Golden Gate Comic Con, Chapter 4: Pages 7-8
PAGE 7
PANEL 1-3: A three-part set of panels that focuses on the same part of the room over the course of a minute- a charger resting on top of a bedstand. In Panel 1, Michele detaches her right arm with her left hand. In Panel 2, it pops off and she starts to move it in the direction of the charger, which she places the mechanical device on by the time we reach Panel 3.
MICHELE [narration caption, Panel 1]: I lost my arm in a car accident when I was 10. The docs took over 14 hours to stitch the nerve endings to the tech behind it, and over a year to get acclimated to it. Thank the NHS my mum could afford it...from what I read here, kids like me aren't that lucky. MICHELE [Cont. narration caption 2, Panel 1]: Society calls me a MAP (or Mechanically Augmented Person). I prefer the term Big MAC because...well, it's cooler. And it doesn't sound like it was crafted by old bloody white men. Anyway, even though it can be a nuisance at times, there a couple of nice advantages to it. First off, you quickly find out who you can trust by the sound of the Low Charge alarm. MICHELE [Cont. narration caption, Panel 2]: Those that learn to handle or adapt to it, like Jax- they basically become my best friend. Well, best human friend...can't forget my AI boy/basically brother Lil' Jarvis. MICHELE [narration caption, Panel 3]: Those that don't adapt or want to chuck crap at my door for being a cripple- two fucking fingers and a snort straight up their own arsehole. The second part--well...
PANEL 4: Action shot of the young woman up off the bed a few moments later, and taking long strides in the direction of the bathroom; her right sleeve dangling down to her side, save for the light brown stump that is hidden inside it. She glances up toward the room's ceiling to utter a command while just beginning to take her shirt off.
MICHELE [to Mr. Carson]: Carson, fire the bath up at 75 degrees, por favor. MR. CARSON [from the ceiling, prim and posh]: Very good, Ms. McKinney. MICHELE [Bubble 2]: Lil Jarvis, cue up my "Badass Bath" Mix. MICHELE [narration caption]: ...really awesome speakers!
PANEL 5: We move to a shot of a now full with water bath a few minutes later. Michele is naked and sitting inside, grinning from ear-to-ear as the sounds of Garbage's "Cherry Lips" fills the panel view with the sound of synthesized base guitar notes and Shirley Manson's voice fills the top edge of the panel. You can see soundwaves emanating from a pair of plastic disks on each side of the tub.
MICHELE [thought bubble]: This is what "Yas Kween!" feels like...I'll have to tell my gran about it when I get back.
PAGE 8
PANEL 1-2: A two-part set of panels that take places in the same setting/layout as the last panel of the previous page. In Panel 1, the action is basically the same with only a few moments of time having passed. She has her eyes closed and is taking a brief nap as the sounds of bad ass late '90s Alt rock still boom around the bathroom. In Panel 2, five minutes later, Michele opens her eyes as if seemingly remembering something.
CAPTION [Panel 2]: Five Minutes Later MICHELE [to Lil Jarvis, Panel 2]: Lil' Jarvis, map out the cosplay schedule for me this weekend. LIL JARVIS [Off-Panel, Panel 2]: Yes, big MAC...
PANEL 3: Cut to a shot of the sink and bathroom mirror that exists to the side of the tub. From the top of the mirror, a display descends into view showing a file named "GGCC Gameplan." It's a three-part itinerary showing a set of costume choices grouped by day. For Day 1, it's "Wonder Woman (Grunge)." Day 2 is "Captain America Carol Danvers." And Day 3 states "Supreme Badass Peggy Carter."
PANEL 4: Back to Michele in the same setting and layout as Panel 2. Ms. McKinney changes her body position slightly into a standard seated position, looking over the itinerary carefully and thinking to herself.
MICHELE [confirming]: And the NV suit's packed up with the necessary files, right? LIL JARVIS [Off-Panel]: Yes, ma'am. All set and ready to go... MICHELE [Bubble 2]: What about props?
PANEL 5-6: Same setting/layout in Panel 5 as the previous panel. A split second after the words leave her mouth, Michele realizes one big mistake that just dawned on her. In Panel 6, we see the prop in question in a closet back in her London flat- Wonder Woman's metal shield, which is colored in shades of plaid with patches of leather on the side that read "Born of Clay, Not Your Bullshit."
MICHELE [realizing/slightly annoyed at herself; Panel 5]: Ah, dammit! Just realized... MICHELE [caption, Panel 6]: Forgot the shield!