The Matchman
Page 1
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF SIX PANELS. IT IS DIVIDED VERTICALLY INTO THREE SECTIONS. THE FIRST AND THIRD SECTIONS ARE EACH ONE BIG PANEL, WHILE THE MIDDLE SECTON IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR PANELS STACKED VERTICALLY.
1 - Exterior shot of VALCom headquarters building.
2 - Interior of SUZANNE GRACE'S habitually messy office.
MATCHMAN is sitting in full costume at the desktop computer, checking his email. Z-GIRL is behind him leaning over his shoulder looking at the screen.
MATCHMAN
Well, would you look at that!
Z-GIRL
Look at what? What is it?
3 - View of computer screen.
MATCHMAN
[off-panel]
That, Z-GIRL, is an invitation from the organizers of a komiketto convention in Tokyo, Japan! Due to my unusually large fan base in 2
their fair city, they wish me to make a personal appearance!
Z-GIRL
[off-panel]
You think they'd want to preserve their illusion intact a bit longer!
4 - MATCHMAN stands up from his chair, stars in his eyes.
MATCHMAN
Wow! Shaking hands and signing autographs! Who'd have thought that I'd be popular in Japan!
Z-GIRL
Gee -- just like "Hello Kitty" and japscat videos! Congratulations!
5 - SUZANNE GRACE comes slamming through the door of her
office. Both MATCHMAN and Z-GIRL jump, startled.
SUZANNE GRACE
Dammit, MATCHMAN, how many times do I have to tell you not to check your e-mail on my computer! And stop changing the wallpaper!
MATCHMAN
Whoops! Ah, no time to chat now, SUZANNE! I've been summoned to Japan on an important mission. Gotta go! Bye!
Z-GIRL
And his faithful sidekick Z-GIRL!
6 - Long shot of a shadowy evil figure moving away from a
desktop in the foreground. The place is a gloomy underground headquarters beneath Kamakura, Japan, dripping with evil ambience. The figure is OTAKU, but as yet he is just a silhouette. 3
OTAKU
[thinks]
<Perfect! The line has been cast, the hook has been set! Now, MATCHMAN, fall into my waiting hands like a cherry blossom in the springtime! I'll be waiting! Ha ha ha ha!>
CAPTION
Meanwhile, somewhere in Japan...
Page 2
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS. IT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS HORIZONTALLY. THE UPPER SECTION IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PANELS, THE MIDDLE SECTION IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PANELS, AND THE LOWER SECTION IS ONE BIG PANEL.
1 - MATCHMAN and Z-GIRL argue in the television lounge of
VALCom headquarters.
Z-GIRL
But why can't I go with you? This komiketto convention sounds like fun! I could get Masamune Shirow's autograph!
MATCHMAN
Sorry, old chum! But I'll need you here to guard against the incursions of our old enemy the B.L.A.H. Corporation while I'm away! Besides...
2 - MATCHMAN turns to the door as the DOUBLESIGN TWINS come
walking in. These conjoined twins of Japanese/British origin look a bit tougher than when we last saw them in the previous issue. They are also now wearing a cool skintight superhero costume.
MATCHMAN
...You don't speak Japanese, and I'll need an interpreter or two in order to greet my fans properly! 4
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Oy! MATCHMAN you spastic! What's all this then about a trip to bloody Japan, eh?
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Oh, do be quiet, DAVID! Thank you ever so much, MATCHMAN, for giving us this opportunity of a lifetime! We haven't been to Tokyo since we were babies!
3 - Close-up of MATCHMAN talking with DAVID and DOREEN
DOUBLESIGN in the lounge.
MATCHMAN
Quite all right, DOREEN! Now, if the two of you are all packed and ready, we'll be off!
DAVID
Right! I'll snag us a taxi!
DOREEN
What airline shall we be using, then? I do so adore J.A.L.!
4 - Cut to shot of MATCHMAN flying in over the Pacific
Ocean, with the DOUBLESIGN TWINS perched precariously on his back. Ahead is the massive cityscape of Tokyo sparkling in the sunlight.
MATCHMAN
This is your captain speaking! We are now beginning our descent to Tokyo, Japan, so please put out your cigarettes and return your snack trays to the upright position!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
All right, so I forgot that you could fly! Buggering hell! 5
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
It does get blindingly cold at those altitudes, doesn't it, sis?
5 - Cut to the lobby of the Tokyo Imperial Hotel. In this
sumptuous location, MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN twins are welcomed by the organizer of the komiketto convention. This is a shifty-looking Japanese man named SEPPUKU WAKIZASHI, who, of course, is secretly the villain of this issue -- OTAKU! He is slightly overweight, rather pale, and wears thick glasses. He sweats a lot. He wears a convention badge with his name on it.
MATCHMAN
Thank you for welcoming us to the convention, Mr. SEPPUKU WAKIZASHI! May I introduce my interpreters, the DOUBLESIGN TWINS!
SEPPUKU WAKIZASHI
[the arrows will be used to indicate when a character is speaking or thinking in Japanese rather than English]
<So, you speak Japanese, then?>
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
<Sure -- listen! [addressing MATCHMAN, who is oblivious] Hey, roundeyes! Your mother was a comfort girl!>
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
<Yeah, and your pasty skin smells of rendered bacon fat! Ha ha ha!>
6 - Wide-angle view of the convention proper, in the Tokyo
Imperial's gigantic main convention room. MATCHMAN, the DOUBLESIGN TWINS, and SEPPUKU WAKIZASHI observe its sprawl from just inside the main doors. MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS are now also wearing convention badges. Feel free to decorate the view of the convention with humorous takes on popular Japanese media trends, Robotech, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Hello Kitty et al. 6
MATCHMAN
My god! It's full of stars! Bring on my loyal fans! My autograph hand is primed for action!
