No Name Anthologies: Script #2


No Name Anthologies: Issue #2

“Fight Night”

1st draft 11/20/06

By “Senor Geekus”

REFERENCE

VILLAINS

The Children of Ares: An assassin cult whose members are adept in Chanpurū, a hybrid fighting style that incorporates close quarters combat, Ki manipulation, Spetsnaz Sambo, and taijutsu.  They have the lean and athletic martial artist body. They are dressed in a jet black Kāṣāya.

Mordred: The leader of the Children. He is a mature man in his 60’s. His body is lean and in shape. Visually he resembles Patrick Stewart with a devilish goatee.  He wears a white Kāṣāya with long paper beads wrapped around his arms which he uses as weapons

ADDITIONAL CHARACTER

Agent Doe: The typical man in black. Visually he resembles Agent Smith. He has a mustache and his hair is blond.

 

PAGE 1:

PANEL ONE: Zero is walking down Central Park with his hands in his pocket. There is an evening sky in the horizon.

PANEL TWO: A Child emerges from a puff of smoke (similar to how a ninja appears and disappears using smoke) in front of Zero.

PANEL THREE: Zero and the Child are facing each other.

Child: Moniker, I have been sent to end your life.

Zero Moniker: I am already asleep. I desire to be awakened!

PANEL FOUR: The Child assumes a fighting stance and there is a look of anger in his face. Child: Then you will be awakened with pain!

PANEL FIVE: Zero shrugs. There is an apathetic look in his eyes.

Zero Moniker: You are welcome to try, but Morpheus’ hold is strong.

PAGE 2:

PANEL ONE: The Child leaps towards Zero.

PANEL TWO: He performs a drop kick.

PANEL THREE: Zero evades the kick, leaving speed lines similar to the Flash as he moves. Phantom is radiating a white glow.

PANEL FOUR: Zero unleashes an electrical bolt. The bolt hits the Child’s midsection. Zero is facing the child and the Child’s back is in view.

PANEL FIVE: The Child crashes through several trees.

PAGE 3:

PANEL ONE: The Child is getting up. His white uniform is bloody. There is a look of sheer rage in his face.

PANEL TWO: The Child is resumes the stance.

PANEL THREE: A close-up Zero’s mask. It glowing more radiant.

PANEL FOUR: A larger electrical bolt hitting the Child.

PANEL FIVE: The Child’s uniform is charred and his skin is blistered.

The Child: The Children of Ares do not fight alone. I will not be the last.

PAGE 4:

PANEL ONE: Six Children of Ares materialize before Zero.

PANEL TWO: Close-up of the Eldest Child. His eyes emit a murderous glare.

Eldest Child: You dare injure our brother! You will pay most dearly!

PANEL THREE: Their eyes flash crimson with murderous intent as they assume the stance.

PANEL FOUR: Fiery aura emanate from their bodies.

PAGE 5:

PANEL ONE: The Children begin their attack by pouncing on him

PANEL TWO: Zero leaps away in an attempt to avoid them. The same speed lines are seen.

PANEL THREE: A Child grabs Zero’s foot

PANEL FOUR: Close-up of Zero’s face. There is a look of shock in Zero’s eyes.

Zero Moniker: H… How is this possible??

PANEL FIVE: Zero is thrown violently to the ground.

PANEL SIX: Zero gets up and straightens his wrinkled suit.

PAGE 6:

PANEL ONE: The Children have him surrounded.

PANEL TWO: White Space because Zero unleashed a blinding flash of light

PANEL THREE: The Children are grabbing their eyes in pain.  Zero is standing in their midst, calm.

The Children: Arrghh!! Brother we are blind!

Eldest Child: That coward uses tricks!

PANEL FOUR: Zero knocks them with a kinetic shockwave. The shockwave should resemble a circular ripple effect.

PANEL FIVE: Three of the Children flying to the right.

PANEL SIX: The remaining children flying to the left.

