tmnt: odyssey · tmnt: odyssey page 1 of 159 last modified: 4/23/14 by andrew modeen page 1 (6...

TMNT: Odyssey

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Last modified: 4/23/14

By Andrew Modeen PAGE 1 (6 panels) – ARSENIY PAGE Two sequences interlocking on this page.

Panel 1. An establishing shot of California, on the outskirts of a very hilly, mountainous Los Angeles, modern day. Somewhat like this, but with a few scattered houses in the background:

1) CAP: 2014, SOMEWHERE IN THE MULTIVERSE...

2) WOMAN (CAP, O.P.): “MY GOODNESS, IT’S BEEN SO LONG! HE WOULD BE SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!”

3) CAP: “THE END OF A MELODY IS NOT ITS GOAL: BUT

NONETHELESS, HAD THE MELODY NOT REACHED ITS END IT WOULD NOT HAVE REACHED ITS GOAL EITHER. A

PARABLE.”

- Nietzsche

Panel 2. A MAN standing in front of an open door. A blond-haired WOMAN greets him. Cropped from mid-face downward so as not to be too distinct.

4) WOMAN: BUT YOU JUST MISSED HIM. I THINK HE JUST WENT FOR A DRIVE IN THE VALLEY.

5) MAN: THANK YOU.

Panel 3. Inside a sports car. Black leather interior. A hand on a gear shifter, switching gears rapidly. 6) SFX: CH-CHT!

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Panel 4. The man from the beginning starting his motorcycle, helmet on.

Panel 5. A red Ferrari screaming across the valley, kicking up dust as it goes. Panel 6. The man on a motorcycle hauling ass, riding it past a gas station and into the valley. A slight motion blur effect applied on the panel. 7) CAP (Lucindra): “IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE THE UTROMS LEFT

AND THE TURTLES PARTED WAYS… AND GUESS WHAT?”

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PAGE 2 (3 panels) – RICK ARTHUR PAGE Panel 1. A somewhat underwater, future New York City. 1) CAP (overlapping top of panel in top left corner):

2035 A.D., DIMENSION PRIME. 2) CAP (Lucindra): NEW YORK IS STILL UNDERWATER. 3) CAP (Lucindra): YOU KNOW, I NEVER BEAT RAPHAEL. NOT

ONCE. 4) CAP (Lucindra): HE DID HIS BEST TO PROTECT ME. I KNOW

THAT. 5) LUCINDRA: WHAT ARE YOU CHILDREN DOING OUT IN

THIS STORM? Panel 2. A subway entrance is flooded, fish swimming by. Panel 3. LUCINDRA in the foreground with a couple of kids. She overlaps Panel 2 and part of Panel 1. 6) ROSA: I’M ROSA. THIS IS MY BROTHER, BENNY. 7) BENNY: *KOFF!* WE WANT TO MEET HIM.

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PAGE 3 (6 panels) – RICK ARTHUR PAGE Panel 1. Lucindra in a wheelchair, the ROSA and BENNY in front of her. 1) ROSA: WE’VE GOT TO TALK TO HIM. I KNOW HE’LL FIGHT FOR US. 2) LUCINDRA: WHO? Panel 2. Closeup on one of the children’s eyes. Panel 3. Closeup on the other child’s face. 3) ROSA: THE NINJA TURTLE, RAPHAEL. Panel 4. Close on Lucindra’s face. 4) LUCINDRA: I DON’T KNOW HIM ANYMORE… Panel 5. The children point to a broken sai hanging on the wall. 5) BENNY: YES YOU DO! LOOK! Panel 6. Back shot of Lucindra’s head as she looks at the broken sai display. 6) LUCINDRA: WAIT… 7) LUCINDRA: I DO KNOW HIM.

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PAGE 4 (3 panels) – RICK ARTHUR PAGE Panel 1. Lucindra in the foreground with “PRELUDE: THE LESSON” title seen. 1) RAPHAEL: ENEMIES EVERYWHERE. Panel 2. RAPHAEL and Lucindra fighting members of the FOOT CLAN. 2) LUCINDRA: THERE ARE TOO MANY… 3) RAPHAEL: JUST WATCH MY BACK THIS TIME. Panel 3. Close on Raphael in background. Foot in foreground. 4) RAPHAEL: I’LL DO THE REST.

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PAGE 5 (montage) – RICK ARTHUR PAGE Imagery of the battle. 1) RAPHAEL: LEO AND SPLINTER BOTH WARNED ME… I

NEVER SEEM TO LISTEN. 2) LUCINDRA: ABOUT WHAT?

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PAGE 6 (7 panels) – RICK ARTHUR PAGE Panel 1. Close on Lucindra, back of her head. 1) LUCINDRA: DID WE GET’EM? Panel 2. Raphael and Lucindra scuffling with the Foot. 2) RAPHAEL: THEY BOTH WARNED ME... 3) RAPHAEL: … NOT TO TRUST ANYONE. Panel 3. Action. 4) LUCINDRA: FOR REAL? Panel 4. Lucindra pulls out some pliers. 5) LUCINDRA: TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW. Panel 5. Lucindra pulling out a ninja weapon from Raphael’s shell. 6) LUCINDRA: YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GO IT ALONE. Panel 6. Raphael walking away from Lucindra. 7) LUCINDRA: YOU NEED TO TRUST SOMEBODY ONCE IN A

WHILE – LIKE YOUR BROTHERS. 8) RAPHAEL: MAYBE, LUCINDRA. Panel 7. Back in 2035, Lucindra makes a call on a radio. 9) LUCINDRA: “MAYBE.” THAT’S ALL HE SAID. ALL THAT

FIGHTING, WHAT DID HE LEARN? 10) RADIO BURST: WATER TAXI. 11) LUCINDRA: TWO PLEASE. GOODNIGHT, CHILDREN. 12) CAP (LUCINDRA): I WOULD NEVER KNOW IF THE TURTLES

TRUSTED EACH OTHER IN THE END…

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PAGE 7 (6 panels) – DAN PAGE Panel 1. Wide establishing shot of the October Mountain State Forest of Massachusetts. Lots of trees, very snow-covered.

1) CAP (LUCINDRA): “… I ONLY KNEW THEIR PATHS WOULD DIVERGE.” 2) CAP: NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSSETTS. JANUARY,

1987.

Panel 2. Shot of CASEY JONES and APRIL O’NEIL on the porch of Casey’s farmhouse in Northampton. Snow is everywhere. This would be set right around the same time as TMNT Vol. 1 #11, so the hair/attire should be in that vein. The two are kind of sitting awkwardly apart from one another (a little bit like the porch scene in the first movie), April gazing out into the horizon and Casey trying to act like he’s not staring at her.

Panel 3. Inside the forest. We follow LEONARDO from behind, who we see is bringing with him as much firewood as he can carry tucked within his arms.

3) MICHELANGELO: LEO, THAT YOU?

4) LEONARDO: YES.

Panel 4. SPLINTER sitting by at a campfire on a log, other logs to either side in a circle around the fire. It’s just him and MICHELANGELO (he’s been there the whole time) there alone, as Leonardo, RAPHAEL, and DONATELLO nears, approaching almost simultaneously. Trees are around covered in snow, and it seems to be nighttime.

5) LEONARDO: WE HAVE TO STAY SHARP, BUT IT’S UNLIKELY THE FOOT WILL FIND US OUT HERE. I BROUGHT SOME MORE FIREWOOD.

6) MICHELANGELO: HM, LOOKS A LITTLE WET.

7) SPLINTER: IT WILL DO. 8) SPLINTER: YOU ARE ALL HERE NOW. GOOD. Panel 5. The Turtles joining Splinter, taking seats on the logs around him. Leonardo throws a couple more logs on the fire. They are wearing furs, scarves, and some beanies (same kind of outdoorsy attire they wore in TMNT Vol.1, #11). It’s clear it is quite cold.

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9) SPLINTER: I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW PROUD I AM OF ALL OF YOU, OF HOW MUCH YOU HAVE GROWN IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE BURDEN I PLACED YOU, THE CURSE THAT HAS DRIVEN US OUT HERE…

Panel 6. Close on their faces, Splinter talking sagely. The Turtles listen, intently. 10) SPLINTER: …IS NOT ONE THAT A FATHER SHOULD EVER

PLACE ON HIS SONS. BUT YOU HAVE MADE ME PROUD -- MADE OUR CLAN PROUD. I MAY NOT SAY IT OFTEN ENOUGH, BUT I LOVE YOU ALL, MY SONS.

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PAGE 8 (6 panels) – DAN PAGE Panel 1. The volume 4 era Turtles, all heads down low as they walk down a trail through the same Northampton forest as before. Raphael is in his mutated “Gamera-Raph” form, Donatello is inside his robot body, Michelangelo is in his black armored bodysuit (that he was last seen wearing in the last two most recent issues of Volume 4), and Leonardo looking normal. None wear bandannas, but Leonardo and Michelangelo do wear some additional down or fur-type garments to stay warm (this is a non-issue for Raphael and Donatello, though maybe Raph might be wearing something warm draped over his shoulders). 1) CAP: MANY YEARS LATER. 2) LEONARDO: I’M GLAD ALL OF YOU COULD MAKE IT.

MIKEY, I KNOW IT WASN’T EASY CONSIDERING YOU HAD TO GET BACK TO EARTH.

3) MICHELANGELO: I WOULDN’T MISS THIS. YOU GUYS KNOW

THAT -- WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR. Panel 2. The Turtles getting situated around the same campfire, Michelangelo lighting it with a kind of mini torch. He puts a hand in front of him to protect himself, as if slightly worried it’ll torch back at him. 4) SFX: SKSSSH! 5) MICHELANGELO: A LITTLE “LIGHTER” AND…VOILA! 6) RAPHAEL: THIS DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT, MAN. 7) LEONARDO: I KNOW, RAPHAEL. Panel 3. All four of them seated now, new angle on them. 8) LEONARDO: IT’S THE FIRST YEAR WE HAVE ALL DONE

THIS WITHOUT SPLINTER. 9) MICHELANGELO: WITHOUT FATHER. 10) DONATELLO: I…I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. Panel 4. Leonardo holding an open hand near the fire. 11) LEONARDO: JUST BEING HERE IS ENOUGH, BROTHER. IT’S

WHAT HE WOULD’VE WANTED...ALL OF US STILL TOGETHER, STILL A FAMILY.

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12) LEONARDO: GIVE ME YOUR HANDS. Panel 5. Wider, the Turtles all putting their hands on top of Leonardo’s. 13) LEONARDO: WE’VE ALREADY SEPARATED IN THE PAST,

EVEN RECENTLY. OUR LIVES HAVE TAKEN US IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.

14) MICHELANGELO: I-I KNOW I’M GUILTY OF THIS AS WELL, BUT

I’VE NEVER FORGOTTEN AB -- Panel 6. Close on Leonardo, admonishing Mike. 15) LEONARDO: WE MUST NEVER FORGET OUR

BROTHERHOOD. I WON’T SEE US FALL APART.

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PAGE 9 (7 panels) Panel 1. Wide establishing shot of the same forest as seen on the previous two pages. There is snow, but considerably less of it, the result of global warming. We see spacecraft freely traversing the skies. 1) CAP: DECADES LATER. Panel 2. Leonardo alone sitting on the log, katanas buried to either side of him. Fire is already going. His brow is furrowed, angry and disappointed… we get the sense that he has been sitting here alone for some time. He should seem a lot older, imagine how Leonardo would look around the year 2035. Perhaps one of the middle-aged designs of Leonardo from “Loops” from Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2, #13 & #14. Michelangelo should basically be looking like he does in the frontispieces of the latest Tales of the TMNT Vol. 1 Treasury Edition, though a little bit younger (not much). Panel 3. Close on, Leonardo looking up a bit, hearing something. 2) MICHELANGELO (O.P.): *HUFF!* I’M HERE, I’M HERE! GOD, I’M

SORRY -- Panel 4. Michelangelo bursting through the trees to join Leonardo by the fire. Right away Michelangelo looks around, surprised. 3) MICHELANGELO: -- I CAUGHT THE FIRST TRANSPORT I COULD

AND I… OH. 4) LEONARDO: THANK YOU FOR COMING, MICHELANGELO. 5) MICHELANGELO: WHERE IS EVERYBODY? Panel 5. Leonardo doesn’t budge, just keeps staring at the fire, transfixed. 6) LEONARDO: I DON’T KNOW. I ONLY KNOW -- Panel 6. Michelangelo, taken aback a bit, watching his brother suddenly seethe with anger, baring teeth. His hands seem to be balling into fists. Leonardo is usually more together than this. 7) LEONARDO: -- THAT THEY’RE NOT HERE… BUT WE’LL

CARRY ON. WE MUST. Panel 7. Close on Michelangelo, wincing as he’s nodding, looking down. He’s not used to seeing Leonardo break down like this and it is affecting him. 8) MICHELANGELO: WE MUST.

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PAGE 10 – TITLE PAGE

(titles, credits listed for all pages)

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PAGE 11 (5 panels)

Panels 1-5 should be floating above a reverse-colored starfield (i.e., stars are black and space is white) we see between and behind them, this representing Entropy – absolute nothingness.

Panel 1. The future. We see an old, blind Donatello bracing himself with his walking cane in front of a tombstone marked “Michelangelo, 1970 - 2058.” An equally elderly Leonardo is there (with his cybernetic “bokken” katana sword seen in Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 #41 and others) with a supportive hand laid on Don’s shoulder as the two stand in quiet reverie.

1) SAVANTI ROMERO (O.P.): “AH, THE NINJA TURTLES. THE BANE OF MY EXISTANCE, THEY CAME INTO MY LIFE BY CHANCE, YET REMAIN SO INEXORABLY A PART OF IT.”

2) CAP: 2095.

Panel 2. The near future (circa TMNT Volume 4). We see the Turtles – in their 30s –sitting around a table playing cards awkwardly. Raphael is in his mutated “Gamera-Raph” form, Donatello is inside his robot body, Michelangelo is in his black armored bodysuit, and Leonardo looking normal (though with bandanna down). Everyone seems to be looking uneasily at Raphael who exudes a “devil-may-care” swagger.

3) SAVANTI ROMERO (O.P.): “SEVERAL TIMES OVER THEY HAVE BELIEVED ME DEAD, BANISHED, OR WORSE.”

4) CAP: 2002. Panel 3. The recent past (circa Image/Volume 3). The Turtles are sparring with each other in their cemetery lair – Donatello as a cyborg, Raphael with his Shredder armor on (except for the helmet, though he is wearing an eyepatch over his left eye), Leonardo with a blade extended from his left arm-stump (he is missing a hand), while Michelangelo seems to be the only normal one there. KLUNK observing from somewhere. 5) SAVANTI ROMERO (O.P.): “I WAS NEARLY LOST IN OUR LAST

ENCOUNTER BUT THE TURTLES MADE A GRAVE MISTAKE THAT DAY.”

6) CAP: 1989. Panel 4. The past (circa TMNT Vol. 1, #1). The Turtles encircling the Shredder in that first, fateful rooftop confrontation. 7) SAVANTI ROMERO (O.P.): “IT DID TAKE TIME TO FREE MYSELF FROM MY

PLACE OF IMPRISONMENT…” 8) CAP: 1985.

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Panel 5. The distant past. The Turtles are seen as baby red-eared slider turtles inside a glass bowl inside a pet store. A KID (Chester “Chet” Manly) now ogles the baby turtles from outside the glass, maybe tapping it. 9) SAVANTI ROMERO (O.P.): “… AND LONGER STILL TO LEARN HOW TO

HARNESS THE POWER I HAD ABSORBED, THE THINGS I HAVE SEEN. THE POWER THE TURTLES HAD INADVERTEDLY GIVEN ME. IT WAS AT A LEVEL I HAD NEVER KNOWN!”

10) CAP: 1970.

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PAGE 12 (5 panels) Panel 1. A horned, silhouetted FIGURE floating suspended in what appears to be a starfield of stars, nebulae, and other cosmic phenomena… but with reversed colors (space is white, stars are black). His back is to us, with arms outstretched in a Christ-like pose. In front of the figures we see the same panels we saw on Page 1 spread out and arrayed in front of them, as if they were floating display monitors. We get the sense that this figure is peering into time itself. 1) SAVANTI ROMERO: THEY HAVE COST ME SO MUCH. MY

KINGDOM, REPEATED HUMILIATION, MILLENNIA UPON MILLENNIA OF BANISHMENT AND IMPRISONMENT.

2) CAP: THE END OF TIME, ENTROPY.

Panel 2. Close-up on the figure’s taloned hand as it forms a fist. 3) SAVANTI ROMERO: MOST GREVIOUS OF ALL, DID THEY TRULY

THINK I WOULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT THEY DID?

Panel 3. The hand opens now, outstretched a little. Some magic energies begin to swirl around it. 4) SAVANTI ROMERO: WHO THEY TOOK FROM ME? WHO THEY

MURDERED WHEN I WAS NOT THERE TO PROTECT HER?*

Panel 4. Another hand begins to materialize in his hand (kind of halfway skeletal, still forming), holding it. The hand is feminine. 5) SAVANTI ROMERO: NO MORE.

6) SAVANTI ROMERO: SAVANTI JULIET… RISE NOW… 7) CAP: *SEE TMNT VOL. 1, #42.

Panel 5. Big panel showing SAVANTI ROMERO hovering beside SAVANTI JULIET, Juliet gazing lovingly at him as he points a taloned finger forward at the panel showing the Turtles as baby petshop Turtles in 1969, big grin on his face. Nice look at both Savantis.

8) SAVANTI ROMERO: JOIN ME FOR THE TWILIGHT OF THE TURTLES. OH YES, THEIR END IS NIGH! THEIR UTTER ERASURE IS AT HAND! ALL THANKS TO OUR BENEFACTOR.

9) SAVANTI JULIET: I HAVE MISSED YOU, HUSBAND OF MINE. BUT NOW…

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PAGE 13 (6 panels) Panel 1. Close on Juliet resting her head lovingly on Romero’s shoulder. 1) SAVANTI JULIET: … VENGEANCE ON THE TURTLES YOU

SAY? Panel 2. Establishing shot of the PALISADE, an enormous structure piercing the heavens looking out of place amongst what appears to be Rome, frozen in time in the year 137 B.C.. Great chronal energy courses through the Palisade like a lightning rod, shooting and drawing it from the skies/space at the same time. 2) SAVANTI JULIET (O.P.): “THERE’S A MEDDLING TRAMP THAT WE

SIMPLY MUST TAKE CARE OF FIRST.”

3) SAVANTI ROMERO (O.P.): “OH, I THINK I KNOW JUST THE ONE.”

4) CAP: THE 79TH LEVEL OF NULL-TIME.

Panel 3. Close on RENET TILLEY’s face, eyes wide in shock and sweat beads roll down her temples. Something is wrong.

5) RENET: OH NO… OH, GODS. SHE DIED. I KILLED HER… AND HIM… THE EYE…

Panel 4. Wider on Renet as she staggers against a wall, bracing herself with a hand. She appears now to be the oldest we’ve ever seen, in her “Mistress of Time” persona, as she did in TMNT Vol. 1, #42 (see renet5.jpg). Surroundings are the interior of the palisade – same vaguely castle-like structure we saw her inside before she travelled in time to first meet the Turtles in the original TMNT Vol. 1, #8. 6) RENET: TH-THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING… NOT NOW.

H-HE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO GET OUT!

Panel 5. Wider still on Renet, who seems to be in great pain. Ghostly facsimiles of her former selves appear at both of her sides: Renet as a teenager in TMNT Vol. 1, #8, Renet as a young woman in TMNT Vol. 1, #46/47, Renet as a little bit older young woman in Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 #69, and Renet as a grown adult in TMNT Vol. 4, #11. All of these facsimiles seem to have expressions of pain and discomfort. 7) RENET: NOT MUCH TIME… *URGH!* I-I’M SLIPPING

AWAY, UNRAVELING…

Panel 6. Renet glowing brightly, teeth clenched in anger. She is sweating more now. Her ghostly former selves begin to vanish.

8) RENET: THAT BASTARD’S ALREADY GOT ME… I CAN FEEL IT. KILLED ONE OF MY ANCESTORS, MAYBE… D-DOESN’T MATTER, I KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO DO.

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PAGE 14 (6 panels) Panel 1. Renet vanishes in a flash of chronal energy.

1) DONATELLO, O.P.: “PLAY ALL OF JOHN COLTRANE’S MY FAVORITE THINGS, THE NINETEEN NINETY-EIGHT RHINO RECORDS REISSUE, INCLUDING THE TWO BONUS TRACKS…”

Panel 2. Establishing exterior shot of Donatello’s home in Japan. Should look more or less as we saw it before on the first page of the Plastron Café #1 story “Old Times.” 2) DONATELLO (O.P.): “… AND PLACE ON LOOP UNTIL I’VE BEEN

ASLEEP FOR ONE HALF-HOUR. GOOD NIGHT, COMPUTER.”

3) CAP: 2105. HONDA PROVINCE, JAPAN.

Panel 3. Donatello drifting to sleep in his bed with a young, weepy Renet at his side. This is the same scene we saw in the epilogue of the “Tales of the TMNT” Vol. 1 “Treasury Edition.”

Panel 4. As the younger Renet begins to vanish into the Timestream, we see the older Renet from our story materializing next to where she’s vanishing. 4) RENET: DONATELLO, PLEASE WAKE UP!

Panel 5. Side view of Donatello stirring groggily awake and sitting up a bit as Renet finishes materializing. She is leaning toward him, laying both hands on his arms or hands pleadingly.

5) DONATELLO: RENET…?

6) RENET: IT’S ME. PLEASE, THERE ISN’T MUCH TIME. NOT FOR EITHER ONE OF US!

7) DONATELLO: I KNOW YOU ARE MISTRESS OF TIME NOW. I KNOW WHAT TONIGHT WAS TO BE… IF YOU ARE HERE TO SAY GOODBYE, I --

Panel 6. Donatello stands and begin to walk away from her, using his cane for support. She begins to follow him.

8) RENET: NO, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! SAVANTI ROMERO HAS ESCAPED THE EYE OF AGA-MOO- TOU MORE POWERFUL THAN EVER!

9) DONATELLO: HE COULD NOT HAVE ESCAPED. THE EYE ABSORBED HIM.*

10) CAP: *SEE TALES OF THE TMNT VOL 2., #32.

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PAGE 15 (6 panels) Panel 1. Renet following the elderly Donatello down a hallway toward a living room. She seems annoyed that he is not paying her much heed at this point. 1) RENET: ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? HE’S OUT AND HE HAS

RESURRECTED HIS WIFE, JULIET! 2) DONATELLO: I AM VERY TIRED, RENET. TONIGHT… TONIGHT

WAS TO BE MY FINAL SLEEP. I WAS TO JOIN MY BROTHERS AT LAST.

Panel 2. Donatello stopping before some grandiose windows in his living room. His wrinkled brow furrows. 3) DONATELLO: BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT, DIDN’T YOU?

WHAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND IS WHY YOU WOULD COME TO ME WITH THIS AS I’M NOW, BLIND AND FEEBLE.

4) RENET: THEY HAVE ALREADY KILLED ME, DONNIE, I

HAVE BUT MINUTES. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO TRAVEL TO ONE OF YOU AT THE CLOSEST POINT TO ME IN THE TIMESTREAM, WHICH IS “NOW.”

Panel 3. Donatello peering down as Renet looks at him desperately. 5) RENET: HERE, JUST BEFORE YOU… 6) DONATELLO: I UNDERSTAND. HOW CAN I HELP? 7) RENET: IT’S SIMPLE.

Panel 4. Close on Renet, intense as she starts to glow. She clasps each hand on Donatello’s shoulders. Energy begins to travel between her to him, just slightly now.

8) RENET: TAKE MY POWER, ALL OF IT THAT’S LEFT…

Panel 5. Renet in great pain as massive energy courses from her body and mouth into Donatello, who also reacts with great pain, wincing as he takes it in.

9) RENET: … AND DO WHAT YOU MUST!

Panel 6. Donatello is left crouching, sapped and spent on the floor, his body smoking. Renet is gone, only a blackened smoking spot where she was standing left now. It’s a little bit smoky around him so it should be a little bit hard to tell, but Donatello is now wearing robes similar to what Renet was wearing a moment ago. 10) RENET (O.P.): I LOVE YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS… NEVER FORGET….

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PAGE 16 (6 panels) Panel 1. Donatello bringing himself to his feet, bracing himself strongly on his cane. A few errant bolts of electricity/energy pulse through him (just a few). We get a better look at him in his new Renet-like robes now that the smoke has cleared.

1) CAP: MY ODYSSEY HAD BEGUN. IT SEEMED CLEAR TO ME RIGHT AWAY, HOWEVER…

2) DONATELLO: I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU, RENET TILLEY.

3) DONATELLO: SISTER.

Panel 2. Donatello clasping his cane in front of him intently, chronal energy pulsing through him and it.

4) CAP: I WAS GOING TO REQUIRE MY BROTHERS. 5) DONATELLO: CHET, SECURE THE HOUSE. I WILL BE OUT FOR

SOME TIME.

Panel 3. Establishing shot of San Francisco, and the same tree-house we saw in Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 #41.

6) CAP: I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE -- OR WHEN -- MY POWERS WOULD TAKE ME TO FIRST. WHEN I ARRIVED IT WOULD QUICKLY MAKE SENSE.

7) CAP: 2099. SAN FRANCISCO. Panel 4. Donatello in the foreground entering the bedchamber/treehouse of Leonardo. Leonardo is sitting cross-legged with his back to Donatello (his futuristic “bokken” katana strapped to his shell), head turned sideways.

8) LEONARDO: I WAS PREPARING MYSELF FOR THE NEXT LIFE JUST NOW. TONIGHT WAS TO BE MY LAST NIGHT.

9) DONATELLO: SO WAS I.

Panel 5. Leonardo standing, more properly greeting his brother. Closer on them now. 10) CAP: LEONARDO. PERHAPS HE WAS NOT A BORN

LEADER…

11) LEONARDO: TELL ME, DONATELLO -- WHY WAS I EXPECTING YOU TO COME? CURIOUS.

Panel 6. Leonardo walking outside his treehouse homestead, standing and gazing into the sunrise with arms crossed. Donatello is hobbling behind him with his cane.

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12) CAP: … BUT HE WAS PRETTY DAMN CLOSE. IT WAS SO GOOD TO SEE HIM AGAIN.

13) LEONARDO: I AM READY. WHO’S NEXT?

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PAGE 17 (6 panels)

Panel 1. Wide establishing shot of a marshy area near some trees. We can just make out a figure crawling on his belly from what appears to be smoking, burning hover skiffs (think the craft that carried Luke and Han to the Sarlacc pit in Return of the Jedi) behind him near the “shoreline.”

1) CAP: WE WERE LEFT TO WONDER ABOUT THE FATE OF OUR MOST STUBBORN BROTHER FOR MANY YEARS.

2) CAP: 2081. DARIÉN PROVINCE, PANAMA.

Panel 2. A straw-hatted, cloaked Raphael crawling toward the reader, and we can now clearly see the burning/smoking hover skiffs and maybe a few bodies of hunters behind him. Raphael should appear elderly, and dressed as he did in Puma Blues #20 (only exception is he has no sais on him, just a single sai-staff we can’t see yet). He is wounded – shell cracked, shot multiple times – and very bloody, leaving a trail of it behind as he crawls. It is very likely he is dying.

3) CAP: SINCE DRIFTING APART RAPHAEL ALWAYS SEEMED TO FIND HIMSELF BACK IN THE FLOOD-SUFFERING LOWLANDS. YAMANASHI, HOUMA, THEN HE WOULD HEAD SOUTH.

Panel 3. An angle on a destroyed hover skiff, some hunters laid out dead in front of it (maybe some shuriken and arrows visibly sticking out of their heads and bodies).