SEPPUKU WAKIZASHI
<He's just like we always imagined he would be -- except more so! His fans will be most pleased!>
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
<I suppose everyone's famous somewhere! Look at Jerry Lewis in Germany!>
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
<That's David Hasselhoff, brother dear!>
Page 3
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE IN GRID FORMATION.
1 - In this panel, MATCHMAN is swamped by rabid fans,
mostly male. He is nearly knocked over as he frantically scribbles autographs.
MATCHMAN
Easy there, fanboy! There's more than enough MATCHMAN to go around!
CAPTION
And so... the price of fame!
2 - This panel shows MATCHMAN frolicking with several
creatures that are obvious parodies of the world-famous Pokemon menagerie.
MATCHMAN
So, um... what exactly is a "pocket monster," anyway? Because where I come from... 7
CAPTION
Gotta catch 'em all!
3 - This panel shows MATCHMAN shaking hands with a gigantic
mecha-style robot.
MECHA ROBOT
I'm a big fan, MATCHMAN!
MATCHMAN
Easily my biggest!
4 - This panel shows MATCHMAN posing for a photo with
various members of the anime cast of Sailor Moon, and grinning hugely in the process. The giggling girls have bedecked him with various portions of their schoolgirl costumes for the photo shot.
MATCHMAN
Hey, girls -- how do you say "statutory" in Japanese?
5 - This panel shows MATCHMAN sitting in the hotel lobby
chatting with various heavily armed and armored female cast members of the anime show Bubblegum Crisis. They are all busily blowing bubbles with the bubblegum that they are chewing.
CAPTION
Best of all... free bubblegum!
6 - This panel shows MATCHMAN shaking hands with the
seminal Japanese manga duo "Lone Wolf and Cub."
MATCHMAN
So pleased to meet you! Now, which one of you is "Cub," again?
LONE WOLF
Grrrr... 8
Page 4
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF SEVEN PANELS. IT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS HORIZONTALLY. THE UPPER SECTION IS COMPOSED OF TWO PANELS, THE MIDDLE SECTION IS ONE BIG PANEL, AND THE LOWER SECTION IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR PANELS.
1 - MATCHMAN is still having the time of his life meeting
fans and signing autographs. He is at the center of a whirlwind of attention. The DOUBLESIGN TWINS stand nearby, looking slightly bored.
MATCHMAN
Isn't this fantastic, TWINS? These Japanese really know how to make a fellow feel welcome!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
[stifling a yawn]
Yeah, mate -- spec-freaking-tacular!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
<If one more person asks me if I'm Shi out of costume, I'm going to puke!>
2 - Suddenly, there is a huge explosion! MATCHMAN and the
DOUBLESIGN TWINS are unhurt, but they are thrown about like rag dolls. The crowd starts screaming in fear and dispersing rapidly. All is confusion.
MATCHMAN
Whoooooaaaah!
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
<What in the name of -- ?!>
SOUND F/X
Barrrrrroooooooooommmmm!!!! 9
3 - This is a wide-angle shot of the convention room, which
has been thrown into chaos by the explosion. Through the surging sea of frightened fans, MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS catch sight of the two fleeing would-be assassins, who are dressed in skin-tight red and white costumes that cover everything but their eyes -- vaguely reminiscent of the costume worn by the short-lived Marvel comics character of the late 1970's, The Human Fly.
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
There they go, MATCHMAN!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
There's the rotters that threw the bomb! They're getting away!
MATCHMAN
Not yet they're not!
4 - Action scene of MATCHMAN chasing the assassins through
the crowd.
CAPTION
The chase is swift...
5 - Action scene of MATCHMAN apprehending the two assassins
by the scruff of the neck.
MATCHMAN
Aha! Got you! Try to bomb MATCHMAN, will you? Now for some answers!
CAPTION
...But short!
6 - The two assassins leer up at MATCHMAN from where he
holds the front of their costumes in his powerful and massive fists. 10
ASSASSIN NO. 1
You will get no information from us, roundeyes!
ASSASSIN NO. 2
The Ina Morata Cult sends its greetings!
7 - The two assassins dissolve into smoke in MATCHMAN'S
grasp as he stares, astonished.
ASSASSINS TOGETHER
Sayonara, MATCHMAN! Ha ha ha ha!
MATCHMAN
Fushigi yugi! What on earth?!?
Page 5
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE IN GRID FORMATION.
1 - In the midst of a convention in turmoil, the Tokyo
police are investigating the crime scene. In charge of the investigation is IKEBANA SHIKIBU, an attractive female police officer. She is very normal, staid, and down-to- earth -- the perfect hardnosed cop -- but also very beautiful. She is interviewing MATCHMAN about the incident, and taking notes.
MATCHMAN
...And then they melted away like smoke in my hands, officer! Say, what is your name, anyway? I don't believe we've been properly introduced.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
My name is Officer IKEBANA SHIKIBU, and I am in charge of this investigation. I have spent the better part of five years chasing down the members of this so-called Ina Morata Cult, and this could be the big break in the case I've been waiting for! 11
2 - MATCHMAN and IKEBANA SHIKIBU continue to talk. The
DOUBLESIGNS join them.
MATCHMAN
What is this "Ina Morata" Cult, Officer IKEBANA? Does the name mean anything in Japanese?
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
No, MATCHMAN, but it does mean something in Latin! "Inamorata" -- the cult of those who were once in love!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Huh? What does that mean?
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
I'm not following you, officer!
3 - The three continue to talk as the police continue to
investigate the convention around them. (Perhaps a glimpse, in the background, of Pikachu being beaten with nightsticks, or a Sailor Moon character being led away in handcuffs.)
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
It is a cult of those who were once in love! Having had their romantic hopes crushed, for whatever reason, they have banded together to prevent anyone else from ever being in love again!
MATCHMAN
I can see where they might not want me around! I'm a walking weapon of love!
