Leo and Jaina is one where the majority of people have superpowers, or Favor. Therefore, there are no

superheroes or supervillains, because all heroes and villains, and even regular citizens, have powers. Everyone is super, so no one is

really. The main characters dont exactly have alter egos because of this, though they do have lives in regular society.

YOUR SUPERHEROS ALTER EGO

17

Insight

WEEK 2

OCCUPATION

Leo Thursby

PERSONALITY TRAITS

BACK STORY

Very knowledgeable on art, especially mythical artifacts and Art of the City.

Acts reserved among the Heights, almost to the point of being boring so no one expects his true occupation. Pretends to be a Grey

(someone without Favor). In real life, very passionate about stealing and his guild. Meticulous in planning, enjoys a good adventure.

Art appraiser and Research Consultant to the Citys museums.

The guild taught him growing up to be able to distinguish what was valuable and what wasnt. It led to a great knowledge of art but

also a grown love for it. The guild members secretly worked him into a position within the Citys museums, where he worked his

way up to being a reliable source for checking authenticity and history on new incoming pieces. Most people in the museums know

him as a fairly quiet, smart Grey without any interesting quirks. But they dont know he uses his appraisals as times to scope out

his targets, and his position to know all the ins and outs of the museums.

!


Its time to start putting it all together! Highlight the SUPERHERO NAME and replace it with your characters original name. Then, go to

Insert > Photo > Picture from file to add the digital sketch of your superhero. Last, insert text to re-enter your SUPERPOWERS AND

WEAKNESSES and to write your characters ORIGIN STORY.

YOUR SUPERHERO BIOGRAPHY

18

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 2

ORIGIN STORY

Jaina Cooper

SUPERPOWERS AND WEAKNESSES

Chameleon powers. Ability to tweak and shift her features to blend in. Change

color of skin, hair, eyes, change posture, but not able to shapeshift. Has two-

toed chameleon hands with incredible grip and crushing strength. Tail allows

for easy climbing.

Had wonderful parents and home life. But when her father got them into a

terrible financial situation, Jaina had to be given up to a work home to help

pay off the debts. Her parents divorced not long after from the stress and

her father died from a heart attack. Her mother volunteered herself for

internal City use, which is classified, and though it bought Jainas freedom

and wiped away the debt, she was never seen again. Jaina was ridiculed so

much as a child because she couldnt control her Favor, it scarred her into

believing no one would lover her. Even her parents sent her away, in her

mind. She began to use her Favor to get what she wanted, and realized she

loved art. She has many aliases she uses to get the art she loves, like a

grifter, but uses an assistant position under a museum curator to get all the

information she needs on pieces in the system.


The world Ive created for Leo and Jaina is one where the majority of people have superpowers, or Favor. Therefore, there are no

superheroes or supervillains, because all heroes and villains, and even regular citizens, have powers. Everyone is super, so no one is

really. The main characters dont exactly have alter egos because of this, though they do have lives in regular society.

YOUR SUPERHEROS ALTER EGO

19

INSIGHT

WEEK 2

OCCUPATION

Jasmine Coing main alias PERSONALITY TRAITS

BACK STORY

Jasmine Very warm and charming. Extremely reliable and hard-working. Her boss thinks the world of her.

Jaina Never takes things seriously. Sees the thefts as a game, and loves to rattle Leos cage. Very self-reliant.

Assistant to Biola Gandy - Curator of the Autumn Eaves Museum and member of the City Museum Council.

She used a relationship with one of the Citys upper crust to gain a chance meeting with Biola Gandy. Biola was taken with the

young art lover right away and offered her a position at her museum. Jainas artistic taste coupled with her quick ability to learn

about art transformed Autumn Eaves into one of the most popular museums in the City. Biola promoted her to her second in

command within a year. She uses Biolas trust and intimate knowledge of the Citys political workings to not only scope out

targets, but to get to them first (or at least, before Leo).

!




