Viper Comics is having some kind of talent search though I have no idea what I'd win if I won. But it can't be bad. This was found on Newsarama about a month ago: "Writers, there’s a bit more rules here: keep your original characters in the drawer and instead write five comic pages with an existing comic book character, in comic script format."

So those are the guidelines. Pretty loose. Pretty cool.

I'm not sure I adhered strictly to the rules because I used "one of a multitude of Green Lantern corpsmen" as my existing character instead of, say, an individual like Superman or Batman but it's not a big deal either way. Either I get disqualified or I don't; it was good practice. The particular Lantern in my story is original but the thought process behind the character isn't -- the powers, principles, etc. -- so if I skate by, I skate by.

On to the show...

PROJECT: Viper Comics Talent Search Entry

EXISTING CHARACTER: one of a multitude of Green Lantern corpsmen

SUMMARY: A Green Lantern on routine duty must literally come face-to-face with himself in this battle between green and yellow rings.

TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS: IDENTITY CRISIS
WRITTEN BY JEREMIAH D. ALLAN

PAGE ONE.

P1. LARGE. Green Lantern Nomax, a humanoid, uses his ring to rebuild a war-torn city on an alien world. Using his imagination, he has constructed cranes to lift heavy beams into place and bulldozers to clear debris. Standing nearby is Emperor Izat, a native royal, looking happily on.

[IZAT] MY PLANET GREATLY APPRECIATES YOUR EFFORTS, GREEN LANTERN OF SECTOR 1492.

[NOMAX] PLEASE, EMPEROR IZAT, CALL ME NOMAX.

[NOMAX] YOUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAY TOO KIND FOR FORMALITIES AND BESIDES, ALL THIS … IT’S ALL PART OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION.

P2. Izat motions toward the clones of Nomax working nearby to repair the broken city, each of whom wear a less ornate version of the Lantern’s uniform. Instead of the corps symbol, though, they each have a different letter of the Greek alphabet emblazoned on their chests to differentiate one from another.

[IZAT] YOUR ABILITY TO CREATE SELF-CLONES IS IMPRESSIVE. A POWER OF THE RING…?

[NOMAX] I WISH IT WERE, EMPEROR. MAYBE THEN THESE DUPES WOULD HAVE THE WILLPOWER TO WIELD A RING OF THEIR OWN.

P3. They continue talking, surveying the clone’s work.

[NOMAX] GOTTA BE CAREFUL NOT TO REPLICATE MYSELF TOO MANY TIMES, THOUGH.

[NOMAX] WE MULTIPLARIANS COPY OURSELVES TOO MUCH AND OUR DUPES BECOME UNPREDICTABLE.

P4. Zoom in on two of the clones, Alpha and Delta, team-carrying an enormous crate.

[ALPHA] THANKS FOR YOUR HELP, NOMAX CLONE DELTA.

[DELTA] NO PROBLEM, ALPHA. LOOKIN’ SEXY!

[TITLE & CREDITS] TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS PRESENTS: IDENTITY CRISIS [LOGO]

PAGE TWO.

P1. Beta clone is lounging under a shade tree. Omega clone storms over, obviously angry.

[OMEGA] HEY, BETA…! GET BACK TO WORK!

[BETA] GET BENT, OMEGA.

[BETA] JUST ‘CAUSE YOU GOT AN ATTITUDE AND A LOUD MOUTH DON’T MAKE YOU BIG BOSS AROUND HERE.

P2. Omega gets in Beta’s face, grabbing the collar of his uniform and pulling him in close.

[OMEGA, yell] IT DOESN’T?!

[BETA, whisper] I… I MISSPOKE, NOMAX CLONE OMEGA…

P3. Omega single-handedly throws Beta into a nearby wall, itself only partially constructed. The resulting impact kicks up a cloud of dust and a spray of brick chunks and the other nearby dupes move to protect themselves from the wreckage.

[OMEGA] CLEARLY.

P4. Omega intimidates the other clones, hands balled up into fists and threatening them with violence. They cringe at the thought of fighting and back meekly away.

[OMEGA] ANYONE ELSE THINK THEY CAN LOLLYGAG ON OMEGA’S WATCH?

P5. Omega turns away in disgust.

[OMEGA] DIDN’T THINK SO.

P6. A yellow power ring swoops in, seeking Omega.

[YELLOW RING] NOMAX OF MULTIPLARIA. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO INSTILL GREAT FEAR.

PAGE THREE.

P1. Nomax is caught mid-flight and knocked off guard by a giant yellow wrecking ball, continuing the construction theme. Emperor Izat flees in terror.

[OMEGA, off panel yell] A WORD, NOMAX PRIME…!

P2. Nomax throws up a green shield but it’s shattered by Omega’s ring-generated sledge.

[NOMAX] SELF-CLONE OMEGA…? WITH A QWARDIAN POWER RING?!

[OMEGA] I’M CALLIN’ THE SHOTS AROUND HERE NOW!

P3.  They both create giant gauntlets and start duking it out.

[NOMAX] HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

[OMEGA] BECAUSE THE LANTERNS ARE WEAK, PRIME.

[OMEGA] BECAUSE YOU ARE WEAK!

P4. Omega uses his ring to conjure a bunch of wicked demon-looking creatures to pin Nomax’s arms and legs to the soil.

[OMEGA] AND THANKS TO THE POWER OF THE SINESTRO CORPS, YOU COULDN’T REABSORB ME IF YOU TRIED.

[OMEGA] I’M MY OWN MAN NOW!

P5. Tight close-up as Omega whispers in Nomax’s ear.

[OMEGA] ARE YOU SCARED…?

PAGE FOUR.

P1. Nomax breaks free from the constructs in a brilliant flash of light and flies forward to sock Omega in the jaw. The clone wasn’t expecting the blow and is thrown off balance.

[NOMAX, yell] A GREEN LANTERN HAS NO FEAR … AND HE’S ESPECIALLY NOT SCARED OF HIMSELF!

P2. Omega falls backwards into a group of dupes who attempt to restrain him.

[OMEGA] BUT I’M NOT YOU, NOMAX PRIME!

[OMEGA] AND I REFUSE TO BE YOUR SLAVE ANY LONGER!

P3. Omega frees himself from the dupes with lethal force, using the ring to create two mean-looking axes that he wields in either hand, easily decapitating his brethren and severing limbs.

[OMEGA] SEE, LANTERN…?

P4. Omega forms a monster sword, something like a claymore, and drives it through Nomax’s force field and, subsequently, his chest.

[OMEGA, yell] YOU CAN’T EVEN FEEL US WHEN WE DIE!

P5. Close-up of Nomax’s injuries as the dying Lantern assesses the damage his clone has done.

[NOMAX, weakly] BUT… YOU…

PAGE FIVE.

P1. LARGE. Where both Nomax and Omega were standing in the foreground, they are now falling over dead from the same wound. Prime’s injuries apparently carry over to his other dupes, as well, and they all begin dropping like flies. Omega clutches his chest, surprised.

[NOMAX, dying] CAN FEEL…

[NOMAX, dying] ME.

[GREEN RING] RING STATUS REPORT. GREEN LANTERN 1492 DECEASED.

[YELLOW RING] RING STATUS REPORT. SINESTRO CORPS MEMBER 1492 DECEASED.

P2. Zoom in on the green and yellow rings as they race alongside one another in space, looking for new recruits.

[GREEN RING] SECTOR SCAN 1492 FOR REPLACEMENT SENTIENT INITIATED.

[YELLOW RING] SECTOR SCAN 1492 FOR REPLACEMENT SENTIENT INITIATED.

[CAPTION] THE END.