CounterConspiracy Comics: Tales of the Righteous Gun

Issue #3

“Frogman’s Lament”

PANEL 1 – Splash Page

OPEN ON underwater view of FROGMAN swimming out of a US Navy submarine’s airlock towards the reader. He is wearing a black rubber wetsuit, mask, air tank, and an equipment bag strapped to his abdomen. It is night. Beams of moonlight penetrate the dark water.

CAPTION:

South China Sea. February, 1960

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

This one’s for you Lonnie.

PANEL 2

The beach at sunset. A row of young sailors lay in the breaking waves, arms interlocked. Focus is on two men in the middle of the line. Both look cold and tired. One is very distraught, face grimacing in pain (FROGMAN). The other is smiling (LONNIE).

CAPTION (FROGMAN):

Always smiling. Even when things got tough. Resolute. Happy to be to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

PANEL 3

FROGMAN floats under the waterline next to the hull of a large ship placing an explosive device. A flashlight clipped to his chest casts red light on an analog timer set to 20 minutes. Black silhouettes of sharks hang in the background behind him.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

Scuttle Clock: 20 minutes

PANEL 4

Two FROGMEN (FROGMAN & LONNIE) take cover behind crates on the deck of large cargo ship as they take heavy fire from a group of enemy sailors (AK-47 rifles). LONNIE holds a THOMPSON M1 as he looks at his watch. He is smiling. FROGMAN is looking at an empty magazine that he has just pulled out of a smoking CARL GUSTAV M-45 (SPECIAL K) submachine gun.

SOUND (ENEMY SAILORS FIRING):

DaDaDaDaDa DaDaDaDaDa

LONNIE:

10 seconds! Go!!

CAPTION (FROGMAN):

Always grateful for the chance to serve your country. Even on the day you sacrificed everything for the mission…

PANEL 5

LONNIE firing his Thompson over the top of the crates as FROGMAN runs towards the port side. 

SOUND (GUNFIRE):

ThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThump

PANEL 6

FROGMAN diving off the ship as LONNIE is cut down by enemy fire in the background behind him.

PANEL 7

FROGMEN diving towards the water as a large explosion erupts at the ship’s stern.

SOUND (EXPLOSION):

BOOOOOM!

CAPTION (FROGMAN):

..and for me.

PANEL 8 – SPLASH PAGE

FROGMAN crouches behind an anti-aircraft gun on the deck of a large military vessel. There is an anchor chain port in the background and a trail of water leading to FROGMAN. He is holding a Springfield Armory 1911 .45 ACP pistol with a suppressor attached in one hand and black knife in the other. There is a sailor (ENEMY SAILOR 1) carrying an AK-47 on patrol walking away from him. Another sailor (ENEMY SAILOR 2) stands behind a mounted spotlight on the second deck. His rifle hanging from a sling around his neck.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

Today I make sure it means something.

TITLE:
TALES OF THE RIGHTEOUS GUN: FROGMAN’S LAMENT

PANEL 9

Spotlight shines on ENEMY SAILOR 1 laying face down in a pool of blood. FROGMAN stands on the second deck behind ENEMY SAILOR 2 and the spotlight. His hand is over ENEMY SAILOR 2’s mouth. ENEMY SAILOR 2’s eyes are wide and dilated. He is being stabbed in the back by FROGMAN.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

No mercy.

PANEL 10

FROGMAN sneaks down a set of interior stairs looking down the barrel of his pistol. It is supported by the hand holding the knife.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

Tonight I’m creeping death.

PANEL 11

A sailor on guard duty (ENEMY SAILOR 3) being shot as he sits on a stool next to a door dosing. An AK-47 leans up against the wall next to him.

SOUND (SUPPRESSED GUNSHOT):

Pffftt!

PANEL 12 – HALF PAGE

A large cargo hold full of crates and palettes filled with assorted armaments. There are mortars, torpedoes, depth charges, and missiles. Some crates have Soviet markings. Others have Chinese characters. FROGMAN stands over an open crate taking a picture with a spy camera.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

They are planning something big.

PANEL 13

First person view of FROGMAN checking the time on the analog dive watch on his wrist. Time is 11:50.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

10 minutes left. Time to hunt!

PANEL 14

FROGMAN looking down the sights of his sidearm (towards the reader) as he stalks up a companionway. The 1911 is braced on top of the wrist of his other hand which holds the knife. He now has ENEMY SAILOR 3’s  AK-47 on his back and 2 grenades clipped to his dive belt.

PANEL 15

Ship passageway. Red light comes from caged light bulb above a door. FROGMAN stands with his back to the wall beside the door. HIs gun hand  is near his face and his pistol is pointed up. His other hand is using the butt of his knife to tap on the door.

SOUND (KNIFE TAPPING ON DOOR):

tap tap tap

PANEL 16

FROGMAN stands over a desk putting papers in his equipment bag. Over his shoulder, in the background, a man (ENEMY OFFICER #1) leans up against the wall in a bunk with a stab wound in the middle of the chest. He is not wearing a shirt. There is a Soviet Union Navy Captain’s uniform hanging on a hook next to the bed.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

Cunning bastards mean to draw us in!

Not if I have anything to say about it.

SOUND (ALARM):

RAARRAARRAARR

PANEL 17

Two sailors (ENEMY SAILOR 4 & ENEMY SAILOR 5) stand at end of the hallway firing their AK-47 rifles as they are shot by FROGMAN. Bullets fly down the hall in both directions. FROGMAN lays on the floor aiming his pistol and firing.