PAGE 7:

PANEL ONE (ONE-PAGE SPREAD): Zero is standing calmly with his hands in his pocket. His surrounding resembles a war zone. Trees are broken. The Children are lying unconscious and broken. The ground around Zero is scorched.

PAGE 8:

PANEL ONE: Zero is surveying the damage. Speed lines are moving towards him.

PANEL TWO: Mordred appears behind Zero.

Mordred: So my Children could not awaken the dreamer. You will not fare so well against me!

PANEL THREE: A close-up of Zero’s eyes. His pupil shrinks from disbelief and complete shock.

PANEL FOUR: Mordred assumes the stance.

PANEL FIVE: Mordred kicks him in his back. There is a fiery aura around his leg.

PANEL SIX: The move launches Zero into the air.

PAGE 9:

PANEL ONE: Zero soars at an accelerated rate. He is unable to move because of the force of the kick.

PANEL TWO: Mordred appears in the air.

PANEL THREE: Mordred strikes him in his chest. The same fiery aura is around his fist.

PANEL FOUR: Zero plummeting to the ground below.

PAGE 10:

PANEL ONE: Close-up of Zero falling. His eyes flash.

PANEL: TWO: Zero spins himself.

PANEL THREE: Zero lands on his feet.

PANEL FOUR: Mordred appears before him.

PANEL FIVE: Zero fires a photonic blast. The blast resembles a crescent moon.

PANEL SIX: Mordred evades the attack.

PAGE 11:

PANEL ONE: Zero leaps into the air. His body is radiating.

PANEL TWO: Zero has become the Zero Star.

PANEL THREE: The sky is electrified with the Zero Star’s power.

PANEL FOUR: Five electrical bolts descend towards Mordred.

PANEL FIVE: He evades them with flips.

PAGE 12:

PANEL ONE: Mordred assumes the stance.

PANEL TWO: The Zero Star appears in front of him.

PANEL THREE: Mordred is covered with an electrical glow.

PANEL FOUR: A close-up of Mordred’s eye. They burn red with murderous intent.

Mordred: Do you really think that this will defeat me boy?

PANEL FIVE: A fiery aura flows from his body and dispels the electrical glow.

PANEL SIX: Mordred resumes the stance.

PAGE 13:

PANEL ONE (ONE-PAGE SPREAD): Mordred is surrounded by a more powerful aura.  The ground around him is being destroyed and there is a ripple effect. The Zero Star is distorted by the ripples.

PAGE 14:

PANEL ONE: Zero is on his knees clutching his head. His eyes convey his shock and pain.

Zero Moniker: This is not possible! No one can undo my enlightenment!

PANEL TWO: Mordred appears behind him. His hand is raised to deliver a deathblow.

PANEL THREE: A close-up of his face. He is still in shock and pain.

Phantom: Compose yourself or you will be awakened!

PANEL FOUR: There are speed lines. Mordred hits the vacant spot; leaving a small crater in the ground.

PANEL FIVE: Zero is back to his default apathetic stance with his hands in his pocket.

PAGE 15:

PANEL ONE: Zero fires three more photonic blasts.

PANEL TWO: Mordred leaps to evade them.

PANEL THREE: Zero fires an electrical bolt.

PANEL FOUR: Mordred performs a corkscrew spin to avoid it.

PANEL FIVE: A close-up of Mordred loosening the prayer beads on his arms.

PAGE 16:

PANEL ONE: He ensnares Zero with the beads.

Mordred: This is your wake up call, dreamer!

PANEL TWO: He swings Zero into a nearby tree.

Zero Moniker: Arrgghhh

PANEL THREE: He slams Zero into the ground.

PANEL FOUR: He whips Zero up into the air.

PANEL FIVE: A close-up of Zero’s face. His right eye is closed and bruised. His left eye burns with determination.

PANEL SIX: A close-up of Zero’s hands clutching the beads. His hands are glowing.

