JackHammer: Blessing in Disguise

JackHammer #4: Blessing in Disguise

Page 1
Panel 1
The panel is framed within a TV screen. On the screen is a news graphic reading "Action 52 News Report!"
"This is Action News 52 bringing you the latest on super activity!"

Panel 2
Two figures sit behind an anchor desk: a woman wearing a blue cowl over the top of her head that resembles a blue bird and a man wearing a tall red cap cone that covers his entire head. Other than their odd head-wear, both are dressed in business casual suits. Behind them is a screen showing a bunch of info-graphics. One with a picture of the compound from the previous issue, another with Cataract being hauled away in cuffs by the police.
Blue Jay: "Good afternoon! I'm Blue Jay."
The Cardinal: "And I'm The Cardinal."
Blue Jay: "Our top super news continues to be the mass kidnapping of students from Anvilford University. Other than some exposure and exhaustion, there were no serious injuries."
Cardinal: "The perpetrator is in police custody and is being uncooperative. Authorities suspect he's part of a larger organization, but investigations are still on-going."
Blue Jay: "Witnesses from the victims claim that they were rescued by an up-and-coming new hammer wielding hero."

Panel 3
Kurt is sitting in a hospital bed holding up the remote as the TV goes dark.
Kurt: "Yeah, I already lived that, I don't need to hear about it again."

Panel 4
Kurt lies back down on the bed with a FWOMP as he closes his eyes, the back part of the bed is raised up.
Kurt: "Just some exposure, huh? Maybe I'll get out of here today. If not, well, the daily 'entertainment' should be arriving in 3, 2, 1..."

Panel 5
Just as Kurt predicted, a young nurse with her arms full of bedding pushes the door open to his room with her shoulder. She has shoulder length brown hair and amber eyes, she's wearing scrubs.
Kurt, narrating: Rachel Wraithright, she's in the med program. Currently volunteering at the hospital to help out with the in-flux of victims. She's friendly, cute, but also...

Panel 6, small panel, nested within panel 7 as a small circle in the corner.
Rachel steps on the corner of one of the sheets she's holding and falls.
Rachel: "Whoops!"

Panel 7
Rachel lands on her butt, but one of the pillows she was carrying somehow fell exactly where she was going to land.
Kurt, narrating: Kind of a klutz.


Page 2
Panel 1
Rachel is standing back up, with the bedding tucked under her arms now. She's smiling and laughing. A beacon of sunshine.
Rachel: "I'm OK! Another safe landing!"
Kurt: "It's amazing how you've done something like that every day."
Rachel: "I know, right?"

Panel 2
Perspective is looking out from inside of the closet, Rachel has her hands raised as she's shoving the bedding away, looking over her shoulder at Kurt who is in the hospital bed.
Kurt: "Any idea when they'll be done 'observing' me?"

Panel 3
Perspective is from Kurt in his bed looking at Rachel as she spins around from the closet. There should be a twirl motion line for this. As she does so a canister falls out of the open closet door and rolls into the room, also with motion lines to show where it started from and 'clink' sound effects from where it landed and rolled from.
Rachel: "Good question! Let me just check your-"

Panel 4, small panel.
Close up of Rachel's foot stepping on the canister.

Panel 5
Rachel has her arms out to either side doing whirly bird motions trying to keep her balance as she stumbles forwards with her eyes open wide.

Panel 6
Rachel has caught herself on the bedside table next to Kurt. A glass of water has been tipped over from the impact on top of a clipboard.

Panel 7
Rachel is holding up the now soaked clipboard, holding it tilted trying to make heads or tails of it.
"Umm..."

Panel 8
Rachel is standing behind a wheelchair she just set up, her smile is back.
Rachel: "So anyway, let's go ask the doctor!"