4) CAP: OUR ENEMIES WERE LONG SINCE VANQUISHED…

Panel 4. Another angle on the destruction left in Raphael’s wake: here we see giant, opened cages that must have been knocked off the hover skiffs. The last of the animals that must have been trapped there can be seen scurrying off on their way (some alligators and/or the hover manta rays from Puma Blues #20).

5) CAP: … BUT HE WOULD FIND NEW ONES IN THE SWAMPLANDS. HUNTERS, PIRATES…ANYTHING AND ANYONE, REALLY.

Panel 5. A different angle on Raphael crawling, now as he makes his way to a particular tree, intently. His good eye barely open as he peers at the stuffed bear from his childhood that sits there. He reaches out to it weakly with a bloody hand.

6) CAP: THE THOUGHT OF OUR BROTHER DYING ALONE HAUNTED US.

Panel 6. As Raphael’s head collapses to the ground (face-plant), we see two pairs of legs materialize in front of him. We don’t see who their owners are but we should be able to recognize the legs as belonging to our time-travelling Donatello and Leonardo.

7) CAP: HE DIDN’T HAVE TO.

8) RAPHAEL: URH…?

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PAGE 18 (5 panels) Panel 1. Donatello helping Raphael to his feet as Leonardo watches. Some energy visibly courses from Donatello’s body and arm into Raphael’s body. 1) CAP: WE COULD SEE HE WAS BADLY HURT. THIS HAD TO

HAVE BEEN THE DAY HE DIED. 2) DONATELLO: COME, MY BROTHER. BE HEALED. 3) DONATELLO: HERE GOES NOTHING...AH, GOOD! 4) RAPHAEL: DON, LEO -- HOW… OH, HELL. Panel 2. Raphael taking off his straw hat, holding it in front of him. He seems ashamed of something, brow furrowed. Leo is talking. 5) RAPHAEL: IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH. 6) LEONARDO: IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO, RAPH…BUT WE’RE

HERE ON BUSINESS.

Panel 3. Raphael putting his straw hat on top of his stuffed animal on the ground near the tree. He’s turning to look at his brothers as he does so. 7) RAPHAEL: OH? 8) LEONARDO (O.P.): ONE LAST MISSION. 9) DONATELLO (O.P.): SAVANTI ROMERO AND JULIET ARE ERASING US

FROM EXISTANCE. GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE. Panel 4. Raphael pulls out a folded in-half baseball cap from under his garments (probably tucked under his belt on either side and begins to put it on. Donatello emphatically going on, talking. 10) DONATELLO (O.P.): THEY’VE ALREADY GOTTEN RENET AND I HAVE NO

IDEA HOW LONG WE HAVE UNTIL -- 11) RAPHAEL: THAT’S ENOUGH. Panel 5. All three Turtles standing together, beginning to dematerialize into the Timestream. Leonardo has a hand on Raphael’s shoulder. Donatello has a weak smile. 12) RAPHAEL: LET’S GET MIKEY. IT SOUNDS TO ME...

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PAGE 19 (5 panels) Panel 1. Large panel Savanti Romero and Juliet casually walking down a street in New York City (or perhaps they could be just slightly hovering off the ground), both of them murdering cops and civilians with searing, magical energy blasts from their hands. They cackle as they go, enjoying this. 1) CAP (RAPHAEL): “…LIKE WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO BE SCREWIN’

AROUND.” 2) SAVANTI ROMERO: CATTLE. SO MANY YEARS LEFT ONLY TO MY

THOUGHTS, I’D ALMOST FORGOTTEN HOW TRULY WEAK THESE FLESHLINGS ARE.

3) SAVANTI ROMERO: HOW I ONCE WAS. 4) SAVANTI JULIET: [magical symbol word like she often spoke in TMNT

Vol. 1, #42]!

5) COP #1: HALT! I SAID HALT!

6) COP #2: AIIIIGHHH!!!

7) CAP: 1970. NEW YORK CITY.

Panel 2. Savanti Romero blowing up a police car as SWAT team bullets ricochet off of an invisible forcefield surrounding his body. 8) SAVANTI ROMERO: IN THE END, JULIET, WILL ANY OF THIS

MATTER? THE MASTER -- 9) SAVANTI JULIET (O.P): OH YES, LOVE. IT WILL. Panel 3. Juliet gazing lovingly at Romero as she almost distractedly sets ablaze a number of horrified bystanders. 10) SAVANTI JULIET: [another magical symbol word]! 11) SAVANTI JULIET: NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, WE WILL NOT

BE DENIED OUR VENGEANCE! Panel 4. An endarkened profile of THE SHOGUN floating at the End of Time, his back to us. Similar to how we saw Savanti gazing at various timelines in front of him (there, appearing as panels arrayed in front of him), there should be a lot in front of the Shogun here as well. Quite a few, maybe 12, or as many as can fit smoothly. Energy seems to be gathering in both hands/arms, which are outstretched to either side. 12) SAVANTI JULIET (CAP): “NO MATTER WHAT THE SHOGUN IS

PLANNING. HE OR HIS PET. OR THE OTHER.”

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13) SAVANTI ROMERO (CAP): “CAN WE BE SURE OF THAT?” Panel 5. Close on the side of the Shogun, perhaps from torso up, as he gazes. Dressed largely in black, we can see he is wearing a somewhat Japanese-esque noh mask and is quite burly. He has Shredder-like blades on his forearms and wrists, real long and menacing. 14) SAVANTI JULIET (CAP): “THERE IS SO MUCH ABOUT HIM THAT

REMAINS A MYSTERY TO ME.”

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PAGE 20 (7 panels) Panel 1. Michelangelo walking down a mostly-empty city street in Sri Lanka, approaching a very tall flight of stairs off the sidewalk. Red Cross aircars buzz by. Homeless, starving, perhaps even some dead people can be seen as he passes. He should be middle-aged-to-elderly, dressed like he did in the few pages we see him in in the Tales of the TMNT Vol. 1 Treasury Edition (but not QUITE as elderly as he appeared there), but with a gun holstered at his side as well. He is pulling what appear to be his belongings (on a hovering cart behind him. 1) CAP: HE HAD BEEN A NINJA, AN AUTHOR, A COMMANDER IN

THE TRICERATON REPUBLIC, BUT NOTHING PREPARED MICHELANGELO FOR WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN SHADOW AND MYSELF. HE COULDN’T LET IT GO.

2) CAP: 2058. SRI LANKA. Panels 2 & 3. Small panels that give us quick, closer glimpses of the people living in squalor on the streets – a very real fact of life in 2058 post-apocalyptic Earth. Confine to one panel if page is cramped or add more if possible/appropriate. 3) CAP: MAYBE IT BEGAN A LOT SOONER THAN THAT. WITH

SERI. WITH THE CHILDREN. HORRIDUS. 4) CAP: WITH SPLINTER. Panel 4. Close on Michelangelo’s face, wincing in pain, grief, and sympathy as he walks. 5) CAP: THE UTROMS HAD LEFT OUR PLANET LONG AGO. LONG

AGO, TOO, WE HAD LOST SIGHT OF THE TIES OF OUR BROTHERHOOD.

6) CAP: HE NEVER DID. Panel 5. Michelangelo making his way up the long staircase. There is a kind of public Transmat device atop it, like a terminal. It looks a little dodgy, as if in a questionable state of repair. 7) CAP: ONE DAY HE DECIDED TO LEAVE THE EARTH ONCE AND

FOR ALL. HE NEVER SAID WHERE HE WAS GOING, TRICERATON SPACE? THE UTROM HOMEWORLD? WE WOULD NEVER KNOW.

Panel 6. Michelangelo nearing the top of the stairs, getting winded. He’s not really looking up right now, but we see our Leo, Raph, and Don materialize there in front of the base of the Transmat.

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8) CAP: HE WOULD NEVER ARRIVE. A FREAK ACCIDENT WOULD SCATTER HIS ATOMS THAT DAY, KILLING HIM INSTANTLY IN TRANSMAT. HIS REMAINS, IDENTIFIABLE ONLY BY DNA.

Panel 7. His brothers putting hands on his shoulders, stopping him in his tracks before he can get too close to the Transmat. They are all very, very happy to see Michelangelo (who reacts startled and with shock). 9) CAP: NOT TODAY, THOUGH. 10) RAPHAEL: MIKEY. 11) MICHELANGELO: BROTHERS…

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PAGE 21 (5 panels) Panel 1. The four Turtles sitting kind of leisurely on the ledge of a structure at the mountainous summit of Sri Prada. Perhaps silhouetted against a sunset on the horizon. Should be a bit picturesque. 1) CAP: I KNEW WE SHOULD HAVE KEPT ON MOVING, BUT AFTER

LIFETIMES APART WE TALKED. 2) CAP: LATER, THE PEAK OF ADAM… Panel 2. Donatello rising up, bracing himself with his walking cane, his back to the others as he talks. This gives us a new angle and view of the surroundings and sunset. There should be children playing here, adults of different religions praying. 3) CAP: WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WAS AT STAKE. 4) DONATELLO: RENET GAVE ME THE LAST OF HER POWER BEFORE SHE

DIED. I’M LEARNING, BUT I’M ILL-EQUIPPED TO USE IT. 5) RAPHAEL: AND YOU AIN’T NO SPRING CHICKEN. HELL, NONE OF US

HERE ARE NO MORE. COME TO THINK OF IT… Panel 3. Raphael approaching Donatello. 6) RAPHAEL: … WHY ARE YOU PICKING US UP IN OUR GOLDEN YEARS,

HUH? WHY NOT WHEN WE WERE ALL, Y’KNOW, 18, 19? 7) DONATELLO: IT’S LIKE A RIDE ON A RAIL, RAPHAEL. I CAN TURN IT OFF

AND ON BUT I CAN’T CHANGE THE COURSE. 8) DONATELLO: MY THEORY? RENET’S CHRONAL ENERGIES WERE

WEAKENED. SHE GAVE ME WHAT SHE COULD…NOT MUCH, BUT ENOUGH TO SET ME ALONG A PRE- DETERMINED COURSE BACK THROUGH THE TIMESTREAM.

Panel 4. The faces of Leo, Raph, and Mike. 9) DONATELLO (O.P.): 2099, 2081, 2058…CHRONOLOGICALLY BACKWARDS,

AT POINTS JUST BEFORE OUR ENDS. 10) RAPHAEL: AND NOW THAT YOU HAVE ALL OF US? NOW THAT

WE’RE ALL TOGETHER AGAIN? Panel 5. Close on Donatello’s torso/face. He is roaring, mouth open, brow furrowed in determined anger. It is not often we see Donatello this way.

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11) DONATELLO: WE GO TO 1970 NOW, WHERE THE SAVANTIS AWAIT US -- WE STOP THEM!

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PAGE 22 (6 panels) Panel 1. Back to that New York street. Savanti Romero pointing almost to the reader while Savanti Juliet whips around to look where he’s pointing with almost feverish, ravenous interest. 1) SAVANTI ROMERO: THERE! JUST AHEAD. 2) SAVANTI JULIET: AH-HAH! Panel 2. Wide, sort of a ¾ bird’s eye view of the area. We see the Savantis in the middle, Romero pointing ahead to a store with a prominent main sign marked, “BIG APPLE FISH & PETS.” Behind and around them is a trail of chaos, fire, rubble (burning vehicles, blasted buildings, etc.), and dead bodies and smoking skeletons. 3) SAVANTI ROMERO: A PITY. THIS IS ALL GOING TO GO PRETTY

FAST FROM HERE ON, ISN’T IT? 4) SAVANTI JULIET: LET’S TAKE OUR TIME THEN, LOVE. IT’S

TRUE -- Panel 3. Inside the pet store, we see a panicked, crying Chet holding his father and vice versa as they look out the window at the approaching Savantis. We can see the aquarium with the four turtles in one corner. 5) SAVANTI JULIET (O.P.): “-- WE CAN ONLY KILL THEM ONCE.” 6) CHET’S FATHER: SHHH. EASY, CHESTER. EVERYTHING’S

GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. Panel 4. Angle on Romero and Juliet as they raise their arms to their sides, as if really charging/gathering up magical/ethereal energies. Devilish smiles on both demonic faces. 7) SAVANTI ROMERO: ARE YOU READY, DEAREST? 8) SAVANTI JULIET: YES, HUSBAND. 9) LEONARDO (O.P.): STOP! Panel 5. Small panel with Romero and Juliet’s heads turning around in annoyance to see where the voice is coming from. 10) SAVANTI JULIET: WHO WOULD DARE? 11) SAVANTI ROMERO: I KNOW THAT VOICE.

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Panel 6. The four Turtles assuming battle positions. Donatello holding his walking cane in front of him (I’m not sure how someone can hold a walking cane in a menacing/fight position… but see what you can do here), Leonardo in front brandishing his futuristic bokken sword at the Savantis, Raphael holding his sai-staff (just one of his sai mounted on the end of a staff, I think there was a Dooney painting of Old Raphael wielding something like this I’ll send as a ref), and Michelangelo holding his gun with his right hand and with his left having a nunchuk out and tucked under his armpit. 12) DONATELLO: THIS ENDS NOW!

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PAGE 23 (2 panels) Panel 1. Great big panel, taking up most of the page. A splash of the Turtles rushing the Savantis, weapons poised. 1) LEONARDO: FORM UP, BROTHERS -- STRIKE HARD! 2) RAPHAEL: HELL, I’VE BEEN WAITING TO DO THIS SHIT

FOR EIGHTY YEARS! 3) SAVANTI ROMERO: OH, COME ONE, COME ALL! “THIS ENDS

NOW”…? PAH! 4) SAVANTI JULIET: YES, HUSBAND! YES! Panel 2. Little floating panel of the Savantis, basically just an in-the-moment reaction shot of them. Raging mad, ready to tear into their arch enemies. 5) SAVANTI ROMERO: YOUR END IS NOW!

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PAGE 24 (7 panels) Panel 1. Donatello with his cane up, chronal energies flaring as he apparently deflects the oncoming energies from Savanti Romero. We can see Raphael charging in from the side while Donatello holds Savanti’s interest. 1) CAP: WE WERE TOO EAGER. WE RUSHED INTO THINGS WITH ALL OUR SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS FACE-FIRST. 2) DONATELLO: I DON’T THINK SO, SAVANTI! 3) RAPHAEL: URRR… Panel 2. Michelangelo pelting Savanti Juliet back with bolts fired from his gun, twirling a nunchaku in the other. 4) MICHELANGELO: WE SAW YOU DIE! 5) SAVANTI JULIET: ONLY FAIR I RETURN THE FAVOR! Panel 3. Savanti Romero and Juliet look at each other in joined rage, sardonic smiles. Silent understanding. 6) CAP: WE MISSED ENTIRELY THE WRITING ON THE WALL. IT HAD BEEN THERE THE WHOLE TIME. Panel 4. Inside the pet store, Chet and his father holding one another, eyes closed. Shared tears. They know what’s coming now, there’s no stopping it. 7) CAP: WE DIDN’T SEE… Panel 5. Little hovering panel of the four turtles inside the aquarium. Struggling against the glass, helpless. 8) CAP: … THAT WE WERE ALREADY DOOMED. Panel 6. The Savantis burning/blowing up the pet store in a grand conflagration. 9) SFX: KRAK-KOOM!!! Panel 7. Raphael, teeth-gritted, impaling Savanti Romero in the gut with his sai-staff, legitimately caught off-guard while his focus is on fending off Donatello. 10) SAVANTI ROMERO: URKH!

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PAGE 25 (6 panels) Panel 1. Savanti Romero blowing off/back Raphael with a magic/energy charge, his sai-staff being pulled out along with him, a bloody trail following away from him from the source of Savanti’s wound. We see Leonardo taking up a position in the background. 1) SAVANTI ROMERO: OH, THE… NERVE! 2) RAPHAEL: UT! 3) SFX: SHHHKKK!!! Panel 2. Close on Leonardo, coiled up like a tiger, bokken sword ready and glowing. 4) SAVANTI ROMERO (O.P.): ERASING YOU ALL WILL BE SO SWEET. Panel 3. Larger panel of Savanti Romero and Juliet pouring the energy on as the pet shop burns behind them, catching Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello off-guard. Donatello is able to hold at bay the energy they are dishing out at him, but only so much and he is clearly strained. 5) SAVANTI: ALMOST MORE THAN THE TIME BRAT… I

CAN’T BELIEVE WE USED TO DATE. 6) JULIET: WHAT DID YOU SAY, HUSBAND?! Panel 4. Thin (heigh-wise) panel of Leonardo’s brow, eyes becoming slits. 7) SAVANTI (O.P.): NEVER YOU MIND, BLOSSOM. BEFORE

YOUR TIME. 8) LEONARDO: ONE CHANCE… Panel 5 & 6. Leonardo leaping to action, chopping off Savanti Romero’s whole right arm as it continues to spew energy. He is aghast, as is Juliet. 9) LEONARDO: HUT! 10) SAVANTI: AIIIEEEE!!! 11) SFX: SKSH!!!

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PAGE 26 (6 panels) Panel 1. Savanti Romero blowing back Leonardo with his energies, Juliet assisting. 1) SAVANTI: Y-YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT, CRETINOUS

REPTILE! 2) LEONARDO: OOMPH! Panel 2. The Turtles all in basically a heap now, the pet shop burning behind them, the energies from the Savantis being poured upon them (think the Emperor in Return of the Jedi pouring his electrical Dark Side energies onto Luke). 3) JULIET: BURN, SAME AS YOUR BITCH OF A FRIEND

MADE ME! 4) SAVANTI: MANNERS, DEAR… Panel 3. Michelangelo laying a hand painstakingly on Don’s shoulder as they all writhe in pain. 5) SAVANTI (O.P.): … THIS IS THE MOMENT. Panel 4. Romero and Juliet walking forward, crazed looks on their faces. They’ve stopped the energy torrents for the moment, their hands/arms smoking from what they’ve already dished out. This is their endgame, they know it. Win lose or draw they’ve already won.

6) SAVANTI: IT IS THE MOMENT WE FINALLY BEAT THEM. Panel 5. The Turtles huddling, getting ready for what’s coming. They’re ready. 7) SAVANTI (O.P.): VANQUISHED THEM, UTTERLY. REMEMBER IT.

SAVOR IT. 8) JULIET (O.P.): HUSBAND, WHAT IS THAT? Panel 6. Angle on Romero and Juliet, unsettled. They twist their heads to look as a great shadow becomes cast over them both. 9) SAVANTI: WHAT ON EARTH? 10) CAP: IT WASN’T ANYTHING ON EARTH. BUT IT WAS

SOMETHING STRANGELY FAMILIAR JUST THE SAME.

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PAGE 27 (5 panels) Panel 1. Largest panel on the page. CUDLEY COWLICK arrives on the scene, hovering above the Turtles as the Savantis look on in dismay. Cudley is smiling broadly, in proper exaggerated Cudley fashion. He seems worn down, though, a little “rough around the edges,” perhaps even wounded or sickly (just a bit). 1) CAP: CUDLEY THE COWLICK. TRANSDIMENSIONAL

COWLICK. FRIEND. 2) CAP: WE’D RUN INTO HIM ONCE BEFORE UNDER

DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, SOME MAYBE JUST AS DIRE.*

3) CUDLEY COWLICK: GREETINGS, TURTLES! 4) CUDLEY COWLICK: HELLO, MICHELANGELO! 5) CAP: SEE TALES OF THE TMNT VOL. 2, #52 & 58. Panel 2. The Turtles more or less greeting Cudley. Michelangelo in particular seems to light up. 6) MICHELANGELO: CUDLEY! 7) DONATELLO: IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME, BUT I REMEMBER

HOW THIS GOES. LEO SHOULD TOO. Panel 3. Cudley opening his mouth wide, about to suck in the Turtles. 8) CUDLEY: PLEASE RELAX YOUR BODIES. Panel 4. All-black panel, skinny (height-wise). 9) SFX: SLUUUURRRPP!!! Panel 5. The Savantis enraged, throwing and belting magical energies forth in vain as Cudley speeds off into the sky. 10) SAVANTI JULIET: NO! THEY ARE GETTING AWAY, WE MUST -- 11) SAVANTI ROMERO: LET THE COWLICK TAKE THEM, LOVE. THE

SHOGUN HELD UP HIS END OF THE BARGAIN AND WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WHAT WE CAME HERE TO DO. NOW…

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PAGE 28 (6 panels) Panel 1. Wide establishing shot of Stump Asteroid. It seems to be, now, a blasted smoking ruin. Additionally, something seems to be going on with space itself, a mixture of black and swirls of encroaching white Entropy.

1) SAVANTI ROMERO (CAP,O.P.): “THE TURTLES ARE ON BORROWED TIME.”

2) CAP: STUMP ASTEROID, DIMENSION X. Panel 2. Cudley resting on the ground, kind of tilted to one side on his neck stump-dome as he talks to the Turtles, who stand in front of him in the middle of the same coliseum we saw in TMNT Adventures #7 (only now it seems ruined, from some recent war or conflict). 3) CUDLEY COWLICK: TIME IS SHORT, TURTLES, FOR MY LIFE

AND FOR MY DIMENSION. 4) DONATELLO: PRETTY SURE WE JUST WATCHED

OURSELVES BURN TO DEATH AS BABY TURTLES. I’M UP ENOUGH ON MY TEMPORAL MECHANICS TO KNOW WE’RE NOT EXACTLY SITTING PRETTY EITHER.

5) CUDLEY: I WILL BE QUICK, THEN. 6) LEONARDO: WE OWE YOU, CUDLEY. Panel 3. Michelangelo walking up to Cudley, arm outstretched. 7) CUDLEY: THERE IS A GREAT EVIL AT THE END OF

TIME WHERE ALL OF TIME, CREATION, AND THE MULTIVERSE BLEED OUT.

8) MICHELANGELO: WHO, SAVANTI ROMERO AND HIS WITCH OF A WIFE? WE CAN --

9) CUDLEY: NO, MICHELANGELO.

Panel 4. Angle on Cudley speaking to Michelangelo, Michelangelo’s shell to us.

10) CUDLEY: THERE IS ANOTHER BEING BEHIND THEM BOTH.

Panel 5. Donatello pointing his staff forward, determinedly.

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11) DONATELLO: YOU HAVE OUR THANKS, BUT WE DIDN’T COME WITH YOU TO JUST CURL UP AND DIE.

12) CUDLEY: I KNEW YOU WOULD SAY THAT, FRIEND DONATELLO. I’VE SAVED YOUR LIVES NOT ONLY TO GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO UNDO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BUT TO STOP THE ERASURE OF ALL THINGS.

Panel 6. Cudley smiling weakly, as if masking some great inner (non-physical) hurt. He begins to hover again (turning away from them a bit as he does), though it is clearly with great effort. The Turtles look up at him with concern. 13) CUDLEY: YOU HAD COUNTERPARTS IN MY

DIMENSION HERE. BRAVE WARRIORS. LIKE THE MUTANIMALS BEFORE THEM THEY FOUGHT TO THEIR ENDS.

14) DONATELLO: WHAT HAPPENED? 15) CUDLEY: THE SHOGUN HAPPENED.

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PAGE 29 (3 panels) – ANGIE PAGE Panel 1. Flashback. An angle on the Archie Future Turtles (in Chris Allan-style, same as they appeared in the TMNT Adventures #65 – same outfits from that, not the Cyber Samurai stuff, but the plainclothes stuff… Don with his big coat, Leo and Mike with their jackets, Raph with his cap and eyepatch but also the big “R” letter on his belt – also see the cover to the Archie collection “Future Tense” but keep the “R” on Raphael in mind) on a piece of earth that seems to be one of just a few columns of earth jutting from a great Entropy/nothingness below and around it. Donatello is carrying Leonardo in his arms, who appears to be dead, and they all seem beaten and worn. All of the Turtles (save Leo, obviously) are peering up, perhaps shielding their eyes with their hands or weapons as if a great blinding light is bearing down on them. 1) LEONARDO (CAP, O.P.): “WHO?” 2) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “A POWERFUL BEING FROM YOUR OWN

DIMENSION PRIME. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT SAVANTI ROMERO IS HIS MYRMIDON.”

Panel 2. Flashback. The Archie universe. On some random-but-obviously-alien world CHERUBAE can be seen laying dead on her back, eyes rolled back and cut/burned badly, fatally. A visceral and unsettling image, perhaps part of her rib cage burned open and exposed, and a forearm missing with some flame-singed bone protruding. The shadow of the nearby Shogun is cast over her partially. 3) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “ARRIVING HERE, AT FIRST HE

SOUGHT THE UNLIMITED POWER OF THE TURNSTONE.”

4) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “I WAS SURE THAT MY FRIEND, CHERUBAE, WOULD TAKE THAT SECRET TO THE GRAVE UNTIL I SAW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. SHE SPOKE OF SARNATH.*”

5) CAP: SEE TMNT ADVENTURES #50.

Panel 3. Flashback. The silhouette of the Shogun, very small, hovering amidst the complete white emptiness of Entropy, his hands/arms extended at each side in a Christ-like fashion. Each open hand is like a mini black hole, simultaneously drawing great power from the Entropy around him as well as dispending it back out as well.

6) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “FROM THE END OF TIME HE RIPPED APART THIS UNIVERSE’S LIFE FORCE, GALACTIC CORE BY GALACTIC CORE UNTIL HE ARRIVED AT ITS EARTH.”

7) CAP: THE END OF TIME.

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PAGE 30 (4 panels) – ANGIE PAGE

Panel 1. Flashback. A cel-shaded look. This is the Fred Wolf cartoon universe and their TMNT, bloody and battered, standing side-by-side with Krang in his android body, Bebop, and Rocksteady as allies (all equally beaten up, probably by falling debris). Bebop and Rocksteady shoot their machine guns into the sky defiantly. We see Leonardo laying on the ground, leaned over the edge of a gigantic crevice that has ripped open in the earth, trying desperately to pull up (and subsequently save the life of) Shredder, who is dangling over it. One of the Turtles appears crushed by a large pipe.

1) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “BUT THIS UNIVERSE WASN’T THE ONLY ONE.”

2) CAP: DIMENSION A.

Panel 2. Flashback. Photo-real (I think a painted look can achieve this). The live-action TMNT, NT:TNM era, standing desperately atop a crumbling column/pillar of earth not unlike we saw the Future Archie TMNT on on the last page. Here is a little more grim, though we see VENUS DE MILO suspending herself in some kind of a protective forcefield with her shinobi magic/chi energy.

3) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “DIMENSION BY DIMENSION HIS EVIL WAS INFLICTED, HIS CRUELTY MATCHED ONLY BY HIS THOROUGHNESS.”

4) CAP: DIMENSION B.

Panel 3. Flashback. A cel-shaded look. The 4Kids Fox cartoon TMNT (needs to really look 4Kids-ish…probably Back to the Sewers/Turtles Forever-era look), bruised and beaten, standing with Bishop in dismay as the world vanishes around them. April, crying, cradles what seems to be a dying Casey Jones (they have wedding rings on).

5) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “THE SHOGUN SUCCEEDED AT DESTROYING UNIVERSES WHERE GALACTOSE AND CH’RELL ONLY ATTEMPTED.”*

6) CAP: *SEE “TURTLES FOREVER” AND TALES OF THE TMNT VOL. 2, #58.

7) CAP: DIMENSION C.

Panel 4. Flashback. CGI. This is the fourth movie TMNT universe. Buildings collapsing around and in front of them, the Turtles are running down an alley in relatively single-file (cracks of Entropy appearing all around and beneath them too) with the nothingness of Entropy behind them but getting closer. We see Michelangelo (he’s pulling up the rear) running with arms flailing, screaming in terrible pain, halfway absorbed/erased by the Entropy. Leonardo, at the front, has tears in his eyes, brow furrowed. He knows he has to continue leading his brothers forward, no matter what.

8) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “IF THE SOURCE OF THIS IS NOT CONFRONTED, THERE WILL BE NO UNDOING WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.”

9) CAP: DIMENSION D.