PAGE 17:

PANEL ONE: A view of Zero still in midair and Mordred on the ground holding the beads.

PANEL TWO: A close-up of the bead. The glow travels down the beads.

PANEL THREE: The energy encircles Mordred.

PANEL FOUR: The energy engulfs him and he appears to be electrocuted as the power surges through him.

PANEL FIVE: Zero is removing the beads. His eyes convey his tiredness. His suit is torn and bloodied.

Zero Moniker: The dream came close to ending.

PANEL SIX: Mordred is on ground unconscious. His clothes are charred and there is smoke rising from his burnt flesh.

PAGE 18:

PANEL ONE: The battle scene is flooded with FBI agents.

PANEL TWO: The Children are on stretchers and being loaded in ambulances.

PANEL THREE: Zero Moniker is on park bench exhausted.

PANEL FOUR: Agent Doe is approaching Moniker.

Agent Doe: Mr. Moniker, the FBI would like to thank you for apprehending these extremists.

PANEL FIVE: Zero Moniker gives him a “thumbs up”.

Zero Moniker: Uncle Sam knows how to thank me.

PANEL SIX: Zero is sprawled over on the same bench.

Zero Moniker: Phantom, have you devised a method to deal with fighter types?

Phantom: Yes, another incident like this will not occur!

Zero Moniker: Thank Logic. I don’t think that I could take another beating like that.

 

FIN

My abandoned comic book idea: 1st script


I used professional scripts posted by writers like Warren Ellis, Brian K. Vaughan, and Christos Gage (mainly his format) as guides when I first attempted to put my ideas on paper.  Unfortunately, my muse never returned after I wrote the first 4 scripts. I know the ideas of derivative (in the Quentin Tarantino vein of mashing every loved source idea into a blend), I thought Zero Moniker had potential. Enough of my rambling, here is the script.

 

No Name Anthologies: Issue #1

“Man versus Machine 2.0”

1st draft 11/16/06

By “Senor Geekus)

REFERENCE

MAIN CHARACTER

Zero Moniker: African American, mid 20’s. He’s average height around 5’8. His eyes are golden and have glint of nobility. He is the technological analogue to a medieval magician/alchemist/shaman. He is slim and lanky similar to the thin magicians that populate RPG’s and D&D. He lacks the build of a fighter/ athlete. He is “cursed” with Phantom, scientifically advanced helmet (along the lines of Fourth World/new gods technology). Phantom resembles a cross between Dr. Fate’s Helm and a Vizard-style Hollow Mask. It has a pair of golden eyes similar to the Guyver’s secondary eyes.  It generates perpetual energy that he manipulates offensively and defensively.  He wears a suit in a disheveled manner similar to Spike Spiegel but suit is white, the tie is black and the shirt is red.  He wears black stylized Getas instead of shoes.

VILLAIN

The Misanthrope: A brilliant yet eccentric engineer/inventor/zealot; he favors machines over humanity. His mind is a viral consciousness; he can inhabit any electronic device. He possesses the XS Reaper, an experimental Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle.  He is armed with Joint Direct Attack Munitions.  It has an ethereal appearance; its body is jet black and sleek like the classical Grim Reaper’s robe.  A fleet of six MH-53 Pave Lows are also under his control.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTER

United States Special Operations Command Representative: She is dressed like Catherine Bell’s character in Jag. Facially, she resembles Rachel Bilson.

PAGE 1:

PANEL ONE: The XS Reaper soaring through a clear sky.

PANEL TWO: There are six MH-53 Pave Lows in front of the Reaper in a V formation.

PANEL THREE: A close-up view of their armaments. 2 .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns mounted on left and right sides and one on the nose.

PAGE 2:

PANEL ONE: A coastline view of an iconic metropolitan city.

