A Chance to Dream

• Writer - Judd Winick
• Penciler - Mike McKone
• Inker - Mark McKenna
• Colorist - Transparency Digital
• Lettering - Paul Tutrone
• Ass't Editor - Mike Raicht
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  Note: this is part of 'Nuff Said month, a silent issue.

  Kevin morphs into a beautiful woman and gets a hotel clerk to give him some room keys; the clerk's girlfriend co-worker isn't happy about it. Clarice blinks in with the rest of the team, and they get some rest.

  John dreams of himself before he was War: running, diving into water, shopping for peaches, eating ice cream in the park.

  Mariko dreams of her childhood, of striving to please her parents, till she blasted away to America and found a dance club. Her parents were displeased.

  Calvin dreams of suburban living with Blink as his wife and 2 children.

  Kevin dreams of being on the stage, adoring audiences, and an Oscar, but then he dreams he melts.

  T.J. dreams of making love to James Proudstar. She wakes to find John at her bed, thinks about it, and pulls him in.

  Clarice dreams of herself as a child, being chased by Sinister, and of him killing the Exiles. She wakes from the nightmare and immediately blinks to Calvin's room to check on him. He wakes, rises, and embraces her.

  Winnick's original script follows:

  Exiles #7

  [Page one]

  Panel one: Straight on--On a hotel worker in the obligatory over sized butt ugly solid colored blazer. It's a black guy, 20's, average looking. He has a confused look on his face, one eyebrow raised. He holds up six fingers, one whole hand and a single digit from his other hand. He's asking " Six?"

  Panel two: Again, straight on--We're on Morph, but it ain't Morph. He's got himself morphed up as a beautiful girl. Put her in clothes that would be distracting. She's leaning across the counter towards the hotel guy. She's extending a credit card. It's one of the credit cards from issue one--"NISA" in the style of a VISA card.

  She is grinning broadly. Flirting.

  Panel three: On the hotel guy handing her six key cards, completely distracted by this gorgeous girl in front of him. She's grinning madly still.

  Panel four: On her back and backside as she saunters away from the desk towards the elevators. She carries a make-up case/overnight bag.

  Page five: Back on the hotel guy at the desk. He has his head cocked to one side as he is staring at her butt. Her has a passive look on his face.

  [Page two]

  Panel one: CU on Morph-girl's butt.

  Panel two: On hotel guy, same shot as Panel five from page one, but he's grinning in this one. Next to him is a young pretty Asian woman who is also a hotel worker in an ugly blazer. Her arms are folded across her chest and she looks pissed. I'm trying to convey that these two are maybe an item and he got caught looking' at another lady's can.

  Panel three: On The hotel guy suddenly looking through papers in front of him but sheepishly looking out of the corner of his eye. Woman is still standing with her arms crossed in front of her, obviously upset.

  Panel four: On Morph's legs (still the tart) as he/she exits the elevator.

  Panel Five: Close on Morph, talking into the headset that is now protruding from his ear. He looks out of the corner of his eyes as he does it.

  Panel five: On Morph, melding out of the Chick and becoming Morph.

  [Page Three]

  Panel one: On The team Blinking into the hallway. They are all in costume. They should look really tired. Limp.

  Panel two: Morph is a bell hop and extends the hotel keys fanned out like playing cards.

  Panel 3-8: Small panels on each of their hands slipping keys into the locks. You can mix this up a little Mike if it bores you.

  Panel nine: Blink is in her room yawning and stretching her arms up-- the "Oh, I'm so tired look"

  Panel ten: Morph is watching television an inch from the screen. He's in pajamas with bunnies on them and a sleep cap on his head.

  Panel eleven: On Nocturne in the shower.. Keep it clean!

  Panel twelve: Mimic, in boxers, in getting into bed.

  [Page four]

  Panel one: On Thunderbird laying flat on his back on the bed. His arms and legs are laying out like he was making a snow angle. His hands rest palms up. Mike, what I'm looking for is that T-bird is like a machine that's been shut off. He lays down and pop, he's asleep. No fetal position no getting comfortable.

  If you can manage it, make it look like he's pushed two king size beds together. He lays without covers on him. He doesn't get cold.