SCRATCH PAGES

20

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 2

The City is made up of countless guilds. Anyone who has an occupation has one within a guild. Law enforcement are in a guild,

government officials are in a guild, artists are in a guild, plumbers in a guild, Wall Walkers in a guild, etc. Every member of a guild takes

on a marker of that guild; police have a small tattoo beside their left eye, and scientists have a circle with a line through it etched into

the foreheads. But other guilds have less invasive markers; Politians wear specific gold necklaces, firefighters have silver badges on

their arms, and artists color their nails. Both Leo and Jaina pose as members of the Museum Guild, which thankfully only requires the

carrying of a gold spyglass, but Leo has his true, personal guild. The remnants of an ancient guild that fell apart a century before, his

guild are master thieves and are bent on stealing the greatest objects of the City without being caught. Their marker is the addition of

retractable blades put into the hands. On one of the blades is etched with the symbol for their guild, a spyglass. Hes always thought it

was just a coincidence that his real and fake guilds were marked similarly, but his guilds ancient roots actually spawned the Museum

Guild of the present day (with other plot points and twists).

Jaina only has her fake guild.


SCRATCH PAGES

21

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 2

Secondary Characters:

Hans Coventry An archeologist who lives in the Depths studying the ruins of an old guild. Hes searching for a lost vehicle called the Iron

Appaloosa which from his findings, could be a way out of the City. His Favor is spectacular climbing skills and the ability to change the color

of fire.

Biola Gandy As a Museum Curator she has unique access to the City Heights and all the higher class there. She often meets with City

Councilors and is privy to the discussions and debates going on between them. Her Favor is the ability to see the past of a place, and

sometimes overhears conversations that were had a while before. She accidently hears the plot to kill the Lord Prime which makes her

a target for the conspirators. She also has a new Favor she hasnt quite gotten the hang of, which is being able to call animals to her. She

has a hiccup-like squawk that comes out at inopportune times, calling who knows what kind of animal to her side.

Brock Saxton A tribesman of the Northern Isles, he has been chasing a thief that stole a sacred staff from his village. The thief made

their way to the City and broke in (unthinkable!) to steal something there as well. He followed the thief in and ended up running into Leo and

Jaina during a heist and ruining everything. His Favor is an extremely clever and intelligent use of mechanics, which is overlooked in his

tribal homeland. He lost his right arm in an accident and replaced it with a swiss army arm that can change to whatever tool he needs to

work on his machines. He also carries a dangerous animal in a bag on his hip, the Bunny of Doom. A ravaging beast, it will destroy anything

in its path to kill the one it imprints on, and is very difficult to kill. He cant outrun it or defeat it, so Brock keeps it with him. Since it falls

asleep in the dark he carries it in a black bag on his hip. When a desperate situation arises, hell throw the Bunny between him and his

enemy, it will destroy the threat on its path to get to him, and knock itself out on the metal plate Brock installed on his own neck. He then

tucks it away until next time.


WEEK 1

The group of characters that are in Favor are actually all based off of friends from college. I used to have a habit of stabbing unsuspecting friends with my fingers, to the point where they said I had finger-flays (Leo). From there it grew into a game of figuring

out everyones (usually goofy) powers, and over the years Ive assembled them into a storyline. Since this assignment isnt asking for a myth basis, I will use the friend my villain is based off.

CREATE YOUR SUPERVILLAINS INSPIRATION

NAME: Nate Owens

GENDER: Male

NATIONALITY: American (German descent)

PERSONALITY TRAITS: Talks a lot. Has an opinion on everything and loves

to explain it in detail. Amiable, competitive, finds most things funny. Tall.

23

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

DISCLOSURE

WEEK 3

RATIONALE

Nate and I spent a lot of time together in school. We even double casted

the lead in Christmas Carol. He was one of the ones most up on playing

along with our characters, and we usually squared off. I like the idea of a

villain who doesnt think himself one, and doesnt have that brooding,

superior, melodramatic ambiance most baddies take.

!