Page 3
Panel 1
Rachel is pushing Kurt in the wheelchair through the hallways at high speeds with speed lines show this is not an appropriate speed. Kurt has his arms tucked in and his head sinking lower down into his body as much as he can as Rachel zooms him down the hallway. Her smile is not wavering.
Kurt: "Why the rush?"
Rachel: "The doctor leaves for the weekend in 10 minutes and the elevator is busy this time of day, so-!"

Panel 2
Rachel weaves around an opening door with a dust line behind them showing the evasive actions. Her smile has not faltered. Kurt's expression is one of extreme worry now. He's sucked in his lips making his mouth look like a line and is starting to sweat as he's now gripping the arms of the wheel chair as if he'd just been passed the ball with the entire opposing team charging him. Behind them, off panel there's a CRASH sound effect.

Panel 3
The elevator door is fast approaching, the door is already closing. There are speed lines all around it to show they're getting there in a hurry.

Panel 4
Rachel digs her heels into the floor, there's dual smoke lines trailing behind them as they rapidly decelerate.

Panel 5
Kurt braces for impact with his arms shielding his head and torso, but they come to a complete stop safely inches before colliding with the elevator door.

Panel 6
Rachel has one hand on her hip with the other still on the wheelchair handles. Kurt has sunken more into the chair, looking pale for his complexion.
Rachel: "Well phooey, guess you're stuck here for the weekend."


Page 4
Panel 1
Rachel is pushing Kurt's wheelchair back to his room at a much slower speed. Her usual smile is back. Kurt is doe-eyed though.
Rachel: "Well, chin up! I'll still be by to check in on you over the weekend so it's not all bad!"
Off panel: "Oh, Mr. Simmons."

Panel 2
A doctor is standing in front of Kurt and Rachel, he has bags under his eyes and is holding up Kurt's chart, looking it over. Kurt is looking up at Rachel who is leaning over him, still smiling.
Doctor: "You're lucky you caught me. I was just heading out, but some kind of commotion in the halls delayed me."
Doctor: "Mr. Simmons is good to go home now."
Rachel: "Hey, that's great! Everything worked out! Let's get you back to your room so you can-"
Doctor: "And I think he can walk on his own. Unless Mr. Simmons would like to use the wheel-"

Panel 3
Kurt bolts upright from the wheelchair standing stiff as a board. Rachel is behind him with her hands together, excitedly.
Kurt: "Uh, nope. I'm good. Thanks, doc!"

Panel 4
Kurt is walking like a robot away from the wheelchair, the doctor has turned his attention to Rachel. He's pinching his eyes from exhaustion, Rachel is pointing to herself.
Doctor: "You're also free to go home now, Ms. Wraithright."
Rachel: "Huh? But aren't you still understaffed from all the overflow?"
Doctor: "We're planning on releasing about half of them later tonight. Your services are no longer required for the time being."
Rachel: "Oh, well, um, OK!"

Panel 5
A few minutes later...
Kurt and Rachel are both standing in the elevator riding it down. It's awkward. Kurt has a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Rachel has her arms in front of her pointed down, hands clasped.
Kurt, thinking: "That was kind of cold of the doc, but, well, she is the way she is. But... oh hell, she is cute."
Kurt: "So hey! We're both free now."
Rachel: "Yeah, I guess so."
Kurt: "I wasn't expecting to get out so soon, so I don't have any plans for the rest of today, wanna... hang out?"

Panel 6, small panel
Close up of Rachel's face, her smile has returned as well as beams of sunshine and flowers radiating from her.
Rachel: "OK!"

Panel 7
Smash cut to Kurt and Rachel walking down the sidewalk with Kurt's arms full of STUFF, all the stuff Rachel was keeping at the hospital during her temp position. Rachel is practically prancing out in front of him with her big smile. Maybe with a change of clothes to something more casual than scrubs.
Kurt, thinking: "This isn't what I had in mind."


Page 5
Panel 1
Narration box: ELSEWHERE
Jack is walking down the sidewalk of the city, backpack on his back, hands on the straps adjusting it.