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PAGE 31 (1 panel) – ANDREW PAGE Panel 1. CGI shot of multiple Earths, decimated and in various states of erasure. The only one left completely intact – so far – is only Dimension Prime’s Earth. 1) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “YOU HAVE TO STOP THE SHOGUN. ONLY THEN

WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO REVERSE WHAT THE SAVANTIS DID TO YOUR PAST. IN TURN, THIS MIGHT EVEN RESTORE THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE OTHER DIMENSIONS.”

2) MICHELANGELO (CAP, O.P.): “GOD, SO MANY WORLDS, SO MANY LIVES…” 3) DONATELLO (CAP, O.P.): “CUDLEY, WHAT CAN WE POSSIBLY DO TO

STOP THIS? WHAT RENET GAVE ME IS… SUBSTANTIAL, MAYBE, BUT I’M NOT A GOD.”

4) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “AND NEITHER IS THE SHOGUN. EVERYTHING IS

TIED TO DIMENSION PRIME, FRIEND DONATELLO. CH’RELL FIGURED THAT OUT ONCE, TOO, BUT HE WAS A MADMAN… AND HE WASN’T ARMED WITH THE TURNSTONE.”

5) CUDLEY (CAP, O.P.): “I APOLOGIZE, MY FRIEND TURTLES, THERE IS

MORE YOU SHOULD KNOW, BUT…”

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PAGE 32 (5 panels)

Panel 1. Cudley with his “back” to the Turtles, who are now all standing at full attention behind him. A somber moment.

1) CUDLEY: … I-I AM WEAK NOW, DYING.

2) MICHELANGELO: PLEASE, CUDLEY. WE --

3) CUDLEY: EVEN WERE I NOT, WHAT’S LEFT OF MY DIMENSION WILL BE SHORTLY. THERE IS NO TIME, YOU MUST CONTINUE ON IF THERE IS ANY HOPE LEFT AT ALL. IF NOT FOR THE MULTIVERSE, THEN AT LEAST FOR THE DIMENSION PRIME THAT YOU AND THE SHOGUN SHARE.

Panel 2. Different angle to better see the TMNT. Leonardo looking particularly determined, flanking Donatello. Cudley hovers down lower, almost to the ground.

4) LEONARDO: WE ARE READY FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD, CUDLEY.

5) RAPHAEL: YOU PROVIDE THE ASS, WE PROVIDE THE KICKIN’.

6) CUDLEY: YOUR RENET SET YOU ON THE PATH. I WILL FURTHER IT. COME NOW, THE END OF TIME AND THE ENEMY OF ALL THINGS AWAITS.

Panel 3. Cudley on the ground now, mouth open and tongue out, the Turtles walking up onto it like a ramp.

7) CAP: DEPARTING DIMENSION X THE SAME WAY WE CAME, OUR ODYSSEY WOULD CONTINUE.

Panel 4. All-black panel, skinny (height-wise).

8) CAP: LIKE CUDLEY SAID, TIME WAS SHORT. OUR MISSION, IMPERATIVE. WE KNEW THE STAKES.

9) SFX: SLUUUURRRPP!!!

Panel 5. Cudley flying toward Earth (the Turtles inside him), which is large in this panel. We can see the planet is almost all green, very lush. The continents have shifted slightly, but not much.

10) MICHELANGELO: WHAT ABOUT ROMERO AND HIS WIFE? WE JUST FORGET ABOUT THEM, JUST GO AFTER THIS SHOGUN GUY INSTEAD?

11) RAPHAEL: I’LL GLADLY KILL ANY ONE OF THOSE MOTHER$@!ERS YOU PUT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I DON’T LIKE THIS.

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PAGE 33 (6 panels) Panel 1. An interesting angle on Cudley as he is soaring downward, through the cloud covering to the green, lush land below. As much as possible let’s see that this is really, really lush… think Pandora from Avatar.

1) CUDLEY: WHO WOULD YOU PREFER CONFRONT, FRIEND TURTLES…THE PUPPETS, OR THE PUPPET MASTER?

2) CAP: 2238 A.D., DIMENSION PRIME.

Panel 2. The Turtles burst forth from Cudley’s mouth to much saliva into what appears to be a lush rainforest-type of exterior environment. Lush trees and vegetation is present (no palm trees, though), but it doesn’t seem quite “normal.”

3) SFX (Cudley burping): BUUUUURRP!!!

4) RAPHAEL: MAN, THIS SHIT IS GETTIN’ OLD REAL FAST.

5) CUDLEY: DON’T WORRY, FRIEND RAPHAEL…

Panel 3. Cudley forcing a weak smile, tongue protruding from the corner of his mouth, his whole mass slumped to one side a little on his dome base. He is very sick, we get the impression taking the Turtles here took everything from him. Leonardo and Michelangelo figure heavily into the foreground. 6) CUDLEY: … IT WILL BE THE LAST TIME. BUT I -- 7) LEONARDO: WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN US? 8) CUDLEY: YOUR FUTURE, YOUR DIMENSION. AS MY OWN WAS

NEAR-COLLAPSE, YOURS PROVIDES THE SUREST COURSE TO THE END OF TIME… A COURSE WHICH CANNOT BE DIRECT.

9) MICHELANGELO: WAIT…DID YOU GUYS HEAR THAT?

Panel 4. Three ORBITAL MONITORS (see page 81 of “Transdimensional TMNT” for their design – a squat sort of turtles in hi-tech spacesuits, kind of, as designed by Jim Lawson) hover down onto the scene, weapons trained on the TMNT and Cudley. 10) ORBITAL MONITOR #1:HALT, TRAVELERS! WE ARE ORBITAL MONITORS

OF THE EARTH-WATCH.

11) ORBITAL MONITOR #2:REMAIN CALM! A FEW WORDS, PLEASE.

12) RAPHAEL: OH GOOD… TARGETS, FINALLY.

Panel 5. Close on Cudley, near-death.

13) CUDLEY: OH DEAR, OH DEAR. I-IT SEEMS I HAVE TO IMPART UPON YOU MY FINAL GIFT TO YOU NOW, TURTLES.

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Panel 6. The Orbital Monitors training their hi-tech weapons firmly on the Turtles, forcing their hands up. 14) ORBITAL MONITOR #1: KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE

THEM, MUTANTS. YOU HAVE BEEN EXPECTED.

15) ORBITAL MONITOR #3: WE WILL NEED TO SCAN THEM FIRST,

COLONEL. 16) CAP: WE DID NOT SEE THIS COMING.

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PAGE 34 (7 panels) Panel 1. Cudley burping and ejecting none other than SLASH. He appears to be exactly the same as he looked in TMNT Adventures #57. He peers around, elated. 1) CUDLEY: HUH-HEKH!!!

2) SLASH: THE VULTURES SHALL FEAST AND SING TONIGHT!

Panels 2-4 are small little panels (maybe little box panels, side-by-side).

Panel 2. Slash ripping into the nearest Orbital Monitor viciously as the Turtles kind of stand there unsure what to make of him. The Orbital Monitor’s armor is pierced like tinfoil. 3) ORBITAL MONITOR #3:PLEASE, WE ONLY MEAN TO -- 4) SLASH: I HELD BACK THE INSECTS*, NOW I WILL HOLD BACK

YOU!

5) SFX: SKSSH!

6) CAP: *SEE TMNT ADVENTURES #57. Panel 3. Slash jamming one of his dual wrist blades into the torso of one Orbital Monitor while stabbing his twisted version of a sai into another. The third Orbital Monitor (the one he attacked in panel 2) weakly fires a stunning blast at his shell but seems unphased. 7) ORBITAL MONITOR #2:EKH, YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND -- 8) ORBITAL MONITOR #1:PLEASE, LISTEN! P -- 9) SLASH: DEATH! SLAUGHTER! YOUR FATE IS SEALED!

Panel 4. Slash going for the Orbital Monitor that just shot him, about to close in for the kill. 10) ORBITAL MONITOR #3:STOP THIS! STOP! Panel 5. The Turtles, Donatello in front, step in between Slash and the last Orbital Monitor, holding him at bay. Donatello’s staff glowing. 11) DONATELLO: THIS CREATURE DOES NOT APPEAR TO WISH US

HARM, FELLOW TURTLE. MAYBE WE SHOULD HEAR HIM OUT?

12) LEONARDO: WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

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Panel 6. Close on Slash, beginning to hold his sai at bay. He gives a wicked expression.

13) SLASH: THE VULTURES NAMED ME SLASH. 14) SLASH: IS THIS PALMADISE? Panel 7. The Turtles speaking to Slash, gesturing emphatically, good-naturedly at one another (except Raphael… he stands with arms crossed, untrusting). 15) CAP: UNSURE WHAT TO MAKE OF CUDLEY’S STRANGE

TURTLE AS MUCH AS THE BEINGS HE HAD JUST STRUCK DOWN, WE MADE OUR INTRODUCTIONS SUITABLY BRIEF.

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PAGE 35 (7 panels)

Panel 1. Donatello and Leonardo standing over the only surviving Orbital Monitor. Angle maybe coming from down low, to give them more presence. If possible, let’s see Michelangelo hanging back, tending to the dying Cudley.

1) LEONARDO: SPEAK, FRIEND. WE WILL HARM YOU NO MORE.

2) ORBITAL MONITOR #3: TH-THANK YOU. M-MY COMRADES AND I ARE PART OF THE EARTH-WATCH. THIS WORLD HAS JUST RECOVERED FROM A GREAT WAR OF ATOMICS. NOW, AFTER THE BOMB, IT HAS BECOME A WORLD OF MUTATIONS.

Panel 2. More of a bird’s eye view of the scene, the lush mutated rainforest-like environs that surround the Turtles coming back into view as the conversation continues.

3) DONATELLO: YOUR PEOPLE SAID YOU EXPECTED US. HOW?

4) ORBITAL MONITOR #3: YUH-YES, WE HAVE ION TECHNOLOGY. WE RECEIVE TIME TRAVELLERS FREQUENTLY IN THIS TWIST IN TIME.

5) DONATELLO: “TWIST”? WHAT IS --

6) ORBITAL MONITOR #3: WE KNEW YOU WOULD BE COMING, WE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO, AND WE KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING.

Panel 3. Closer angle on the Turtles (save for Mike, who is still with Cudley) and the Orbital Monitor.

7) RAPHAEL: YOU DO? WELL SHIT, THAT MAKES ONE OF US.

8) ORBITAL MONITOR #3: PLEASE UNDERSTAND, YOU CANNOT CONTINUE. RETURN TO YOUR TIME. IF YOU REACH THE END OF TIME…IT

WILL MEAN THE END OF ALL THAT IS.

Panel 4. Donatello pleading with the creature.

9) DONATELLO: BUT THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO STOP.

Panel 5. Close-up of the Orbital Monitor’s arm/hand reaching behind him for some kind of a high-tech burst cannon weapon.

10) ORBITAL MONITOR #3: WHAT YOU WILL FIND AT THE END OF TIME …YOU WILL NOT BE PREPARED FOR IT. I MUST APOLOGIZE.

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11) LEONARDO (O.P.): FOR WHAT? Panel 6. Close-up on Slash’s eyes, narrowed to slits. 12) ORBITAL MONITOR #3 (O.P.): I HAVE SAID TOO MUCH. WE WILL TALK

MORE AT LUNA LABS… Panel 7. Behind-and-over-the-shoulders shot from Slash to the Orbital Monitor as the Turtles look on in shock at what’s happening. Simultaneously: the Orbital Monitor whips his cannon up to blast/stun them all while Slash throws and buries his twisted sai into the Orbital Monitor’s head. 13) ORBITAL MONITOR #3: … WHERE WE WILL -- AKH! 14) SFX: SHUKH! 15) CAP: IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST…

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PAGE 36 (5 panels) Panel 1. Angle on all the Turtles (save Michelangelo) as their heads whip around to Michelangelo and Cudley (neither one seen here). 1) MICHELANGELO: G-GUYS… COME QUICK. 2) CAP: … BUT HOW COULD WE FORGET ABOUT THE

ONE THAT HAD BROUGHT US HERE? Panel 2. Michelangelo sobbing beside Cudley, his hand gingerly placed on his side. 3) CUDLEY: I-I AM SORRY, FRIEND TURTLES. IT SEEMS MY

TIME IS AT AN END. 4) MICHELANGELO: NO, CUDLEY. PLEASE. 5) CUDLEY: I W-WISH I COULD HAVE TAKEN YOU

FURTHER AND PROTECTED YOU. 6) CUDLEY: I ALREADY FAILED THE MUTANIMALS,

F-FAILED MY ENTIRE DIMENSION.

7) CAP: THE ONE WHO HAD SAVED US ALL.

Panel 3. Different angle on Cudley talking to the Turtles. His eyes are closed. 8) CUDLEY: FRIEND DONATELLO, THE COURSE WITHIN

THE TIMESTREAM RENET SET THAT TOOK YOU TO 1970…I-I BELIEVE I HAVE RESET IT TO TAKE YOU TO THE END OF TIME.

9) DONATELLO: THANK YOU.

10) CUDLEY: I-IT IS ALL I CAN DO FOR YOU NOW. I AM SO SORRY… SO SORRY…

11) CUDLEY: ELSETIME, TURTLES.

12) CAP: CUDLEY SPOKE OF OUR ALTERNATE SELVES IN HIS DIMENSION, OF MUTANIMALS. FRIENDS. I ENVY THEM, THAT THEY HAD KNOWN HIM BETTER THAN MY BROTHERS AND I, BECAUSE WE ALL KNEW IN OUR HEARTS…

Panel 4. Big panel as Cudley dies. The vantage point a little bit elevated, the distance adding to the weight of the moment. The Turtles with their heads low, solemn. 13) CAP: … THAT A GREAT HERO DIED THIS DAY.

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Panel 5. Focus on Slash with his head low as well, resting now on his haunches. 14) SLASH: THE VULTURES WILL WATCH OVER YOU,

CUDLEY COWLICK, MY FRIEND.

15) SLASH: ALWAYS.

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PAGE 37 (6 panels)

Panel 1. Dusk. Wide and far angle on the Turtles making a big funeral cairn for Cudley. Some strange indigenous mutants – both vaguely humanoid and non -- come out of the forest (the proverbial woodwork) to observe what’s going on.

1) CAP: FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WE WORKED. CUDLEY WOULD HAVE A PROPER BURIAL, EVEN IF ONLY IN THIS STRANGE FUTURE.

2) CAP: OTHERS WOULD COME, CURIOUS AT WHAT WAS GOING ON.

Panel 2. Night. Same angle/viewpoint as last panel. The Turtles finished with the cairn for Cudley, standing before it now, paying their final respects. There is now a very large gathering of mutants standing around them now.

3) CAP: AND MORE STILL AS WE WORKED INTO THE NIGHT.

Panel 3. The Turtles standing next to one another, beginning to dematerialize into the Timestream. The mutants and other creatures standing around them.

4) CAP: AS THE TIMESTREAM TOOK US ONCE MORE WE WERE REMINDED THAT IT WAS TIME TO MOVE ON.

Panel 4. Same angle/viewpoint. The Turtles have vanished now. The mutants and other creatures gather closer now, greater in number and even more curious.

5) CAP: FORWARD, CLOSER TO THE END OF TIME. THERE WOULD BE NO REVERSE GEARS NOW.

Panel 5. The Turtles materializing in a barren, technological wasteland. Throughout the whole land is nothing but a massive interworking of steel pipes, cables, and smokestacks. They are standing on top of some kind of mechanical spire that juts/arcs back to the structure it stems from, providing them quite a view.

6) CAP: STILL, NOTHING QUITE PREPARED US FOR THE NEXT ERA WE WOULD ARRIVE IN.

7) CAP: 2363 A.D.. Panel 6. Going wider, we get a better glimpse at their surroundings. It looks a bit like Coruscant in the Star Wars prequels (this kind of planet-wide cityscape), but moreso like something you would expect to see on a Borg homeworld or in the heart of SkyNET from Terminator… the whole landscape is like a big, gigantic circuit board. Some kind of post-apocalyptic techno-industrial nightmare.

8) CAP: IF THIS WAS JUST ONE MORE STEP ON THE WAY… THEN WHAT ELSE COULD BE AWAITING US?

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PAGE 38 (6 panels)

Two different scenes play out here juxtaposed against one another. Probably long panels but narrow (height-wise).

Panel 1. Close on the feet. One of the Turtles accidentally stepping on and crushing what appears to be a human skull as they walk. There seems to be other skulls and bones along the way.

1) CAP: COULD IT BE ANY WORSE THAN OUR ULTIMATE GOAL? THE MAN THAT WAITED FOR US ALL?

2) RAPHAEL (O.P.): WELL, THIS SUCKS. Panel 2. The Shogun sitting on a makeshift throne on what appears to be a asteroid (not round, though… a flat ironing board-like expanse with stalagmites, craters). He has one hand open in front of him and what appears to be the TURNSTONE floats above it ominously.

3) THE SHOGUN: I LIBERATED YOU. I ALLOWED YOU TO RESTORE YOUR WIFE. I HAVE ALLOWED YOU YOUR POUND OF FLESH AGAINST THE TURTLES. YOU SUCCEEDED IN YOUR PEREGRINATION, I SEE… BUT

THEY STILL LIVE.

Panel 3. The Turtles (mostly silhouetted eerily) making their way down from the spire onto the main mechanical landscape. A giant robot factory seems to figure heavily into the not-so-far-off surroundings. 4) MICHELANGELO: JUST LET DONNIE GET HIS BEARINGS, THEN WE

CAN HEAD TO THE NEXT STOP. RIGHT, DONNIE? 5) CAP: FEELING EXPOSED ON HIGH GROUND, WE

HEADED DOWN. Panel 4. Savanti Romero and Juliet kneeling before the Shogun. Romero seems to have either regenerated or re-attached his missing arm, though there is telltale scarring around the point where it was severed. 6) CAP: SOMETHING DID NOT FEEL RIGHT AT ALL. 7) THE SHOGUN: THEY TRAVERSE NOW THROUGH THE

TIMESTREAM. THAT COWLICK HAS SET THEM RIGHT TOWARD US.

8) SAVANTI ROMERO: MY LORD, WE --

9) THE SHOGUN: SILENCE! IF I CARED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER YOU WOULD ALREADY BE AS DEAD AS THE DIMENSIONS I HAVE PURGED.

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Panel 5. The Turtles going on high alert as Slash becomes rather animalistic, as if sensing something is not right. 10) SLASH: *SNIFF* *SNIFF* LOOK ALIVE, COUSINS. 11) CAP: WE WOULD QUICKLY COME TO TRUST

SLASH’S INSTINCTS.

Panel 6. Sideways with the Shogun cocking his head to one side with Savanti Romero. 12) SAVANTI JULIET: MY SAVIOR. 13) SAVANTI ROMERO: YOUR WILL BE DONE, MY LORD. APOLOGIES. 14) THE SHOGUN: THERE WAS SOMETHING VOLTAIRE SAID

ONCE. WHAT WAS IT? OH YES, “ANYONE WHO SEEKS TO DESTROY THE PASSIONS INSTEAD OF CONTROLLING THEM IS TRYING TO PLAY TO THE ANGEL.”

15) THE SHOGUN: DON’T. JUST DON’T.

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PAGE 39 (2 panels) Panel 1. Angle on the Shogun so that we see him sitting on his throne turning his head to the right, at someone new joining them. Romero and Juliet (their backs kind of to us) also turn a bit, not looking surprised but smiling at the newcomer. We just see a small glimpse of the back of the newcomer’s head, a bald head with human enough skin and long horns. It is NULL, but the reader cannot know that for sure yet. 1) CAP: HE SEEMED TO HAVE AN EXCELLENT NOSE

FOR DANGER, AFTER ALL. 2) NULL: I TRUST I AM IN TIME TO STILL ENJOY THE

END OF ALL CREATION? 3) THE SHOGUN: MY DEAR FRIEND, YOU HAVE ALREADY

GUARANTEED YOURSELF A FRONT ROW SEAT FOR MY MASTERWORK’S FINAL ACT.

Panel 2. Bigger panel now, the Turtles standing shell-to-shell, weapons drawn and squaring off against five giant robotic bears (see page 84 of “Transdimensional TMNT” for the design by Jim Lawson) that burst upward through little unseen chutes in the mechanical earth. They are roaring, ready to fight. Though less spectacular, we also see little HUNTER/KILLER DRONES emerge with them (I was thinking something a little bit like the picture below but liberties can be taken) taking up positions in the air.

4) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN WHAT I NEEDED

FROM THE OTHER DIMENSIONS. TO BUILD WHAT I NEED WILL REQUIRE TIME AND THOUGHT BEFORE I CAST AWAY THE MOLD THAT IS MY OWN REALITY.”

5) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY, BUT IT IS

TRUE, AFTER ALL, WHAT THEY SAY…”

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PAGE 40 (8 panels) I see this page as one big panel to start, another big panel below it, and then the rest as little small box panels (ala “Return to New York” part 3/TMNT Vol. 1 #21) maybe lined up in two rows of three panels. Panel 1. Big reveal. NULL grinning ear-to-ear demonically, smoking his trademark cigar. He is naked save for some kind of black, armored medieval-esque loincloth (something that looks demonic and a little scary). Throughout the TMNT Adventures comics Null was becoming progressively more demon-like until his last appearance in “Terracide” (#55-57) in which his horns were even longer, had little horns on his chin, had been claws (on fingers and toes alike) and even had big bat-like wings. 1) THE SHOGUN (O.P.): … THAT THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, MR.

NULL. 2) NULL: HE ALWAYS IS, ISN’T HE? I ALMOST HATE TO

WATCH THE END OF THESE INSUFFERABLE BASTARDS -- THEY HAVE PROVIDED ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT.

Panel 2. The Turtles continuing the fight against the robotic bears and drones. It’s fairly fierce. Michelangelo’s blaster comes in handy for the drones. Donatello seems particularly uneasy – he wants to time-shift but it doesn’t seem to be working for him in the same manner it did before at all. 3) NULL (CAP, O.P.): “A PITY THERE IS JUST ONE DIMENSION

LEFT. PRIME, ISN’T IT?”

4) LEONARDO: TIME TO GO, DON! C’MON, GET THAT DAMN TIME SHIFTER IN GEAR NOW!

5) DONATELLO: I-I DON’T KNOW WHY IT’S NOT WORKING… 6) SLASH: LESS TALK, MORE DESTRUCTION. Panels 3-8. I don’t want to give too much artistic direction here – it’s just the Turtles and Slash kicking the crap out of/destroying the robotic bears and drones. Go wild. The last panel, however, should be the Turtles (having dispensed with the bears and drones) reacting to something larger that has just entered the scene. 7) CAP (panel 3): AND SO IT WAS. 8) CAP (panel 4): LEO SPRANG TO ACTION. 9) CAP (panel 5): RAPHAEL. 10) RAPHAEL (panel 5): HUT!

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11) CAP (panel 6): MYSELF. 12) CAP (panel 7): SLASH KNEW WHAT TO DO. 13) SLASH (panel 7): RRR… 14) CAP (panel 8): THEN WE SAW IT. OUR RESOLVE WAVERED.

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PAGE 41 (6 panels) Panel 1. An enormous ROBOT shows up, vaguely scorpion-like. At the base of where its tail curves upward, though, is not a spike but rather a dome with some kind of an ovular egg-like chrome object on it with vertical streamlines. The backs/shells of the Turtles are in the foreground. 1) CAP: ONCE WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RUN A

GAUNTLET LIKE THIS, BUT NOW? 2) RAPHAEL: *HUFF, HUFF* OKAY, YOU GUYS READY FOR

ONE MORE? 3) SLASH: THIS ONE IS… BIGGER. 4) MICHELANGELO: EH, DONNIE -- ANYTHING? Panel 2. Donatello shaking his staff, looking worried. 4) DONATELLO: I FEEL THE POWER IN ME STILL, BUT

SOMETHING IS INTERFERING WITH IT. JAMMING IT, MAYBE.

5) ROBOT SCORPION (eerie robotic font): I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DRONES. Panel 3. The object on the robotic scorpion’s tail spreading open kind of like a rose. 6) ROBOT SCORPION: SINCE THE WAR, THE FACTORY MIND

COLLECTIVE INSTRUCTS THEM TO “DESTROY ALL ERRANT MUTATIONS.”

Panel 4. Close on the Turtles, their faces. 7) ROBOT SCORPION (O.P.): EVENTUALLY THERE WERE NO MORE

MUTANTS.

Panel 5. As the “petals” are retracted on the object, a dual-humanoid metallic head/face is revealed. It is like the female android’s head from Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” with a male counterpart on the side of it. 8) ROBOT SCORPION (O.P.): THIS BECAME GENERALIZED TO “DESTROY

ALL LIFE.” ONLY THE FACTORY MINDS AND THE MOST INTELLIGENT OF OUR ROBOTS KNOW THE DISTINCTION.

Panel 6. The back of the scorpion robot as the Turtles listen warily. 9) ROBOT SCORPION: AND MYSELF, OMNIA.

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10) ROBOT SCORPION: COME, I WILL SHOW YOU TO MY FACTORY. WE HAVE MUCH TO DISCUSS.

11) CAP: DID WE HAVE ANY CHOICE?

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PAGE 42 (6 panels) Panel 1. Mid shot on the Turtles’ feet. A giant, unseen metallic chute opens up underneath them. 1) SFX: RRRRRR-CHKT! 2) CAP: WE DID NOT… Panel 2. The Turtles falling into it. 3) SLASH: UT? 4) MICHELANGELO: WHOOOA! 5) CAP: … AND SO WE WOULD FALL. Panel 3. The Turtles sliding down some kind of swirling, H.R. Giger-ish metallic pipe. 6) CAP: … AND FALL SOME MORE. DEEPER INTO THE

MACHINE WORLD AND THE RABBIT HOLE OF OUR JOURNEY.

7) MICHELANGELO: COWABUNGAAA! Panel 4. The Turtles sliding down another part of it. Michelangelo seems somewhat elated. 8) RAPHAEL: REALLY, MICHELANGELO? NOW?! 9) CAP: WE BECAME DISORIENTED. WE WERE

FALLING FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY.

Panel 5. Close on the Turtles as they raise their hands up to protect their faces as they presumably near the bottom of it. 10) MICHELANGELO: SORRY, MAN, OLD HABIT! 11) RAPHAEL: SHIIIT! 12) CAP: WE BEGAN TO WONDER IF WE HAD BEEN

TRICKED BY THE MACHINE UNTIL THE RIDE WAS OVER…

Panel 6. Black panel. 13) CAP: … AND WE HAD ARRIVED.

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PAGE 43 (6 panels) Panel 1. Shoulders-down shot of the Turtles with new metallic bands over their left biceps, emphasis on that. 1) OMNIA (O.P.): DO NOT MIND THE WRISTBANDS. THE EVERMIND

HAS DETECTED WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM. SAFEGUARDS HAVE BEEN PLACED ON EARTH.

Panel 2. Raphael exchanging a glance with Michelangelo. Leonardo just looks forward, stalwart. Donatello seems hopeful. Slash seems… whimsical. 2) OMNIA (O.P.): THERE IS A 98.4% PROBABILITY THAT THESE

SAFEGUARDS ARE INTERFERING WITH YOUR INNATE TIME-TRAVELLING. BUT REJOICE, TURTLES.

Panel 3. Large panel. Omnia standing before the Turtles, behind her/it a vast factory spreading out behind her almost as far as the eye can see. 3) OMNIA (O.P.): THE EVERMIND HAS RECOGNIZED THE THREAT

YOU SEEK AT THE END OF TIME AND YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT.

4) MICHELANGELO: BECAUSE IF THIS DIMENSION GETS WIPED OUT,

THEN SO DO YOU, YEAH? 5) OMNIA (O.P.): TO POINT OUT THE OBVIOUS. MOREOVER, WE HAVE

REMOVED THE IMMEDIATE OBSTACLE AND GIVEN YOU TOOLS TO IMPROVE THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF YOUR VICTORY BY 19.4% THOUGH IT IS STILL UNLIKELY THAT ALL OF YOU WILL SURVIVE THE JOURNEY.