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
Wankers! 12
4 - More conversation.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
The Ina Morata are led by a shadowy criminal boss known to his underworld contemporaries only as OTAKU! I've been trying to track him down to his secret base for years! And now...
MATCHMAN
Have no fear, Officer IKEBANA! MATCHMAN is here! I'll help you vanquish this nest of killjoys! Love is my middle name!
5 - As IKEBANA SHIKIBU, MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS
head for the exit, the TWINS ask IKEBANA some impertinent questions. The officer is visibly annoyed.
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
<So, are you a ninja?>
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<No. Ninjas don't exist anymore. I'm a cop, and a damned good one.>
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
<Come on. Do something ninja-esque for us! Please?>
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<Oh, for crying out loud! For the last time, you two...>
6 - IKEBANA SHIKIBU lectures the DOUBLESIGN TWINS.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<...There are no such things as ninjas in the modern world! They do not exist! I am a skilled police officer, and while I am very good at my job, I do not need any sort of mystical powers in 13
order to perform my duties! Now stop this childish badgering at once!>
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
<We're sorry!> [in English] What do you think, DAVID? Is she protesting too much?
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Oh, you know it, DOREEN! Hot female cop like this -- you just know she's gotta be a ninja! Wait 'til we find some of these Ina Morata bastards -- then she'll have to open up her can of secret archaic mystical whoop-ass on them!
Page 6
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS. IT IS COMPOSED OF THREE HORIZONTAL SECTIONS. THE UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS ARE EACH ONE WIDE PANEL, WHILE THE MIDDLE SECTION IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE.
1 - Distance shot of IKEBANA SHIKIBU, MATCHMAN and the
DOUBLESIGN TWINS exiting the front doors of the luxurious Tokyo Imperial Hotel. The name should be clearly visible above the front doors. (There should be pictures of this hotel available on the Internet for artist's guidelines.)
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
Tokyo's a big place, MATCHMAN! We'll have to penetrate the murky shadows of the criminal underworld in order to gain some leads on OTAKU'S whereabouts!
MATCHMAN
I'm on the case!
2 - Exterior shot of a bondage club in a seedy section of
Tokyo. Its name, "The Choking Chicken Bondage Club," is blazoned in neon over its door in both Japanese characters and English words. Speech balloons come from inside. 14
MATCHMAN
[off-panel from inside the club]
Talk, damn you! Talk! Where is OTAKU'S secret hideout?
BONDAGE CLUB EMPLOYEE
[off-panel from inside club]
<Will someone please tell this wacky foreigner I can't understand a word he's saying?!?>
3 - Inside the seedy club, scantily clad and strangely
bound young women in leather watch as MATCHMAN slams a leather-mask-clad man up against the wall with his fists.
BONDAGE CLUB EMPLOYEE
<For the last time, I can't understand you!>
MATCHMAN
You tell your boss, from me, that he can't hide forever! Tokyo may be an overripe sweltering goulash of untamed humanity, but I'll find him, and when I do, it won't be pretty!
4 - IKEBANA SHIKIBU and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS look on and
comment on MATCHMAN'S methods.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<"Overripe sweltering goulash of untamed humanity"?>
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
<Yeah, we know...>
5 - More comments.
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
<America lost a great poet when MATCHMAN decided to embark on a career in crime-fighting instead!> 15
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<No kidding!>
6 - MATCHMAN, IKEBANA SHIKIBU and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS exit
the bondage club and walk down the street in the seedy section of Tokyo. Panoramic long shot of the grimy and picturesque neighborhood.
MATCHMAN
See, I knew he was hiding something! His eyes were too close together! When a problem comes along, you must whip it, and whip it good!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
Good work, MATCHMAN! I knew you'd get him to cough up the information that we needed eventually! [aside to the DOUBLESIGN TWINS] <Now about that police raid on that cult center that I was telling you about that's scheduled for tonight...>
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
<Right-right, officer!>
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
<Sometimes, you just have to humor him, and no harm done!>
Page 7
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF SEVEN PANELS. THE UPPER THIRD OF THE PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PANELS, THE MIDDLE THIRD OF THE PAGE IS ONE WIDE PANEL, AND THE LOWER THIRD OF THE PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR PANELS.
1 - This panel depicts the interior of a hallway on the
upper floor of a seedy hotel. Cops in riot gear prepare their sub-machineguns and tear gas grenades as they ready themselves for the command to enter. IKEBANA SHIKIBU is there, looking hotter than ever in helmet and body armor, 16
armed to the teeth. MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS prepare themselves for combat.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<All right! Everyone ready? Wait for the signal. On my command... One... Two...>
2 - Cops in riot gear break down the door and enter the
hotel room, IKEBANA SHIKIBU leading the way, guns blazing. All this as seen from the vantage point of someone inside the room.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<...Three! It's a go, boys! Take 'em down!>
SOUND F/X
Crash! Blam! Blam! Budda budda budda! etc.
3 - Wide-angle splash panel of combat in the large hotel
room, as cops in riot gear pour through the door to confront a large group of red-and-white costumed Ina Morata cultists, armed with machine guns, pistols and katana swords. Tear gas grenades burst in the background. IKEBANA SHIKIBU delivers a flying circle kick to the jaw of a cultist. MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS spring into action and proceed to kick major ass.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<Eat boot, vile cultist!>
MATCHMAN
Blood for Franklin and Eleanor!
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
Bite the wax tadpole!
VARIOUS COPS
<There they are! Get 'em! Shoot high aim low!> etc. 17
VARIOUS CULTISTS
<Yaaah! It's a raid! Scatter! OTAKU commands us! Death to the pigs!> etc.
SOUND F/X
Slam! Pow! Bang! Crunch! Whap! Blam! Budda budda budda! Kerpow! Boom! Crash! etc.
4 - MATCHMAN punches out a cult member.