PANEL TWO: A scanning view of the city with technological analysis similar to the T-800/T-850 analyzing its target. The city is essential devoid of life, except a solitary life signal on a nearby roof

PANEL THREE: An aerial view of the target building. It is a modern skyscraper with a dash of gothic style with gargoyles adorning it

PANEL FOUR: Zooms in on a human figure standing on a building’s roof.

PAGE 3:

PANEL ONE (ONE-PAGE SPREAD): Zero Moniker is standing on a gargoyle with his arms crossed. There is a displeased/irritated look in his eyes. His suit jacket is flapping in the wind.

Zero Moniker: Things like this always happens on a Monday.

PAGE 4:

PANEL ONE: The two Lows at the edge of the formation leave to confront Moniker.

PANEL TWO: A cockpit view of Moniker. The Low’s target screen is also seen

PANEL THREE: The Lows unleash a barrage of bullets. Moniker’s stance has no changed.

PANEL FOUR: A third person view of Zero. The bullets are held in place a few feet in front of him. The bullets give off an electrical glow.

PAGE 5:

PANEL ONE: A close-up of Zero’s eyes. They convey a mixture of indifference and annoyance.

Zero Moniker: This bores me…

PANEL TWO: The bullets change direction. They give off a stronger glow.

PANEL THREE: The bullets are fired back at the Lows.

PANEL FOUR: The Lows explode as the barrage penetrates their fuel tanks.

PAGE 6:

PANEL ONE: The remaining Lows assume an attack formation.

PANEL TWO: The smoking wreckage of the Lows is held in place by the same electrical glow.

PANEL THREE: The wreckage is sent crashing in the two leading Lows.

PANEL FOUR: There is an enormous fireball. The flying debris damages the remaining copters.

PANEL ONE: A close-up of Zero, there is a hint of amusement in his eyes. A bright celestial aura is emitted from him.

Zero Moniker: These toys are not challenge.

PAGE 7:

PANEL ONE (ONE-PAGE SPREAD): Zero Moniker is almost in pseudo meditation stance. The aura around him is more intense and two tendrils of light are forming from it. The tendrils are jagged

Zero Moniker: And then there was one…

PAGE 8:

PANEL ONE: The tendrils impale the remaining Lows.

PANEL TWO: They explode and debris comes towards Reaper.

PANEL THREE: The Reaper is glowing white hot.

PANEL FOUR: The debris bounces harmlessly off the field

PANEL FIVE: A close-up of Zero’s eye. There is a look of disappointment in his eyes.

PAGE 9:

PANEL ONE: The XS and Zero are face-to-“face”. The Reaper’s face in view and Zero’s back is in view.

PANEL TWO: A close up of the Reaper’s launchers.

PANEL THREE: Nova missiles being launched.

PANEL FOUR: A bird’s eye view of 8 missiles heading towards Moniker. Moniker is looking up at the missiles.

Zero Moniker: The things that I do for a couple of million dollars.

PAGE 10:

PANEL ONE: A third person view of Moniker, mainly his shoulder and everything above it. A fiery aura is emanating from him.

PANEL TWO: Eight fiery pillars emerge from his head and destroy the Nova Missiles.

PANEL THREE: 2 of the pillars destroy the Reaper’s launchers.

The Misanthrope: You wretched hairless ape! You destroyed my vassals! Now you dare attack me!

PANEL FOUR: A close-up of Zero’s face: his eyes convey his curiosity.

Zero Moniker: This day just gets stranger and stranger….

PANEL FIVE: The XS begins to glow blue. Smoke is being emitting from its damaged underside.

The Misanthrope: Flesh Bag, you attempt to mock me as well?!

PAGE 11:

PANEL ONE: It vanishes from sight. Zero’s body conveys his shock. His arms are no longer crossed. His secondary eyes are moving independently searching. His stance is looser.

Zero: There is no salvaging this day…

PANEL TWO: An aerial view of the XS about 100 feet above Moniker.

The Misanthrope: I will make an example of you, meat thing.