Panel 4. Donatello wincing at Omnia. 6) DONATELLO: WHY SHOULD WE TRUST YOU? THE LAST TIME

HOP, WE WERE TOLD BY THE EARTH-WATCH THAT WE WOULD CAUSE THE END OF ALL THINGS BY CONTINUING FORWARD.

7) OMNIA (O.P.): THE UTROMS ONCE THOUGHT AS YOU DID OF US.

SKEPTICISM, DOUBT. Panel 5. Focus on the labyrinth of the factory, of the bustle of activity, of new robots being built. 8) DONATELLO (O.P.): AND WHERE ARE THE UTROMS NOW?

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9) OMNIA (O.P.): EXTINCT, THEIR TECHNOLOGY ADDED TO OUR OWN. VICTIMS OF THEIR OWN

SHORTSIGHTEDNESS. WE SEEK PERFECTION. THE BEING YOU FACE AT THE END OF TIME SEEKS THE SAME, BUT HE IS MISGUIDED. FLAWED.

Panel 6. Donatello sneering, taking a battle position. Slash flanks him, mostly out of instinct. 10) DONATELLO: YOU’RE WRONG. WE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT AWAITS

US, BUT WE ARE PREPARED. 11) OMNIA (O.P.): YOU ARE NOT. BUT YOU ARE THE EVERMIND’S

BEST HOPE. GO, THEN. PROCEED ON YOUR WAY.

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PAGE 44 (5 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles vanishing into the Timestream once more.

1) OMNIA (CAP, O.P.): “TAKE CARE IN 2488. DO NOT DAUDLE LONG.”

2) CAP: 2488 A.D..

Panel 2. The Turtles reappearing, but we stay fairly close on their heads/faces. We see they’re somewhat disgusted. Slash is enraged.

3) MICHELANGELO: WELL THIS FEELS HAUNTINGLY FAMILIAR.

4) RAPHAEL: IN A COUPLE WAYS. WHAT’S OUR MOVE, SKIPPER?

5) LEONARDO: HOLD. Panel 3. Pulling out much further in a larger panel we see that they’re on a war-torn battlefield, at the base of a blasted machine factory. Wrecked machinery and destroyed robots are littered everywhere. They find themselves already at gunpoint by MUTANTS around them in a circle. Each one is a different kind of mutant (feel free to sprinkle previous mutant designs here… one that I like would be the bee mutant seen on Page 91 of “Transdimensional TMNT” by Jim Lawson), though let’s make one of them a normal human just to show that there are still humans to some degree now. Important: all of them must be wearing some kind of headsets with earpieces. Aerial craft can be seen circling in the air. 6) DONATELLO: THEY KNEW RIGHT WHERE WE’D BE. 7) MUTANT #2: JUST KEEP THOSE HANDS AWAY FROM YOUR

WEAPONS, TURTLES. WHAT MUTANT ALLIANCE FACTION ARE YOU FROM?

8) MUTANT #3: TERRA-SIGMA? YEAH, I BET THEY’RE TERRA

SIGMA JOKERS. BACK-TO-NATURE HIPPIES, THE LOT OF’EM. I ONCE MET THIS TERRA- SIGMA IGUANA THAT SAID --

9) SLASH: WE ARE YOUR DEATH, SCUM! 10) LEONARDO: PLEASE, SLASH. Panel 4. The lead mutant approaches Leonardo and Donatello. Leonardo whispers something to Don.

11) MUTANT #1: WE JUST BLEW UP A FACTORY MIND HERE. THAT’S A VICTORY FOR ALL OF OUR KIND. TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND WE’LL HAVE YOU ON YOUR WAY.

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12) LEONARDO: DON, CAN YOU NOT JUST -- 13) MUTANT #2 (gun-toting): NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS!

Panel 5. Donatello gesturing peacefully with his walking stick at the mutant leader. 14) DONATELLO: WE COME FROM ANOTHER TIME…WE ARE

ONLY PASSERS-BY AND MEAN YOU NO HARM. 15) MUTANT #1: SCAN THEM, BOYS. 16) MUTANT #1: WHEN WE TOOK OUT OMNIA AND THIS

FACTORY MIND HERE -- A SORTIE THAT TOOK THREE YEARS OF PLANNING AND ABOUT A HUNDRED LIVES -- WITH ITS LAST DESPERATE PLEA THE THING TOLD US YOU’D ALL BE HERE. TODAY. NOW.

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PAGE 45 (6 panels) Panel 1. A couple of mutants getting close to the Turtles and Slash with their scanning equipment (I would imagine something like Star Trek tri-corders). 1) RAPHAEL: DON’T TOUCH ME. 2) MUTANT #4: WE WILL JUST -- 3) RAPHAEL: DON’T YOU TOUCH ME, ASSHOLE. 4) CAP: THESE WERE FREEDOM FIGHTERS,

SURVIVORS BANDING TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE SAME MACHINES WE SAW IN THE LAST JUMP.

Panel 2. The human in the mutant bunch scratching his head with his free hand (the other hand holding some kind of a futuristic firearm, of course). Mutant #1 is next to him.

5) HUMAN: I GOTS A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS.

6) MUTANT #1: AW, TYPICAL. THE HUMAN GETTIN’ SCARED. 7) CAP: NONE OF US HAD ANY IDEA WHAT WAS

GOING ON. Panel 3. Close panel of the scanners next to the arms of the Turtles. The little bands that Omnia gave them begin beeping and glowing. 8) HUMAN: I DUNNO, JEREK. ISN’T THIS ALL KINDA WEIRD?

WHY WOULD OMNIA HELP US STOP THESE GUYS? IT KNEW WE WERE GONNA KILL ITS ASS ANYWAY. AND WHAT ARE THEY EVEN UP TO? THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE TERRORISTS OR SABOTEURS. I TH --”

9) CAP: HAD NO IDEA, ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE,

WE WERE NOW MADE TO BE PAWNS.

Panel 4. Nice wide panel of the Turtles looking a little bit “Oh shit” as they watch the mutants (and the one human) around them writhe in sudden excruciating pain and agony, their hands going to their temples and the headsets they are wearing.

10) CAP: NO IDEA WE WERE ALREADY CHANGING THE HISTORY OF THE FUTURE.

Panel 5. Close on the mutant gang dropping dead on the spot. Blood seems to be spewing from their ears and nose as they hit the ground.

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11) CAP: BUT THE DAMAGE WAS ALREADY DONE. Panel 6. The Turtles’ faces, aghast. In the background, aerial craft can be seen crashing into the ground. 12) RAPHAEL: HOLY SHIT. 13) SLASH: WHAT IS THIS WORD, THIS “SHIT”? 14) MICHELANGELO: GOD, WHAT HAVE WE DONE? DID WE DO

THIS? DID WE JUST --

15) LEONARDO: THAT’S ENOUGH OF THAT TALK. THIS…

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PAGE 46 (6 panels) Panel 1. Nice wide panel of the Turtles. The Turtles looking tiny amidst the eerily shadowed, the post-apocalyptic surroundings as many aerial craft (Mutant Alliance) crash spectacularly around. If there possible, let’s see some other ground troops buckling over as the guys we just saw did. 1) LEONARDO: THIS IS NOT OUR FAULT. 2) RAPHAEL: !@#*ING HELL, I CAN’T TAKE THIS BRACELET

OFF. 3) MICHELANGELO: THE DAMAGE IS DONE, RAPH. 4) CAP: MY MIND WAS RACING. WHAT ELSE HAD WE

CAUSED? Panels 2 & 3. A cockpit of a massive bomber. A frantic mutant pilot (let’s make him an elephant humanoid) throwing one hand up in front of him to shield his eyes from the crash that’s coming and one hand at the side of his (helmeted) head, then throwing both hands up at the moment of impact, things beginning to explode around him, glass blown in his face. 5) CAP: WERE WE SO SELFISH IN OUR OWN SENSE

OF SELF-PRESERVATION… 6) CAP: … THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE WE HAD SOMEHOW

CREATED OUR OWN END -- PERHAPS THE END OF ALL THINGS?

Panel 4. The spot where the Turtles were standing, the wake of a big temporal vortex the Turtles have already entered dissipating. 7) CAP: THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT. Panel 5. The Turtles materializing in a large village (something pretty low-tech, something like out of “The Village,” or “The Crucible”… very pilgrim-esque architecture), immediately looking at one another. 8) SLASH: SLASH IS GETTING “SHIT” TIRED. ARE WE

THERE YET? 9) CAP: HAD THE PLANET RECOVERED? Panel 6. Wide, aerial establishing shot of the surroundings. Beyond the edge of the village it seems to be fairly lush, not unlike the 2238 era from before, but still bears the mark of a planet healing from the technological nightmare they just escaped – the crumbled remains of what were probably Machine Factories and other machinery

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from a century ago can be seen, somewhat derelict now with greenery growing all over it. 10) DONATELLO (CAP, O.P.): “NOT JUST YET, SLASH.” 11) CAP: HAD THE DAMAGE WE HAD INADVERTEDLY

CAUSED BEEN HEALED WITH TIME? 12) CAP: 2713 A.D..

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PAGE 47 (6 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles walking through the village, the villagers looking at them with strange, muted expressions. They are all humans, all of shared ethnicity… imagined you mixed all the major ethnicities from right now on Earth (Caucasian, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, African American) into a blender and arrived at a singular ethnicity – this is what everyone is here. The strange thing is they all appear to be either women or girls, or small boys. Braids of dreadlock-like hair seems to be the standard fashion. A strange DOG seems to be accosting Slash as they go. Attire is pretty conservative, not unlike the “Crucible”-era aforementioned. Lots of clothes. Donatello seems to look at his walking stick with slight disgust. 1) DONATELLO: MIGHT AS WELL STRETCH OUR LEGS A

BIT. SEEMS TO BE A BIT OF A RECHARGE TIMER ON MY TIME JUMPING.

2) RAPHAEL: OH, JUST ADMIT IT, YOU’RE CURIOUS. 3) DOG: *RUFF!* *RUFF!* 4) CAP: I WASN’T LYING, BUT RAPHAEL WAS

RIGHT JUST THE SAME. Panel 2. Slash kicking the strange dog in the face. 5) SFX: PUNT! 6) DOG: *AARFH!* 7) CAP: TRULY, OUR PLUS ONE HAD MISSED HIS

CALLING AS A DIPLOMAT. Panel 3. The Turtles coming to a stop before two very attractive women (mid-20s) and a small boy (about 10). 8) WOMAN: GREETINGS, TRAVELERS. MY NAME IS

NAARA. THIS IS MY COMPANION, LAARA, AND OUR LIKAL, LUPO. HAVE YOU COME HERE TO PLAY WITH US?

9) LITTLE BOY (LUPO): MORE PLAYMATES! WHOO-HOO! 10) MICHELANGELO: EH…A LITTLE HELP HERE, GUYS? Panel 4. Angle on Leonardo putting a hand on Donatello as he diplomatically speaks.

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11) LEONARDO: WE ARE FROM A PLACE FAR AWAY. WE ONLY SEEK YOUR HOSPITALITY FOR A BIT BEFORE WE CONTINUE ON OUR WAY. IF YOU HAVE ANY WATER OR FOOD, WE WOULD BE OBLIGED.

12) DONATELLO: NOW, WE DON’T HAVE MUCH TO TRADE BUT -- 13) CAP: SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT. WE COULD ALL

FEEL IT. Panel 5. NAARA and LAARA curtseying (almost giddily) with wide grins, gesturing for the Turtles to come forth and follow them. A couple of the Turtles kind of shrug. 14) NAARA: FOOD AND DRINK? OF COURSE! IF YOU ARE

TO PLAY WITH US YOU WILL NEED BOTH! 15) LAARA: WHAT’S OURS IS YOURS, TRAVELERS. 16) SLASH: I WILL SPARE YOUR LIVES FOR PALM TREES.

AND MEAT. 17) CAP: WELL, MAYBE NOT ALL OF US. Panel 6. Wider shot of the Turtles walking, following the two women and small boy. We see more of the village and the villagers. 18) CAP: HUMANITY SEEMED TO BE BACK. NO

MUTANTS IN SIGHT, BUT SOMETHING WAS DEFINITELY OFF. SOMETHING WAS… MISSING.

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PAGE 48 (6 panels)

Panel 1. Big panel of the Turtles playing on a hillside with some of the women with their small children while Donatello sits in the foreground (eating some kind of lush fruit) with Naara and Laara. Naara and Laara sit, Naara in Laara’s lap, with Laara’s arms wrapped around her waist and her head nestled on her shoulder.

1) DONATELLO: TELL ME, NAARA. YOU ARE THE MATRIARCH HERE, AREN’T YOU? WHERE ARE ALL THE MEN?

2) LAARA: TEE-HEE! 3) NAARA: YOU ASK OF THE MALES?

Panel 3. Slash – strangely – seems to be joyously playing with children (boys, except for one particularly cheerful girl – and this girl needs to be visually very unique, as we will see her again several times in different periods), big smile on his face as they chase him as he clutches some kind of ball. In fact, Slash has never looked happier.

4) SLASH: CATCH ME, AELI! HAH!

5) NAARA (CAP, O.P.): “WE HAVE MANY MALES HERE. THEY SEEM TO BE TAKING A LIKING TO THE ONE YOU CALL ‘SLASH’ RIGHT NOW.”

6) DONATELLO (CAP, O.P.): “YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. THE MEN, THE ADULTS.”

Panel 2. A teenage girl throwing a ball and it bounces off of Raphael’s face. He sneers and the girl suddenly looks scared.

7) NAARA (CAP, O.P.): “OH. THE ADULT MALES. WE… WE DO NOT SPEAK OF THEM. NOT IN THIS VILLAGE.”

8) DONATELLO (CAP, O.P.): “MAY I ASK WHY?”

Panel 3. Leonardo and Michelangelo playing a bit of “Keep Away” with a ball from a gathering of children and women. Leonardo seems to shoot a look of disapproval as Mike seems to be halfway entertaining a couple of attractive women on one side. 9) NAARA (CAP, O.P.): “WE DO NOT SPEAK OF THEM. EVER.” 10) DONATELLO (CAP, O.P.): “I SEE. FORGIVE MY IMPUDENCE, THEN.”

Panel 4. Back to Donatello, finishing his fruit as he points up at the sky. Some spacecraft can be seen soaring by faintly. 11) DONATELLO: ARE THERE OTHER RACES ON THIS WORLD? I

SEE THERE IS STILL SPACE TRAVEL GOING ON -- ARE THERE RELATIONS WITH OTHER WORLDS?

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Panel 5. Naara and Laara getting up, a little irritated with Donatello (back of Donatello’s head in foreground). He seems to have struck a nerve on multiple fronts. 12) NAARA: PERHAPS IT IS TIME YOU CONTINUED ON

YOUR WAY NOW, DONATELLO. 13) LAARA: LET’S GO, MY LOVE. PLAYTIME IS OVER. Panel 6. Back of the Turtles walking away down a foresty trail (passing some kind of an overgrown robotic relic), alone, as it gets dark. 14) CAP: WE WOULD TAKE OUR LEAVE THAT NIGHT. IT

WOULDN’T DO TO MAKE A TIME-JUMP IN FRONT OF THEM ALL.

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PAGE 49 (7 panels) Panel 1. In the clear now, the Turtles in the process of grouping together in preparation for the time jump. Donatello begins to raise his staff. A young girl comes running from the foreground. 1) LITTLE GIRL: WAIT! WAIT! I-I HAVE TO WARN YOU! 2) SLASH: AELI! 3) MICHELANGELO: WHAT’S UP, GIRL?

Panel 2. Close on the girl, who stops before the Turtles.

4) LITTLE GIRL: IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO STAY NEAR, WATCH OUT FOR THE NIGHT WALKERS!

Panel 3. The Turtles in mid-time jump, looking down at her. At this point Donatello is probably going “what the hell, one long little girl, what could she possibly say about what she saw?”

5) RAPHAEL: THANKS FOR THE WARNING, BUT WE DON’T PLAN ON STICKIN’ AROUND LONG.

6) CAP: ALREADY HAVING BEGUN THE JUMP, IT WAS TOO LATE TO ABORT.

Panel 4. Wide establishing on the new era the Turtles are in. The planet seems much more lush than before, trees and foliage becoming very high. The village the Turtles were in previously can be seen from afar and it is a lot more developed. 7) CAP: BUT THESE KIND OF THINGS ALWAYS TURN

OUT OKAY, DON’T THEY?

8) CAP: THAT’S RHETORICAL, OF COURSE.

9) CAP: 2838 A.D..

Panel 5. The Turtles walking solemnly down the trail they had come from 100 years previously. It is now paved. 10) RAPHAEL: COULD ANYONE ELSE USE A BEER? I COULD

SURE USE A BEER.

11) SLASH: WHAT IS THIS “BEER”?

12) RAPHAEL: OH, YOU WOULD LOVE IT. I DO HAVE SOMETHING ELSE, THOUGH. SAVIN’ IT FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION.

13) CAP: WEARY, AT THIS POINT OUR SENSE OF ADVENTURE HAD LEFT US. WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE THE EARTH CONTINUE TO HEAL.

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Panel 6. Leonardo shooting a glance to Donatello while Donatello continues staring forward, marching on. 14) CAP: JUST THE SAME, WE WERE ALL READY TO TIME-

JUMP AGAIN AT THE SOONEST OPPORTUNITY. Panel 7. Back profile of the Turtles’ heads/upper shells as they observe a wrecked car (think a 1970s era car in outer design, but with components of much more advanced design) against a giant tree trunk, some women sprawled out on the ground, bloody and quite dead. 15) CAP: THEN WE SAW THIS.

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PAGE 50 (8 panels) Panels 1 and 2 larger than the rest, with 3-8 arranged as “little boxes” beneath them in two rows of three each. Panel 1. Raphael whirling around, clutching his cheek, blood flying from new cuts on it as he reacts to something running by him at super speed, the bushes disturbed. 1) RAPHAEL: *!@#! -- HIGH ALERT, BROTHERS! 2) CAP: WE DIDN’T INTEND FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.

BUT AT THIS POINT IT SORT OF BECOMES A CLICHÉ, DOESN’T IT?

Panel 2. Larger panel, the Turtles becoming accosted by multiple assailants – about 7 of them, all looking like naked Neanderthals (tastefully shaded, of course… nobody wants to be seeing any naked Neanderthal junk) with massive claws (talons?) and big all-black pupil-less eyes. 3) CAP: ANOTHER THREAT, AND IT’S OUR LIVES OR

THEIRS. AT MOMENTS LIKE THESE, SPLINTER’S TRAINING KICKS IN AND IT’S DO OR DIE.

Panels 3-8. The Turtles ripping into their assailants, making quick work of them while taking some heavy scratches themselves. Last panel should be the Turtles clutching their wounds with the dead bodies in heaps around them. 4) CAP: THERE WERE MANY. 5) CAP: WE WERE FEW. 6) CAP: WE’D BEEN HERE BEFORE. 7) CAP (last panel): THEY WERE DISPATCHED.

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PAGE 51 (7 panels) Panel 1. A villager, a woman, suddenly rises from the bushes as the Turtles instinctively train their weapons on her. She seems like the villagers we saw in the last era, though she seems to have the same all-black eyes as the assailants they just killed. 1) WOMAN: OH MY…YOU… Panel 2. Leonardo holding his bokken katana to her neck. He is usually more reserved than this, but he is nearing his breaking point.

2) LEONARDO: WH-WHAT, WHO WERE THESE THINGS? EXPLAIN!

3) WOMAN: P-PLEASE, LISTEN.

Panel 3. The woman sitting down, kneeling a bit. Some of the backs of the Turtles’ heads in the foreground. 4) WOMAN: YOU MUST BE THE ONES AELI THE MAD WROTE

ABOUT IN THE TOMES. NO ONE BELIEVED HER. SHE SAID SHE WARNED YOU ABOUT THE NIGHT STALKERS.

6) SLASH: AELI? MY FRIEND?

7) RAPHAEL: SHE ACTUALLY SAID NIGHT “WALKERS.”

Panel 4. The woman sobbing.

8) WOMAN: THEY WERE CALLED THAT ONCE, BEFORE YOUR VISIT. WHEN OUR MEN REACH ABOUT 19, THAT’S WHAT THEY BECOME. WHEN YOU VISITED US THEY CAUGHT YOUR SCENT. THEY MASSACRED WHOLE VILLAGES, FEARING WE’D EMBRACED OUTSIDERS.

9) LEONARDO (O.P.): WELL NOW WAIT HERE, WE DIDN’T --

Panel 5. The Turtles turning away, hands on heads, sorrow. 10) WOMAN: TO THIS DAY, IT’S CALLED “THE GREAT MASSACRE.”

Panel 6. The woman fleeing into the forest. Donatello winces in the foreground painfully, watching her go out of the corner of his eye. 11) WOMAN: DAMN YOU, TURTLE MEN! DAMN YOU TO HELL! A

CURSE ON ALL OF YOU! A CURSE!

12) CAP: IF THERE WAS NOT ONE ON US ALREADY, MAYBE THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE DESERVED.

Panel 7. The Turtles looking conflicted, hurt. Slash in particular is on his haunches, hands at his temples, particularly haunted by this news.

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13) SLASH: AELI… 14) CAP: ANOTHER ERA. ANOTHER POPULACE TORN APART

BECAUSE OF US. BECAUSE OF OUR MISSION.

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PAGE 52 (6 panels) Panel 1. Mid of the Turtles appearing from a time jump into what appears to be a small clearing in the lushest of all environments thus far. Like, ridiculously lush. Even the 2238 era kicked up a notch, or even more lush and floral/exotic than Pandora from “Avatar.” 1) CAP: ANOTHER JUMP, ANOTHER CENTURY. IF ONE

DIDN’T KNOW ANY BETTER, THEY WOULD ALMOST SAY WE WERE BECOMING OLD HANDS AT THIS WHOLE TIME TRAVEL THING.

2) CAP: 2963 A.D.. Panel 2. Wide establishing, kind of a bird’s eye of the Turtles as they begin walking toward the foliage’s edge. This should be differentiated from the other wide establishing shots of other eras, but still give us a good look at the surroundings. 3) DONATELLO: TIME TO FIND SHELTER. WE’LL NEED TO BE SHARP

FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD. 4) LEONARDO: LET’S BED DOWN FOR THE NIGHT, THEN. COME,

BROTHERS. 5) CAP: NOT THAT THIS WAS OUR FIRST BARBECUE IN TIME

TRAVEL. BUT SPEAKING OF BARBECUES… Panel 3. Raphael leaning against a tree, a weak smile on his face. Leonardo holds his glance while the other Turtles (except Slash, who seems famished) exchange quizzical looks. 6) RAPHAEL: ANYBODY ELSE DOWN FOR A LITTLE PICNIC? 7) SLASH: THE VULTURES WOULD APPROVE. 8) CAP: THAT DIDN’T SOUND TOO BAD. Panel 4. Nighttime around a campfire. Big panel, all of the Turtles gathered around it on logs, a little somber, each one eating a portion of meat. Slash gnaws at his in an animalistic way. Raphael is roasting a kind of a spit over the fire with some kind of a bizarre animal (that is now thoroughly cooked, but still noticeably unlike anything we have on Earth right now) – dinner, no doubt. He turns it with one hand. 9) DONATELLO: IT IS SO GRATIFYING, MY BROTHERS. ALL OF US

HERE LIKE THIS, LIKE OLD TIMES…IT HAS ALREADY BEEN A LONG ROAD.

10) RAPHAEL: THAT IT HAS, DONNIE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

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11) CAP: THERE WAS A CERTAIN SENSE THAT THIS MIGHT BE

OUR LAST JUMP INTO A REGULAR TIME PERIOD. WE ALL FELT IT. I KNEW IT, OF COURSE, BUT I DIDN’T LET ON.

Panel 5. Raphael smiling, reaching to his side under his cloak/flap for something that’s tucked behind. 12) RAPHAEL: I THINK I HAVE JUST THE THING TO COMMEMORATE

THIS LITTLE NIGHT. 13) SLASH: IS IT SODA POP? I LIKE SODA POP. 14) CAP: SOMETHING WAS NEEDED TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD.

SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE WHAT MIGHT VERY WELL BE OUR LAST HAPPY MOMENT TOGETHER.

Panel 6. Raphael gingerly producing and brandishing a pretty big flask of something. It’s big enough to make readers ask “Wow, how did he hide that in his belt?” but not so ridiculously big that it seems far-fetched. Perhaps it’s somewhat contour fitting… like how marathon runners have little canteens that are contorted to fit into pockets/under straps. 15) RAPHAEL: IT’S CALLED MOONSHINE. BEEN SAVING IT FOR

DECADES. BREWED IT MYSELF IN HOUMA AFTER THE FLOODS. WOULDA DRANK IT BEFORE DYIN’ WHEN YOU SAVED MY SORRY ASS, BUT I CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER BUNCH OF GUYS THAN YOU TO SHARE IT WITH.

16) RAPHAEL: OR A BETTER TIME THAN NOW.

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PAGE 53 (1 panel) Panel 1. Splash page. A very poignant scene. Time has passed and the Turtles are all laughing joyously around the campfire now (like the tradition in Northampton seen in the prologue), passing around the bottle of moonshine. Michelangelo looks a little somber (if only because what’s being said in this panel), but still smiling. 1) CAP: THIS FELT GOOD. THIS FELT RIGHT. 2) LEONARDO: … YOU WERE JUST THE CUTEST BABY TURTLE,

RAPH… *HIC* YOU SHOULD’VE SEEN IT, YOU WERE SO TINY.* WHAT WAS IT HE’D SAY? “MEW”? JUST LIKE KLUNK, HAHAH!

3) MICHELANGELO: OH, KLUNK. *HIC* I MISS YA, BUDDY… 4) RAPHAEL: LAUGH IT UP, LEO, I STILL BIT THE SHIT OUT OF

BLOODSUCKER GOOD’N RIGHT! *HIC* BUT IF YOU WANNA TALK SHIT… C’MON, GUYS, BACK ME UP NOW…

5) CAP: TIME WOULD PASS. RAPHAEL’S MOONSHINE

WOULD MAKE ITS ROUNDS. 6) CAP: *SEE TMNT VOL. 1, #23 - 25.

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PAGE 54 (5 panels) Panel 1. Raphael goading Leonardo (good-naturedly of course) while the others are all smiles/chuckling. The bottle of moonshine still goes around. It gets a little serious between Leo and Raph. Like old times. 1) RAPHAEL: … HOW ABOUT THE DAY WE FOUND OUT ABOUT

YOU AND RADICAL? NOW THAT WAS SOME PRETTY SHIT.

2) LEONARDO: YOU OLD BASTARD. AS IF LUCINDRA WAS REALLY JUST *HIC* YOUR “SPARRING PARTNER.” * AS IF WE DIDN’T GIVE DONNIE ENOUGH SHIT FOR JHANNA.**

3) DONATELLO: OH, CHRIST… 4) RAPHAEL: SHE WAS!

5) LEONARDO: UH-HUH! AND I’M *HIC* SURE WE’VE ALL SEEN YOU CANOODLING IN MASTER SPLINTER’S DOJO AFTER HOURS WITH CASEY. OH, THAT’S RIGHT. WE HAVEN’T, BECAUSE YOU NEVER DID. I GUESS LUCINDRA JUST --

6) CAP: *SEE TMNT VOL. 1, #46.

7) CAP: **SEE TMNT VOL. 1, #13.

Panel 2. Raphael suddenly tackling Leonardo over the log he’s on. Donatello haphazardly catches the bottle of moonshine (like some kind of impromptu game of “hot potato”). Everyone (save for Leo and Raph) are laughing hysterically. Slash seems confused but doesn’t butt into what is clearly not his business.

8) RAPHAEL: OH, YOU MOTHER!@#!ER! 9) LEO: OOF!