CULT MEMBER
<Die, MATCHMAN, die!> Urghk!
MATCHMAN
Kreegah!
SOUND F/X
Thonk!
5 - DOUBLESIGN TWINS batter several cult members
simultaneously.
VARIOUS CULT MEMBERS
Urg! Argh! Ack! <Ouchie!> etc.
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Me love you long time!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Oh, the humanity!
SOUND F/X
Whap! Bonk! Thak! Chud! etc.
6 - IKEBANA SHIKIBU blasts a charging cult member who is
waving a katana sword. 18
FRENZIED CULT MEMBER
<You'll never take me alive!> Aaaiiee!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<Apparently not!>
SOUND F/X
Blam!
7 - The police round up the surviving cult members and
handcuff them. The floor of the large room is littered with the bodies of fallen cult members and cops. MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS stand around looking both tough and proud.
POLICE SERGEANT
<That's the last of them, chief!>
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<Well done, SERGEANT! Take these prisoners back to the precinct and we'll see whether or not we can't get some answers out of them with regard to the Ina Morata Cult's secret base!>
Page 8
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE IN GRID FORMATION.
1 - Back at the police station, IKEBANA SHIKIBU, MATCHMAN
and the DOUBLSIGN TWINS supervise at the official interrogation of one of the captured cult members. In a bare cell, they watch as the police expertly beat the handcuffed CULTIST with nunchaku.
CULTIST
<Ow! No! Ouch! Eech! Argh! No! Wait! Stop! Stop! I'll talk! I'll talk!> 19
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
What delicate methods!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Obviously the fruit of centuries of refined culture!
MATCHMAN
Subtle yet effective!
2 - The battered CULTIST sits across the table from IKEBANA
SHIKIBU in an interrogation room. The CULTIST has the hood of his costume thrown back and is smoking a cigarette with his one free hand; his other hand is handcuffed to the chair he sits on. Behind IKEBANA, MATCHMAN looms. The DOUBLESIGN TWINS are there, too. There are an ashtray, a tape recorder, and a set of nunchaku on the table. The light in the interrogation room is harsh and direct.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<All right, creep! Start talking!>
CULTIST
<Whatever you say, boss lady...>
3 - Close-up of the battered CULTIST'S face as he starts
talking. He draws on his cigarettes and exhales a slow plume of smoke as he speaks.
CULTIST
<...What's a pretty lady like you doing in law enforcement, anyway?>
4 - An enraged IKEBANA SHIKIBU leans across the table and
punches the CULTIST -- a solid right to the jaw.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<Protecting society from illicit scum like you! Now answer my questions! Where is OTAKU'S secret base?> 20
CULTIST
Aaargh!
SOUND F/X
Wham!
5 - Close-up of the CULTIST'S face as he leans back, eyes
slotted, mouth dripping blood.
CULTIST
<Can't tell you what I don't know, boss lady. But I'll tell you everything I do know. Just don't sic your dogs on me again!>
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
[off-panel]
<I'm a very impatient woman! Get on with it!>
6 - View from above, looking down on the table in the
center of the room, where the CULTIST sits across from IKEBANA SHIKIBU and begins to talk. MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS are behind IKEBANA and off to the sides.
CULTIST
<See, it all started a few years back...>
Page 9
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE IN GRID FORMATION. (SINCE THE WHOLE PAGE IS A FLASHBACK SEQUENCE, THE PANELS SHOULD BE IN MONOTONE -- EITHER STRAIGHT BLACK- AND-WHITE OR A VARIATION OF SEPIATONE.)
1 - Picture of the CULTIST being told to take a hike by his
ex-girlfriend.
CAPTION
"<I had just been dumped by my girlfriend because of my extreme fondness for manga and anime..."> 21
2 - CULTIST walking along street, looking depressed and
scowling at a happy couple walking by.
CAPTION
"<I hated every loving couple I saw! I wanted to get back at the world for having been rejected by the ranks of love!>
3 - Ranks of red-and-white clad cult members being
addressed by a shadowy dark figure -- the dread OTAKU!
CAPTION
<"It was the great OTAKU who recruited me and many others like me, to forge us into an invincible secret army -- the Ina Morata Cult! He promised us revenge! If we were to be unloved -- so be it! We would make the world pay!">
4 - Cult members busting up a store that sells flowers,
candy, and cute stuffed animals.
CAPTION
<"We have until now concentrated our attacks on the most appropriate targets. Yet we have long felt the need for a grand gesture that will affect Japanese society as a whole!">
5 - Cult members lean over a set of blueprints on a table
in an underground room as the shadowy OTAKU points at the plans and lectures.
CAPTION
<"It was the great OTAKU himself who came up with the plan, at our secret headquarters beneath the city of Kamakura! He has devised an anti-love gas of supreme effectiveness! And the Ina Morata Cult will set off a canister of the A.L.G....">
6 - Picture of the anti-love gas canister spraying clouds
of gas into a Tokyo subway station at rush hour. The crowds of commuters go berserk and run around screaming. Mass hysteria. 22
CAPTION
<"...In a station of the Tokyo subway, precisely at rush hour! Whole crowds of people will be affected -- and be incapable of love forever after! There is no known antidote! Vengeance will at last be ours! And you cannot stop us! OTAKU'S will be done! Ha ha ha ha!">
Page 10
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE IN GRID FORMATION. (NO MORE FLASHBACK, BY THE WAY -- IT WAS JUST FOR THE PREVIOUS PAGE.)
1 - Aerial view of the small city of Kamakura, Japan.
CAPTION
Meanwhile, in the Japanese city of Kamakura...
2 - Distance view of an underground chamber made of stone
blocks and lit by torches. The figures of OTAKU and four of his cultists are rendered small by perspective.
CAPTION
...Or, more accurately, a hundred feet beneath said city...