Now you will create your supervillains biography. Highlight the SUPERVILLAIN NAME and replace it with your characters original

name. Then, go to Insert > Photo > Picture from file to add the digital sketch of your superhero. Last, insert text to define your villains

SUPERPOWERS AND WEAKNESSES and to write his/her ORIGIN STORY.

YOUR SUPERVILLAINS BIOGRAPHY

24

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 3

ORIGIN STORY

Lord Noble Sharpington III SUPERPOWERS AND WEAKNESSES Has no power, is a Grey. But both arms are robotic, and can fold away to

reveal long swords hidden underneath. Also carries the Sharur Mace.

Being Grey is his weakness. It irks him that he, a royal, would be born with

no Favor, and not be able to find any throughout his life.

Born into royalty in the northern seaside kingdom, Noble was treated

above everyone else since birth. But bloodline and money did not interest

him, he wanted Favor. Even some of the poorest, dumbest citizens of the

kingdom had Favor, and yet he was denied. He set out to attempt to find a

Favor Spark, which some find throughout their lives, igniting a latent Favor.

But he couldnt find anything. In this travels, he met a group of Greys that

were part of a guild to find the lost legendary weapons in the world. He was

so enraptured with the idea, that he decided to take over leadership of the

Cryptohoplogogists, and did. With the group and the weapons, he can be

equal to any Favored and rule his home kingdom properly.




SCRATCH PAGES

25

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 3

Favor Spark Many people are born with a Favor; any random ability or enhanced skill. But it is also possible to gain Favor later in life,

from triggering a latent Favor. This can be done from coming in contact with an object, material or person, performing a certain action

or even just arriving in a certain location. There is no formula or predictability to it. It could happen at any time and for any reason.

This is what Sharpington searches for in his travels. He goes to exotic places and meets important people to see if he can illicit a Spark

for some hidden Favor inside of him. He uses his wealth to come into contact with rare metals and plants and animals, artifacts and

machines hoping one will trigger his true power.

Cryptohoplogists Its in these travels he meets the Grey group calling themselves Cryptohoplogists, or people who study mythological

weapons and artifacts. Its a fairly scientific group bent on discovering the worlds legendary weapons to see what made them so

powerful and to preserve them for history. Sharpington immediately joins their search, but for a different reason; he wants legendary

weapons to put himself on par with the Favored. His desperation to have a power festers into a hatred for people who have Favor. When

they discover the spectacular Sharur Mace, an intelligent weapon with the ability to transform into a talking bird which can relay

messages and give wise council, Sharpington makes his move. He usurps the lead Cryptop, and places himself in charge. The few who

oppose him are killed, and the ones who support him accept his ideal of using the weapons as an equalizer with Favored. They continue

their search, coming across information of the greatest legendary weapon ever created, the Iron Scepter. With it, Sharpington could rule

his kingdom with absolute power and not just ceremonial authority.

The Cryptops are remnants of an old guild, and as part of the initiation into the group is the addition of mechanical prosthetics. The

initiate would surrender a limb for a mechanical one. Sharpington eagerly gives up both arms for robotic arms with hidden swords.


WEEK 1

CONSTRUCT YOUR STORY

27

BUILD UP

WEEK 4

CONFLICT

RESOLUTION

The moment that starts it all is when Jaina and Leo both go after the newest discovery placed in a museum. One of Sharpingtons Cryptops

swoops into the City and steals the artifact right from between them. Brock Saxton, pursuing this thief, sets off the alarms and gets arrest

warrants for Jaina and Leo released, blowing their civilian covers. The police chase them down into the Depths of the City to hide, where they

meet the archeologist Hans Coventry. Hans is looking for an old relic from a bygone era, a vehicle called the Iron Appaloosa. At the same

time, City scientists discover a new alloy in one of the ancient ruins of the City, which could prove a new power source for the Citys Wall, but

with the side effect of nullifying peoples Favor. Sharpington uses his magical mace to communicate with people inside the City to get the

source used, loving the idea of powerless Favored, and hoping to gain unimpeded access to the Citys Depths where more legendary weapons

are rumored to lie.

