Continuity
<scene int day>Boarding House Room</scene>
JACK, a fit young man, early 20's, sits on the corner of a well made bed in the back of his boarding house room. He's wearing only briefs, holding a COSTUME loose in his hands. In front of him is a closed closet door, with a FULL LENGTH MIRROR on it. The man looking both at the costume and, beyond it, at the mirror. In the mirror, rather than an accurate reflection of the scene before us, we see the man actually wearing the costume, in a heroic pose. The costume itself is, pretty standard superhero fare: a skintight costume covering all but the eyes and jaw, in a standard two-color scheme: white with gold gloves, boots, belt, insignia, etc. The insignia is a starburst or flame of some sort, to go with his name and power. JACK is considering how he'll look in the costume as opening theme/credits play.
Behind JACK, in the front of the room, THE TRAVELER is sitting in a chair. We are looking over his shoulder, so that all we see is his shoulder, an arm, the back of his head. So far as we can see, he is dressed all in black: black clothes, black mask. He is a brooding, ominous presence, one that the brighter and sunnier (though pensive) man he watches is utterly unaware of.
On the floor between them is the shadow of THE TRAVELER, stretching out toward JACK... except that, instead of an ordinary shadow, we see, as a simple, shadow-colored SILHOUETTE, a collage of the incidents described later: THE TRAVELER preventing the rise of the heroes and villains of entire world.
<scene int day>Boarding House Room</scene>
JACK is pensive; he holds up the costume by the shoulders and looks it over, then with grim determination, starts putting on the costume.
<scene int day>Boarding House Room</scene>
From low, looking up at the mirror, we see JACK finishing donning his costume by putting on his boots, leaving only the gloves for last. In the reflection, we can see an ARMCHAIR at the front of the room, empty.
<scene int day>Boarding House Room</scene>
Same angle, JACK has put the boots on, and is donning the gloves, however now, THE TRAVELLER occupies the armchair we see in the reflection. For the most part, he is dressed in ordinary clothes: a button-down shirt, slacks, a belt, a trench coat loose and open over all of that, standard-looking shoes -- but all sooty black. Under his clothes, however, THE TRAVELLER wears a skin-tight, all-black costume: of course this only shows with his hands, which are covered in sheer black gloves, and his face, covered in a full coverage black mask with no openings, but tight, so you can see his facial expressions. He watches calmly as JACK, having finished donning the costume, is admiring himself in the mirror. He holds out one of his hands and a wisp of white flame plays about his fingertips.
- traveler
- All dressed?
- jack
- Aaaaahhh!
As JACK yelps, he spins around to face THE TRAVELLER.
<scene int day>Boarding House Room</scene>
JACK tries to collect himself.
- jack
- Who are (beat) What (beat) How'd you get in here?
- traveler
- I am called The Traveler. As for how I came to be here -- I go where I wish.
- jack
- What do you want?
- traveler
- I'm here to warn you. You're going to stop.
- jack
- Stop what?
- traveler
- That costume. You've just put it on for the first time --
- jack
- How did you k--
- traveler
- But you can't. You mustn't.
- jack
- Listen, I don't know w--
- traveler
- You control flame, don't you Jack? So you're probably planning to call yourself "Human Fire" or "Starblazer" or something like that...
- jack
- Conflagration.
THE TRAVELLER nods approvingly
- traveler
- Conflagration. Wonderful. (beat) You control flame, and you think that you, Conflagration, are going to be the first ever real-life, honest-to-God superhero.
JACK sits down on the bed with a smirk, thinking it's a simple power struggle situation
- jack
- OK, I get it. I'm not the first, right? You're the first superhero.
- traveler
- No. I'm not the first superhero. (beat) I'm the last.
JACK is confused.
- traveler
- Have you ever wondered why there aren't any superheores? Real superheroes?
- jack
- I always assumed that no one got superpowers--
- traveler
- You got them. Why wouldn't others? Do you think you are that unique?
- traveler
- Anyway, why should it matter? You read comics as a kid. Batman didn't have superpowers. Captain America didn't have superpowers. Lots of superheroes had no powers. So why aren't there any real superheroes? (beat) Because I stopped them. Like I'm stopping you.
- jack
- Sounds more like you're a supervillain.
- traveler
- Call me what you wish. But you will stop.
<scene ext day>Farmer's Market</scene>
A MIDDLE AGED MAN is lifting a box of fruit up onto a table into an empty spot, obviously replacing an empty one, as shoppers browse the fruits and vegetables at his and nearby booths.
- traveler (V.O.)
- Right now, somewhere in Kansas, there's a man who could raise a mountain above his head who never lifts anything heavier than a fruit basket.
<scene int day>Community Center</scene>
An older CHINESE WOMAN is playing cards with a few other similar women, other groups are around them doing the same thing. This woman is clearly trying to decide which card to play next, and clearly focussed on her own cards, not the other women in the group.
- traveler (V.O.)
- There's a woman in China who can read minds, but has only done so once.
<scene ext day>A Beach Sidewalk in Brazil</scene>
A 30-something BRAZILIAN MAN jogs casually along, taking in the scenery around him, as other joggers pass him by with rather more gusto.
- traveler (V.O.)
- There's someone in Brazil who can run faster than the speed of sound who never does more than a plodding jog.
<scene ext day>Recreational Soccer Field in Turkey</scene>
As most members of a neighborhood soccer team stretch and warm up in preparation for a game, one man sits on the bench nearby, merely watching.
- traveler (V.O.)
- And someone else living in Turkey whose body can stretch and distort itself like a piece of rubber who won't even do warm-up stretches before a soccer match to keep from slipping up. (beat> They all live without their powers. All live normal, everyday, mundane lives. Just as you will.
<scene int day>Boarding House Room</scene>
JACK is still sitting on the bed, defiant, but a nervous.
- jack
- And how exactly do you plan to stop me?
- traveler
- With words. I'll tell you a tale, and you'll stop.
The two stare at each other, JACK considering what to make of the other.
- traveler
- Come, now. It can't hurt to listen. You want to solve everything with punches and bolts of flame?
- jack
- Yeah, okay, I'm listening.
- traveler
- When I grew up, there were lots of superheroes. Supervillains. Super people with a morally ambiguous status. Supers everywhere, of every variety. I read about them, of course, but not like you did -- not in the comics. We read about them in newspapers, but more than that: we heard the roar of their fire in the distance. Heard the explosions, like bombs.