  Panel two: Tight on t-bird sleeping face

  Panel three: CU on T-bird as a man. BEFORE he was made into WAR. He has no mask, no feathers or crap in his hair. Make his hair shoulder length. Blowing in the wind. His idealized vision of himself. He smiles

  Panel four: Pull back to show T-bird, full body shot. He is wearing only buckskin shorts (practically briefs) and buck skin boots. Calf-high.

  He looks magnificent. The greatest looking man who has ever walked the Earth.

  He's in a lush Forrest.

  Panel five: On T-bird leaping like a hurdler over shrubbery.

  Panel six: On T-bird Diving off a cliff

  [Page five]

  Panel one: On T-bird landing in water below

  Panel two: T-Bird breaking the surface of the water, throwing his hair back.

  Panel three: On T-bird exiting the water into a parking lot of a super market.

  Make it look like the blacktop of the parking lot is like a beach.

  Panel four: On a wet T-bird grabbing a grocery store basket inside the store. He should be wearing just Blue jeans now.

  Lotsa shoppers mingle about.

  Panel five: T-bird now wears civilian clothes. Leather Jacket, T-shirt, jeans, boots. He holds a peach next to his nose and smells it. He's in the produce section in front off a pile of peaches.

  [Page six]

  Panel one: On T-bird, still in his civvies, holding his grocery bag under one arm and eating an ice cream cone with the other. He's exiting an ice cream shop.

  Panel two: T-bird sits on a park bench eating his ice cream cone, his groceries sit next to him.

  Kids play around him.

  Panel three: CU on T-bird eating Ice cream and smiling.

  Panel four: On the REAL T-bird. Sleeping and smiling.

  Panel five: On a Sleeping Sun fire.

  She's in a half shirt with a gorilla on it. If it fits.

  Panel six: CU on Sunfire's sleeping face.

  [Page seven]

  Panel one: On a little girl. Sunfire. Maybe eight years old. She is in a Japanese school girl outfit. She is sitting very primly. Very stiff--at a school desk. She writes in a tablet. Just her in this shot.

  Panel two: On a full classroom of Japanese school children all working at their desks. Sunfire is in the middle and most prominent. Standing right behind her desk are her parents. This should look weird. They stand stiffly and without emotion. Her Father is in a business suit. Her mother is in a ladies business suit. They wear the same outfits through this whole sequence.

  Panel three: Sunfire is twelve, on stage and playing piano in a recital. Her parents stand behind her.

  Mike, I don't know if you can get all the info in one panel maybe split it in two. First show her playing the piano and we look at her and out on the audience--then reverse the angle in the next panel so we are looking at her playing on stage with her parents looking over her.

  Panel four: Sunfire is in her very prim and proper bedroom. She is sixteen. She is studying at her book covered desk. Her parents stand behind her. It's dark and lit only by the lamp on her desk.

  Panel five: On Sunfire leaping up from the her desk in anger. The desk rocks forward. He parents don't move.

  [Page eight]

  Panel one: On Sunfire "flaming on". Her clothes fry away, so put her in a bikini type deal

  Panel two: On Sunfire blasting out of the roof of her house and flying into the air

  Panel three: On Sunfire flying through the blue sky. Grinning happily.

  Panel four: Downshot of Sunfire flying towards a very stereotypical, even cartoony map, of the United States, she is now in her Sunfire costume.

  Panel five: On her flying through Times square. People are happy, and waving at her, holding shopping bags. It looks alive and bustling.

  IT'S AMERICA!

  [Page nine]

  Panel one: On Sunfire at a rave. She is dressed in hot pants and a tiny baby T-shirt. She dances with a similarly dressed boy and girl.

  Panel two: CU on her happy face

  Panel three: Cu on her parents disapproving faces

  Panel four: Pull back to show them standing behind her, Sunfire notices them

  Panel Five: CU on he face. She looks ashamed.

  Panel six: Cu On her parents disapproving faces again.

  [Page ten]

  Panel one: Pull back to show everyone dancing, except Sunfire who stands with her head down in front of her parents.