PANEL THREE: A third person view of the XS. Its “head” is glowing white hot and electrical energy is surging through it.

PANEL FOUR: Zero is looking up at the Misanthrope. His arms are once again crossed. A white aura is coming off his head. There is a look of disdain in his eyes.

Zero Moniker: Time to end this now.

PANEL FIVE: A massive energy beam is coming towards Zero.

PANEL SIX: An aerial view of the roof exploding. It should resemble a smaller version of the Hiroshima explosion.

The Misanthrope: Fool, this will be the fate of mankind!

PAGE 12:

PANEL ONE: A billow of smoke and ember are rising from the charred roof.

PANEL TWO: The smoke is clearing up and there are glimpses of a blue translucent dome within.

PANEL THREE: Full view of Zero behind his protective field. His stance has not changed. The area around the field is gone.

Zero Moniker: You shouldn’t judge others by your preconceptions.

PANEL FOUR: Zero’s entire body emits a bright almost blinding light.

PANEL FIVE: His body is radiant and showing hints of size condensing.

PANEL SIX: His body is taking on a more spherical shape.

PAGE 13:

PANEL ONE (ONE-PAGE SPREAD): Moniker is now a miniature blue star hovering above the ruins of the roof. It is approximately the size of a basket ball.

Zero Moniker: Now you will suffer for your mistake.

PAGE 14:

PANEL ONE: The Zero Star is now above the Reaper. The Reaper is exuding the same aura.

PANEL TWO: An intense electrical glow encases the Reaper.

Misanthrope: Filthy fleshy being, what are you doing to me?!

PANEL THREE: A close-up of the Zero Star.

Zero Moniker: I am awakening you to enlightenment.

PANEL FOUR: A massive surge of electricity flows through the Reaper.

PANEL FIVE: The Zero Star descends to the street with the Reaper in tow. The Reaper is encased in the electrical glow.

PAGE 15:

PANEL ONE: Zero Moniker is in human form again and the radiance is fading. He is sitting on the Reaper’s roof.

PANEL TWO: A clean-up team arrives. They clad in the suits that are a cross between HAZMAT suits and Solid Snake’s sneaking suit.  There are 2 cranes and a heavy transport truck.

PANEL THREE: The cranes load the Raptor into the truck.

PANEL FOUR: The clean-up team leaves.

PAGE 16:

PANEL ONE: A UH-60 Black Hawk descends from the sky.

PANEL TWO: It lands in front of Zero.

PANEL THREE: An attractive young woman in a military uniform exits and approaches Zero.

The Representative: Mr. Moniker, SOCOM would like to thank you for a job well done.

PANEL FOUR: They are within arm’s length and they shake hands.

Zero Moniker: It was a pleasure to doing business with Uncle Sam again.

PAGE 17:

PANEL ONE: Zero is walking back to the Black Hawk with the rep.

PANEL TWO: The rep boards the Black Hawk.

PANEL THREE: The Black Hawk takes off. The sky has more clouds and the sun is setting.

PANEL FOUR: A close-up of the rep’s face. She is gazing deeply at Zero. Her eyes convey admiration.

PAGE 18:

PANEL ONE: A close-up of Zero’s head.

Zero Moniker: Phantom, what is the status?

Phantom: The Misanthrope’s essence has been assimilated.

Zero Moniker: The mission is indeed a success.

Phantom: Yes, I have learned that misguided fool’s techniques

PANEL TWO: Full body view of Zero. His body is radiating again,

PANEL THREE: The Zero Star is flies off.

 

FIN

Undead Series Idea


This idea sprang from the zombie idea feedback.

