StC: FU (WIP)

FRANKENSTEIN SAVES THE CAT

Opening Image – A visual that represents the struggle & tone of the story. A sepia print of Frankenstein’s essential loneliness, before the adventure begins, perhaps a cameo or silhouette of Elizabeth, perhaps the grave of his dead cat, perhaps Victor, sitting alone, holding the cameo, at the grave of his dead cat, and finding a wild kitten there, among the weeds, which he saves and feeds, which follows him.

Set-up – Expand on the “before” snapshot. Present Frankenstein’s world as it is, and what is missing in not only his life, but in the lives of The Team as well. Split scene showing Frankenstein's life as it is and as shown to The Team in a tent on daguerreotype prints and with a magic lantern projector. We get the sense of The Team as a sort of NCIS core crew: a Gibbs leader, a Dinozzo lancer, a McGee smart guy, a Cait/Ziva/Bishop/Borin/Mann/EJ strong gal, and an Abby/Ducky/Palmer mascot/comic relief/infodump character. Too stubborn, too silly, book-smart, works-too-hard, absent-minded kook. Silver Arm, Golden Lion, Inspector Lee, Bamboo Dancer, Inspector Yi.

Theme Stated (happens during the Set-up) – During the set-up, Frankenstein's life as we are shown it reveals that the insertion of the team into their various roles has already happened, as have events such as Silver Arm and Golden Lion accidentally meeting Frankenstein and the Army of Giants, Yi and Lee acting as double agents to bring intel and info to Frankenstein, Bamboo Dancer trying to learn about the Promethean from Mad Monk Drunk Monkey, etc. Trust? Duty? Compassion? Love? Survival? Perhaps we even see that the briefing is being conducted by some surprise character. Victor himself? Victrix? MMDM?

Catalyst – Frankenstein's network finally locates Nemo, and as fate would have it, Robur as well, for the elusive undersea recluse appears to be tracking the even more elusive master aviator to an uncharted location in the South Seas, made up of mysterious islands and strange cloud formations.

Debate – But Frankenstein has already achieved his goal of longevity. Why should his risk his life now, just to satisfy his curiosity? What sort of dangers might he be exposing himself to? Why not continue his studies and prolong his life indefinitely? Who knows what he has yet to learn? Perhaps his finest achievements still lie ahead?

Break Into Two (Choosing Act Two) – Frankenstein decides to give up his quiet life creating kaiju in the countryside, and decamps with his entourage, only to find that he has fallen victim to a trap, and Nemo and Robur, working together, attempt to capture him, and learn his secrets. Frankenstein and some members of The Team are captured, others pursue, while still others observe. We pull back on several layers of intrigue.

B Story – Frankenstein learns that there are indeed a number of reclusive, eccentric geniuses like himself, who have formed a secret society which has been plotting against him. This society includes Robur, Nemo, the Time Traveller, the Wild Man and a woman who claims to be the Empress of the Amazons of Zuhura, the World Men Call Venus.

The Promise of the Premise – This is the fun part of the story. From the undersea city where Frankenstein and his cohorts were taken after their capture, they are taken to the mysterious island, and then to the cloud city for transport to Venus's Moon, for further interrogation, but we see that members of The Team wanted to achieve this result all along. Frankenstein himself is transported directly to the Imperial Mothership, a guest of the Empress. Here, she shows him several kaiju of her own design, and they talk about the monstrous megafauna of the solar community. She tells him the Legend of the Lost Giant Angels of the World Men Call Mars, and of the megakaiju called the Mariner of the Valley.

Midpoint – Empress Hadazsp tell Frankenstein of the plot by the Giant Angels to destroy evidence of the Cloud City, of the innovations of Nemo and Robur, to suppress information of their silent invasion, and their plan to use megakaiju against the people of both Earth and Venus. Frankenstein agrees to use his monsters to save both worlds, and to help develop more for their shared effort. He might even learn some longevity tricks from her, who knows? He thinks she likes him. His cohorts escape capture only to find he has agreed to work with Nemo, Robur, the Traveler, the Wild Man and the Empress.

Bad Guys Close In – Frankenstein thinks that the Empress is playing him, as she showers the same attention on Nemo and Robur. He finds himself a rival among cuckolds, for she seems to prefer the Traveler or the Wild Man anyway. Meanwhile, he has developed his most amazing feats of monster-building yet, and given and got many secrets of the forbidden arts, yet he feels he has been betrayed and that enemies are all around him. As the Giant Angels begin their campaign, he discovers he really has been betrayed.

All is Lost – Frankenstein's monsters are no match for the Giant Angels, and neither are the Sky-Pirates of Zuhura, the Tsiolkovsky Spheres of Nemo and Robur, the martial skills of The Team, or Frankenstein's Army of Giants, and he finds his temporary allies have abandoned him, his lover was using him, and that his enemies were working together to gain his knowledge and his secrets.

Dark Night of the Soul – With his greatest creations destroyed, betrayed by the first woman he ever loved in a hundred years and her secret lover, his beloved Army of Giants wiped out, The Team decimated, his friends proving to be triple agents, and his bitterest enemy in possession of his darkest secrets, he wonders why he should go on.

Break Into Three (Choosing Act Three) – Betrayed by her only daughter as Frankenstein was betrayed by his, Empress Hadazsp tells Frankenstein of another way to defeat the Giant Angels: If they can get past or defeat the Mariner of the Valley, the great beast guards yet another gateway, one which links to the Lost World of the Moon Folk, the so-called Ant-Men of the Phantom Planet. They were ancient allies of the Sky-Pirates of Venus before being cast back to their own dimension by the Traveler and the Wild Man, working with the High King of the Giant Angels. Perhaps only the Moon-Folk can save them now, if they can be found. The Final Fatal Five was revealed to be the Traveler, the Wild Man, Princess Abraxia, Victrix Odenwald and possibly Mad Monk Drunk Monkey.

Finale – This time Frankenstein must trust someone, even though he trusts no-one, and for good reason. He decides to trust Hadazsp once again, and asks the remaining members of the team to do so as well. He summons up the greatest megakaiju of his career and goes toe-to-toe with the High King and his pet monster, while the Team fights against the Traveler and the Wild Man to reach the Gate of the God Machine.

Final Image – Although suffering terrible tragedy, Frankenstein and at least one of his colleagues manage to survive the final betrayal that lay within releasing the Moon Folk from their cursed gift and ancient transgression against interplanetary taboo. Perhaps among the ruins of the final battle, Victor finds the cat, which has followed him for the entire movie. We see him walk away, with his one friend and his cat.

THE END