  Panel two: On a sleeping Mimic

  Panel three: FUN TIME-- Draw this real goofy. VERY cartoony and over the top--

  ****COLOR NOTE*** Make the color's especially bright, lotsa solids and plaids.

  This whole dream sequence that mimic is dreaming that he and Blink has set up house together and have a little family, Very 50's America.

  Interior of a suburban house. Mimic is in a business suit. He's hanging up his trench coat and hat on a hat rack that is just inside the door of the foyer. The front door is still open to imply that he just "got home". A brief case sits next to his leg. Mimic still has his Goatee but his hairstyle is more conservative.

  Panel three: Two kids come running at him, they are five years old, one boy, one girl. We see their backs, one of the kids has wings. Mimic is crouched to hug them/greet them, his arms thrown open wide!! He's got a screaming grin on his face! Everybody is over the top happy, happy, happy!

  Panel four: On Mimic and the kids.

  They look like a combination of him and Blink. Slightly pointy ears, blond like dad, but pupiless eyes and their skin is a slightly different shade then their mother's. They also have her facial tattoos.

  [Page eleven]

  Panel one: On Blink standing in the doorway looking like a perfect 50's Americana wife. Plaid calf length dress, apron, hair done up in some boring way. She holds a tray with a martini on it.

  Panel two: Mimic is kissing Blink on the side of her face as he takes the martini. The kids beam up at their parents. Mimic is now dress in a plaid sweater vest and a button down shirt.

  Panel three: The kids on a couch with TV trays in front of them and mimic is sitting in a big chair with a TV tray in front of him. Blink is putting a TV dinner on Mimic's tray. The kids already have theirs.

  Panel Four: Mimic has a pipe in his mouth and Blink sits on his lap, giving him a little squeeze.

  In background, one of the kids has popped a Wolverine claw from his hand and has skewered a bunch of food.

  Panel five: The panel is heart shaped and Mimic and Blink are kissing. They are both at profile and their lips are pursed.

  [Page twelve]

  Panel one: On Mimic waking up with a shock, and sitting up in bed.

  Panel two: Closer on mimic. Still a little shocked and wide eyed, he rubs the back of his head with a "what the hell was that?!" expression on his face.

  Panel three: On Morph sleeping. He's under the covers and has not visibly "turned" into anything

  Whatever skin is showing is white and nude. My thought is when Morph is in deep sleep, he loses form and is just a blank slate.

  Panel Four: Morph is on stage tap dancing and juggling. He wears a vaudevillian's outfit of Straw hat and striped jacket. He's grinning widely!

  Panel five: The audience in on it's feet--applauding like crazy.

  Panel six: Morph is leaving through a backstage exit. He's wearing sunglasses and a long coat and a scarf around his neck. He's being mobbed by fans. Bodyguards hold them back, Morph is signing a few autographs.

  [Page Thirteen]

  Panel One: Morph is a guest talking to David Letterman

  Panel two: Morph is accepting an Oscar. He's reaching for it as some buxom actress gives it to him.

  Panel three: Exact same shot, but everything has disappeared. EVERYTHING. No backgrounds--nothing.

  Morph is completely unclothed but his body looks weird. No definition. Bulbous and without shape--no naughty bits.

  Panel four: Morph spins around and sees no one. He looks panicked. Everything is still blank except Morph standing their.

  Panel five: Morph screams.

  Panel six: Pull back and Morph screams some more.

  [Page fourteen]

  ***** we are going to show a love scene between Nocturne and James Proudstar ( Warpath).****

  Panel one: On Nocturne sleeping

  Panel two: Nocturne's face and her shoulders. James Proudstar's hand is on her shoulder.

  Panel three: Nocturne, in her Mystique like costume from the first issue, has turned and we are facing Warpath. (Mike, it may be impossible without dialogue to make the folks understand that this is T-bird's younger brother, but we'll give it a shot. Make him smaller, younger, happier...different.)

  He should be in a Warpath type costume, maybe the most recent costume (Mike: the X-Force costume from Whilce Portacio's recent Counter-X run) to avoid the confusion to T-bird. He should be wearing the LEAST T-bird looking costume, I guess.

