Cat-Man and Kitten: “New Life” Pt. 4

Here it is. The big conclusion to my Cat-Man and Kitten One-Shot script. In case you’ve missed the previous parts, or if you want to read it all in one go, check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. It’s been an absolute blast sharing this story with you all and playing with these Golden Age characters. I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along in this journey with me.



PAGE 26

Panel 1
Exterior shot of a nice house, with a focus on its closed garage. Parked in the driveway is the car we saw Cam and Katie drive off in.

KATIE (from inside garage): Wha... what are you...

CAM (from inside garage): What am I doing?

Panel 2
Moving inside, we see that the garage has been converted into a makeshift workshop. Parts and equipment line one wall of shelves. Against another wall is a table of tools: a hammer, some screws and a screwdriver, and a large wrench. A welding area stands in a different section. We also see a window looking out into the night sky. But in the middle of it all is a large machine, two lines of electrodes running off of it. Cam stands next to mechanical monolith fiddling with some settings and a few feet away sits Katie in a wooden chair, her head lolling down toward her chest.

CAM: Taking what you so clearly don’t deserve. Your type is always the same. So carefree and reckless. Never understanding the value of life. Now you’ll know what it’s like to lose it.

KATIE: H...how?

Panel 3
Close on Cam crouching in front of the machine, his brow furrowed in misogynistic dismissal.

CAM: Like you could understand this machine.

Panel 4
Katie out of the seat, fully conscious and looking down at Cam, who has turned to stare up at her. His face registers a bit of shock and surprise but remains oddly calm.

KATIE: Great. Now that I know it’s the machine and not just you, please tell me you want to do this the hard way.

CAM: ...ah.



PAGE 27

Panel 1
Cam blocks a punch from Katie and delivers a hard kick to her midsection that sends her reeling.

CAM: Two blackbelts, a gymnast, and a competitive weightlifter. Please, let’s do this the hard way.

Panel 2
Behind the knocked over chair, Katie lands in the classic superhero version of the three-point stance, ready to pounce. She glares at Cam with narrowed eyes.

Panels 3-5
In a series of small panels, Katie and Cam fight, blocking and trading blows. In one panel, Katie connects with knee to the ribs. In another, Cam elbows her in the temple. Katie has the experience, and if not for the recent rebirth, would have the upper hand. She’s holding her own but is getting worn down in a fight that seems as though it can go either way.

Panel 6
Cam stands in front of the window, a bit out of breath while trashing talking the panting but still standing Katie.

CAM: Wow. You are something. I cannot wait to drain the life from you.



PAGE 28

Panel 1
Framed in the exact same way as the previous panel on PAGE 27, except Cam stumbles forward as Cat-Man swing kicks him from through the window, crashing himself into the garage.

Panel 2
Cat-Man crouches low, his arm over his shoulder having just tossed Katie her weighted gloves, which Katie is in the process of slipping onto her fists. Cat-Man himself appears exhausted and very worse-for-the-wear while Cam glowers at them, back braced against the table of tools, his hand next to the large wrench.

CAT-MAN: Hey Katie. Found your phone.

Panel 3
Cat-Man and Kitten charge at Cam, who launches himself forward, swinging the wrench wide and catching Cat-Man on the shoulder. Kitten ducks low, arm in motion for an uppercut.

Panel 4
Cam careens backward from the uppercut but manages to catch Kitten with a backhanded swing. She rolls with the hit, using the momentum to tumble to the side.

Panel 5
Cat-Man leaps back in, but his previous fight has taken its toll. Cam uses his weight to flip over Cat-Man and sends him into the ground, hard.

Panel 6
Seeing the opening, Katie springs into the air and delivers a jumping back-kick that sends Cam spinning.



PAGE 29

Panel 1
Eyes crazed, Cam holds the electrodes from the machine in his hands and jumps toward Kitten, who braces for the impact. In the background, Cat-Man rises to his feet.

CAM: I’m going to drain you dry, you little—

Panel 2
Kitten on her back, having grabbed both of Cam’s hands in hers to keep the electrodes away from her face. Her feet press against his abdomen, giving her leverage. In the background, Cat-Man lunges toward Cam, arms wide and ready to grab him in a bear hug.

Panel 3
With Cat-Man providing extra support by yanking Cam back, Kitten uses her legs to launch him off of her, and both Cat-Man and Cam stagger backward toward the machine.

Panel 4
The entwined Cat-Man and Cam collide into the machine, the heavy impact causing it to short-circuit in an explosion of sparks, smoke, and electricity.



PAGE 30

Panel 1
In the smokey haze, a coughing Kitten crouches down and reaches toward a body sprawled out face down on the floor. Behind her another unclear figure rises.