Panel 2
As Jack's walking he spots a man who looks lost as he's fidgeting, glancing around nervously. What really catches Jack's eye is how he's dressed in a yellow robe-like uniform he doesn't recognize.
Jack: "Hey mister, you alright?"
Man: "Yes, I mean no. I mean I'm looking for someone. A small old man. Have you seen him?"
Jack: " 'fraid not. I'll keep an eye out."
Man: "I can't believe he ran off on me."

Panel 3
Less than 15 minutes later...
Jack is standing outside of the hospital having just exited. He's scratching his head.
Jack: "Man, what are the odds. I must've just missed him. Oh well, maybe I'll meet up with him in town."

Panel 4
Narration box: Some streets over.
Rachel and Kurt have stopped to look at a mess of scaffolding set up in front of an old historic building. Rachel is leaning way back with a hand up over her eyes to shield them from the sun. Kurt is overburdened and can's see much of anything.
Rachel: "I hear it's one of the oldest buildings in town still being used for-"

Panel 5
Rachel leaned back too far and lost her balance, Kurt caught her in his arms, but dropped all of what he was carrying to do so. There's a crash sound from below them off panel. She's looking up at him, smiling. Kurt is also nervously smiling.
Rachel: "Aha ha... whoops. Good thing you were here!"
Kurt: "Yeah."
Crash, fwoosh.
Rachel: "Aaaand, there's goes my jar of lucky pennies."


Page 6
Panel 1
Kurt, Rachel, and a bystander are all knelt down picking up the pennies. Next to the bystander is a ladder, he's wearing painter's overalls and is clearly meant to be the person to go up the scaffolding. I would say to use /wg/-tan's design as a stand-in here.
WG: "You kids really 'ought to be more careful."
Rachel: "Yeah, sorry! Thanks for helping me pick these up. I'm always saving them for the kids at the hospital."
Off panel CRACK

Panel 2
Worm's eye view from behind Kurt, Rachel, and WG looking up at the scolding which as just given way and tilted dangerously to one side. One of the boards has flung upwards and smacked a windowsill sending a flower pot flying off panel.
WG: "Ah, geez! If I had been climbing up that when it tilted I could've fell and broke my neck!"
Rachel: "Yeah, you could have! Lucky for you!"

Panel 3
Narration box: Meanwhile
Jack is walking down the sidewalk several blocks away, he has his head turned as he's spotted a tiny old man with busy eyebrows with a cane. Both hands are on the cane in front of him as he's standing in front of a cross walk. He's wearing a similar shade of yellow as the man from earlier.
Jack: "Oh, that must be the old timer he was looking for."

Panel 4, small panel
Close up of the flower pot that was sent flying with speed lines all around it.

Panel 5
Worm's eye view from behind Jack as he's taken off in a full dash with dust kicking up from where he was, moving at high speeds towards the old man with the flower pot flying directly at him.


Page 7
Panel 1
Jack has leapt up into the air and grabbed the flower pot, clutching it to his torso like catching a football. He rolls in mid air like the six million dollar man.

Panel 2
Jack is laying on his back on the ground, the flower pot resting, unbroken, on his chest. The old man is balancing with his cane in one hand and shrugging with his other arm while looking down at him. Jack is looking up at the old man incredulously.
Old man: "Ain't really hygienic doing football practice on the sidewalks, sonny."

Panel 3
The old man is walking into the street while the cross walk is clearly flashing "do not walk" as a large truck is speeding towards him.
Old man: "Well, it's not my place to say. I've got places to be."

Panel 4
Similar panel, but the truck is much closer, Jack has dashed into the street and is holding the old man over his head and is nearly off-panel now. He's holding him like how Batman 66 held that bomb.

Panel 5
Jack is doubled over catching his breath as the old man is looking over at him.
Old man: "Whoa there, sonny, what's the rush?"
Jack, thinking: "This old timer must be senile. Those yellow clothes must be part of a nursing home uniform."