Panel 3. Raphael with his elbow at Leo’s neck, the two Turtles turning back to the other Turtles who are laughing at them. They both crack a grin. 10) MICHELANGELO: AAAND WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN! HAH! Panel 4. Raphael and Leonardo hugging firmly after helping one another up. 11) RAPHAEL: I LOVE YOU, BROTHER. *HIC* I NEVER WANT YOU TO

HAVE ANY DOUBT. IF I COULD EVEN BE HALF THE NINJA YOU ARE…THAT’S ALL I’VE EVER STRIVED TO BE.

12) LEONARDO: YOU’RE ALREADY THERE, RAPH. YOU ALREADY WERE A CENTURY AGO. I *HIC* LOVE YOU, MAN.

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13) CAP: I COULDN’T REMEMBER BEING HAPPIER. ALL OF US TOGETHER AGAIN LIKE THIS. IT WAS SO EASY TO FORGET THE GRIM DESTINY THAT AWAITED US -- SO TONIGHT, I WOULD. WHY NOT?

Panel 5. Donatello sitting quietly now, big smile on his face as it’s his turn to drink the moonshine. He takes a big gulp. 14) CAP: I WOULD FORGET IT FOR NOW. ALL OF US WOULD.

THIS WAS A CELEBRATION OF OUR LIVES, OF ALL OF OUR SHARED TIMES TOGETHER.

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PAGE 55 (6 panels) Panel 1. Back around the campfire, Raphael helps Leonardo find his seat. Donatello hands the bottle over to a particularly morose Michelangelo. 1) MICHELANGELO: I-I… I’M AFRAID I HAVEN’T BEEN COMPLETELY

HONEST WITH YOU GUYS. 2) DONATELLO: WHAT? 3) MICHELANGELO: OKAY, WHEN YOU FOUND ME… I WASN’T JUST

GOING FOR A TRIP. I WAS *HIC* REALLY LEAVING – EVERYTHING. MAYBE HEADING TO THE EDGE OF SPACE, I-I DON’T KNOW.

Panel 2. Michelangelo takes a drink. Raphael and Leonardo in-frame.

4) MICHELANGELO: I WASN’T HAPPY ANYMORE. WE’D ALL DRIFTED APART SINCE MASTER SPLINTER’S DEATH, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE THAT. AND, I DON’T KNOW, GUYS. I JUST *HIC* DON’T KNOW.

5) LEONARDO: THE ACCIDENT -- YOU WOULD’VE DIED RIGHT THERE ON THE TRANSMAT. I SPENT DECADES REGRETTING WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE.

Panel 3. Michelangelo puts his head down, somber. An errant tear on his cheek. One of his brothers’ hands on his shoulder. 6) RAPHAEL WE ALL DID. MISSED YOU, MIKEY. YOU ARE MY

BEST FRIEND… AND I ALWAYS MEANT THAT. 7) MICHELANGELO: YOU TOO, BROTHER.

Panel 4. Focus on Slash as he pounds some of the bottle back, drinking heavily. Raphael points a finger at him. Michelangelo should be squeezed into the panel, a look on his face subtly suggesting, “Hey, I wasn’t really done with my story, but OK, whatever.”

8) RAPHAEL: HAVEN’T HEARD FROM YOU, MR. “SLASH.” WHAT’S YOUR STORY, ANYWAY? YOU HAVE CRED WITH CUDLEY AND THAT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME, BUT LET’S HEAR IT.

9) SLASH: NOT MUCH TO TELL. Panel 5. Slash, melancholy, peering upwards at the sky. He wipes some of the moonshine from his cheek with his bladed wrist.

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10) SLASH: MY WORLD, MY PALMADISE WAS RAVAGED. I MET OTHER TURTLES, YOUNGER THAN YOU, AND THE MUTANIMALS. THEY WERE MY FRIENDS AND SHOWED ME NEW PALM TREES.

Panel 6. The other Turtles’ faces as they listen to his tale intently. Concerned. Attentive. 11) SLASH: A DEVIL NAMED NULL KILLED THE MUTANIMALS.*

NOW I HEAR THIS “SHOGUN” IS THE ONE THAT’S KILLED THE ONES WITH YOUR NAMES FROM MY DIMENSION. MY…COUSINS.

12) CAP: *SEE TMNT ADVENTURES #54.

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PAGE 56 (6 panels)

I’m seeing a layout roughly like this: 1

2 3 4 5

6

Panel 1. Slash breaks the bottle in his hand by clutching hard, gesturing with his other arm. He’s worked up now. Wider now, we see a lot more of the surroundings with at least some of the palm tree-like foliage surrounding their campfire.

1) SFX: SKSH!

2) SLASH: WE CAME TO THIS TIME AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT ALL THESE PALM TREES AROUND US. I HAVE SAID NOTHING. I REALIZE NOW THEY NO LONGER REMIND ME OF HOME, OF HAPPIER TIMES. ONCE, THEY DID. ALL THEY REMIND ME NOW IS OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM ME...AND ALL I MUST AVENGE!

3) CAP: AND SO IT WAS.

Panel 2. The Turtles sleeping peacefully while Slash keeps watch like a sentinel, perched up on the top of a log, icy gaze that could pierce stone. 4) CAP: WE SLEPT THE BEST SLEEP WE HAD SLEPT IN

YEARS. SLASH KEPT A VERY CAREFUL WATCH…SO MUCH NEW RESPECT WE HAD FOR OUR NEW “COUSIN.”

Panel 3. Raphael groggily waking up.

5) RAPHAEL: WHUH… 6) CAP: I THINK RAPHAEL WAS THE FIRST TO WAKE.

Panel 4. Wide, the other Turtles all getting up, stirring, all heads turning to the big 10 foot pile of dead bodies – all of them Night Stalkers, though somewhat more evolved from how we last saw them (something new: they now include Night Stalker females… this is important to show, as it demonstrates that even the villagers eventually succumbed to their genetic destiny). Above it all we see Slash perched up, a little cut and a bloody. A little proud, in his own way.

7) RAPHAEL: OH. DAMN. 8) CAP: HE WAS THE FIRST ONE TO SEE WHAT HE HAD

DONE FOR US, THIS LAST NIGHT WE MIGHT EVER ALL BE TOGETHER LIKE THIS.

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Panel 5. The Turtles grouping together beside what’s left of the campfire (no longer burning, just smoking in the misty, morning air). 7) DONATELLO: IT’S TIME, BROTHERS. WE NEED TO FINISH

THIS. 9) LEONARDO: YES. 10) CAP: ONE MORE STOP. ONE LAST JOURNEY,

STRAIGHT TO THE END OF TIME. Panel 6. All black panel. 11) CAP: IF THIS TRULY MEANT OUR END, WE WOULD

GREET IT WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE. WE WERE READY.

12) CAP: NO REGRETS.

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PAGE 57 (5 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles materialize against complete white, no backgrounds, no walls, and no floors visible. There is a gigantic crystalline double-door in front (a little bit Jack Kirby-esque, with a Promethean-like god on each side of the double-door, as if pressing against each other when closed) of them (in fact, it almost seems like this is what’s doing the following). Immediately, even while they’re only halfway phased-in, they are thrown backwards. 1) MICHELANGELO: OOMPH! 2) RAPHAEL: !@#?ING HELL -- 3) CAP: I GUESS THERE WOULD BE ONE MORE STOP

AFTER ALL. 4) CAP: 2986 A.D. -- THE THIRD MILLENNIAL BARRIER. Panel 2. The Turtles getting to their feet (on what is apparently… thin air), many of them holding their heads. 5) DONATELLO: I-I UNDERSTAND NOW. 6) LEONARDO: IS THIS THE END OF TIME, DONATELLO? 7) DONATELLO: NO. WE ARE AT THE THIRD MILLENNIAL

BARRIER. RENET TOLD ME ABOUT THIS ONCE, I DON’T KNOW HOW I COULD HAVE FORGOTTEN.

Panel 3. The Turtles regrouping. Michelangelo is given an extra hand of support by Raphael and Leonardo, who see he’s particularly winded/hurt by what’s happened. 8) DONATELLO: TIME TRAVELLERS OFTEN TRY TO PASS HERE

AND THEY’RE BOUNCED BACK TO WHERE THEY COME FROM, OFTEN GETTING THE MESSAGE --

9) VOICE (in an ancient font, maybe Papyrus): BUZZ OFF! 10) DONATELLO: YEAH, RIGHT ON TIME. SOMETHING’S NOT

RIGHT, THOUGH… Panel 4. Donatello squinting, gesturing with his staff (which crackles a little bit with temporal power now) at the giant double-door that’s in front of them. 11) DONATELLO: THAT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. FROM

WHAT RENET TOLD ME --

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12) FEMALE VOICE: HOW CAN SHE TELL YOU WHAT SHE DOES NOT KNOW?

Panel 5. Big reveal on the speaker -- it’s Venus De Milo floating in front of them, looking just as she appeared in Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. The backs of the Turtles/their heads (perhaps they begin to draw their weapons on reflex) in the foreground.

13) VENUS DE MILO: I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU. YOU WILL HAVE TO

TRUST ME IF YOU WISH TO GO ANY FURTHER. 14) RAPHAEL: JUST WHO IN THE -- 15) VENUS DE MILO: MY NAME IS MEI PIEH CHI…BUT YOUR

COUNTERPARTS FROM MY DIMENSION GAVE ME A DIFFERENT NAME: VENUS DE MILO.

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PAGE 58 (6 panels) Panel 1. Biggest panel on the page. Venus floating up to the door, looking over her shoulder at the other Turtles in a curious manner. She twirls a pair of kai mi balls in one hand.

1) RAPHAEL: A FEMALE TURTLE, HUH? WELL NOW I’M JUST TICKLED.

2) MICHELANGELO: JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU’D SEEN EVERYTHING, RIGHT?

3) VENUS: YOU FIVE ARE TRYING TO GET TO THE END OF TIME, YES?

4) SLASH: OH YES -- THERE IS MUCH KILLING TO BE

DONE THERE!

5) VENUS: I TOO AM SEEKING THE END OF TIME. WHEN MY DIMENSION WAS ENVELOPED BY THE SHOGUN’S DARK MAGIC, I WAS ABLE TO CHANNEL SOME OF IT MYSELF TO ESCAPE MY FATE. I ENDED UP HERE.

6) CAP: IT SEEMED SO UNTHINKABLE AND YET THERE SHE WAS.

Panel 2. Leonardo shrugging, but looking skeptical. Donatello is beside him, stroking his own chin a little, in thought. Slash sneering with an “evil” grin.

7) LEONARDO: YOU SEEM LIKE YOU’VE BEEN EXPECTING US. WHAT’S YOUR GAME, VENUS?

8) VENUS: NO GAME. ONLY VENGEANCE.

9) SLASH: YOU TOO?

10) LEONARDO: FOR YOUR BROTHERS?

Panel 3. Venus with her arms open.

11) VENUS: BROTHERS? OH. NO, IN MY DIMENSION WE ARE NOT RELATED BY BLOOD. JUST LAST WEEK MY VERSION OF YOU, LEONARDO, TOOK ME TO…”DINNER AND A MOVIE”?

12) RAPHAEL: EH, YOU SURE? YOU GUYS TAKE A DNA TEST OR SOMETHIN’?

13) VENUS: AS A MATTER OF FACT YES! 14) CAP: SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT.

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Panel 4. Raphael jabbing Leonardo in the side a little. Leonardo looks a little embarrassed. 15) RAPHAEL: LEONARDO, KING STUD…IN ANY DIMENSION, HUH? 16) LEONARDO: SHUT UP, RAPHAEL. Panel 5. Venus beckoning to Donatello. 17) VENUS: I USED THE SCEPTER FROM MY FRIENDS -- I THINK

THEY ONCE USED IT TO TRAVEL TO FEUDAL JAPAN. I FOUND IT IN OUR HOME IN THE TOILET.

18) MICHELANGELO: TOILET? YOU MEAN SEWER, RIGHT? 19) VENUS: OH YES, SEWER. I GET IT WRONG SO MUCH. THE

SCEPTER SHATTERED UPON MY ARRIVAL HERE. MY SHINOBI MAGIC HAS ALLOWED ME TO SEE GLIMPSES OF THE FUTURE, OF THINGS TO COME.

Panel 6. Small panel just on Venus’ outstretched hand, and Donatello narrowing his eyes. 20) VENUS: I NOW REQUIRE ALL OF YOUR BRACELETS. 21) CAP: SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG INDEED.

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PAGE 59 (6 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles stepping back a bit from Venus, some joint sense of wariness sweeping over them. Back profile on Venus, who begins to glow just slightly. 1) LEONARDO: IT’S NOT THAT WE DON’T TRUST YOU, MS. DE MILO,

BUT -- 2) DONATELLO: PLEASE UNDERSTAND, FOR ALL WE KNOW YOU

COME FROM A DIMENSION WHERE OUR KIND ARE THE BAD GUYS AND YOU WERE SENT HERE AS SOME KIND OF PUNISHMENT.

3) RAPHAEL: SO YEAH, ACTUALLY IT’S A LOT THAT WE DON’T

TRUST YOU. SORRY, TOOTS. 4) VENUS: I SEE. Panel 2. Anger begins to boil on Venus’ face, her brow furrowing. Distractedly she begins playing with the braided ends of her bandanna with a hand, feverishly. 5) VENUS: THAT IS UNFORTUNATE. 6) DONATELLO (O.P.): NOW I’M SURE WE CAN COME TO SOME KIND OF A -- Panel 3. Venus knocking down Slash and Leonardo simultaneously with her – energized, apparently – kai mi balls with a hand, with blowing the other Turtles back with a big fireball from her other hands. 7) VENUS: UNFORTUNATE FOR YOU! Panel 4. The Turtles on the ground, looking at one another intensely. They’re a little singed, a little smoky. Raphael brings his sai-staff to bear, painfully, and Michelangelo cocks his pistol (or whatever the equivalent would be on a futuristic blaster-pistol like his). 8) VENUS: SURRENDER THE BRACELETS TO ME NOW! 9) RAPHAEL: OKAY, GANG…WE TAKE THIS TURTLE BITCH DOWN

NOW! 10) MICHELANGELO: I GOT YOUR BACK, BROTHER. Panel 5. Raphael leading a charge of himself, Michelangelo, and Donatello against Venus. Venus is just floating there, angry as all hell, gathering up two growing fireballs in each hand. Donatello and his staff likewise seem to be charging up.

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11) VENUS: THIS IS MOST…ILL-ADVISED. SURRENDER YOUR BRACELETS TO ME NOW, WHILE YOU STILL CAN!

12) DONATELLO: WE DIDN’T COME THIS FAR TO BE STOPPED

BY YOU. I’M SORRY, MEI PIEH CHI… Panel 6. Michelangelo and Raphael doing the equivalent of evasive shoulder tackles/rolls to their respective sides to avoid the fireballs Venus dispatches while Donatello goes very Gandalf the White on her, slamming his staff down on the “ground,” chronal energy (which could be considered magic of a sort) blinding Venus at the same time as electrocuting her (not severely, about the equivalent of a tazer). 13) DONATELLO: …BUT IT’S US OR YOU… AND YOU HAVEN’T

EXACTLY BEEN FORTHCOMING!

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PAGE 60 (6 panels) Panel 1. Focus on Raphael, roaring with teeth bared and cocking back his free fist, about to punch the fallen Venus (laying on her shell, a little afraid, a bit of blood running from the side of her mouth) in the face. 1) RAPHAEL: NICE ONE, DONNIE. ALL WARMED UP FOR

THE -- 2) MICHELANGELO (O.P.): NO! Panel 2. Michelangelo learning forward and catching Raphael’s fist in his hand as Venus recoils back. Raphael snarling at Michelangelo. 3) MICHELANGELO: SHE’S DOWN, DAMMIT. THAT’S ENOUGH. 4) VENUS DE MILO: TH-THANK YOU. 5) RAPHAEL: BIG MISTAKE, MIKEY. WHAT IF THIS LADY -- 6) LEONARDO (O.P.): AT EASE, RAPHAEL. Panel 3. Leonardo and Slash, walking back to the scene, a little singed but otherwise none the worse for wear. Raph raises his arms to his sides a little in protest. Leonardo is walking with his techno katana drawn, beginning to raise it up. 7) RAPHAEL: LEO, YOU DON’T KNOW WH -- 8) LEONARDO: I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH! 9) LEONARDO: YOU THERE. VENUS. Panel 4. Leonardo pointing a Katana directly at Venus’ face. 10) LEONARDO: YOU HAD BETTER START TALKING. NOW. 11) VENUS: I-I WAS NOT LYING TO YOU BEFORE. THE

SHOGUN WIPED OUT MY DIMENSION…I AM ALL THAT IS LEFT.

12) LEONARDO: WHAT’S YOUR ANGLE, THEN? WHY DID YOU

DO THIS? WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH OUR BRACELETS?

Panel 5. Venus getting to her feet, wiping the blood at the side of her mouth like a wounded animal. We see an intensity in her we haven’t seen yet… she’s not as docile as she appeared previously.

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13) VENUS: AFTER I MADE IT HERE ONLY TO BE STUCK, THE SHOGUN VISITED ME. HE SAID MY DIMENSION DIDN’T MATTER TO HIM… HE SAID HE “WON’T BE USING IT ANYWAY”… I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HE MEANT. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT HE PROMISED ME HE WOULD RESTORE MY DIMENSION IF I HELPED HIM. PROMISED ME IF I --

14) DONATELLO: IF YOU TOOK OUR BRACELETS. WHY? Panel 6. Venus turning away from the group of them, head down. 15) VENUS: I-I ASSUME THEY ARE THE KEY FOR YOU TO

ADVANCE BEYOND THIS THIRD MILLENNIAL BARRIER WE ARE MAROONED AT.

16) VENUS: I-I AM SUCH A FOOL. CHUNG I WOULD BE SO ASHAMED OF ME

NOW. I ONLY WANTED TO…I… 17) DONATELLO: IT’S OKAY, MEI PIEH CHI. TURN AROUND. LOOK AT

ME, LOOK AT US. 18) CAP: I COULD ONLY HOPE MY INSTINCTS WERE TRUE. I

HAD PRECIOUS LITTLE ELSE TO GO ON…

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PAGE 61 (6 panels) Panel 1. Donatello extending a hand to Venus and her looking sheepishly at him, unsure how to proceed. Slash somewhere, looking very wary of Venus. 1) CAP: …AND I KNEW WHAT HAD TO BE DONE. 2) DONATELLO: ALL OF US. WE ARE ALL ORPHANS OF TIME AT

THIS POINT, EVEN YOU. JOIN US. 3) RAPHAEL: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, DONNIE? WHAT

THE !@#!? 4) LEONARDO: DONATELLO IS RIGHT. WE CAN USE HER, AND

SHE HAS CONSIDERABLE POWERS. MOREOVER, ANOTHER DIMENSION OR NOT…

Panel 2. Close on Venus, smiling, tears in her eyes. 5) LEONARDO (O.P.): … SHE’S STILL ONE OF US. 6) VENUS: THANK YOU, FELLOW TURTLES. THE SHOGUN

SAID THAT MY DIMENSION AND I WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO EXIST AT ALL...I WELCOME THE CHANCE TO PROVE HIM WRONG.

Panel 3. Slash jumps inward, grabbing her by the neck, choking her a bit and his twisted sai at her jugular. The other Turtles are a bit startled. 7) SLASH: CROSS US OR STAB US IN THE BACK AND I

WILL SLAUGHTER YOU, COUSIN. 8) VENUS: *URKH!* I…I UNDERSTAND… Panel 4. Slash walking away from her and approaching the crystalline double-doored gateway, leaving her crumpling to her knees as the other Turtles rush to her. Raphael looks at Slash as he goes. 9) SLASH: GOOD.

10) LEONARDO: ARE YOU OKAY?

11) CAP: THOUGH TIME MAY HAVE BECOME SOMEWHAT OF A NON-ISSUE, WE HAD STILL WASTED ENOUGH OF IT.

Panel 5. The Turtles, Venus included, joining Slash in front of the great double-doors. They all behold the vastness and intricacy of the gate, a little humbled by the grandiosity of it all.

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12) CAP: WE FELT SO SMALL BEFORE THE GREAT GATEWAY BEFORE US. COULD WE DO THIS?

Panel 6. The Turtles holding up their hands with the bracelets upwards at the double-doors. With his other hand, Donatello is holding Venus’. Raphael meeting Michelangelo’s quizzical glance. 13) RAPHAEL: DON’T LOOK AT ME, MAN…I’M JUST

FOLLOWING DONNIE’S LEAD. 14) CAP: COULD WE OPEN IT -- HAD OMNIA KEPT ITS

WORD IN THE MIDST OF ITS HIDDEN WEAPON? DID WE TRULY HAVE ANY HOPE OF CHANGING OUR FATE, OF SAVING ALL OF EXISTENCE?

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PAGE 62 (7 panels)

I’m seeing the layout of this page a little like this:

Panel 1. Emphasis on the bracelets as they begin sparking and discharging energy (which arcs and hits the double-doors), different and close angle on the Turtles as they grit their teeth in pain.

1) MICHELANGELO: OH, MAN -- HERE WE GO.

2) RAPHAEL: BUCKLE UP.

3) CAP: IT WAS WORKING. WE ALL FELT IT.

Panel 2. Energy coursing through the gates, the Turtles shaking as they are barely able to stand at this point. Bracelets are sparking more fiercely than ever.

4) LEONARDO: HOLD YOUR GROUND, BROTHERS!

Panel 3. The double-doors thrust open and the Turtles are bathed in pure white light. Their bracelets simultaneously burst and disintegrate.

5) LEONARDO: WE CAN DO THIS, WE CAN DO THI *

Panel 4. White panel.

Panel 5. Big panel with the Turtles appearing, standing on the top of a cloud-high skyscraper made of pure crystal it seems. From around them it looks like there is other such skyscrapers around them. In front of them hover several 3 cloaked TIME LORDS in robes and helmets not unlike Lord Simultaneous’ (from TMNT Vol. 1, #8). Time Lord #3 should look quite short, exactly like Lord Simultaneous himself from page 38 of “Transdimensional TMNT” as drawn by Jim Lawson… because he is Lord Simultaneous. Time Lord #2, female, should look like an adult version of Aeli seen earlier in the story (she is).

6) TIME LORD #1: AH, NEWCOMERS! STATE YOUR NAMES.

7) CAP: WE DID AS WE WERE TOLD. I THEN EXPLAINED OUR PREDICAMENT.

8) CAP: 3088 A.D..

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Panel 6. A few minutes later. Close on Donatello in front of the other Turtles. 9) DONATELLO: SO YOU SEE, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT TO THE END OF

THE TIME. LITERALLY EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON IT. I URGE YOU TO GRANT US PASSAGE.

10) RAPHAEL: HE’S NOT SHITTING YOU GUYS. 11) MICHELANGELO: TIME LORDS, RIGHT? Panel 7. The three Time Lords considering Donatello’s words. The lead Time Lord seems to be needing additional convincing. 12) TIME LORD #1: THIS IS AN ERA OF TIME WARRIORS, OF TIME

LORDS FROM ALL DIMENSIONS OF NULL-TIME. WE DO BATTLE HERE FAR AWAY FROM THE OTHER FORMATIVE ERAS OF MANKIND SO AS NOT TO DISRUPT THINGS…TIME TRAVEL BEYOND THIS POINT -- ESPECIALLY TO THE END OF TIME -- IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN.

13) TIME LORD #2: BUT LORD TIMAGETUS, HE SAYS THAT ANOTHER

HAS ALREADY FOUND A WAY TO VIOLATE THIS SANCTION. THIS… “SHOGUN.”

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PAGE 63 (6 panels) Panel 1. The Time Lords debating amongst each other. 1) TIME LORD #1 (TIMAGETUS): THAT IS TRUE. THIS WARRANTS

TEMPORAL INVESTIGATION. 2) TIME LORD #2: THAT THESE TURTLES ARE HERE AT

ALL -- THAT THEY PASSED THE THIRD MILLENNIAL BARRIER -- DENOTES THEIR OWN STATURE AS TIME LORDS THEMSELVES.

3) TIME LORD #3: AFTER THEY HAVE ALTERED THE

COURSE OF HISTORY IN HOW MANY TIME PERIODS NOW?

Panel 2. Time Lord #3 roaring at the others. Time Lord #2 fires back a bit. 4) TIME LORD #3: WHERE IS THE PROOF OF THEIR

“NOBLE” AGENDA, I ASK? 5) TIME LORD #2: I WILL VOUCH FOR THEM. Panel 3. The Turtles beseeching the Time Lords. 6) VENUS: OUR WORDS ARE TRUE, TIME LORDS!

HEAR US! 7) DONATELLO: I RECOGNIZE YOU, TIME LORD. YOUR

NAME IS LORD SIMULTANEOUS. THAT YOU DON’T RECOGNIZE ME TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A YOUNGER VERSION OF YOU, BEFORE YOU TAKE RESIDENCE IN THE 79TH LEVEL OF NULL-TIME…

Panel 4. Time Lord #3 (Lord Simultaneous) looking pretty surprised. 8) DONATELLO (O.P.): …AND BEFORE YOU TAKE UP ONE

RENET TILLEY AS YOUR APPRENTICE. SHE WAS THE FIRST ONE THE SHOGUN MURDERED, BY THE WAY.

9) LORD SIMULTANEOUS: I-I… I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO SAY. I AM

NOT SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE MS. TILLEY UNTIL TWO YEARS FROM THIS DATE.

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Panel 5. The Time Lords deliberating between one another. 10) LORD TIMAGETUS: WE ALL KNOW THESE TURTLES ARE NO

STRANGERS TO TIME TRAVEL…I DO NOT QUESTION THEIR STATUS AND DO NOT QUESTION THEIR CLAIMS. THEY PASS.

11) TIME LORD #2: I CONCUR. THEY PASS. 12) LORD SIMULTANEOUS: I-I CONCUR AS WELL…BUT YOU KNOW

THE RULE. Panel 6. Lord Simultaneous pointing a finger at the Turtles, chronal energy sparking out of it a bit. 13) LORD SIMULTANEOUS: ONE OF THEM MUST STAY WITH US! 14) LORD TIMAGETUS (O.P.): SO IT IS DECREED…A NEW TIME

WARRIOR MUST BE DRAFTED INTO OUR RANKS.

15) CAP: THINGS WERE GOING REAL SOUTH

REAL FAST.

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PAGE 64 (6 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles looking quite puzzled at one another. 1) TIME LORD #2 (O.P.): CHOOSE AMONGST YOURSELVES

THEN, TURTLES. WE WILL WAIT. 2) RAPHAEL: EH…SAY WHAT? 3) MICHELANGELO: I VOLUNTEER. IT SHOULD BE ME. 4) LEONARDO: NO, MICHELANGELO. IT MUST BE ME. I

WILL STAY BEHIND. 5) CAP: SHE SAID THE SHOGUN TOLD HER SHE

WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO EXIST. Panel 2. Venus pushes back the other Turtles to come to the front. The others seemed shocked. Raphael doesn’t say anything but has his arms crossed, putting up a front of “I don’t care” or maybe even “better her than me.” 6) VENUS: IT MUST BE ME. I-I WILL ACCEPT MY

FATE NOW, TIME LORDS. WITH THANKS. 7) LEONARDO: VENUS, NO! 8) CAP: WELL, SHE HAD AS MUCH RIGHT TO

EXIST AS ANY OF US. Panel 3. The Time Lords looking pleased at one another, nodding. They loom over the Turtles now, like judges. All of their hands begin to glow. 9) LORD TIMAGETUS: ACCEPTED, THEN. 10) TIME LORD #2: WELCOME TO THE TIME LORDS, MEI

PIEH CHI OF DIMENSION B. 11) LORD SIMULTANEOUS: YOU BEGIN YOUR ROLE… Panel 4. Venus being hoisted up into the air by the Time Lords’ energies, energy coursing through her and into her. She’s wracked with pain. 12) LORD SIMULTANEOUS (O.P.): …IMMEDIATELY! 13) VENUS: AUGH! TURTLES! TAKE CARE OF… THE

SHOGUN…AVENGE MY WORLD… 14) CAP: WE WOULD NOT FORGET HER.