3 - Closer in, we see the four cultists busily engaged in
tending a machine that is vomiting some sort of bluish liquid into a complex-looking cylinder held beneath it. (This is the anti-love gas in liquid form being fed into its dispersion device.) Supervising the process is the villain, OTAKU. He is still nothing save a large, menacing silhouette to the observing eye.
OTAKU
<Be careful with the secret anti-love chemical, my faithful followers! It is most potent in its effects upon the human psyche!> 23
CAPTION
...The evil OTAKU prepares his secret weapon!
4 - Close-up of the cylinder in which the liquid is being
stored.
OTAKU
[off-panel]
<We must charge this cylinder with as much of the substance as it will hold! It is our delivery mechanism!>
5 - OTAKU turns his back and walks away from the four
cultists engaged in preparing the cylinder.
OTAKU
<In only a few hours from now, we will trigger our device in a crowded subway station in Tokyo...>
6 - The shadowy indistinct figure of evil fills nearly the
entire panel as it looms before the viewer.
OTAKU
<...And the world will never be the same again!>
Page 11
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS. THE UPPER THIRD IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PANELS, THE MIDDLE THIRD IS ONE WIDE PANEL, AND THE LOWER THIRD IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE.
1 - Exterior shot of a high-speed commuter "bullet train"
on its way to Kamakura!
CAPTION
Meanwhile, on the train to Kamakura...
2 - Shot of the interior of the train. It is crowded with
business-suited commuters, both male and female, all of 24
them reading manga comics. No one pays any attention to MATCHMAN, the DOUBLESIGN TWINS and IKEBANA SHIKIBU hanging from straps as they are pressed close by their fellow travelers.
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
...All right, mate, for the last time...
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
...A bonsai is a sort of miniature potted tree...
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
...While "banzai" is the battle cry! Got it?
MATCHMAN
I think so!
3 - Close-up of MATCHMAN and IKEBANA SHIKIBU talking.
MATCHMAN
We'll do all that it takes to find this madman OTAKU, Officer IKEBANA!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
On behalf of the prefectural police force, we appreciate your assistance, MATCHMAN-san!
4 - Panoramic view of the beautiful city of Kamakura, home
of the Great Buddha statue. Our heroes gaze at it from the platform of the train station, taking it all in.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
Welcome to beautiful Kamakura! Somewhere beneath this city, the Ina Morata Cult has their hidden headquarters! We must find it before it's too late!
5 - As our heroes walk through the streets, they get a
glimpse of the Great Buddha's head above the rooftops. 25
MATCHMAN
What's that over there?
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
That is the Great Buddha of Kamakura! It is a very famous statue! Would you like to see it?
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
Would we ever!
6 - Our heroes stand in the open square before the Great
Buddha of Kamakura and marvel at it.
MATCHMAN
Moby Grape! This thing is huge! I had no idea the Buddha was so big!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Assuming it's true-to-life, he could have definitely arm-wrestled you to a draw, mate!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Nonsense, DAVID! My money would be on MATCHMAN here!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
We've spent enough time sightseeing! Now, how are we to find the hidden headquarters of the cult?
Page 12
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SIX PANELS. THE UPPER THIRD IS FOUR PANELS IN HORIZONTAL SUCCESSION, WHILE THE MIDDLE AND LOWER THIRDS OF THE PAGE ARE ONE WIDE PANEL EACH.
1 - The Great Buddha of Kamakura begins to quiver and rise
from its sitting position. Our heroes are oblivious, as 26
they are looking the other way and studying a map of the city.
2 - In no time at all...
3 - ...The Great Buddha...
4 - ...Has turned itself inside out and transformed itself
into a GIANT MECHA ROBOT!
5 - IKEBANA SHIKIBU, MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS turn
around and do a massive, collective double-take as the GIANT MECHA ROBOT advances towards them menacingly in a wide-angle shot.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<Holy Amaterasu! A GIANT MECHA ROBOT!>
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
Crikey!
MATCHMAN
Muzza chunka!
6 - The GIANT MECHA ROBOT reaches out and grabs IKEBANA
SHIKIBU, King Kong/Fay Wray style, before our heroes can react.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
It's got me!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
That's a hostile gesture! And we don't like hostility -- do we, DOREEN?
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Indeed we don't, DAVID! Let's thrash us some mecha robot butt! 27
MATCHMAN
Right! Now, what was that word...oh yes! Ahem...
Page 13
THIS PAGE IS ONE BIG COMBAT SPLASH PANEL WITH ONE LITTLE PANEL IN EACH OF THE FOUR CORNERS -- FIVE PANELS IN ALL.
1 - This is the big central page-filling panel with the
gigantic fight scene, as MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS attack the GIANT MECHA ROBOT that is holding IKEBANA SHIKIBU in one of its hands.
MATCHMAN
[shouting]
...Bonsai!
SOUND F/X
Wham! Thud! Crunk! Pow! Blam! etc.
2 - This small panel is a close-up of DAVID DOUBLESIGN
attacking the GIANT MECHA ROBOT.
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
[thinks]
Feel my powerful punches pulverize your metal,
ROBOT!
3 - This small panel is a close-up of DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
attacking the GIANT MECHA ROBOT.
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
[thinks]
Experience the awesome power of -- Wax Tadpole style karate!
4 - This small panel is a close-up of IKEBANA SHIKIBU held
tight in the GIANT MECHA ROBOT'S fist. 28
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
[thinks]
<Oh, for -- it's banzai, you idiot, not bonsai!>
5 - This small panel is a close-up of the GIANT MECHA
ROBOT'S face as it fights our heroes.
GIANT MECHA ROBOT
[thinks]
<Miniature trees?>
Page 14
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO FIVE PANELS. THE UPPER THIRD AND THE LOWER THIRD ARE DIVIDED IN HALF, WHILE THE MIDDLE THIRD IS ONE WIDE PANEL.