Page 8
Panel 1
Rachel and Kurt are exiting an ice cream shop. Rachel is holding two cones, one in each hand, she's licking one of them. Kurt is still overburdened, but he's reorganized the things into bags so he's able to hold the straps in both hands.
Rachel: "Don't worry! I'll hold yours until we can find some place to sit."

Panel 2
Rachel surveys the outdoor seating area on the sidewalk, the chairs are all taken.
Rachel: "Hmm..."

Panel 3
Rachel has suddenly jerked her arm holding the untouched ice cream closer to Kurt's face causing him to reel back. Her other arm has shot out behind her off panel.
Rachel: "Well, no sense letting it get all melty! I can hold it for you while you lick! At least until a table frees-"
Off panel: HONK!

Panel 4
A man in a drop top car has stopped in the road with ice cream splattered all over his windshield. The angle is from behind Rachel and Kurt where we only see the back of Rachel's head. Kurt is actually going for the ice cream with his mouth now. The man is exiting his car. He's wearing sunglasses.
Man: "Really?!"
Rachel: "Aw man, my ice cream, I mean... whoops."

Panel 5
The man is standing in front of Rachel pointing a finger at her, she's still smiling but has her hands up, palms open defensively. Kurt is watching from the sidelines, waiting if he needs to jump in. From off-panel there's a loud CRASH.
Kurt, thinking: "Never a dull moment."

Panel 6
Where the man's drop down car would've been stopped at a red light if not for Rachel's ice cream hitting his windshield, and air conditioning unit has fallen and crashed into the road, right where the driver's seat would've been. The man is tipping his sunglasses up and looks pale. Kurt's expression is nonplussed at this point. Rachel is still smiling.
Man: "That... would've killed me."
Rachel: "Yeah it would've! Lucky you!"
Kurt, thinking: "Yeah, this is a pattern."


Page 9
Panel 1
The impact of the AC unit is sending vibrations through the ground in the visual form of circles emanating from it.

Panel 2
The circles collide with a manhole cover which inexplicably has now popped open. Maybe panels 1 and 2 are one long panel that are connected as a fish-eye lens visual transition?

Panel 3
The old man has turned away from Jack and is walking away now as Jack has just about caught his breath.
Old man: "Well, don't ware yourself out. Must be nice still being young."

Panel 4
Speed lines are coming from the open manhole in the background that the old man is now walking towards, Jack is in the foreground and has his mouth open in disbelief over this.

Panel 5
Looking from the top down, there's a dust trail from off panel showing that Jack has once again sprinted to the rescue. Jack is making a spinning motion with his arms and the old man's walking path, as represented by a line, has taken a sharp right angle with where he would've been walking over the manhole represented by a dotted line.
Old man: "That's a mighty stiff breeze!"

Panel 6
Jack is crouched down placing the cover back over the manhole.
Jack: "It's just one of those days."
Off panel: "What's your damage you old bastard?!"
Jack: "And it's not over yet."


Page 10
Panel 1
The old man is looking up at some thugs. They're all wearing bandannas with third eye markings and holding smartphones. One of them is pissed with his arms crossed and looking down at the old man, the other two are leaning up against a wall glancing up from their screens.
Old man: "I'm just saying that's poor posture! You're gonna give yourself spikes slouching like that."
Thug: "I'll spike you across the street, old man!"

Panel 2
Jack is running into the alleyway, the thug has raised his fist as if he's about to punch Jack. The old man raises an eyebrow.
Jack: "Wait! Stop! He's just a senile old man who got lost!"
Thug: "He your gramps or something!? Buzz off!"

Panel 3, small panel
The thug's leg gets caught on the old man's cane which he has deliberately stuck out.

Panel 4
The thug has spun from this stumble and has punched a brick wall instead of Jack, who has stepped back.
Thug: "Arrgggh!"

Panel 5
The other two thugs roll their eyes while putting their phones away with one hand and revealing their other hands wearing brass knuckles.