Panel 2
A wild-eyed and growling Cam lunges at Kitten from behind, his hands reaching for her neck, but she spins around, a punch smashing into his ribs.

Panel 3
Kitten lays him out with a hard right hook, her weighted fist cracking into his jaw.

Panel 4
Kneeling beside Cat-Man, Kitten turns over her severely dazed and injured friend, calling out his name and trying to keep him conscious.

KITTEN: David! Come on. Stay with me.

Panel 5
From Cat-Man’s point-of-view, we can see the fading image of Kitten leaning over him, darkness creeping into his vision.

KITTEN: David. Can you hea—

Panel 6
Still in Cat-Man’s point-of-view with Katie leaning over him, except she appears completely in focus, a bright light behind her and concern etched on her face.

DAVID: Katie... you’re okay.



PAGE 31

Panel 1
We pull back to reveal Katie and David inside of a hospital room. A recovering David lies in the bed and a relieved Katie stands beside him.

KATIE: I’m alright. I was more worried about you. You’re in the hospital.

DAVID: So, it worked?

Panel 2
Katie is about to exit the room, almost halfway out the door, when something David says from behind makes her stop dead in her tracks.

KATIE: Yeah, we got him. Worry about that later though. Let me get the—

DAVID: You have my powers now?

Panel 3
Katie turns back around, a sense of dread looming over her.

KATIE: What did you just say?



PAGE 32

Panel 1
Katie slowly walks back toward the bed, a confused David watching her every step.

DAVID: My powers. The transfer. It worked? It saved you?

KATIE: David, I know this is going to sound weird, but I need you to answer something for me okay? What year is it?

Panel 2
Close on David in the bed, absolutely perplexed. But we can see it now, a youthful innocence in his eyes. The eyes of a young adult.

DAVID: Katie, what—

KATIE (Off Panel): David, please. I need you to trust me. What year is it?

DAVID: Alright, if you say so. Unless I’ve been out for longer than I thought...

Panel 3
On Katie, her face crestfallen, the heaviest hit of the night slamming into her and irrevocably changing the entire course of her many lives.

DAVID: It’s October, 1946.


END

Cat-Man and Kitten: “New Life” Pt. 3

Welcome back for Part 3 of my clawsome Cat-Man and Kitten one-shot! I probably lost half of my potential readers after that pun but for those of you sticking around, this part is a little more action-oriented than the previous two as Cat-Man and Kitten enact a plan to confront whoever has been literally stealing people’s identities, memories, and lives. What’s that? You have no idea what I’m talking about? Well, check out Part 1 and Part 2 before continuing the story below.



PAGE 17

Panel 1
On Katie’s phone, we can see a message exchange between her and someone using a profile picture of Hannah. This exchange is happening inside the dating app we saw on Page 15.

IN-APP KATIE: That sounds great! I’m free tonight? I know it’s last minute.

IN-APP HANNAH: Tonight’s perfect! How about at—

DAVID (Off Panel): I guess that confirms they’re into younger women.

Panel 2
David and Katie make their way back toward their bedrooms, walking side by side. Katie has an irritated look on her face and David’s concern has finally broken through.

KATIE: Youngest looking 90-year-old ever.

DAVID: Fair... Are you okay? You seem to be having a harder time adjusting this time around.

Panel 3
Katie about to entire her bedroom. Her face stern, her frustration boiling over.

KATIE: I’m fine. I’ve just been hit on all day and now I’m going to get hit on again... except this time by a possible sociopath.

Panel 4
David gives her a look as if to say, “case in point.”



PAGE 18
In the upper third of the page, we see a split screen view of two parallel events: both David and Katie getting ready. These are a series of close up shots of them putting on various pieces of clothing, David suiting up and Katie dressing up.

Panels 1-3
David putting on Cat-Man’s boots, gloves, and mask.

Panel 4-6
Katie putting on earrings, heels, and grabbing a clutch.

KATIE: It’s just so much sooner this time. We were just getting back into it and Boom! we have to start over... again.

DAVID: Maybe... you can sit this one out. At least until you feel ready.

KATIE: No, that wouldn’t be fair. But we have, what, four lives left?

Panel 7
They emerge from their rooms, David in full Cat-Man gear and Katie in a stylish dress and heels.

KATIE: Are we going to spend all of them doing this?

CAT-MAN: Let’s talk more about it later. For now, we got at least one more adventure together.



PAGE 19

Panel 1
Katie exits an Uber that has pulled up in front of a busy sidewalk. Well-dressed people already a few drinks deep mill about.

CAPTION BOX (Cat-Man): Remember, once you’re inside, we can’t communicate.