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Panel 5. Backs of the Turtles watching as Venus vanishes into the air, the Time Lords now turning their attention to them. 15) LORD TIMAGETUS: IT IS DONE. 16) LORD SIMULTANEOUS: ARE YOU READY NOW, TURTLES, FOR

THE END OF TIME? 17) LEONARDO: LET US PASS, DAMN YOU, AND YOU

WILL SEE! Panel 6. Close on the Time Lords, combining their chronal energy together to send the Turtles on their final journey, gathering it up between one another into one shared (and growing) energy sphere. Time Lord #2 can be seen smiling a little. Slash looks up in surprise at Time Lord #2. 18) LORD TIMAGETUS: GO THEN WITH OUR APPROVAL…AND

STERNEST OF POSSIBLE WARNINGS. 19) TIME LORD #2: DO BE CAREFUL, SLASH. 20) SLASH: AELI? AELI, IS THAT YOU? 21) CAP: SUCH, IT SEEMED, WERE THE

MYSTERIES OF TIME.

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PAGE 65 (6 panels) Panel 1. Big panel with the Turtles being hoisted up into the air like Venus was, only this is much more spectacular. The Time Lords can be seen in the background unleashing their full energies into them. The Turtles recoil with terrible pain.

1) CAP: THE PAIN WAS UNBEARABLE, UNLIKE ANYTHING WE HAD FELT BEFORE.

Panel 2. The Turtles disappearing in front of the Time Lords, their attention suddenly being captivated by someone below, just off-panel to one side. 2) MAN: YOU LET THEM GO ON JUST LIKE THAT,

AFTER WHAT THEY’VE DONE? SIMULTANEOUS? AELI? TIMAGETUS? ANY OF YOU, PLEASE.

Panel 3. The Time Lords peering down scornfully at a frantic, idealistic blond-haired man we see standing where the Turtles once stood in relatively plainclothes (he should look as the human Savanti Romero did in Jim Lawson’s unpublished TMNT #8). 3) LORD SIMULTANEOUS: THAT WILL BE ENOUGH OUT OF YOU, YOUNG

ROMERO. Panel 4. Close on young human Savanti Romero seething, teeth clenched. 4) LORD SIMULTANEOUS (O.P.):YOU HAVE A VERY LONG TIME TILL

GRADUATION YET. 5) SAVANTI ROMERO: TIME… IS RELATIVE! Panel 5. Wide on the Turtles falling through some kind of a vortex. Imagine five people jumping out of an airplane, then grouping together some thousands of feet below that, about to pull their chutes – that’s about what we’re going for. 6) CAP: IT WAS LIKE WE WERE RACING, OR FALLING.

THROUGH WHAT, WE COULD ONLY IMAGINE. WE FELT OUR BODIES DRIFTING APART THROUGH THE MAELSTROM…

Panel 6. Close on the Turtles’ hands. They all join hands tightly as they fall, all five of them. 7) CAP: … BUT WE WOULD STAY TOGETHER. 8) CAP: HERE, AT THE END, WE HAD TO. IT WAS THE

ONLY WAY.

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PAGE 66 (6 panels) – ARSENIY PAGE Panel 1. Close on the man in the driver’s seat of the Ferrari. It appears to be KEVIN EASTMAN, with sunglasses on. He seems intense, unfocused. 1) CAP: SOMEWHERE IN THE MULTIVERSE... Panel 2. Close on the man riding the motorcycle. We can’t get a good fix on him because he’s wearing all jean-material (jean jacket, jeans, boots, big black helmet). Though it’s hard to tell, he seems somewhat stocky. It’s PETER LAIRD, but we don’t know that yet. Panel 3. A coyote darts in front of the Ferrari, giving the driver a deer-in-headlights look. (perhaps this could/should be a driver’s P.O.V. shot). Panel 4. Closer on the man riding the motorcycle, new angle. He’s leaning forward, really taxing his bike for extra speed. Panel 5. Kevin Eastman’s eyes going wide as he yanks the wheel to one side in a moment of panic. 2) KEVIN: AW, SHIT!!! Panel 6. The man on the motorcycle zooming off into the distance, a long trail of dust being kicked up along the way. Panel 7. Same panel, but very blurry, the motorcycle even further now.

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PAGE 67 (2 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles falling into the End of Time, hanging onto each other like skydivers, desperately. 1) CAP: WHATEVER WE WERE PASSING THROUGH, IT

WAS LIKE WE COULD FEEL THE ENTROPY ITSELF THAT AWAITED US AT THE END OF ALL THINGS, ASSAULTING US, RIPPING AT US AS WE “FELL,” EATING AWAY AT OUR BODIES.

2) CAP: IT WAS ALL WE COULD DO TO JUST HANG

ON… AND EVEN THAT WAS ASKING A LOT. 3) RAPHAEL: I-I CAN’T HOLD ON!!! 4) MICHELANGELO: HOLD ON -- I GOT YOU, RAPH! I GOT YOU! 5) LEONARDO: KEEP FORMATION, BROTHERS! DAMN IT, DO

NOT LET GO!!! Panel 2. Close on Donatello, cheeks flapping back as if he was stuck in a wind tunnel. 6) CAP: WAS THIS DEATH? MAYBE. ALL I KNEW WAS

THAT, MY BROTHERS AT MY SIDE, IT WOULD BE A DEATH I WOULD BE ABLE TO ABIDE FAR BETTER THAN THE ONE RENET HAD ALLOWED ME TO ESCAPE.

7) CAP: AND THAT WAS ENOUGH.

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PAGE 68 & 69 – TOKKA PAGE (2 page spread) A kaleidoscope of various panels from old Mirage TMNT Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, and Tales issues (and one TMNTA) set against a background of swirling Entropy. Included amongst them: Raphael almost hitting Michelangelo with a pipe in the Raphael special, Raphael acquiescing to Leonardo before Leonardo took on the Shredder in TMNT Vol. 1, #21, the Turtles standing before the Halls of Lost Legends in TMNT Vol. 1, #43, Leonardo taking down the Adversary in TMNT Vol. 1, #37, Raphael sparring with Lucindra in TMNT Vol. 1, #44, Donatello with Jhanna in the closing pages of TMNT Vol. 1, #13, the Mutanimals getting wiped out in TMNT Adventures #54, Michelangelo with Horridus (TMNT Vol. 3, #10), Michelangelo with Seri/The Regenta (late Volume 4), Michelangelo seeing Seri’s eggs (late Volume 4), Michelangelo holding a dead Klunk (Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2, #9), Splinter’s funeral (TMNT Vol. 4, #11), the Turtles looking in sadness at the Mermen taking their dead female into the water from TMNT Vol. 1, #28, Casey proposing to April in Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2, #43, and more. If a couple of panels of Savanti Romero, Savanti Juliet (who appeared only in TMNT Vol. 1, #42), and Null looking evil from their respective books, that’d be a bonus. 1) CAP: WE KEPT FALLING, DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE

MAELSTROM. AS WE PLUMETTED, WE REMEMBERED THINGS…THE PEOPLE WE’VE TOUCHED IN OUR LIVES, ON OUR ADVENTURES…

2) CAP: …AND THOSE DEAR TO US WE’VE LOST. 3) CAP: FOR A TIME, WE BEGAN TO WONDER IF WE WOULD

EVER EMERGE FROM OUR DESCENT. 4) CAP: BUT THEN…

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PAGE 70 (6 panels) Panel 1. Close on the Turtles’ feet hitting the “ground,” which appears to be quite sandy and rocky…vaguely asteroid-like. 1) CAP: … IT SEEMED WE HAD ARRIVED. Panel 2. Biggest panel on the page. The Turtles recovering from their fall, some of them still crouched on the “ground.” They look around and are overwhelmed by the “sky” that is comprised of the swirling of pure Entropy/Anti-Matter. There appears to be an “edge” on both sides of the ground, tapering off into the Entropy. Imagine a 2 mile long “plank” that looks like an asteroid with little stalagmites jutting from it and craters that’s just floating in nothing. 2) MICHELANGELO: WE DID IT. WE’VE MADE IT. 3) CAP: THE END OF TIME. Panel 3. The Turtles standing, looking with melancholy at one another. Some of them put hands on other’s shoulders. 4) DONATELLO: THIS IS IT, BROTHERS. THE END OF ALL

THINGS…BUT NOT IF WE CAN HELP IT! 5) RAPHAEL: I’VE NEVER BEEN AFRAID OF NOTHIN’ OR NO ONE.

STANDING HERE? LOOKING OUT ALL THAT NOTHING OUT THERE? THIS DOESN’T CHANGE A GODDAMN THING.

6) SLASH: THE VULTURES WILL DINE ONCE MORE…EVEN IF IT

IS THE LAST TIME! Panel 4. Michelangelo gingerly putting a hand on Raphael’s arm. Leonardo turning away a bit. 7) MICHELANGELO: IF THIS IS REALLY THE END…I LOVE YOU, MAN. ALL

OF YOU. 8) RAPHAEL: YOU TOO, MIKEY. THE REST OF YOU CRUSTY

LUGS…YOU AIN’T SO BAD EITHER. C’MERE. EVEN YOU, SLASH, YOU CRAZY BASTARD.

9) SLASH: ME?

Panel 5. The Turtles group-hugging, some teary-eyes… except for Leo. He is still turned away from them, and in the foreground we see the intensity on his face. 10) RAPHAEL: YO, LEO…? WE REALLY GOTTA DO THIS AGAIN

NOW?

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11) CAP: LEONARDO STILL FELT LIKE THE LEADER. EVEN NOW, AT THE END.

Panel 6. Wide panel, the TMNT very far away and small. Leonardo somberly leading the march forward as the others look at him with sadness but yet also understanding. 12) CAP: HIS WHOLE LIFE HE PREPARED HIMSELF FOR THE

DAY WHEN SPLINTER WOULD NO LONGER BE AROUND. THEN IT HAPPENED.

13) CAP: WE NEVER ASKED FOR THIS LIFE. NEVER ASKED

FOR THE BURDEN PUT UPON US BY OUR MASTER.

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PAGE 71 (5 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles walking a lonely path across the expanse of the desolate asteroid-like terrain in front of them. Their footsteps can be seen trailing behind them. 1) CAP: OUR VERY EXISTANCES, THE RESULT OF FREAKISH

COINCIDENCE -- A BARREL OF UTROM MUTAGEN, A KID WITH A BOWL OF PET TURTLES, A RAT IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

Panel 2. New view on the Turtles walking. 2) CAP: STILL, WE WERE GRATEFUL. GRATEFUL FOR

HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE TOUCHED THE LIVES OF SO MANY, TO HAVE EXPERIENCED SO MUCH.

Panel 3. A whirlwind appearing before the Turtles, stopping them. 3) CAP: WE WOULD DEFEND OUR REALITY WITH EVERY

FIBER IN OUR BEINGS, AS LONG AS WE WERE STILL ABLE TO DRAW BREATH FROM ANY THREAT NEW…

Panel 4. Savanti Romero and Juliet appear from the whirlwind, Juliet on Romero’s arm. They both seem rather relaxed, savoring the moment. 4) CAP: …OR OLD. 5) LEONARDO: SAVANTI ROMERO. JULIET. 6) RAPHAEL: ABOUT TIME. READY TO DANCE, SHITHEADS? 7) SAVANTI JULIET: THEY ARE SO HASTY, ROMERO, DARLING.

RECKLESS. 8) SAVANTI ROMERO: THEY SHOULD BE DEAD ALREADY AFTER WHAT WE

DID TO THEM…BUT THEY WILL NEVER MAKE IT TO THE SHOGUN WITH THAT ATTITUDE.

9) CAP: THERE WOULD BE NO ESCAPE THIS TIME. NOT FOR

THEM AND NOT FOR US. Panel 5. Big panel. The Turtles simultaneously taking up battle positions as Savanti Romero and Juliet go to work, unleashing fiery magical blasts at them which they are quick to dodge. 10) SAVANTI ROMERO: [magical symbol word]!

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11) SAVANTI JULIET: [magical symbol word]! 12) CAP: DAMN IT ALL, WE WOULD MAKE IT TO THE SHOGUN.

WE DARE NOT FAIL...NOT THIS TIME.

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PAGE 72 (6 panels) Panel 1. Close on the Turtles, in two groups, each one huddled to avoid the last volley of fireballs. Leonardo shouting. 1) LEONARDO: SPLIT UP, TURTLES -- DIVIDE AND CONQUER! 2) SLASH: DIVIDE AND CONQUER? OH…AH, YES! Panel 2. Romero and Juliet exchanging frustrated looks at one another. 3) RAPHAEL (O.P.): I CAN DIG IT. Panel 2. Wide panel of the Turtles all running outward in a different direction (perhaps a bird’s eye view with a slant would best suit this panel), Romero and Juliet discharging multiple fireballs in many directions, all of them missing the TMNT… yet the TMNT are getting closer to them. 4) SAVANTI ROMERO: YOU THINK YOU CAN AVOID US FOREVER? THIS IS

FALLACY! Panel 3. Close panel of Savanti Romero raging mad, mouth open, and even Juliet taken aback with his rage. Romero’s hand is clasped near his face, energy coursing through it. 5) SAVANTI ROMERO: VERY WELL, TURTLES…I TAP INTO THE DEAD TIME

AND SPELL YOUR DOOM WITH THOSE YOU’VE THOUGHT DEAD!

6) SAVANTI JULIET: I LOVE IT WHEN YOU GO ALL NECROMANTIC, HONEY. 7) CAP: WE CAME INTO THIS READY FOR ANYTHING,

WHATEVER WOULD BE WAITING FOR US AT THE END OF TIME.

Panel 4. Four pairs of hands reaching up from the ground around the Turtles and between them and the Savantis, like out of some kind of zombie movie in a cemetery. 8) SAVANTI ROMERO: SOULS OF THE VANQUISHED, I CALL UPON THE

DEAD TIME TO BRING YOU BACK TO THE LAND OF THE LIVING ONCE MORE.

9) CAP: ANY THREAT, NO MATTER HOW GREAT. Panel 5. Close on some of the Turtles’ faces, eyes growing wide with disbelief. 10) SAVANTI ROMERO: RISE, NOW!

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11) CAP: BUT STILL…I WOULD BE LYING IF I SAID THAT THIS…

Panel 6. Big panel. Zombie versions of many Turtle foes rise up from the “ground,” dirt/dust/sand falling from them. There is Zombie Cyborg Baxter Stockman (his cyborg body looking as it did in the colorized TMNT Volume 2, though in place of its robotic head is his real head, complete with glasses), Bloodsucker (from “The River” in TMNT Vol. 1, #23-25), a Triceraton (Zog, perhaps, but he needn’t be descript), and Complete Carnage (if possible, as he appeared more or less in Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 #41, but any previous “look” on him is fine too). All of them seem very zombie-like, disheveled and rotten… but still very able to put up a hell of a fight. 12) SAVANTI ROMERO: RISE! 13) CAP: … DIDN’T GIVE US SOME MEASURE OF PAUSE.

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PAGE 73 (11 panels) The zombie versions of the Turtles’ old foes are dispatched, one by one. This is where I call on the creativity and layouts of Jim Lawson. I’ve seen Jim take on pages with a ton of panels in battle scenes, so I’m hesitant to throw an arbitrary number out there, but I think 10 could be pulled off adequately in a Vol. 1, #21 style. The basic task: you have 10 panels (good grief, or more? whatever seems reasonable), have the Turtles believably cut down Baxter, Bloodsucker, the Triceraton, and Complete Carnage. I would envision Raphael and Slash double-teaming Bloodsucker, Donatello taking on Baxter, Leonardo taking on Complete Carnage, and gosh, I guess Michelangelo taking on the Triceraton, but please take creative liberty as feels natural. 1) CAP: OUR OLDEST ENEMIES… 2) LEONARDO (first panel): I’VE GOT CARNAGE! 3) CAP: … WAITING FOR US, HERE… 4) CAP: … AT THE END OF TIME. 5) DONATELLO (sixth panel): BAXTER! 6) RAPHAEL (third panel): ANOTHER ROUND, BLOODSUCKER? 7) CAP: THE END OF ALL THINGS. 8) LEONARDO (panel killing Carnage): FOR RADICAL! 9) MICHELANGELO (panel with him shooting): SORRY, ZOG! 10) CAP: BUT THESE WERE JUST SHADOWS.

PUPPETS, OF THE REAL PUPPET MASTER.

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PAGE 74 (7 panels) Panel 1. Angle on the Turtles alone. They’re standing, wounded now, hurt, but poised and ready to continue.

1) SAVANTI ROMERO (O.P.): WHY, TURTLES?! WHY WILL YOU NOT DIE?!

2) CAP: ROMERO HAD BEEN A THORN IN OUR SIDE SINCE ALMOST THE BEGINNING.

Panel 2. Romero and Juliet sneering. Savanti roaring. 3) SAVANTI ROMERO: WHY WILL YOU NOT REALIZE YOU ARE

ALREADY DEAD? WHY?!

4) CAP: ALWAYS PLOTTING SOME KIND OF REVENGE, NO MATTER WHERE WE’D SEAL HIM AWAY TO.

Panel 3. The hands/forearms of Juliet and Romero in the foreground, the Turtles can be seen acrobatically avoiding more fireball volleys. Leonardo and Donatello seem to be getting quite close to Juliet and Romero in their evasive maneuvers.

5) SAVANTI ROMERO: HAVE YOU NOT COST ME ENOUGH ALREADY?

6) CAP: HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO COME BACK, NO MATTER WHAT WE DID.

Panel 4. Strangely, Juliet steps back from her husband (throwing her hands back/up a little) with a wicked smile as -- simultaneously -- Leonardo lands quite low, burying his katana in Savanti’s gut while Donatello pulls a sliding-into-home-plate kind of move (dust kicking up behind his shell) while blasting Savanti with his own chronal energy from his cane. Savanti writhes in severe pain. 7) SAVANTI ROMERO: *UUURKH!* NO….

8) CAP: AT A CERTAIN POINT WE JUST ACCEPTED IT -- WE WOULD RUN INTO HIM AGAIN, SOONER OR LATER.

Panel 5. Romero with wide eyes and agape mouth, blood dripping from his mouth as Leonardo pulls back his katana into a killing, decapitative stance. 9) SAVANTI ROMERO: N-NO, THIS ISN’T HOW IT’S SUPPOSED

TO BE. TH-THE SHOGUN, HE PROMISED, HE PROMISED! JULIET! JUUULIET!!!

10) LEONARDO: IT’S OVER, SAVANTI. TIME TO REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

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11) CAP: WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, WE WERE VERY LENIENT.

Panel 6. Very close on Savanti, his pupils at the corners of his eyes (which are quite wide) as he peers to Juliet, who is still smiling her evil grin, far away from him now, her arms crossed in a devil-may-care posture. 12) SAVANTI ROMERO: JULIET, PLEASE! M-MY WIFE, HELP ME!

HELP ME! 13) CAP: NONE OF US WERE FEELING VERY

LENIENT TODAY. Panel 7. The slitted eyes of Leonardo. 15) CAP: IN FACT, ALL OF US WERE HAVING A

DECIDEDLY VERY BAD DAY.

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PAGE 75 (4 Panels) Panel 2 is the splash panel. Panel 1 and 3 - 5 should be small and floating. Panel 1. Real close and tight on Savanti as he whirls around, surprised. 1) SAVANTI ROMERO: THIS IS NOT HOW -- Panel 2. Great big panel of Leonardo leaping forth and bringing his katana down and cutting Savanti Romero in half diagonally (entry point in between Savanti’s neck and left shoulder, exit point just above Savanti’s right hip) very gorily, his sword exiting the back and side. 2) SFX: SHUKT! Panel 3. Savanti’s diagonally cut torso plopping to the ground in the foreground, eyes rolled back in his head facing the reader. We can see his legs/waist still standing but in mid-fall in the background. Panel 4. Leonardo’s feet hitting the ground, landing. 3) CAP: OVER… Panel 5. Leonardo posing, turning his head around. Like an old samurai after dispatching a nemesis. Blood dripping from his sword. 4) CAP: … AND DONE.

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PAGE 76 (6 panels) Panel1. A panel with Juliet’s backside and legs in the foreground, the Turtles regrouping in the background, slowly turning their attention to her, some of them growing closer.

1) RAPHAEL: YOUR TURN, JULIET, OH JULIET.

2) SAVANTI JULIET: I THINK NOT, TURTLES. YOU SEE…

Panel 2. Juliet smiling devilishly. Her “hair” begins to emerge as flames, same as it did towards the end of her original appearance in TMNT Vol. 1, #42. Something/someone is beginning to materialize next to her.

3) SAVANTI JULIET: …ROMERO ABANDONED ME. AND YOU KNOW THAT HELL HATH NO FURY…

Panel 3. Null materializes next to her, and she slips her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. Null lights a cigar with his finger as he talks, big smile on his face. 4) SAVANTI JULIET: …AS A WOMAN SCORNED! 5) NULL: OR A DEMON THAT HAS NOT YET HAD HIS

FILL. ARE YOU READY FOR OBLIVION YET, TURTLES?

6) SAVANTI JULIET: HE WILL MAKE A MUCH MORE SUITABLE

HUSBAND. 7) SLASH (O.P.): NULL? NULL, HERE? Panel 4. The Turtles rushing them, running forth with weapons drawn. Slash leads the fray this time (shoving aside a Turtle or two as he goes) his eyes particularly wide with eagerness, mouth agape as he roars with unparalleled rage. 8) RAPHAEL: I DON’T KNOW WHO THIS GUY IS, BUT HE’S

GOIN’ DOWN! 9) SLASH: YOU WILL PAY! HE’S MINE!!! Panel 5. Juliet unleashes not a fireball but rather a flamethrower-like haze that sends Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo to the ground, burning a bit. Slash avoids it and pounces, about to strike Null savagely with his twisted sai and wrist blades. 10) SLASH: THE MUTANIMALS WERE THE ONLY FRIENDS I

EVER HAD, THEIR LIVES ARE ON YOUR HEAD! DEATH FOR YOU! DEATH!!!

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Panel 6. Super close on Null and Slash’s faces, just about a foot from one another. Slash’s eyes grow even wider, something has him looking shocked (though we don’t see it yet, he has been impaled). Something has stopped Slash just short of his destination. 11) NULL: NOT TODAY, FREAK. ONLY FOR YOU. DO YOU STILL

NOT KNOW WHO I AM? 12) SLASH: I-I KNOW ENOUGH. TH-THAT YOU ARE A MUH-MURDERER

OF MY FR-FRIENDS…

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PAGE 77 (7 panels)

Panel 1. Wide shot of Null and Slash – it seems now that Null has impaled Slash directly through the plastron and back of his carapace with his forked tail, hoisting him up into the air for the moment.

1) NULL: JOIN YOUR “FRIENDS” THEN FOR THE PATHETIC FEW REMAINING MINUTES YOUR REALITY WILL ENJOY. IT IS MORE THAN YOU DESERVE.

Panel 2. Null whipping his tail around, throwing Slash to the ground. 2) NULL: YOU WILL FIND PRECIOUS LITTLE OTHER

COMFORTS HERE, AT THE END OF TIME! Panel 3. Wide of the Turtles on the ground and the mortally wounded Slash as Null continues his monologue from the back. Juliet wraps a leg around him now, pleased as what he’s accomplished. 3) NULL: DID YOU ACTUALLY THINK YOU WOULD

REACH THE SHOGUN? THAT YOU COULD GET PAST ME? TRULY? HAH!

Panel 4. Close on some Turtle faces, hurt and singed, looking slowly upward in hope. 4) MICHELANGELO: IS THAT -- 5) LEONARDO: IT’S HER! 6) VENUS DE MILO (O.P.): NO! NO, THIS WILL NOT DO!

Panel 5. Venus De Milo appears in the “sky,” her attire different now. She appears to be as a Time Lord now, complete with helmet and robe. 7) NULL (O.P.): WHO DARES?! 8) VENUS DE MILO: DEFILER, BETRAYER, DEMON TO MAN… NULL,

I SPEAK TO YOU NOW!

Panel 6. Null taken aback, pushes Juliet aside. 9) NULL: GET OFF OF ME, WOMAN! 10) VENUS DE MILO: YOU HAVE DESTROYED SO MUCH, YET CARE

FOR NOTHING AND NO ONE BUT YOUR OWN GAINS!

Panel 7. Close on Venus, looking determined.

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11) VENUS: YOU HAVE WORLDS TO ANSWER FOR, DEMON. BILLIONS OF SOULS CRY OUT FOR VENGEANCE AGAINST YOU -- BILLIONS!

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PAGE 78 (4 panels) Panel 1. Null taking steps back, fear beginning to creep in. Savanti Juliet promptly vanishes into the same whirlwind she appeared in.

1) CAP: NULL, THAT CUNNING OLD DEVIL, HE NEVER SAW IT COMING.

Panel 2. Venus soars higher, arms raised up high, energy coursing through her and around her, spiraling down to be spread by her ascent like a plane fertilizing crops. 2) VENUS: BUT THERE ARE SOME SOULS THAT CRY OUT

LOUDER THAN THE OTHERS…YOU KNOW THEM, DEMON, AND YOU KNOW THEIR NAMES!!!

3) CAP: NEVER FOR A MOMENT.

Panel 3. Focus on Null, his eyes growing wide. He has never seemed as shocked or surprised as he does now.

4) CAP: IT WAS CLEAR WHAT WAS COMING. WE ALMOST PITIED HIM THEN.

5) NULL (O.P.): WH-WHAT ARE YOU D… NO. 6) VENUS (O.P.): SAY THEM, DAMN YOU! Panel 4. Big, massive, almost splash panel spread of the Mutanimals reconstituting to physicality from the ether. They seem quite eager and as ready to go as they ever have. They flex muscles, crack knuckles, and assume ready-to-fight postures as they would in their prime, wisps of smoke trailing off of their bodies as the reconstitution of them has settled. Little Screwloose flies to Wingnut’s waiting shoulder/back.

7) VENUS (CAP, O.P.): JAGWAR!

8) VENUS (CAP, O.P.): DREADMON!

9) VENUS (CAP, O.P.): WINGNUT!

10) VENUS (CAP, O.P.): SCREWLOOSE!

11) VENUS (CAP, O.P.): LEATHERHEAD!

12) VENUS (CAP, O.P.): MAN RAY!

13) VENUS (CAP, O.P.): MONDO GECKO!

14) VENUS (CAP, O.P.): YOUR TIME IS NOW!

15) NULL (O.P.): NUH-NO, NO! THIS CANNOT BE…

16) CAP: ALMOST.

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PAGE 79 (6 panels) Panel 1. Little panel of the ghostly Screwloose looking to Wingnut with an open hand, who in turn regards Screwloose with a fond smile.

1) SCREWLOOSE: ANOTHER ROCK, BOSS?

Panel 2. Slash on the ground, bleeding badly now, being held up slightly by Michelangelo and Donatello. There are tears in his eyes.

2) SLASH: *HEKH!* *HEKH!* THE MUTANIMALS! MY…MY FRIENDS, IS IT REALLY YOU?

3) RAPHAEL: JUST RELAX NOW, BIG GUY. LOOKS LIKE THE GOOD GUYS ARE HERE.

Panel 3. Closer on Slash’s face, more tears come. He is coughing up a lot of blood at this point but a weak smile cracks on his face.

4) SLASH: THE GOOD GUYS?! *HEKH!* THE BEST!

Panel 4. Big panel. Null, who has been backing away, begins to fly a bit in an attempt to escape. The Mutanimals are charging at him now, and he takes a hit to his head from Screwloose’s rock. Wingnut and Screwloose are already soaring above now (note: this is a ghostly Wingnut from the tail end of the Mutanimals series when he was able to use his own somewhat stunted wings, not the metallic ones he began TMNTA with).

5) NULL: I KILLED YOU, I KILLED ALL OF YOU!!! I CAN DO IT AGAIN, I CAN -- EAUGH!!! CURSE YOU!

6) WINGNUT: NICE SHOT, SCREWLOOSE!