The heroes realize they can never live in the City while the police want them for endless counts of theft, so they help Hans figure out a way to

find and power the Iron Appaloosa to escape. Through Biola, they find out that the alloy could do it, and stealing it could save the Lord Prime

from murder. All the while, Sharpington is using his Mace to convince Council Members to push for the use of the alloy, and for the Lord

Primes removal. The heroes ultimately escape the City, and when housed inside the vehicles strange engine, the Favor nulling affect of the

alloy is shielded. This ruins Sharpingtons plans for nullifying the Citys Favored and giving himself clear access to the Depths, so he decides to

go after the group and retrieve the alloy. It could prove useful when he is master of the Iron Scepter. And he hates to be bested.

The adventure travels south into the desert straits between the mountains that divide the continent. Using the help of a historian cowboy they

meet on the way and following the stories from ancient art, the two groups chase down the path the Iron Scepter took in its final days before

being lost, ultimately finding it at the same time. There they discover the Scepters fate and close the first storyline of the series.


Sharpington doesnt actually come face to face with the heroes until much later in the story, so I am going to do the scene where the

heroes first come in contact with the bad guys; the moment one of Sharpingtons minions swoops in and steals the artifact that Leo

and Jaina are trying to steal.

This scene is where Leo is stealing a newly found spearhead from a glass case in a museum, but misses a trigger pad under the

artifact. Jaina shows up and reveals that the glass case wasnt sealed back onto the podium after they placed the spearhead, and lifts

it off, dangerously pulling Leos hand off of the trigger. She wants a piece of the payout to help him get away without setting the alarms

off.

YOUR SUPERVILLAINS BIOGRAPHY

28

Oh, please. I want at least half. Youll probably have trouble finding a buyer for that bauble anyway.

INSIGHT

WEEK 4

Leo Thursby

Jaina Cooper

Leo

Jaina

Stop! Fine, fine! Ill give you 30%...

Bauble!? You really dont have any idea what this is do you?

Do you?

Hey! Thats mine! (They both cringe, waiting for the sound alarm to go off from their shout. But it doesnt)

!

Leo Its important! I know that much. There is no way Im giving you half, you didnt even do any work

(She lifts the glass case higher, making it harder for him to keep his hand on the trigger) Fine! Alright, half, half! Lets just get out of here.

Leo & Jaina

Jaina Cooper Well, dont just stand there, we gotta go get him!

(Right when they start to slip away from the artifact case, another figure, chasing after the masked thief, barrels into the two of them, and

the alarms wail)

(As Jaina maneuvers to place a heavy object on the trigger pad so they can escape, a mysterious masked figure swoops in and snatches

the spearhead right out of Leos hand. Thankfully, Leos hand stays on the alarm pad)


29

Rough Draft from First Scene:

The night was darker than usual. The clouds had closed in on the mighty towers of the City, blocking out most of the constant light of the

Jefferson Nebula. It was perfect for Leo. Just the way he wanted it. He smiled at his luck, putting one hand in front of the other. Carefully,

with practiced strength, Leo Thursby used the stout blades that stuck out from the backs of his hands to climb one foot higher. Then another

foot. Then another.

He clung to the side of the stone wall, several stories up the outside of the Museum d'Argent. The blades easily cut into the old mortar of the

museum, getting him closer and closer to the balcony he had his eye on. The d'Argent specialized in the findings of the Depths, anything

remarkable that had been dug up from the piled ruins of past Cities below. Leo was especially interested in their newest acquisition found just

that week.

He made his last careful climb to the balcony's edge and quietly pulled himself over. He rewarded himself with a second's rest and deep

breath of the cool night air. Even through the clouds, the bright Jefferson Nebula cast the rolling evening sky into an array of shadow and

shine. But business was still at hand. With a flick of his wrists the stout blades shot back into the recesses from which they'd come, nestled in

his hand. He crept across the narrow balcony, more decorative than functional, to a spot hed scoped out the year before. It had given him

easy access to the last few endeavors he'd had at the d'Argent and still no one had figured out how he had come in and out.