  Panel four: They kiss passionately

  Panel five: Warpath is pulling Nocturnes shirt off over her head-keep it PG!

  [Page fifteen]

  Panel one: They kiss some more and Warpath shucks off his shirt.

  Panel two: A path of clothing lines the way to the bed where the pair of them are intertwined. The room should look DRASTICALLY different from the hotel room she sleeps are in. I'd say make it a FANCY hotel room. Four post bed, long curtains, etc...We don't want people to think this is really happening.

  Panel three: On them kissing some more in bed.

  Panel four: On warpath kissing her neck

  Panel five: Cu on Nocturne smiling with pleasure

  Panel six: MORE pleasure.

  [Page Sixteen]

  Panel one: CU Nocturne who has stopped the pleasure looks and is just staring up. Some thing has surprised her.

  Panel two: Thunderbird, OUR T-bird in his current WAR visage, is staring down at her. They have actually been the ones hooking up. He looks passive.

  Panel Three: Nocturne is passive as well.

  Panel four: Same shot, Nocturne smiles REAL wide. A seductive smile.

  Panel five: Nocturne kisses Thunderbird.

  Panel six: Downshot ofthem in being intimate. (Mike: be tasteful and discreet!).

  [Page seventeen]

  Panel one: On Blink sleeping. She's tight lipped. She's in the middle of a nightmare.

  Panel two: On a little girl Blink, Five years old. Cute. Torn dress, Crying, running for her life. She is back in the Age of Apocalypse and sprinting over the jagged terrain.

  Panel three: CU on her --she looks over her shoulder.

  Panel four: Sinister (from AoA) is pursuing her. If you like, he can be an even MORE exaggerated version that he already is. Creepy, learing, evil, a mess.

  Panel five: Blink leaps over a cliff to avoid him. BIG cliff, BUTCH AND SUNDANCE big

  [Page eighteen]

  Panel one: On Blink crashing to the jagged ground.

  Panel two: Blink lifts her cut and bloodied head up to look at what's in front of her.

  Panel three: We see the other Exiles. They all should be in costume so we can recognize them, but they look like they stepped out of concentration camps. They are bone thin and covered with sores.

  Panel four: They crawl towards Blink, who is terrified by extends a quaking hand towards them

  Panel five: Mimics head is in her lap. She cries as she strokes his stringy hair. He is drooling and crying.

  [Page nineteen]

  Panel one: On Sinister standing over them howling in glee. Blink is cowering back, The Exiles don't seem to move.

  Panel two: Blink has Nocturne and Morph by the wrists as she's running them along, pulling them to flee, the others limp behind.

  Panel three: Sinister leaps on top of the weakened Sunfire. Blood spurts from her mouth as he lands on her.

  Panel four: CU on Blink Screaming

  Panel five: On Sinister. Sinister has Mimic in one hand, he swings him above his head by Mimic's leg. His other hand is killing T-bird. Sinister is hammering T-bird's head completely into his torso.

  [Page twenty]

  Panel one: On Blink sitting in the middle of the Exiles dead bodies. She is limp and crying.

  Panel two: Sinister grabs her up from the ground.

  Panel three: CU on Sinister, laughing and drooling

  Panel four: CU On Blink Writhing, crying, shrieking. Make her expression bad.

  Panel five: ECU on Sinister -- Screaming and laughing.

  Panel six: ECU on little Blink, screaming with everything she has.

  [Page twenty-one]

  Panel one: On Blink Bolting up in bed screaming.

  Panel two: Same shot, she stops and realizes where she is.

  Panel three: She sobs. She cries.

  Panel four: Mimic asleep in his bed. The angle should allow us to see blink BLINK into the room in the next panel.

  Panel five: Same shot, but Blink BLINKS into his room.

  Panel six: On Mimic startled up to a sitting position.

  [Page twenty-two]

  Panel one: On Mimic, head tilted to the side like he's asking "What's wrong?"

  Panel two: On Blink, who stand stock still

  Panel three: CU Mimic with a sympathetic look on his face

  Panel Four: On Mimic, bursting into tears

  Panel five: Blink is in Mimic's arms, she cries. He strokes he hair.

  Panel six: Downshot, same panel.