Panel 5. Wingnut tackling Null back to the ground to a great impact, dust kicking up. The Mutanimals are nearby, hands and fingers ready to tear into the now-immobilized Null. Mondo Gecko holds his skateboard, ready to bludgeon him.

7) NULL: OOMPH!

8) MAN RAY: FOR THE PLANET -- FOR ALL PLANETS, YOU MUST DIE, NULL.

9) DREADMON: JAH, MON. IT BE TIME TO PAY NOW.

10) MONDO GECKO: I DON’T CARE A LICK ABOUT ME -- THIS IS FOR CANDY, JERK.

Panel 6. Venus floating high up in the “sky,” arms crossed, eyes narrow, but smiling the slight smile of grim satisfaction in knowing that justice is being done.

11) CAP: VENUS HUNG ABOVE US LIKE A SENTRY THEN, WATCHING HER OWN FORM OF COSMIC RETRIBUTION RUN ITS FINAL COURSE.

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PAGE 80 (9 panels) I see a layout like this:

Panels 1-6. The ghostly Mutanimals holding Null down, tearing him to pieces. Brutally. Null goes kicking and screaming to his end. 1) NULL: WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?! FREAKS, YOU

CANNOT KILL ME! 2) NULL: I CANNOT DIE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? I HAVE A

CONTRACT -- A CONTRACT!!! 3) NULL: I CANNOT DIE! *EURGH!!!* 4) NULL: S-STOP THIS! STOP! 5) NULL: NUH-NOOO!!! Panel 7. Michelangelo and Leonardo standing, wincing, looking shocked at what has transpired. 6) MICHELANGELO: GOD… 7) CAP: WE HAD SEEN A LOT OF THINGS ON OUR JOURNEY.

THIS WAS ONE MORE THING WE NEVER EXPECTED TO.

Panel 8. Slash dying, breathing his last breath in the arms of Raphael and Donatello. 8) SLASH: TH-THANK YOU FOR THIS LAST ADVENTURE, TURTLES.

JUSTICE. JUSTICE AT LAST… THIS IS… THIS… 9) CAP: SLASH WOULD FIND HIS PEACE, IF ONLY AT HIS

END.

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Panel 9. The Mutanimals standing away from the remains of Null, their now-bloodied bodies beginning to dissipate away. They do so, vindicated. 10) JAGWAR: ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU, MI

FAMILIA. 11) LEATHERHEAD: LIKEWISE, BROTHER. LIKEWISE. 12) MAN RAY: UNTIL THE NEXT LIFE, THEN. 13) DREADMON: JAH. THE NEXT LIFE. 14) CAP: THE MUTANIMALS WOULD DISSIPATE FROM

WHENCE THEY CAME, THEIR SOULS FINALLY AT REST NOW.

15) CAP: I COULD ONLY PRAY THAT WHEN OUR TIME WOULD

COME WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO SO SIMILARLY.

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PAGE 81 (5 panels) Panel 1. Wide. Donatello leading the lonely walk across more of the sandy asteroid-like landscape stretched out before them. More footprints behind them, indicating they’ve been walking quite a bit more. Venus floats behind them. 1) CAP: ONWARD WE WENT, AFTER TENDING TO

SLASH. SOMEWHERE UP AHEAD WAS THE SHOGUN, AND WE DIDN’T WANT TO KEEP HIM WAITING.

Panel 2. Close on their faces. Leonardo squinting at something. The other Turtles reacting with surprise/startlement. 2) THE SHOGUN (O.P.): “COWARDS DIE MANY TIMES BEFORE THEIR

DEATHS; THE VALIANT NEVER TASTE OF DEATH BUT ONCE. OF ALL THE WONDERS THAT I YET HAVE HEARD…”

3) CAP: OR PERHAPS WE WERE RIGHT ON TIME? Panel 3. The Shogun can be seen from the back, the Turnstone hovering above him. 4) THE SHOGUN: “…IT SEEMS TO ME MOST STRANGE THAT

MEN SHOULD FEAR; SEEING THAT DEATH, A NECESSARY END, WILL COME WHEN IT WILL COME.” SHAKESPEARE’S WORDS, MY VISITORS.

5) THE SHOGUN: FITTING, YES? Panel 4. Wide. New angle, The Shogun slowly turning to greet his visitors who come into view, the Turnstone suspended over one open palm. A familiar whirlwind appears at one side of him.

6) THE SHOGUN: GOOD OF YOU TO COME, TURTLES. IMPRESSIVE, ACTUALLY.

7) DONATELLO: STOP THIS, SHOGUN. WHATEVER YOU’RE

DOING HERE, IT NEEDS TO END.

8) THE SHOGUN: I DON’T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND. NO, OF COURSE YOU DON’T -- WHY WOULD YOU?

Panel 5. Close on The Shogun, Turnstone still spinning above one palm. Now Savanti Juliet rematerializes next to him. Donatello in the foreground.

9) SAVANTI JULIET: MISS ME, BOYS?

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10) THE SHOGUN: IF I WANTED YOU TO SIMPLY BE ERASED FROM EXISTANCE OUTRIGHT, ERASED YOU WOULD BE… REST ASSURED. I WONDER, DO YOU HAVE THE FAINTEST IDEA WHAT THIS TURNSTONE IS CAPABLE OF?

11) DONATELLO: I KNOW YOU KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE TO

GET YOUR HANDS ON IT -- MASSACRED A WHOLE DIMENSION.

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PAGE 82 (6 panels) Panel 1. The Shogun brandishing the Turnstone, elevating his arm a little bit to hold it a little higher, tilting his head up to view it. Juliet tries to comfort him.

1) THE SHOGUN: IT’S CAPABLE OF ANYTHING. ANYTHING AT ALL ITS WIELDER CAN ENVISION OR WISH FOR. PERHAPS I JUST WANTED TO SEE ALL OF YOU TURTLES TOGETHER AGAIN ONE MORE TIME…

Panel 2. The Shogun’s head tilting downward. A bit sadly.

2) THE SHOGUN: … PERHAPS I JUST WANTED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT I’M DOING IS RIGHT.

Panel 3. Leonardo stepping in front of Donatello. Techno-katana outstretched. 3) LEONARDO: WHO ARE YOU, SHOGUN? ARE YOU OROKU

SAKI, COME BACK FROM THE DEAD TO HAUNT US ONE MORE TIME?

Panel 4. Close on Juliet massaging The Shogun’s shoulders, kissing near his neck.

4) SAVANTI JULIET: ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE, MY LORD, MY NEW LOVE. KILL THE TURTLES NOW, OR LET ME.

5) THE SHOGUN: “A MURDERER IS LESS TO FEAR. THE TRAITOR IS THE PLAGUE.”

Panel 5. Big panel of The Shogun now clasping the Turnstone in his palm and blasting/unleashing pure anti-matter energies at her from the free hand (it should look like Donatello did when he was blasting Sarnath while holding the Turnstone in TMNT Adventures #50), atomizing the flesh from her bones, bits of a black skeleton seen as the skin scorches off of her. Visually unsettling.

6) SAVANTI JULIET: AIIIIIIEEEEEE!!! 7) THE SHOGUN: THAT’S CICERO…AND HE WAS RIGHT.

Panel 6. Focus on Michelangelo stepping forward, pissed. Gun drawn, nunchaku in the other hand, ready to go. Very heroic and daring. 8) MICHELANGELO: CUDLEY TOLD US ALL ABOUT YOU. YOU’RE A

BUTCHER OF WORLDS, OF WHOLE UNIVERSES! WE’VE COME HERE TO STOP YOU, BUDDY, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE GONNA DO!

9) THE SHOGUN: OH? THOSE ARE BOLD WORDS, MICHELANGELO.

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PAGE 83 (6 panels) Panel 1. Biggest panel. The Shogun vaporizes Michelangelo where he stands.

1) THE SHOGUN: FITTING THAT THEY WILL BE YOUR LAST SPOKEN HERE.

2) CAP: BEFORE OUR VERY EYES, OUR BROTHER WAS GONE FROM US.

Panel 2. Venus in shock, hand going to her mouth.

3) VENUS: NO!

4) CAP: THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. NONE OF THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.

Panel 3. The Turtles charge in. There also appears to be no trace of Michelangelo left, only a small smoking black little crater.

5) LEONARDO: RAHHH!!!

6) RAPHAEL: MIKEY! YOU KILLED MIKEY, YOU PIECE OF SHIT MUTHER!@#*ER!!!

7) THE SHOGUN: FOOLS. ALL OF YOU. FOOLS. Panel 4. A forcefield blows the Turtles back as if they’d just gotten hit head-on by a Mack Truck.

8) THE SHOGUN: ALL OF TIME AND REALITY ARE MINE TO COMMAND…AND YOU WOULD CHARGE ME WITH YOUR LITTLE MARTIAL ARTS WEAPONS? FOOLS.

9) VENUS: NOT AS FOOLISH AS YOU, SHOGUN!

Panel 5. Venus swooping in. The Shogun is unafraid and reacts. Turnstone shining. 10) VENUS: YOU CHALLENGE A TIME LORD NOW! ENTIRE

UNIVERSES ARE YOUR VICTIMS, AND YOU… YOU…

11) THE SHOGUN: YOU WERE SAYING?

Panel 6. The Shogun burns Venus alive to cinders. Unlike, Mike, her body remains.

12) THE SHOGUN: OH THAT’S RIGHT. DIFFICULT TO SPEAK WHEN ON FIRE, ISN’T IT? I DO HER A FAVOR, I THINK. I TOLD HER -- AND IT’S TRUE, BY THE WAY -- THAT SHE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO HAVE EXISTED AT ALL…NOT IN HER UNIVERSE OR ANY OTHER.

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PAGE 84 (5 panels) Panel 1. Close, feet-level at the Shogun’s boots as the smoking husk of what’s left of Venus hits the ground in front of him. 1) THE SHOGUN: FORTUNATELY I HAPPEN TO BE IN EVERY

BIT THE POSITION TO RECTIFY THAT MISTAKE. I CAN CORRECT HER.

2) CAP: VENUS TOO. HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY

THINK TO CHALLENGE THE SHOGUN?

Panel 2. The Shogun turning a bit, looking directly into the Turnstone now. 3) THE SHOGUN: THAT MISTAKE, AND SO MANY OTHERS. 4) THE SHOGUN: SO MANY OTHERS… Panel 3. What’s left of Venus seems to be weakly beckoning to the Turtles, its mouth moving just ever so slightly, hand beckoning outward, perhaps spasmodically. 5) THE SHOGUN: IS THIS CALLED “FRIDGING,” BY THE WAY? I

ASSURE YOU ALL, THE NERVE CENTERS OF HER TINY BRAIN WERE THE FIRST THING TO GO…SHE IS IN NO PAIN.

6) VENUS: GET HIM, TURTLES…PUT HIM DOWN, I BEG YOU -- YOU

HAVE THE POWER WITHIN YOU ALL. YOU SEE, HE IS… HE IS…

Panel 4. Close on the Turtles looking down at Venus. Raphael’s hand goes to his mouth as he turns to Donatello while everyone else winces sympathetically at the sight of her. 7) RAPHAEL: DAMN IT, DO SOMETHING, DONNIE! SAVE

HER, LIKE YOU DID ME! 8) DONATELLO: SHE’S GONE, RAPH. SHE’S GONE. Panel 5. Close on Donatello, perhaps from the side, as he bites his lip, The Shogun opposite him. 9) THE SHOGUN: SO MANY THINGS TO RECTIFY AND SO LITTLE

TIME…A BIT IRONIC, ISN’T IT, HERE AT THE END OF IT ALL?

10) CAP: WHAT HOPE DID WE HAVE?

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PAGE 85 (6 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles gathering themselves, trying to muster up strength in front of not only the blackened crater that marks the final resting place of Michelangelo but the husk of Venus De Milo. 1) LEONARDO: PUT DOWN THAT TURNSTONE AND FIGHT US

AS A WARRIOR. 2) CAP: OH, LEONARDO… Panel 2. The Shogun turning slightly to regard the Turtles. Only slightly. 3) THE SHOGUN: HO! I EXPECTED THAT FROM YOU,

LEONARDO. YOU’RE NOT HERE TO FIGHT ME, THOUGH -- YOU’RE HERE TO SEE WHAT MY MASTERWORK IS…AND TO SEE THAT I’M RIGHT IN WHAT I’M DOING.

Panel 3. Close on the Shogun’s face/mask. 4) THE SHOGUN: I’VE PAINSTAKINGLY OBSERVED ALL

REALITIES, ALL DIMENSIONS…AND I BELIEVE I HAVE NOW ALL I NEED TO CREATE A PERFECT REALITY.

5) THE SHOGUN: ONE IN WHICH… IN WHICH…

Panel 4. Leonardo taking a step closer, pointing his katana at The Shogun. The end of his katana begins to spark against the otherwise invisible forcefield protecting/surrounding The Shogun.

6) LEONARDO: YOUR WORDS BETRAY YOU, SHOGUN. IF YOU ARE NOT OUT TO DESTROY ALL OF THE MULTIVERSE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

Panel 5. The Shogun tilting his head down, a bit in shame. Leonardo can be seen over his shoulder, goading him. Raphael, too, though more “in the moment” than Leo. 7) LEONARDO: YOU NEVER ANSWERED MY QUESTION. WHO

ARE YOU? YOU CLEARLY KNOW US. WE ALREADY KNOW YOU’RE FROM OUR DIMENSION.

8) RAPHAEL: YEAH. WE WANNA KNOW THE NAME OF THE SON OF A BITCH THAT’S ABOUT FIVE SECONDS AWAY FROM THE MOTHER OF ALL DEATHS.

9) THE SHOGUN: YOU ALREADY KNOW WHO I AM.

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Panel 6. The Shogun with his back facing us, the backs of the Turtles in the foreground too. We see The Shogun reaching up and beginning to take his mask off (his mask, not his helmet). 10) THE SHOGUN: I HAD HOPED TO AVOID THIS, HONESTLY. I

TOOK STEPS, EVEN…BUT TRUTH BE TOLD…I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN.

11) CAP: IT COULDN’T BE.

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PAGE 86 (2 panels) Panel 1. Small panel of Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello reacting with wide-eyes and true heartfelt shock. 1) LEONARDO: NO… 2) RAPHAEL: H-HOW CAN THIS… 3) DONATELLO: PLEASE, TELL ME IT’S NOT YOU… Panel 2. Splash panel, comprising the majority of the page. The Shogun standing, his noh mask in his hand in front of him, Turnstone still suspended over the other hand. We can clearly see now that it is an aged Michelangelo under that mask. 4) DONATELLO (CAP, O.P.): … MICHELANGELO. 5) THE SHOGUN: I’M GLAD, IN A WAY. NO MORE PRETENSE

NOW, NO MORE BULLSHIT. 6) THE SHOGUN: YOU KNOW? 7) CAP: IN AN INSTANT, OUR WORLD WAS TURNED

UPSIDE DOWN. 8) CAP: I FELT SICK.

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PAGE 87 (6 panels) Panel 1. The Turtles with hurt-filled eyes, none of them sure quite how to react. 1) RAPHAEL: JESUS, MIKEY, THIS…. THIS… 2) LEONARDO: WE JUST WATCHED YOU KILL MICHELANGELO,

SHOGUN! IN FRONT OF OUR EYES, JUST NOW! 3) THE SHOGUN (O.P.): SAME AS YOUR WHOLE ODYSSEY TO THIS

MOMENT, YOU SAW WHAT I WANTED YOU TO. Panel 2. The Shogun narrowing his eyes, only partially turning his head to the Turtles. It’s as if now, without his noh mask on, he feels just a little bit vulnerable. 4) THE SHOGUN: I ALTERED HIS MEMORIES, SENT HIM BACK

TO WHERE YOU FOUND HIM IN 2058... ENSURING THAT HISTORY WOULD PLAY OUT THE SAME AND HE WOULD STILL BECOME ME.

Panel 3. Donatello pleading with The Shogun. 5) DONATELLO: YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THIS. 6) LEONARDO: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, BROTHER? WHY?

7) THE SHOGUN: YOU DARE QUESTION ME NOW, LEO? YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE?

Panel 4. The Shogun lowers his eyes and head, staring into the Turnstone, which is like his security blanket at this point. He is snarling, seething his dialogue now.

8) THE SHOGUN: MASTER SPLINTER TRUSTED YOU TO KEEP US TOGETHER, TO KEEP OUR FAMILY TOGETHER -- NO MATTER WHAT!

9) THE SHOGUN: YOU FAILED, BROTHER. MISERABLY! ONE DAY YOU JUST STOPPED CARING. I NEVER DID.

Panel 5. Flashback. Panel of a sorrow-filled Michelangelo same as we saw him in 2058, approaching the Transmat device, all of his belongings in tow. He is standing there resolutely,

10) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “YOU SEE, I LEFT EARTH IN 2058 ON A TRANSMAT I WOULD KEY TO TAKE ME TO SOMEWHERE VERY SPECIAL. I RIGGED IT TO BLOW, STAGING MY OWN DEATH SO THAT NO ONE WOULD TRY AND FOLLOW. I KNEW THERE WOULD BE NO GOING BACK.”

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Panel 6. Flashback. Panel of Michelangelo shaking hands with Null, who sits on some kind of a demonic throne. 11) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “I CROSSED THE DIMENSIONAL DIVIDE TO

FIND THE DEMON KNOWN AS ‘NULL’ AND I MADE A DEAL WITH HIM TO HAVE A PORTION OF THE POWER I NEEDED. THE COST WAS HIGH, BUT THEN HE ALSO TOLD ME OF SOMETHING ELSE.”

12) DONATELLO (CAP, O.P.): “THE TURNSTONE.” 13) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “YES.”

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PAGE 88 (6 panels) Panel 1. Flashback. Null stands back, smoking a cigar smiling as Michelangelo is transformed into the Shogun, raised off the ground about a foot, energy coursing through him and settling. Imagine a powerful blow-dryer is hitting him too. 1) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “NULL PROVED TO BE OF GREAT AID. I COULD

FEEL THE POWER COURSING THROUGH ME, MAKING ME STRONG…FILLING ME WITH THE POWER I NEEDED TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT.”

Panel 2. Flashback. Michelangelo, now The Shogun, turning his helmeted/noh-masked head to look at his smoking hands, now outfitted with Shredder-like blades. 2) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “IT WASN’T ENOUGH. TO LOCATE THE

TURNSTONE I NEEDED THE POWER TO FREELY TRAVERSE THE TIMESTREAM AND THE MULTIVERSE WITHOUT THE USE OF TRANSMATS OR SCEPTRES.”

Panel 3. Flashback. The Shogun floating, arms crossed, in a kind of weird astral-like space filled with planets and nebulae. The Eye of Aga-Moo-Tou can be seen (see Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 #52), smoking and ruined and cracked. Null can be seen pulling Savanti Romero out of its cornea, viscous fluids pouring out with him. It’s almost like Savanti is being born again because in a way, he is.

3) CAP: THE REALM OF BOV-GAMESH.

4) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “I REMEMBERED JUST THE PERSON TO HELP AS WELL AS HOW AND WHERE WE’D LEFT HIM.”

Panel 4. Flashback. The Shogun shaking hands with Savanti Romero and Null stands between both men, his hands on both of their shoulders, smoking his cigar – he seems to be particularly enjoying this.

5) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “SAVANTI WOULD SPEAK OF ALL THE POWER AND KNOWLEDGE THE EYE OF AGA-MOO-TOU HAD GIVEN HIM, HOW HE WANTED TO USE IT AGAINST ALL OF US. HE SAID HE WOULD SHARE A PORTION OF HIS POWER WITH ME IF I GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY. I AGREED, OF COURSE.”

Panel 5. The Shogun facing us evilly, behind him Null and Savanti conversing happily.

6) THE SHOGUN (CAP, O.P.): “NULL WOULD KEEP MY SECRET SAFE, AS WELL AS MY SOUL. SAVANTI WOULD BE ALLOWED HIS LITTLE ROMP WITH YOU. I BETRAYED LITTLE OF MY PLAN…IN TIME, I WOULD HAVE ERASED BOTH OF THEM WHEN THEIR USE TO ME WAS DONE. BUT THEN…”

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Panel 6. Back to the present now. The Shogun gesturing good-naturedly at the Turtles with his free hand. 7) THE SHOGUN: … YOU DID A GOOD ENOUGH JOB OF IT AS IT

WAS, DIDN’T YOU? BRAVO. IT WAS SUCH A JOY WATCHING YOU REUNITE. YOU SEE, LEONARDO, I DID WHAT YOU NEVER COULD…

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PAGE 89 (5 panels)

Panel 1. The Shogun facing the Turtles, the Turnstone leisurely held above on hand.

1) THE SHOGUN: … I BROUGHT US ALL BACK TOGETHER… EVEN IF IT’S JUST FOR ONE LAST TIME.

2) LEONARDO: WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING HERE, STOP IT NOW!

3) THE SHOGUN: SORRY, IT’S SIMPLY TOO IMPORTANT. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS? OF COURSE YOU DO.

Panel 2. Wide as The Shogun turns back towards the nothingness of the Entropy in front of him/at the edge of the “asteroid” landscape. With one hand/palm “holding” the suspended Turnstone that floats above it, the other hands is also held upwards, waving in the air as if a painter. We see something faint being molded above him.

4) THE SHOGUN: I HAVE SPENT YEARS LOOKING AT THE OTHER REALITIES FROM SO MANY ANGLES. I HAVE WATCHED SO MANY VERSIONS OF US…THAT THEY BEGIN TO BLUR TOGETHER IN MY MIND.

Panel 3. Closer on what he’s molding. It looks like a world is coming together.

5) THE SHOGUN: A DETAIL GATHERED HERE, A DETAIL GATHERED THERE...I’VE BEEN COMPOSING A NEW REALITY TO SUPERSEDE AND REPLACE ALL THE OTHERS THAT I’VE WIPED OFF THE CANVAS OF THE MULTIVERSE. I’VE EVEN ADDED MY OWN THOUGHTS INTO THE MIX -- AND OH, HOW I’VE MISSED MY WRITING.

Panel 4. The Turtles reacting, pleading, even Raphael. Emphasis on the Turnstone. 6) THE SHOGUN: I WIPE OUT OUR OWN DIMENSION THEN MY

CREATION WILL STAND ALONE. THE TURNSTONE CAN DO ANYTHING I WILL IT TO DO BUT IT STILL HAS TO DRAW POWER OFF OF SOMETHING BEYOND MY BEING…THE END OF TIME, THE ENDLESS ENTROPY HERE -- THIS IS THE FUEL!

7) RAPHAEL: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, MIKEY?

Panel 5. The Shogun clenching a bladed fist, leaning toward them again a moment.

8) THE SHOGUN: SIMPLE: A REALITY WHERE WE NEVER SEPARATE, WHERE ALL CAUSALITY COMBINES TO KEEP US TOGETHER…NO MATTER WHAT! WHERE OUR ORIGIN WAS NOT JUST SOME FREAK ACCIDENT, BUT RATHER FOR A TRUE DESTINY…ONE THAT WOULD NEVER ALLOW US TO FORGET OUR FAMILY. EVER!

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PAGE 90 (4 panels) Panel 1. Splash panel taking up most of the page. The Shogun holding both hands upward at the world that’s forming in front/above him. 1) CAP: OUR BROTHER WAS MAD WITH GOD-LIKE POWER. I

WONDERED WHICH WAS SCARIER: THAT HE SEEMED CAPABLE OF EVERYTHING HE WAS SAYING… OR THAT HE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE RIGHT?

2) THE SHOGUN: SPLINTER, OUR FATHER…I CAN BRING HIM BACK! APRIL, CASEY, SHADOW, SLASH…EVEN YOUR BELOVED RADICAL, LEO. VENUS? SHE WILL LIVE AGAIN, BUT PROPERLY! I CAN MAKE EVERYTHING LIKE IT WAS AND BETTER!

Panel 2. The Shogun turns to the Turtles slightly, quizzical, somewhat crazed look on his face.

3) THE SHOGUN: PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.

4) THE SHOGUN: DID YOU KNOW IN THE MAJORITY OF THE MULTIVERSE, I’M NOT MICHELANGELO THE THINKER OR MICHELANGELO THE WRITER… BUT RATHER MICHELANGELO THE ABSENT-MINDED “PARTY DUDE?” COWABUNGA.

Panel 3. Close on the Shogun’s face, resignation.

5) THE SHOGUN: PERHAPS IT’S BEST. YES. IGNORANCE CAN BE BLISS. I JUST SEEM SO… HAPPY IN SOME OF THESE

DIMENSIONS. AT FIRST IT SICKENED ME, BUT NOW…?

Panel 4. Sideways shot of The Shogun’s face/upper torso, him staring, losing himself a bit as he stares upwards into the world he’s created/creating. On his face seems to play out frantic emotions of joy and grandeur. 6) THE SHOGUN: IMAGINE, FOR A MOMENT ALL OF US -- FOUR

BROTHERS IN FEUDAL JAPAN, REINCARNATED AS BABY TURTLES BEFORE OUR MUTATION, “SPLINTER” WITH US, TOO, NOW OUR TRUE FATHER -- DO YOU LIKE IT? I’VE BEEN TOYING WITH THE IDEA, I THINK I’M GOING TO KEEP IT!

7) DONATELLO: MAYBE IT’S THAT TURNSTONE YOU’RE HOLDING,

BUT YOU HAVE TRULY BECOME MAD, MICHELANGELO. YOU’RE PLAYING GOD.

8) CAP: SOMEONE HAD TO SAY IT.

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PAGE 91 (5 panels)

Panel 1. Donatello is blown back by an energy spike, hitting him like a wave.

1) CAP: MISTAKE, MAYBE. BUT I WAS GETTING TO HIM.

2) SFX: BRAAMPH!

3) DONATELLO: OOF!

4) THE SHOGUN: MAD? MAD?! DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT MADNESS IS? MADNESS IS WATCHING ONE BY ONE EVERYONE YOU’VE EVER LOVED DIE, WHILE THE ONES THAT DON’T DRIFT AWAY FROM YOU WHILE YOU CAN’T STOP IT!

Panel 2. The Shogun clenching both fists, brimming with power. The Turnstone floats above one shoulder now, crackling with power too. Something huge -- THE DEVOURER OF ALL CREATION -- begins to form behind him. It resembles a massive demonic cyborg Devil Ray with a Scorpion’s tail (a few cues from Omnia), but with dozens of eyes, a few spikes, and an enormous mouth that seems like a blue whale’s mouth (baleen instead of teeth). It should look a bit like this, but different (and with cyborg implants): http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090222145258/finalfantasy/images/d/de/10sin-a.jpg

5) THE SHOGUN: MADNESS WOULD BE HAVING THE POWER TO CHANGE THAT -- FIX EVERYTHING ONCE AND FOR ALL -- AND DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT!

6) THE SHOGUN: FACE NOW THE DEVOURER OF ALL

CREATION! DOES HE LOOK A LITTLE FAMILIAR?

7) CAP: SOMETHING NEW. SOMETHING WE HAD NOT PLANNED FOR.

Panel 3. The Devourer fully forms and begins to swoop forward past the Shogun at the Turtles.

It needs to look truly scary.

8) THE SHOGUN: HE’S YOUR OWN CREATION, IN A WAY. OMNIA’S SECRET WEAPON AGAINST ME.

9) CAP: OMNIA? Panel 4. Straight-on shot of the Turtles going to readiness, panicked.

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090222145258/finalfantasy/images/d/de/10sin-a.jpg

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090222145258/finalfantasy/images/d/de/10sin-a.jpg

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10) THE SHOGUN (O.P.): OH-HO! YES, HE USED YOU TO GET TO ME TO PRESERVE HIMSELF AND SEND HIS CREATION… BUT HE UNDERESTIMATED ME.