Until tonight. Coming to the little metal door into the attics of the museum, he found a lock blocking his old thoroughfare. He laughed a little.

It was just a padlock, probably from a cleaner who noticed the door was just sitting on its latch. Adorable really. He figured it would keep rats

out, but to think that it would keep him out... pitiful. Holding the lock in hand, he tightened his grip and began to use his Favor. It was a silly

Favor at first glance, one of those Favors people mocked or ended up only using at parties, but Leo had found good use for it. Of course, it had

taken a lot of practice to find its usefulness, but since then he wouldn't trade it for any other Favor in the world. His hand shook, wildly at first,

but then faster and faster until it only looked as if his arm ended in a blur, its edges undefinable. With a sharp click, the padlock pulled away

from the latch. He smiled at the broken lock, its shackle snapped apart as if a monster had ripped it off the door. Metal can only take so much

pressure.

Inside, Leo made his familiar way down the sloped attic pathways and down to the top floor of the museum. He knew exactly where the

alarms were, precisely where each of the rare cameras were positioned, and specifically where to maneuver through them. He slipped as a

shadow down hallways and stairways. It wasn't a minute before he had reached the fourth floor and was standing outside the room he'd set

his sights on. The Armory Room. There was only one camera on this floor and it was over by the Tildrake longship on the other side of the


30

building; a long sunk barbarian sea vessel that had been salvaged from a distant coast well before Leo's grandparents had been born.

He snuck past the display of short swords, jumped over the alarm trigger beside the bow display, and around a cannon that was set up near

the center of the room. He was careful to make no sound as he neared his prize, for the room was set up with noise alarms on each corner.

Anything over a whisper would ruin his work.

There it sat in a shaft of light under a small glass cube. His prize. It was alone, the newness of its arrival in the museum granting it a spot of

higher honor. It was a spearhead. A beautiful one, made of green metal and tarnished with age. The thing was at least as long as Leo's hand,

gracefully curving up to a still sharp point. There was an empty center, and every inch of the weapon head was covered in ancient twisting

designs and stick language. Setting his bag down, he began to set up the glass cutting tool to pry the beauty from its sealed prison. He was

careful to cut slowly so the high pitched scraping wouldn't get him caught. With a plunk, the round glass chunk fell into his hand, leaving the

treasure wide open. He reached in proudly and grabbed the spearhead. Then there was a click. Leo's eyes went wide when he realized what

had happened. Looking closer he could see the little mechanism underneath the weapon, a weight sensitive pad that would sound the alarms

if the spearhead was removed. He cursed his clumsiness and the cleverness of the museum to add a new security feature after hed watched

them place the piece early that week. He sighed trying to figure his way out.

"Stuck?"

Leo's head snapped upward in surprise to see a person hanging above the spearhead's case, upside down. He rolled his eyes when he

recognized who it was. "Jaina."

"Leo," she acknowledged. Her eyes glanced around in different directions, surveying the scene. Jaina was an Anthro, somewhere between

man and animal. Her chameleon hands gripped the rope she was hanging from with superb strength and ease. Her reptilian skin seamlessly

blended in with her dark clothing, making it very difficult to see her in the gloomy Armory.

"I see you've gotten yourself into a bit of a jam." she said in a whisper.

"No, not really. I've got everything under control. Just deliberating my next planned move carefully, don't want to make any mistakes." he

whispered back.

"Looks like you already have. You can't move your hand without setting off the trigger pad, and your little hole into the case is only big enough

to get one arm in. I would call that... stuck." she grinned.

"To a layman such as yourself, I can see how you would think this would be a problem, but to a professional, such as myself, it is only a minor

obstacle."

"Mm-hmm." She crossed her arms, holding on with only her feet. "And how are you going to get out?"


31

Leo shrugged and clucked to stall an answer, "It's simple, really. Not even going to be but a moment to fix. Just a... just..."

"You don't have any idea, do you?"

"No."