1 - The GIANT MECHA ROBOT shudders as the DOUBLESIGN TWINS
unleash powerful twin karate chops that sever its arms. IKEBANA SHIKIBU is released from its grasp.
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Take that!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
And that!
SOUND F/X
Chunk! Ponk!
2 - MATCHMAN delivers a smashing punch to the GIANT MECHA
ROBOT'S midsection.
MATCHMAN
Good work, DOUBLESIGN TWINS! Now it's bedtime for Bonzo here!
SOUND F/X
Ka-blam! 29
3 - The GIANT MECHA ROBOT explodes, as our heroes dive for
cover from the blast, in a wide-angle shot. MATCHMAN hurls himself over IKEBANA SHIKIBU in order to shield her from the powerful explosion.
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
Look out -- it's gonna blow!
MATCHMAN
Don't worry, OFFICER IKEBANA! I'll protect you!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
Oooof! <Next time, give a girl some warning, you overgrown slab of bifuteku!>
SOUND F/X
Kakrathoooom!
4 - The DOUBLESIGN TWINS point out the entrance to a secret
stairway leading underground, at the spot where the statue of the Great Buddha once stood. IKEBANA SHIKIBU and MATCHMAN are enthused at the discovery. IKEBANA draws her sidearm.
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Well, will you look at this then!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
A secret staircase hidden beneath the Great Buddha of Kamakura! Who'd have thunk it?
MATCHMAN
Three guesses as to where it leads -- and the first two don't count! 30
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
This could be OTAKU'S secret hideout! Let us proceed -- but with great caution!
5 - Our heroes begin their descent into the villain's lair.
The light cascades down around them dramatically as their descent is viewed from the bottom of the stairway. The stairway itself is of ancient stone, and is dark and murky and festooned with cobwebs. IKEBANA SHIKIBU carries a working flashlight and leads the way.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
We must be very alert for an ambush! Should we be so unwise as to be taken alive, The Ina Morata Cult has been rumored to disembowel its prisoners in horrible rituals intended to propagate their horrid deity the Earth Spider!
MATCHMAN
Ha! I scoff at disembowelment! We of the VALCom Team laugh at danger! Isn't that right, TWINS?
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
Speak for yourself, mate!
Page 15
THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO FIVE PANELS IN PRECISELY THE SAME MANNER AS THE PREVIOUS PAGE.
1 - IKEBANA SHIKIBU continues to lead the way, as our
heroes advance down a long, dark passage of dressed stone. Water drips from the ceiling and the walls sweat.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
The Earth Spider lives underground and causes earthquakes! It is an ancient legend in Japan! 31
MATCHMAN
It's as good an explanation as any!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Ugh! I bloody hate spiders!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Nasty creepy crawlies!
2 - Our heroes approach an arched doorway from which light
streams.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
There's light up ahead! And I think I hear someone talking!
MATCHMAN
I read you loud and clear, Princess Mononoke! Get ready there, TWINS!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Been ready for twenty minutes, mate!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
My knuckles are crying out for some contact!
3 - Our heroes find themselves at the entrance to a large
underground chamber, all of stone. A staircase leads down from the ledge where the passage ends to the floor of the chamber. In this chamber, we see OTAKU standing in the midst of a large crowd of Ina Morata Cult members -- at least fifty or sixty of them. He is giving a rousing speech. On a sort of stone altar next to him reclines what is obviously the canister of anti-love gas. OTAKU is rather short, and plump. He wears a black military-style uniform, with jackboots, gloves, and a black executioner's hood with slits for the eyes. He also wears a pair of thick-framed glasses, outside the hood, that look much like the pair we saw SEPPUKU WAKIZASHI wearing way back at the beginning of the comic. 32
OTAKU
<...And with this drum of anti-love gas, we shall bring Tokyo to its knees! If we cannot be loved then we shall see to it that love is not possible!>
ASSEMBLED CULT MEMBERS
[in unison]
<All hail OTAKU! All hail OTAKU! All hail OTAKU!>
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
This is it! We've discovered the nerve center!
MATCHMAN
I say we nuke the site from orbit!
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
Do you suppose that fellow all in black is OTAKU, then?
4 - Close-up of OTAKU delivering his speech as he exhorts
his costumed troops.
OTAKU
<In a loveless world, those without love shall be the undisputed rulers of all they survey! We shall inherit the earth!>
ASSEMBLED CULT MEMBERS
[in unison off-panel]
<All hail OTAKU! All hail OTAKU! All hail OTAKU!>
5 - Close-up of OTAKU as our heroes interrupt his speech.
OTAKU
<And our rule shall last for a thousand years! None shall dispute our -- eh? What the -- ?!> 33
MATCHMAN
[off-panel]
I don't need to understand what you're saying as long as you're dressed in black and wearing a hood, OTAKU!
Page 16
THIS PAGE IS ONE GREAT BIG COMBAT SPLASH PANEL.
1 - This is the big combat scene page, with MATCHMAN and
the DOUBLESIGN TWINS leaping into the fray and mixing it up with OTAKU and half-a-dozen cultists respectively, while IKEBANA SHIKIBU charges forward with guns blazing. The cultists are armed with pistols and katanas as before. OTAKU himself has a slightly larger pistol, which he fires at MATCHMAN. (He misses the shot, of course.)
MATCHMAN
I am the Shogun of Harlem!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Couldn't have said it better myself, mate! Eh,
DOREEN?
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Too right, mate! After all, you only live twice,
DAVID!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<Give it up, OTAKU! I'm bringing you in -- dead or alive!>
OTAKU
<At them, my loyal followers! We have the advantage of numbers! Strike them down in the name of OTAKU! Attack!> 34
VARIOUS CULTISTS
<Attack! The master commands us! Kill! Banzai! Death to the intruders!> etc.
SOUND F/X
Crash! Bam! Wham! Pow! Bang! Kerpow! Thud! etc.