11) CAP: THE WORDS OF THE EARTH-WATCH BEGAN

TO MAKE A LITTLE MORE SENSE NOW. Panel 5. Far shot behind their backs/shells as the Turtles are about to engage the Devourer, who swoops down on them. The forcefield around the Turtles seems to crackle, dissipating. 12) THE SHOGUN (O.P.): I REPROGRAMMED THE DEVOURER AS

EASILY AS I WILL REWRITE MY PERFECT WORLD. NOW HE IS YOUR PROBLEM!

13) CAP: FAIR ENOUGH, THEN. GAME ON.

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PAGE 92 (5 panels) Panel 1. The Devourer swooping by Raphael and Donatello, while Leonardo deftly evades… for the moment. Raphael and Donatello kind of getting their bearings, unsure of what to make of this thing. The Shogun smiles menacingly from the back. 1) THE SHOGUN: THE INSTRUMENT OF ABSOLUTE ERASURE, THE

DEVOURER OF EXISTANCE, AT MY WHIM -- DO YOU FEAR YOUR ULTIMATE TEST, BROTHERS?

2) LEONARDO: AT THE READY, ALL OF YOU! NOW! Panel 2. Close on The Devourer’s face, its enormous baleen “teeth” twisting in a sinister roaring look. 3) DEVOURER: SSSSSSS… 4) CAP: BUT COULD WE BE? WE HAD NEVER BEEN UP

AGAINST THIS KIND OF A FOE. Panel 3. Raphael and Leonardo exchanging a glance. 5) RAPHAEL: END OF CREATION, ULTIMATE REALITY EATING

MONSTER THING. CAN WE DO THIS? 6) LEONARDO: YOU AND I? THERE’S NOTHING WE CANNOT DO

TOGETHER. Panel 4. The two of them turning and smiling, looking up at the behemoth. 7) RAPHAEL: YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU’RE GODDAMN RIGHT, LEO. 8) CAP: AND HE WAS. Panel 5. Big on the The Devourer in the background as it rears back, fearsome and massive and animal-like, ready to swoop down like Hell’s wrath. Donatello seems to be moving in in the foreground, ready to act. 9) CAP: I JUST HAD TO BE SURE THE SCALES WERE

BALANCED. EVEN JUST A BIT.

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PAGE 93 (6 panels) Panel 1. As it rams them, whipping its tail around, Leonardo leaps up and jams his bokken sword into one of the many eyes of The Devourer as he braces himself against it as he tries to rend it downward, cutting a line through his visage. Raphael narrowly avoids its tail but it seems like he’s just a moment or two away from reprisal. Donatello’s head or torso in the foreground, moving in. 1) CAP: I KNEW LEONARDO AND RAPHAEL WOULD

GIVE IT THEIR BEST SHOT… Panel 2. The Devourer throws Leonardo off like a bronco and swats Raphael away with his tail. In the background Donatello raises his staff, poised and focused. 2) CAP: … BUT I ALSO KNEW THEY WERE OUT OF THEIR

LEAGUE. WE ALL WERE. WE ALL KNEW IT FROM THE START, FROM THE MOMENT CUDLEY TOLD US WHAT WAS AT STAKE.

Panel 3. Close on Donatello’s face. Mustering up inner strength. 3) CAP: BUT RENET HAD GIVEN ME SOMETHING.

EVERYTHING SHE HAD LEFT IN HER. Panel 4. Close on the Shogun, who looks on intently. Surprised, but maybe even a hint of hopeful pride. Like, he actually wants his brothers to best this thing. 4) CAP: SHE TRUSTED ME TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT. SHE

HAD THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL TO ANYWHERE IN TIME, PICK ANYONE TO CARRY OUT THIS GRIM MISSION.

Panel 5. Big panel on Donatello unleashing the full chronal power within him via the staff into The Devourer. It writhes in pain. 5) SFX: CHKKKSHHHHKKK!!! 6) CAP: SHE CHOSE ME. Panel 6. Floating panel of Donatello’s face, sweating, teeth gritted, as he pours everything he’s got left into what he’s dishing out to The Devourer. 7) CAP: I WOULD NOT SQUANDER HER GIFT. I DARE NOT.

SHE DESERVED BETTER THAN THAT.

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PAGE 94 (6 panels) Panel 1. Big wide panel of Donatello eviscerating The Devourer with his raw chronal energies. 1) CAP: IF IT WAS THE LAST THING I EVER DID I WOULD DO

MY PART… FOR MY SISTER, FOR MY BROTHERS. Panel 2. Raphael and Leonardo regrouping as they look up in awe at what Donatello is doing. 2) CAP: I GAVE MY LIFE TO HONOR MASTER SPLINTER’S

VENGEANCE ON OROKU SAKI. I VOICED MY GRIEVANCES WITH MY BROTHERS, BUT I DID IT WITHOUT QUESTION.

Panels 3 & 4. Very close on Donatello, midsection up as he was in panel 6 of the last page… pouring everything he’s got into The Devourer and it clearly taking its toll on him. Sweat rolls off him. 3) CAP: I LIVED MY LIFE THE BEST I COULD. OUR FAMILY

MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PERFECT… BUT THEN I WASN’T PERFECT EITHER. NONE OF US WERE. MY BROTHERS INDULGED INTERESTS OF MINE THAT MUST HAVE SEEMED STRANGE TO THEM WHILE I ALSO RESPECTED THEIR OWN.

4) CAP: WE DID THE BEST WE COULD. THAT’S ALL ANYONE

CAN DO AT THE END OF THE DAY, ISN’T IT? Panel 5. The Devourer falls, crumpling into a heap on the ground, dust kicking up under his enormous mass. 5) CAP: AT OVER A CENTURY OLD IF I COULD STILL MAKE

EVEN A SMALL DIFFERENCE IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THE UNIVERSE -- OR THE MULTIVERSE -- THEN I WOULD BE HONORED TO PLAY MY FINAL PART.

6) CAP: FOR RENET. FOR ALL OF US. FOR EVERYTHING. Panel 6. Victorious but spent, Donatello crumples to one knee, bracing himself against his staff, head down but eyes looking up the Shogun, scornful. The Shogun is applauding. 7) SFX: *CLAP!* *CLAP!* *CLAP!*

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PAGE 95 (5 panels)

Panel 1. Wide panel of the Shogun in the foreground, his back to us facing the Turtles, who are regrouping. The gigantic dead husk of The Devourer can be seen in the panel, apparently slowly dissipating into Entropy. 1) THE SHOGUN: OH, WELL DONE! WELL DONE, MY BROTHERS! DO YOU SEE NOW? DO YOU SEE HOW

ABSOLUTELY VITAL THE BOND OF OUR BROTHERHOOD TRULY IS?

Panel 2. The Shogun shifts gears now as he’s snarling, spitting as he talks, brimming with hate suddenly. 2) THE SHOGUN: HOW COULD WE EVER HAVE LOST SIGHT OF

THAT? TELL ME NOW, DAMN YOU! Panel 3. Leonardo hurling his katana into the ground beneath him, Shogun in the background. Donatello staggering back to his feet in the background.

3) LEONARDO: YOU STILL DON’T GET IT, MICHELANGELO. THIS ISN’T THE WAY. YOU’RE WORSE THAN OROKU SAKI NOW… EVEN NULL -- YOU’VE KILLED TRILLIONS, AND OUR FRIENDS…YOU KILLED RENET -- SHE WAS LIKE OUR SISTER, MIKEY. YOU KNOW THAT.

4) THE SHOGUN: NUH-NO! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, I-I WILL

UNDO THAT…I WILL FIX EVERYTHING, I WIL -- Panel 4. Close on Leonardo roaring and leaning forward. Some of the other Turtles’ faces behind/around him, all solemn.

5) LEONARDO: YOU SAY YOU WANT TO MAKE SPLINTER OUR “TRUE” FATHER IN YOUR NEW REALITY. WAS HE NOT A GOOD ENOUGH FATHER IN OUR OWN? NOT A TRUE ENOUGH FATHER? WHAT WOULD HE SAY TO YOU NOW? YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE BECOME -- YOU HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS, BROTHER.

6) THE SHOGUN: SPLINTER WOULD… I-I… Panel 5. Angle on Donatello, shaking his head and looking down. He’s crying. Raphael can be seen to one side, more or less trying to keep his emotions bottled up as best he can. His lip trembles, but he’s holding it in. 7) DONATELLO: YOU SHAME US, BROTHER.

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PAGE 96 (5 panels) Panel 1. Fairly close on The Shogun, who is fidgeting now, going a little crazy. We see the Turnstone drop onto the ground, probably because his attention span has wandered away from it. His eyes are wide, puffy, and tear-streaked. Leonardo can be seen in the foreground from the back, pointing a finger at him. 1) LEONARDO: IT’S OVER, MIKEY. 2) THE SHOGUN: P-PLEASE UNDERSTAND, BROTHERS…

EVERYTHING I’VE DONE, I’VE DONE TO HONOR SPLINTER, TO HONOR HIS WISHES. I- I’VE SCOURED THE TIMESTREAM, ALL OF THE MULTIVERSE --

3) LEONARDO: YOU HAVE FAILED. WHAT YOU’RE DOING,

THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER. IT CANNOT BE. Panel 2. Close on Donatello and Raphael. Their heads and faces stay pointed forward at the Shogun, but they peer at one another with their pupils knowingly. 4) THE SHOGUN (O.P.): N-NO… NO, DON’T SAY THAT…THIS IS MY

LIFE’S WORK. EVERYTHING I’VE DONE HAS BEEN TO THIS END, TO MAKING THINGS RIGHT FOR US. HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT?

Panel 3. Close on Raphael’s feet/legs as he is in mid-run. The bottom half of his sai-staff can be seen. 5) CAP: RAPHAEL STRUCK WHEN THE MOMENT WAS

RIGHT AND MICHELANGELO’S CONCENTRATION WAS BROKEN. OUR LOST BROTHER DIDN’T SEE IT COMING…NEITHER DID LEONARDO.

Panel 4. Raphael in mid-air, teeth gritted and sai-staff back and about to plunge it in to The Shogun as the Shogun makes a desperate reach for the Turnstone on the ground. 6) THE SHOGUN: NUH-NO! 7) CAP: IT WAS TOO LATE. Panel 5. Leonardo gasping, no idea at what’s going on. Behind him we see Donatello rather stone-faced, knowing that what’s happening is what needs to happen. 8) SFX: SKSH!

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9) THE SHOGUN (O.P.): EUAGGHH!!! 10) CAP: HE DID WHAT I SUSPECTED NONE OF US

WOULD HAVE HAD THE COURAGE TO DO.

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PAGE 97 (4 panels) Panel 1. Splash panel, taking up about 85% of the page, Raphael on the ground now after landing, The Shogun impaled clean through his plastron and shell with his sai-staff. Tears in both of their eyes. 1) RAPHAEL: I-I’M SO SORRY, BRO…BUT Y-YOU FORCED

THIS. 2) MICHELANGELO: IT’S OKAY, RAPHAEL… Panel 2. Small hovering panel that’s close on Michelangelo’s face, eyelids becoming heavy, blood seeping from his lips now. 3) MICHELANGELO: … MY BEST FRIEND. I FORGIVE YOU…WILL

YOU FORGIVE ME TOO? I’M GLAD IT WAS YOU. MAYBE IT’S TRUE, AFTER ALL…

Panel 3. Same angle as the last page of Leonardo and Donatello, only now they’re both weeping openly too. 4) MICHELANGELO (O.P.): “LIFE… AT BEST…IS BITTERSWEET.” Panel 4. Extreme close on Michelangelo’s hand falling limp at his side. 5) MICHELANGELO: FATHER? FATHER, IS THAT YOU? I-I…

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PAGE 98 (1 panel) Panel 1. Splash panel, the entire page. Raphael picking up the now-dead body of Michelangelo. 1) CAP: WE LOST OUR BROTHER FOR THE SECOND

TIME THAT DAY. THE LAST, WE KNEW IN OUR HEARTS.

2) CAP: HOW COULD WE LIVE WITH OURSELVES? 3) CAP: HOW COULD WE LIVE WITH OURSELVES,

KNOWING WE HAD KILLED ONE OF OUR BROTHERS?

4) CAP: UNTHINKABLE. 5) CAP: MAYBE WE DESERVED THIS END. BUT…

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PAGE 99 (7 panels) Panel 1. Raphael easing the now-deceased Michelangelo to the ground. 1) CAP: … WE KNEW WE WOULDN’T HAVE LONG TO

THINK ABOUT IT.

Panel 2. Wide and big panel. Leonardo and Donatello, holding one another, join Raphael, who now kneels before the body of Michelangelo.

2) CAP: WE HAD REACHED THE END OF OUR ODYSSEY, THAT MUCH WAS CLEAR…BUT WHAT HAD WE WON, AFTER IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE? OUR LIVES? OUR REALITIES?

Panel 3. As Leonardo and Raphael keep their heads low as they cry over the body of Michelangelo (Raphael pounding a fist angrily into the “dirt”), Donatello’s head and face perks upward at the Entropy above.

3) CAP: NO, “THE SHOGUN” HAD ALREADY WIPED OUT THOSE. AND HIS PLAN?

Panel 4. Back of Donatello’s head as we see the world The Shogun was shaping, which now looks complete -- it looks like a new Earth.

4) CAP: STILL IN MOTION, FULL-SPEED AHEAD. THERE WAS NO STOPPING IT NOW. THERE NEVER WAS.

Panel 5. Small shot of the Turnstone on the ground. 5) CAP: OR WAS THERE? Panel 6. Small shot of Leonardo and Raphael suddenly looking at Donatello. 6) CAP: MY BROTHERS REALIZED IT TOO. Panel 7. Shot of Donatello picking up the Turnstone, looking at it very intently, like some kind of new prized toy he just got for Christmas. 7) CAP: IN MY HANDS I HELD THE SAME POWER THAT

MICHELANGELO HAD HARNESSED. I COULD UNDO ALL THAT HE HAD DONE, REMAKE SO MANY LIVES, CORRECT SO MANY WRONGS… IT ALL JUST SEEMED SO EASY NOW.

8) CAP: SO TEMPTING. SO DAMNED TEMPTING.

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PAGE 100 (7 panels) Panel 1. Small, close shot of Donatello from the neck-down dropping the Turnstone to the ground. We see it hitting the ground, a bit of dust kicking up around it. 1) CAP: NO. 2) CAP: NO. 3) CAP: SPLINTER HAD TAUGHT ME BETTER THAN THAT.

HE’D TAUGHT OF US ALL BETTER THAN THAT. Panel 2. Small shot of Leonardo and Raphael looking at one another. 4) CAP: HAD I GIVEN INTO THAT, I WOULD BE PLAYING GOD,

SAME AS MICHELANGELO. NO… Panel 3. Leonardo and Raphael rising to embrace Donatello, who welcomes them. 5) CAP: … NO, IT WAS A TIME FOR MANY THINGS, BUT NOT

THAT. RIGHT NOW IT WAS A TIME FOR BROTHERHOOD…

Panel 4. Close on Donatello as they all embrace, tears streaking his cheeks, brow furrowed tightly. 6) CAP: … AND A TIME FOR GOODBYES. Panel 5. Wide, and far away on the Turtles standing there at the edge of the asteroid-like landscape, the newly formed planet behind them looming like some kind of a giant moon, turning on its axis. The Turtles are broken apart now, withdrawing from embrace. 7) CAP: WE HAD ALL LIVED GOOD, HONORABLE LIVES. WE

WOULD GO CONTENT TO OUR END WITH OUR DIMENSION KNOWING THAT, AND KNOWING AS WELL…

Panel 6. Close on Donatello, his head turning, concerned suddenly. 8) CAP: … THAT WE WOULD HAVE NO REGRETS. ALMOST. 9) DONATELLO: NO -- NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

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PAGE 101 (6 panels) Panel 1. Big panel of Donatello peering scoldingly, scaldingly down at Leonardo, who looks as though he has done a football tackle downward to grab the Turnstone. Dust kicking up around him. He holds the Turnstone to him closely, almost protectively. Dust/sand rises up from where he has landed. Leonardo’s brow is furrowed, wincing in great internal anguish. 1) LEONARDO: WHAT I MUST. I-I’M SORRY, BROTHERS. Panel 2. Faces of the other Turtles, all disapprovingly focus on Donatello. Still, there’s something in their faces that suggests while they do not condone whatever Leonardo is doing/wishing, they cannot blame him. 2) DONATELLO: LEONARDO… NO. 3) DONATELLO: DON’T. Panel 3. Close on Leonardo, anguish. 4) LEONARDO: SOME OF WHAT MICHELANGELO SAID… 5) LEONARDO: A CENTURY OF REGRET I’VE ENDURED. A CHANCE

TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT, TO RESTORE MY HONOR? I-I HAVE NO CHOICE. NO CHOICE.

Panel 4. Wide on all of the Turtles, Leonardo still cradling the Turnstone, eyes closed. 6) CAP: STILL…

7) DONATELLO: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE. Panel 5. The backs of the Turtles silhouetted against the Entropy as we see other worlds emerging from the one that the Shogun was creating. The panel is beginning to fade to white, however. 8) CAP: I COULDN’T FIND IT IN MYSELF TO BLAME

LEONARDO. NONE OF US COULD. Panel 6. This panel’s almost all-white now, but we can barely make out a very sad Donatello leaning on his cane, gaze turned slightly to one side as his brothers all look to him resolutely. They’re not afraid of the end… which has come. 9) CAP: THE SHOGUN NO LONGER ALIVE TO HOLD IT AT

BAY, I FELT THE ENTROPY RIP THROUGH MY AGED BODY. AS IT DID, I WONDERED WHAT LEO HAD WISHED FOR.

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10) CAP: FOR OUR WORLD BACK -- ALL THE OTHERS, TOO? SOMETHING SIMPLER? A HAPPY ENDING?

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PAGE 102 (1 panel) – ANDREW PAGE CGI shot of a single world splitting into at least 3 worlds. 1) CAP: PERHAPS A NEW BEGINNING? 2) CAP: SOMETHING MORE? 3) CAP: MY BROTHERS AND I WOULD NOT LIVE TO KNOW.

WE HAD NO ILLUSIONS OF THAT. 4) CAP: AT LEAST IN THE END WE COULD TAKE COMFORT

IN KNOWING THAT IN THE END WE HAD STRUCK HARD AND WOULD FADE AWAY, THEN…

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PAGE 103 (6 panels) – MARK PAGE Panel 1. A cityscape, New York City. It’s partially faded in from white. 1) CAP: … INTO THE LIGHT. Panel 2. The same cityscape is now all the way faded in. 2) MICHELANGELO (O.P.): WHAH-HAH! I FINALLY BEAT OLD HOB AT C.O.D.! 3) LEONARDO (O.P.): WAIT… 4) CAP: 2014, DIMENSION E. Panel 3. Biggest panel on the page. We are in the IDW TMNT universe. All four of them are lounging around the sewer lair. Michelangelo is playing a PS4 video game. Leonardo is sharpening his sword. Donatello looks up from tinkering with some invention. Raphael is doing push-ups. 5) DONATELLO: DID ANYONE ELSE FEEL THAT? IT FELT LIKE -- 6) LEONARDO: LIKE SOMEONE WALKING ON OUR GRAVES. Panel 4. Splinter appears in the corridor. 7) SPLINTER: AT EASE, MY SONS. COME TO ME NOW. Panel 5. Backs of the IDW TMNT as Splinter gestures at them fatherly. 8) SPLINTER: COME. I FEEL A GREAT SHADOW HAS BEEN CAST

OVER OUR WORLD…AND THEN LIFTED. Panel 6. Splinter embracing all four of his sons. Some emphasis on Michelangelo in the group hug, his eyes closed and listening intently to Splinter’s words. 9) SPLINTER: WE MUST NEVER FORGET HOW FORTUNATE WE

ARE …NEVER FORGET WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY SECOND CHANCE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN THIS NEW LIFE.

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PAGE 104 (6 panels) – ROSS PAGE Panel 1. Nice semi-splash of the Nickelodeon TMNT. They are in mid-battle with 4 Kraang androids, three of them in full human skin and men in black business suits, one of them just an endoskeleton android with the abdominal Kraang exposed (and pissed off!). 1) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “LIFE IS A BLESSING, MY SONS, IN ALL OF ITS FORMS.” 2) LEONARDO: WE CAN DO THIS! LET’S TAKE THEM OUT! 3) CAP: 2014, DIMENSION F. Panels 2-4. The Turtles taking out the Kraang in heated battle. Last panel is Michelangelo clobbering the one exposed Kraang. 4) MICHELANGELO: BOOYAKASHA! HAH! 5) DONATELLO: OH, BROTHER… 6) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “IT IS PRECIOUS. I FEEL WE HAVE LIVED MANY LIVES, MY SONS.” Panel 5. Wide panel similar to panel 1, the Turtles standing triumphant – but in-Nick TMNT-character – over the fallen Kraang. 7) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “ACROSS TIME, THIS UNIVERSE…” 8) MICHELANGELO: NEXT UP, KRAANG PRIME! Panel 6. Floating panel, the Nick TMNT Splinter leaning against a wall, deep in thought/rumination. 9) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “… AND OTHERS.”

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PAGE 105 (4 panels) – DENNIS PAGE The Turtle universe of the upcoming film. Panel 1. Close on the faces of Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. They have all got their backs/shells against the outside of their Turtlevan. A New York parking lot. Night. 1) CAP: 2014, DIMENSION G. 2) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “SOME MORE UNUSUAL THAN MOST.” Panel 2. View from the passenger side door of the Turtlevan, April exchanges a glance with Don, who is in the driver's seat. 4) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “I SUSPECT.” Panel 3. Close on the masked faces of a gang of Foot Clan members. 5) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “IN SOME, PERHAPS OUR FAMILY MUST COME

UP AGAINST… DIFFERENT OPPOSITION.” Panel 4. Largest panel (semi-splash). Leo, Raph, and Mikey fighting the Foot Soldiers hand-to-hand, Turtlevan in the background. 6) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “IN THE END IT DOES NOT MATTER. OUR

FAMILY IS STRONGER.” 7) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “IT WILL ENDURE.”

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PAGE 106 (5 panels) – MARK ART Panel 1. The Halls of Lost Legends can be seen floating in some kind of strange spatial/astral plane (the same as where the Eye of Aga-Moo-Tou was in). Imagine the whole tower and its base structure were mobile, the bottom portions of it jutting downwards not like an upside down dome, but rather fragments of beautiful crystals. 1) CAP: THE HALLS OF LOST LEGENDS, THE REALM OF ALL

CREATION. 2) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “YOU SEE, ALL OF US ARE A PART OF A GREATER

PANTHEON, A GREATER EXISTENCE.” Panel 2. Close on a part of a statue that looks like Superman (just close enough that we get a good idea it’s Superman, but not so close that it’s definitively him – you know, legal worries). Maybe just pick a part of Superman’s body (say, mid-cheek down to showing just a quarter of the “S” symbol on his chest. 3) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “ONE DAY IT’S SECRETS MAY BE KNOWN TO YOU.

YOU ARE YOUNG, AFTER ALL…” Panel 3. Close on a part of a statue that looks like Batman (same deal as the Superman statue). 4) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “…AND YOU HAVE MANY MORE ADVENTURES TO

COME.” Panel 4. Close on part of a statue that looks like Captain America (same deal as the last two panels). 5) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “JUST KNOW IN YOUR HEARTS THAT I LOVE YOU,

AND THAT NO MATTER WHAT…” Panel 5. Big panel showing the four Mirage TMNT as statues in a chamber, Splinter as a statue above them (see reference from A.C. Farley’s 2011 piece). 6) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “YOU WILL NEVER BE ALONE, AND NEVER

FORGOTTEN, MY SONS.” 7) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “NEVER.”

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PAGE 107 (5 panels) – DAN BERGER ART Panel 1. Very close on the eyes of a sagely Turtle, the CARETAKER. He is covered in a cloak, the hood of which adorned with an infinity symbol. 1) CAP: THE MULTIVERSAL NEXUS, THE LAST LEVEL

OF NULL-TIME. 2) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “WE HAVE FRIENDS. SOME WE HAVE YET TO

MEET.” Panel 2. Close on the Caretaker’s hand, clenched around a staff. 3) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “SOME WE MAY NEVER MEET. BUT THEY ARE

OUT THERE, REST ASSURED. ALLIES, GUARDIANS…”

4) CARETAKER: I MISS YOU, BROTHERS. Panel 3. Wide on the sagely Turtle looking at 3 screens. The Turnstone floats beside him. We can see the top of his staff has an ankh embedded in it, before some kind of a blade at the top. 5) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “… OR EVEN CARETAKERS.” 6) CARETAKER: SO DIFFERENT. BUT WE ENDURE. Panel 4. The Caretaker walking away (Turnstone floating beside/behind him), down a spindly pathway over an expansive, futuristic crystalline and circuitry-laden vaguely Roman-esque cityscape. But it’s lonely. We get the impression he is incredibly alone in this realm. 7) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “OURS IS A TALE THAT WILL BE

SAFEGUARDED, NO MATTER WHAT. IT CANNOT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY CHANCE, NOT BY MERELY THE HAND OF FATE.”

8) CARETAKER: THAT IS ENOUGH.

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PAGE 108 (7 panels) – ARSENIY PAGE Panel 1. The man on the motorcycle on road on the top of a hill, looking down, he flips up his visor. 1) SPLINTER (CAP, O.P.): “NO, MY SONS, OUR REBIRTH IS A SECOND

CHANCE.” 2) CAP: REALITY, 2014. Panel 2. The Ferrari skidding, spinning around several times… near the edge of a cliff. The coyote can be seen running away. 3) SFX: RRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! Panel 3. Front angle of it as the Ferrari comes to a stop hanging halfway over the edge of the cliff. Dust/dirt/rocks fall from the edge of the car. 4) SFX: RRRRRR… Panel 4. Close on Kevin, panicking, as the car continues to teeter. 5) KEVIN EASTMAN: *!@#, SHIT, !!@#... Panel 5. The car door is thrust open as Kevin reacts with shock. 6) KEVIN EASTMAN: WHUH?! WHO -- 7) MOTORCYCLE MAN: GOTTA GET YOU OUTTA HERE, C’MON, NOW!!! Panel 6. Kevin is pulled out by the man on the motorcycle. 8) MOTORCYCLE MAN: QUICKLY! Panel 7. Big shot of the Ferrari falling from the precipice as the two men dive out of the way.

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PAGE 109 (7 panels) – ARSENIY PAGE

1 2

3 4 5 6

7

Panel 1. Shot of the Ferrari spectacularly crashing into the grounds/rocks/coastline below.

1) SFX: SKRRSSSH!!!

Panel 2. The motorcycle man (whose motorcycle can be seen parked haphazardly sideways on the ground a bit behind him), kneeling beside Kevin, hand on his shoulder. Kevin seems to be in a bit of shock. With one hand, the motorcycle man begins to take off his helmet.

2) MOTORCYCLE MAN: LOOKS LIKE I GOT HERE JUST IN TIME.

3) KEVIN EASTMAN: YOU’RE TELLING ME! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FR -- OH…

Panel 3. Behind-the-shoulders shot from behind Kevin. Close on motorcycle man, whose helmet is now off. We can now see it’s clearly Peter Laird, glasses on and all. 4) PETER LAIRD: IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU. IT’S BEEN A WHILE.

5) KEVIN EASTMAN: TOO LONG, OLD FRIEND. TOO LONG…

Panel 4. Sideways shot of both men, Peter above Kevin. Peter holds a hand out to Kevin, outstretched.

6) PETER LAIRD: WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT, OLD FRIEND. SHALL WE?

Panel 5. Close on Kevin’s face, uncertainty. Panel 6. Close on Peter’s face, uncertainty. Panel 7. Wide, aerial shot of both men on the ground, the edge of the cliff behind them (tire tracks from the Ferrari, of course), Peter still holding out his hand.

7) CAP: “WHAT WE CALL THE BEGINNING IS OFTEN

THE END. AND TO MAKE AN END IS TO MAKE A BEGINNING.

THE END IS WHERE WE START FROM.”

- T.S. Eliot

F I N

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