Premise: Mordred Midas, a ruthless and opportunistic man with a vast empire is stricken with an aggressive cancer and is unable to find a cure in modern medicine. He turns to an occultist (an Aleister Crowley meets Alan Moore type of individual) for his salvation.  The occultist is able to cure him but uses this as means to blackmailing Midas.  Midas being proud and arrogant, arranges for the occultist to suffer a fatal accident.   “Alan Crowley” appears to Midas and curses him for his treachery.   The series will center around his attempt to maintain a normal life and keep his secret his hidden.  His employees helps him hide his illness as well as supply him with “live food”.  There will be power plays by opportunistic friends and family members.  It’s essentially Dynasty/Dallas with the redemptive journey similar to Wikus (from District 9) and the supernatural.

Curse: Midas is the only infected since “Crowley” wanted him alone to suffer.  He retains his intelligence, is effectively immortal (save a traumatic head injury or incineration), and  virtually indistinguishable from the living.  He needs to consume flesh in order to retain his intelligence, stave off decomposition, and trigger regeneration.  If he goes too long without feeding he will revert to a ravenous feral state.

Image is courtesy of Comic Art Community (http://www.comicartcommunity.com/gallery/index.php)

My Zombie Television Series Idea


This idea sprang from my other zombie post and the accompanying feedback.

Premise: A wealthy man is stricken with a fatal illness and is unable to find a cure in modern medicine. He turns to the occult for his salvation, particularly a necromancer.  His brand of zombism is supernatural is origins.  The series will center around his attempt to maintain a normal life and keep his secret his hidden.  His employees helps him hide his illness as well as supply him with “live food”.  There will be power plays by opportunistic friends and family members.  It’s essentially Dynasty/Dallas with Zombies.

Symptoms: The infected will retain their intelligence and are effectively immortal (save a traumatic head injury or incineration).  They are virtually indistinguishable from the living.  The remnants need to consume flesh in order to retain their intelligence, stave off decomposition, and trigger regeneration.  If a zombie goes too long without feeding he or she will revert to a ravenous feral state.  The “illness” is spread through bites.  The “sickness” infects every living thing bitten, so animals are not immune and the same symptoms apply to them as well.  Scavengers will be infected if they feast on zombie flesh.

Images are courtesy of Comic Art Community (http://www.comicartcommunity.com/gallery/index.php)

Inception: A Grant Morrison Level Mind Frack (spoiler free)


I don’t want to ruin the Inception experience for anyone so I will mention elements that were present in the trailer.

Reality vs Dream: The audience is presented with a scenarios where Oneiroinauts (like astronauts of the dream plane) are unable to differentiate between the waking world (reality) and dreams.  This caused me to recall Spike Spiegel’s samurai ideal (considering oneself as dead and the idea of death being an awakening from a dream) as well as Morrison’s discussion on reality, space and time) and its nature.

Viral Idea: Inception introduced the concept of infectious pathogen-like ideas that have the potential to enhance or corrupt the host.  This brought to mind a Grant Morrison creation: Weapon XII, a biological weapon with a viral consciousness that mentally degraded its victim and reshaped their minds into an extension of its own.

Limbo: Limbo is a netherworld spawned from the dreamer’s unconscious mind that an Onieroinaut could become trapped in. This was similar to the limbo featured in Final Crisis: Superman Beyond, a hell formed from the collective unconscious mind of comic book readers.

Grant Morrison speaking about reality, space/time and our perception of the three.

Images are courtesy of IGN.com and the videos are courtesy of Google Videos and YouTube.

Horror Idea: Remix of Zombies!


R-Lee is well aware of my zombie phobia, so it will come off as odd that I have been thinking of a way to recreate the zombie concept.

The Concept: My brand of walking dead would not be caused by a meteor or toxic waste but rather government researchers’ attempt to cure cancer.

Symptoms: The infected will retain their intelligence and are effectively immortal (save a traumatic head injury).  They are virtually indistinguishable from the living outside of the low body temperature, lack of a pulse, and brain activity.  The remnants need to consume flesh in order to retain their intelligence, stave off decomposition, and trigger regeneration.  They aren’t picky eaters, so anything with a pulse and enough meat is fine with them. If a zombie goes too long without feeding he or she will revert to a ravenous feral state.  The “cure” is spread through bites or ingesting the original serum.