Page 17
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF FOUR PANELS. THE UPPER AND MIDDLE THIRDS ARE EACH ONE WIDE PANEL, WHILE THE LOWER THIRD IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE.
1 - Wide-angle scene of mass combat. MATCHMAN knocks OTAKU
down, while IKEBANA SHIKIBU and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS cut a swath of devastation through the mass of cultists.
MATCHMAN
Have a taste of my wave motion fist, OTAKU!
OTAKU
Aaaagghh!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
<Nice shootin', Tex!>
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
<I guess she's not a ninja after all, DAVID -- if she was she'd be cleaning house by now, eh?>
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<You two have ninjas on the brain!>
VARIOUS CULTISTS
<Aaaaaargh! Get them! He struck the leader! Gaaaah! Kill the roundeye! Slay them all!> etc. 35
SOUND F/X
Crack! Bash! Slam! Kerpow! Thunk! Bang! Blam! etc.
2 - Another wide-angle view of the combat area. Several
desperate cultists pile on MATCHMAN as he prepares to deliver the coup de grace to the downed OTAKU.
VARIOUS CULTISTS
<Grab him! Take him down! Stop him before he harms the master again!> etc.
MATCHMAN
Say goodnight, OTAKU! I -- whoooaaaaah! Get off me, you walking peppermints!
OTAKU
<Save me, my loyal servants! Save me!>
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
MATCHMAN, look out!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
I'm running out of ammo!
SOUND F/X
Whap! Thak! Krunk! Slam! Thud! Pow! Bash! etc.
3 - OTAKU breaks free of the melee and grabs the anti-love
gas canister.
OTAKU
<That does it! While this madman MATCHMAN is otherwise engaged, I'll carry out the plan as scheduled! Nothing shall stop me!> 36
SOUND F/X
[off-panel]
Whap! Crunch! Wham! Slam! Pow! etc.
4 - OTAKU runs off down a side passage with the anti-love
gas canister on his shoulder. MATCHMAN breaks free of the melee and follows him intently.
OTAKU
<Soon the greater Tokyo metro area will be completely free of the scourge of mutual affection! Ha ha ha ha!>
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
[off-panel]
MATCHMAN! He's getting away! And he's got the anti-love gas canister!
MATCHMAN
Never fear -- MATCHMAN is near! And my course of action is clear! OTAKU, get back here!
VARIOUS CULTISTS
<Urrgh! Aagh! Ooof! Ouchie! I can't hold him back! Hey, nice rhyme scheme! Umph!> etc.
SOUND F/X
Whap! Bam! Crunch! Pow! Thok! Kerpow! etc.
Page 18
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF EIGHT PANELS. THE UPPER THIRD IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PANELS, THE MIDDLE THIRD IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR PANELS, AND THE LOWER THIRD IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PANELS.
1 - OTAKU, carrying the gas canister, emerges from a secret
doorway into the streets of Kamakura. MATCHMAN follows behind in hot pursuit. Medium distance shot. 37
MATCHMAN
Halt, OTAKU! Give it up! It's over!
OTAKU
You're right, MATCHMAN! It -- puff puff -- it is over...
2 - OTAKU takes to the sky with a jetpack concealed beneath
his clothing. MATCHMAN is taken aback. Medium distance shot, again.
OTAKU
...Over for Tokyo's lovebirds, that is! Ha ha ha ha!
MATCHMAN
[thinks]
Uh-oh -- concealed jetpack!
3 - MATCHMAN takes to the sky after the flying OTAKU. They
head in the direction of Tokyo.
MATCHMAN
Nice try, OTAKU, but I'm still right behind you!
OTAKU
You'll never catch up with me in time, MATCHMAN!
4 - Close-up of MATCHMAN'S intent face, full of
concentration.
MATCHMAN
[thinks]
He may be right! I've got to exert my marvelous Matchpowers to the fullest, or else Tokyo is doomed!
5 - Long-distance shot of OTAKU and MATCHMAN approaching
the massive skyline of metro Tokyo. 38
6 - OTAKU lands in the middle of a busy Tokyo sidewalk.
Pedestrians gape at his bizarre outfit. MATCHMAN is descending fast, just above him.
MATCHMAN
Aha! There you are! I see you, you emotional spoilsport!
OTAKU
[thinks]
<Quick! Must... find... subway!>
7 - OTAKU runs down the stairs into a nearby subway
station, with MATCHMAN in hot pursuit. Passersby stare in astonishment at the spectacle they present.
OTAKU
[thinks]
<Almost -- pant pant -- there!>
MATCHMAN
[thinks]
He must be winded! I'm gaining!
8 - On a crowded subway platform, the commuters stare as
OTAKU turns at bay in the center of the panel. MATCHMAN'S huge red arm points directly at him from the front; the rest of MATCHMAN is off-panel.
MATCHMAN
[off-panel]
That's it! The game is up, OTAKU! Put down the canister and step away slowly!
OTAKU
Puff puff -- never! You'll -- pant gasp wheeze -- have to fight me for it, MATCHMAN! Man to man! 39
Page 19
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF THREE HORIZONTAL PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE.
1 - MATCHMAN and OTAKU square off on the subway platform in
the center of a circle of silent crowd watching.
2 - OTAKU makes a badly timed lunge...
3 - ...And it's all over, as MATCHMAN punches him in the
head, knocking him unconscious to the surface of the subway platform.
MATCHMAN
[thinks]
All too easy!
OTAKU
Urk!
SOUND F/X
Wham!
Page 20
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF SIX PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE IN GRID FORMATION.
1 - Close-up of OTAKU'S hooded face, glasses awry, lying
unconscious on the surface of the platform.
MATCHMAN
[thinks off-panel]
Now, OTAKU...