SOUND (ENEMY SAILORS FIRING):

DaDaDaDaDa DaDaDaDaDa

SOUND (FROGMAN FIRING):

Pfftt! Pftt!

PANEL 18

First person view of FROGMAN looking at his watch. It shows 2 minutes to midnight.

SOUND (ALARM):

RAARRAARRAARR

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

Time to move.

PANEL 19

FROGMAN moving past dead soldiers towards a hatch that leads outside to the upper deck of the ship. He is now brandishing the AK-47. His 1911 and knife have been stowed in his bag.

SOUND (ALARM):

RAARRAARRAARR

PANEL 20

FROGMAN coming through the hatch that leads outside to the upper deck of the ship firing the AK-47 and killing 3 enemy sailors (ENEMY SAILOR 6, ENEMY SAILOR 7, ENEMY SAILOR 8) that are rushing  towards him.

SOUND (FROGMAN FIRING):

DaDaDaDaDa DaDaDaDaDa

FROGMAN:

Get some!

PANEL 21

Main deck of the ship. Three sailors fire at FROGMAN who has taken cover behind crates. There are 2 sailors (ENEMY SAILOR 9 & ENEMY SAILOR 10) laying on the deck dead from gunshot wounds. The AK-47 FROGMAN has been carrying lays empty next to him on the ground still smoking. He holds 2 grenades against his chest (pins are out) as he looks at the watch on his wrist.

SOUND (ENEMY SAILORS FIRING):

DaDaDaDaDa DaDaDaDaDa

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

5 seconds. Time to move!

PANEL 22

Grenades rolling across the deck towards the group of enemy sailors (ENEMY SAILOR 11, ENEMY SAILOR 12, ENEMY SAILOR 13,).

PANEL 23

FROGMAN running towards the reader.  Explosions consume the enemy sailors on the main deck in the background. 2 more enemy sailors fire at him from the upper deck above the explosion.

SOUND (ENEMY SAILORS FIRING):

DaDaDaDaDa DaDaDaDaDa

PANEL 24

FROGMAN flying through the air as he dives off of the ship’s bow. Bullets whizzing past. One has grazed his right shoulder and another has grazed his left leg.

SOUND (ENEMY SAILORS FIRING):

DaDaDaDaDa DaDaDaDaDa

SOUND (BULLETS HITTING FROGMAN):

Zuuwush! Zuuwush!

PANEL 25

FROGMAN’s watch showing midnight on his arm as he dives towards the sea.

PANEL 26

Shot of the side of the ship. FROGMAN is still in the air a few meters above the water. A large explosion erupts from below the waterline at the ship’s stern.

SOUND (EXPLOSION):

KaBOOOOM!!

PANEL 27

FROGMAN swims towards reader underwater. There are wisps of blood coming out of his wounds. 2 sharks swim in the background (TIGER SHARK, HAMMERHEAD SHARK). 

PANEL 28

TIGER SHARK and HAMMERHEAD SHARK swimming close behind FROGMAN.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

No choice, but to deal with it.

Look ’em in the eye and make ’em earn it.

PANEL 29

FROGMAN sticking his knife in the head of TIGER SHARK as it moves in to bite him. The HAMMERHEAD SHARK swims toward him with jaws open in the background.

PANEL 30

FROGMAN on top of the HAMMERHEAD SHARK, his legs wrapped around its body, holding his 1911 to its eye and firing.

SOUND (UNDERWATER GUNFIRE):

Pfftt!

PANEL 31

FROGMAN swimming away from the dead sharks. Already dark water filled with an even darker cloud of blood.

PANEL 32

FROGMAN swims towards a red light (SUBMARINE running light) that is barely visible ahead and below him in the dark water.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

Damn fish made me late! Exfil is leaving.

PANEL 33

FROGMAN swimming down towards the red light (SUBMARINE) that is much closer now. Both disappearing into the deepening black.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

No more air.

Almost out of time.

PANEL 34

FROGMAN holding onto a handle next to the sub’s airlock with one hand and banging the butt of the knife against the door with the other.

SOUND (BANGING):

Bang! Bang! Bang!

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

Open up damn it! I’m here!

PANEL 35

FROGMAN, his arm through the handle, clasping both hands over his ears. His body clenched into the fetal position from intense pain. The scene is barely illuminated by the red light coming from the running light.

FROGMAN (THOUGHT):

Too deep!

PANEL 36

FROGMAN’s limp body being pulled inside the airlock by a sailor in scuba gear.

PANEL 37

FROGMAN sits on a bench in nothing but his skivvies inside a hyperbaric chamber facing the reader. He is illuminated by a blue bulb sticking out of the wall. He is a middle aged man in peak physical condition. Muscled, but not bulky. His strong eyes stare straight ahead and a mustache sits on top of a grin. Blood soaked bandages cover the bullet wounds on his shoulder and leg. He has several old school sailor tattoos i.e. A rigged Ship on top of whale on his chest, Anchor & rope on both forearms, big breasted topless mermaid on his ribs. A black shark wraps around one shin. An octopus wearing a sailor hat wraps around the other. He has HOLD on the knuckles of his right hand and FAST on the knuckles of the left.

FROGMAN:

Rest easy brother. I got ’em and I’ll stay at it until the job is done.

Hawthorne got it wrong. There is fury under the waves an it is me.

CAPTION:

*Referencing The Ocean by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Written by Will Kilpatrick

Tales of the Righteous Gun created by Will Kilpatrick

Copyright 2023 Tales of the Righteous Gun. Owned by CounterConspiracy Comics. All rights reserved. No portion or elements of this project may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or means, 
without the express written permission of CounterConspiracy Comics LLC.