Premise: It will be I Am Legend meets the Fugitive.  Patient Zero, the first zombie will be evading the government researchers and the cleaning units sent after him, sharing his gift, in addition to “cleaning up” the researchers’ other mistakes.  Patient Zero would have all the tortured angst of Bill Compton, Spike, Louie etc with the zombie’s relentless quest to satisfy the never ending hunger.

Vampiric sophistication and control:


Morbius


Dracula
A Zombie’s Ravenous Hunger

Marvel ZombiesMachine Man vs Zombies

Images are courtesy of Marvel Comics (http://www.marvel.com)

Shamanism: A Recurring Theme in Warren Ellis Fiction




A shaman is defined as a person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to cure illness, foretell the future, control spiritual forces, etc.Mr. Ellis created/redesigned characters that functioned as shaman in his books (like Nate Grey in the Counter X series, the Doctor from Stormwatch/Authority, and Century Babies in Planetary).
Nate Grey functioned as intermediary between the 616 reality and parallel as lower and upper realities, and maintained a multiversal balance. Upper realities were virtual utopias like the Deva Realm from the 6 desire realms in Buddhism. The lower realities were hellish planes like the Preta and Naraku realms.
The Doctor (all iterations) and the Century Babies functioned as mediums for humanity and Gaia (the Earth itself) and maintained harmonic balance.

He also introduced ideas like:

“Down there are people called ayahuasqueros. Tribal doctors, mystics, medicine men. They take this stuff called ayahuasca, this awful mush they brew up out of vines and stuff. It’s a psychedelic. They hallucinate all over the place — but it’s their belief that the visions are actually another dimension. When you ask them why they take it, they say it’s for working with the ancestors. They’re necronauts. They travel in the place of the dead. And what they bring back are messages from the afterlife.”
– Sam Wilson (in Ultimate Nightmare)


“You are aware through esoteric scientific research conducted by many people over the Twentieth Century. that souls do not die. Souls are some form of electromagnetic field that continue to inhabit the body after death. Bones, crackling with strange and imperceptible energetic activity. And we buried them. Are they still aware? Can the dead still perceive we don’t yet know. Is that happens? We lay in the dirt, still somehow aware of being in there? And gravity draws us into the earth. And plants grow. Ayahuasca. Peyote. Psylocibin. Stropharia Cubensis. The drugs. Yes, historically, we consider them shamanic drugs, and they were overlaid with ritual and religion and the other crap of archaic societies. But all societies had their speakers to the dead and their oracles who looked into other places. In legend, the Oracle at Delphi stood at a pool and inhaled its vapor, the pneuma, to oraculate. It was recently found that a vent beneath the pool expressed ethylene, a hydrocarbon gas that creates an euphoric derangement, into the water. Ethylene, the pneuma, is a plant hormone. The dead lay in the ground, their souls oiling out from their bones, into the earth, into roots… that effervesced into the clouds that the oracle inhaled to see new worlds. Into the plants that our speakers to the dead ingested to do their business.
– Melanctha (in Planetary)

“You’re a machine. I’m a machine. Our parts are made out of water and meat and minerals, but we’re walking pieces of engineering. Everything’s a machine. Plants, everything. When we eat a plant, we disassemble it, junk what we don’t want and plug the parts we need into our machine. What if these jungle drugs are machines we can ride?”
– Sam Wilson (in Ultimate Nightmare)

His ideas lead me to look at shamanism, the soul, death and planes of existence, from a different angle. I would love to read an Ellis book where he jumps head first into this theme and runs wild with it in a similar manner to his Crooked Little Vein novel.

Images courtesy of Ben Templesmith and Freak Angels.Warren Ellis’ images courtesy of Warren Ellis’ Official Livejournal.