2 - MATCHMAN'S hand reaches in from off-panel to unmask the
unconscious OTAKU. 40
MATCHMAN
[thinks off-panel]
...Now to find out who you really are under that hood!
3 - Shot from below looking up at MATCHMAN'S stunned
expression. He holds OTAKU'S removed hood in his right hand. Behind and around him peer the faces of curious commuters.
MATCHMAN
Hey! I know this guy...
4 - Close-up of OTAKU'S face lying unconscious on the
surface of the subway platform. We see that he is really SEPPUKU WAKIZASHI, the guy who invited MATCHMAN to the komiketto convention in the first place. His glasses have come off and lie on the platform next to him.
MATCHMAN
[off-panel]
...He's the guy who invited me to the komiketto convention in the first place!
5 - Police lead a groggy OTAKU/SEPPUKU WAKIZASHI away in
handcuffs, secure the anti-love gas drum and remove it, and disperse the crowd on the platform. IKEBANA SHIKIBU and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS have also finally arrived on the scene.
MATCHMAN
So that's it -- it was all a set-up! My fan was actually a foe! How mortifying!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
Tough luck, mate!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Cheer up, MATCHMAN -- there's plenty more where he came from! 41
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
MATCHMAN, I cannot thank you enough for aiding me in this critical investigation! If you can spare the time, I would like to make it up to you by giving you and your friend, er, friends a personal guided tour of Tokyo!
CAPTION
Shortly thereafter...
6 - Close-up of IKEBANA SHIKIBU talking to MATCHMAN.
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
And, if I may say so, you're easily the cutest super-hero I've ever met in person!
MATCHMAN
[blushing]
Aw, domo arigato!
Page 21
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF FIVE PANELS. THE UPPER THIRD IS ONE WIDE PANEL, WHILE THE LOWER TWO-THIRDS ARE COMPOSED OF FOUR PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE IN GRID FORMATION.
1 - MATCHMAN, the DOUBLESIGN TWINS and IKEBANA SHIKIBU are
walking the neon streets of the famed Ginza district at night, in a wide-angle view.
MATCHMAN
Wow -- so this is the Ginza I've heard so much about!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
You can buy anything your heart desires here!
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
My heart desires a Western-style toilet! 42
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
Hush, DAVID -- don't be rude!
2 - Our heroes eat dinner together at a fancy restaurant.
MATCHMAN flips a large green chunk of wasabi into his open mouth as IKEBANA SHIKIBU and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS look on, horrified.
MATCHMAN
So what do you call this green stuff?
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
Not the wasabi, mate!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
<Yikes!>
3 - MATCHMAN stares with concentration at a simple ceramic
vase on a table. IKEBANA SHIKIBU stands next to him.
MATCHMAN
Um -- which is sabi and which is wabi, again?
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
Let me explain one more time...
4 - MATCHMAN reclines in a kimono (which is on over his
costume) in a geisha house as two geishas sit on either side of him and a third geisha massages his feet.
MATCHMAN
Hey, where did my friends disappear to?
GEISHAS
[in unison]
Tee hee hee! 43
5 - MATCHMAN back at the komiketto convention again,
swamped by fanboys begging for autographs, as IKEBANA SHIKIBU and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS stand by admiringly.
DAVID DOUBLESIGN
See, mate -- you still have plenty of fans!
DOREEN DOUBLESIGN
One can't keep a good hero down!
IKEBANA SHIKIBU
And you're more popular than ever now that you've had OTAKU put in prison for life!
MATCHMAN
Virtue is its own reward, true -- but slavish mob adulation is a nice side effect!
Page 22
THIS PAGE IS COMPOSED OF FIVE PANELS. IT IS DIVIDED VERTICALLY INTO TWO SECTIONS. THE LEFT HAND SECTION IS ONE BIG PANEL. THE RIGHT HAND SECTION IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR PANELS OF EQUAL SIZE STACKED VERTICALLY.
1 - Long-distance shot of the Manhattan skyline.
CAPTION
And so eventually our heroes return to VALentine Complex in New York City...
2 - MATCHMAN and the DOUBLESIGN TWINS come walking into the
front lobby of the VALCom headquarters building.
MATCHMAN
Hello! We've returned triumphant! You wouldn't believe the vacation we've had! 44
DOUBLESIGN TWINS
[in unison]
He's right, you know!
SERGEANT STRIKER
[off-panel]
MATCHMAN! Thank heaven you've returned, boy!
CAPTION
...Only to find that a new crisis awaits them!
3 - SERGEANT STRIKER comes running up to MATCHMAN and the
DOUBLESIGN TWINS. His right arm is still in a sling, but otherwise he seems completely recovered from the injury that he suffered in issue number five.
SERGEANT STRIKER
We've got a serious emergency on our hands!
MATCHMAN
SERGEANT STRIKER! What's the matter? Is DOCTOR DEJECTION feeling his oats again?
4 - Close-up of SERGEANT STRIKER'S face, or lack thereof,
as he informs MATCHMAN of the situation.
SERGEANT STRIKER
Almost as bad, MATCHY my boy! LANCE CORPOREAL has just received information that a band of white slavers is kidnapping nice Jewish girls from the kibbutzim back in Israel and posing as marriage brokers to marry them off to the highest bidder on the streets of Queens!
MATCHMAN AND THE DOUBLESIGN TWINS [in unison off-panel]
What?!?!?
5 - Close-up of MATCHMAN'S determined face.
45
MATCHMAN
This will not do! Round up the troops, SERGEANT! VALCom rides again! We'll put a stop to these nefarious wife pirates, or my name isn't --
MATCHMAN!
CAPTION
That's all for now, folks! Check out next issue as MATCHMAN shuttles between Queens and Israel to thwart those who traffic in human flesh! Will our hero be powerful and sly enough to overcome the machinations of the mysterious and mighty MEZUZAH? There's only one way to find out! Until then -- Shalom!