Panel 6
Jack prepares for a fight, fists raised.
Jack, thinking: "I'd rather be in costume for this, but I don't have a choice now."


Page 11
Panel 1
The old man deliberately drops his cane with an open hand as it falls over sideways
Old man: "Whoops, dropped my cane."

Panel 2
The old man bends down to look for it, taking himself out of striking range as Thug 2 misses him.

Panel 3
The old man slides his cane around on the ground so the handle is in the gang member's way

Panel 4, small panel
Close up of the gang member stepping on the head of the cane

Panel 5, small panel
The cane has sprung up like a rake, striking the gang member in the groin.

Panel 6
Thug 2 is doubled over in pain holding his crotch, his bandana is partially in his mouth from the pain sucking it in and his eyes look like cracked eggs. The cane is sticking straight up beside him as the old man reaches for it.
Old man: "Ah, there's my cane."

Panel 7
Thug 2 is still doubled over, he has his hands raised with a throttling intent while trying t lunge at the old man.

Panel 8, small nested panel within panel 9
Close up of Thug 2's shoes, the laces have been tied together.

Panel 9
Thug 2 falls over sideways into the Thug 3 who Jack is grappling with, while trying not to hurt him too badly.


Page 12
Panel 1
Thug 3 is supporting Thug 2 whose eyes are still watering.
Thug 2: (pained high pitched grunt) "There's something not right with that old man."

Panel 2
Thug 1 has the hand he punched the wall with under his other arm as he and Thug 3 are supporting Thug 2 while retreating into the background. Jack still has his fists up, looks confused over what just happened. The old man is smiling and waving goodbye to them.
Thug 1: "We'll remember this, old timer!"

Panel 3
Jack is looking down at the old man, he's confused still, but trying to puzzle out if the old man is really more than he seems.
Jack, thinking: "Just who is this-"
Off panel: "Master No Holds!"

Panel 4
The young man wearing the orange robes from earlier has appeared in front of Jack and the old man. He's looking down at the old man sternly and the old man refuses to meet his gaze. Jack is still looking on, puzzled.
Young man: "Look what you've done! You promised the misses your fighting days were over!"
No Holds: "Oh... come on. They were about to beat up this nice young fella' I met. Your grandma doesn't need to know about this."
Young man: "We're going home!"
No Holds: "But... I wanted to meet that superhero... The one who's been fighting with the new Blue Moon."

Panel 5
Jack is in the back, between the old man and his grandson, exasperated and in stunned silence. The old man has his hands raised in the air, one hand still holding his cane, the other pointing a thumb at Jack. His grandson is still looking cross with him.
No Holds: "I've been making a fool of myself all day trying to lure him out." He thumbs at Jack "Though I guess with citizens like this chap around he doesn't need to respond to every call for help."

Panel 6
No Holds has turned away from Jack and his grandson and is walking away, shrugging.
No Holds: "Oh well, another time. Take care, youngster, sorry for all the trouble."

Panel 7
Jack is watching the two walk away, his shoulders have slouched.
Jack: "Am I getting famous?"


Page 13
Panel 1
Kurt and Rachel round the corner. Kurt and Jack point at each other. Rachel points past them. Kind of like the Spider-Man meme.
Jack: "Kurt!"
Kurt: "Jack!"
Rachel: "Grandpa!"
Both: "Grandpa?"

Panel 2
Rachel is pulling Kurt over to No Holds and the young man, past Jack who has stepped out of the way.
Rachel: "Here Kurt, give those to my cousin!"

Panel 3
Rachel is waving goodbye to Kurt who is waving back, weakly. The young man is now overburdened with the stuff. No Holds is snickering at him.
Rachel: "It was fun hanging out! Let's do it again sometime!"

Panel 4
Jack turns to Kurt.
Jack: "You would not believe the day I've had."
Kurt: "No, I think I would."


TO BE CONTINUED