Thats so you, Leo. Cant think on your feet. But let me show a professional a simple trick." She crawled down the rope until her head could

almost touch the case.

"I really don't need your help. Or condescension." Leo snorted.

"Ha. I'm not helping you. I'm stealing that spearhead for myself."

"Over my dead body."

"That," she smiled, "Would be very easy at this moment."

He rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Now, if you had just made a quick check for any updates Security may have put in you would have seen the trigger pad." she explained.

We've covered that I missed the trigger, alright?" Leo sighed.

"You also would have noticed that they didn't seal the glass back down onto the pedestal after they were finished installing the new trigger."

She grabbed the glass cube and lifted it off the pedestal like it was a pot lid. "Tada."

"Careful!" Leo chided, maneuvering his arm further through the hole in the glass so that his hand didn't come off the base. "Wonderful. You're

a genius. Now just let me get something heavy to replace it."

"Ah, ah, ah." Jaina tutted, "I want half the payout."

"What!?" Leo exclaimed, remembering to keep his voice down lest he sound the noise alarms. "Are you mad? I'm not giving you anything."

"It seems I was fairly instrumental in finishing this job."

"I would have figured something out!"

"But you didn't, and I did. And..." she added tugging up on the case, pulling Leo's hand slightly off the trigger pad.

"Stop! Fine, fine! I'll give you 30%."

"Oh, please. I want at least half. Youll probably have trouble finding a buyer for the bauble anyway."

Bauble!?" he exclaimed, Do you even know what this is?

Do you? she smirked.

Its important. There's no way I'm giving you half. You didn't even put any work into-"

She yanked at the case again, and Leo's hand slipped a little more. "Fine! Alright, half! he surrendered. "Let's just get out of here."


32

She rummaged around in her backpack and finally retrieved a heavy stone with her curled chameleon tail. Carefully, she slipped the stone

under the glass and readied to make the switch with the priceless spearhead.

Onetwo she whispered.

Like a cobra, there was a flash of color and the spearhead was instantly snatched from Leos hand, leaving him empty-handed on an alarm

switch. Both thieves looked up incredulously at a short, third thief, glancing back at them from behind a stoic wooden mask. It was out the

door before they could even comprehend it.

Hey! Thats mine! They both yelled together and at the same moment cringed, waiting for the noise alarms to hear them. After a careful

moment, the silence continued on and the they sighed in relief.

Cmon. We cant let her get away! Jaina urged, plopping the rock onto the trigger.

How can you tell it was a girl?

Before she could offer a scathing answer, they heard heavy footsteps charging at them, and the next second a big figure barreled into them

sending the stone flying from the trigger pad, and the glass case crashing onto the marble floor. Sirens wailed and screamed, lights started

popping on all over the museum floor.

The man whod tackled them was holding Jaina down on the floor angrily, Give it back, you thief! He stopped and squinted at her, Youre not

the thief Im chasing. Who are you? Where did she go?

Get off me, you ape!

Oh, flip, the guards are coming! They cant see who we are! We gotta go!




SCRATCH PAGES

33

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 4

The Iron Appaloosa:

Created by an ancient exploration guild to travel the world in search of discoveries, it was lost to time when the guild fell apart. Using a rare,

Perpetual Motion Engine, the Iron Appaloosa can run indefinitely. It could, perhaps, if it had a significant power burst to get the exotic engine

started in the first place.

Resembling a mix between an Old West era and Roaring Twenties train, the IA is an engine and four cars, each car a different metal color,

like gold, silver, copper, tungsten and bronze. When the engine is activated, the train hovers above the ground, allowing it to travel anywhere

without the need for tracks.


WEEK 1

FINALIZE YOUR SCENE:

35

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 5

Im only so much of an artist and I was running out of time so my panels

are more storyboard than finished

pieces.

Long_Ethan_SuperheroSketchpad.pdf

Documents

mythic godgoddess

pc culture

mythic figure

master thief

rise of superheroes

superheros mythic inspiration

female culture of origin

placeholder image