Panel 2
A bouncer holds open the door to a trendy lounge and bar. Katie walks in, flashing a bright and inviting smile.

CAPTION BOX (Cat-Man): We don’t want to risk him accidentally seeing a text.

Panel 3
Katie takes a seat at a high-top table, placing her clutch on top of it and scoping out the area. The lounge is busy but not overcrowded.

CAPTION BOX (Cat-Man): And we don’t know what this guy looks like, so—

CAPTION BOX (Katie): Relax. I’m a pro, remember? Besides...

Panel 4
Cat-Man stands on a rooftop across from the lounge, keeping an eye on the front door.

CAPTION BOX (Katie): I’ve got someone watching over me.



PAGE 20-21
Double page spread. These two pages are broken down into four widescreen panels each. The pages can be read together or one after the other, but the intent is to split the scenes down the middle, with Katie’s scenes on the left and Cat-Man’s scenes on the right.

Panel 1
Katie sitting at the high-top, chin in hand. She glances around, noticing a few people on their phones. She watches for someone looking her way but doesn’t spot anyone.

Panel 2
Cat-Man does some sit-ups on the roof. With every full sit-up, he’s able to peek at the entrance to the lounge, keeping an eye on it.

Panel 3
Katie on her own phone, trying to look bored and casual. But her eyes are still searching the area for anything suspicious.

Panel 4
Cat-Man does some elevated push-ups on the roof, keeping the doors in his line-of-sight.

Panel 5
Katie brushes off a clearly drunk guy hitting on her.

Panel 6
Cat-Man balances precariously upside down on one hand on the edge of the roof.

Panel 7
Katie looks up, feigning surprised innocence at a figure standing in the foreground of the panel. We see him from the back in silhouette.

STRANGER: Excuse me...

Panel 8
David once again observing the entrance to the lounge, one foot on the edge of the roof, arms folded onto his bent knee.

VOICE (Off Panel): Well, well...



PAGE 22

Panel 1
A handsome stranger in their mid-20s stands at Katie’s table, a “nervous” air about him. Katie fakes feeling flattered, flashing him a shy smile.

CAM: I couldn’t help but notice you by yourself. I don’t normally do this, but, um, I’m Cam.

Panel 2
Cat-Man has turned toward the mysterious voice, revealing members of The Wolfpack on the roof behind him. Red Wolf stands in the middle, his mask chipped from where Cat-Man hit him with the case at the beginning of the story.

RED WOLF: Look what the cat dragged in.

CAT-MAN (under his breath): Ah, come on.

Panel 3
Cam sits at the high-top chatting with Katie. Cam still seems “nervous,” but Katie’s body language is making her appear interested and flirtatious.

CAM: This is so unlike me. Do you, uh, come to these places often?

KATIE: Every now and then. You know, gotta live a little sometimes.

Panel 4
Cat-Man holds his hands up in a gesture of peace while looking over his shoulder back toward the doors. The Wolfpack stays where they are, their expression unreadable behind their wooden masks.

CAT-MAN: Can we maybe do this some other time?

RED WOLF: Oh? Would you prefer we come back when you got your Kitten with you? Heard you got a new one.

Panel 5
Cam and Katie continue to talk. Cam is pointing toward the bar. He grins a boyish smile but there is a dangerous spark in his eyes.

CAM: Is it okay if I buy you a drink? Live a little, right?

KATIE: You know what? That would be great!

Panel 6
Close on Cat-Man. He glares at the off-panel Wolfpack with a hard look.

RED WOLF (Off Panel): Maybe we take care of her like we did the other one.



PAGE 23

Panel 1
Katie and Cam laughing and having a good time.

Panel 2
Cat-Man brawls with the Wolfpack on the roof. It’s not going especially well. He kicks one and blocks a hit from another but more come at him with crowbars and brass knuckles.

Panel 3
Cam has one arm around Katie, helping her stand up from the table. She holds her forehead with one hand. She’s clearly woozy, not feeling well.

Panel 4
Two of the Wolfpack members are knocked out. Cat-Man has his fists up but looks a bit roughed up. One comes at him from the front, the other from the side.

Panel 5
Cam and Katie exit from the lounge into the night. He’s helping support her as they walk, her legs sluggish.

Panel 6
Cat-Man hunches over the edge of the roof, having just taken a punch to the face. His eyes are narrowed, brow furrowed, as he notices Cam and Katie getting into a car.

CAT-MAN: Damn.



PAGE 24-25
Double page spread. Each widescreen panel stretches across both pages and features a long profile view of the rooftops and street. On the rooftops, we see Cat-Man fight the Wolfpack while racing to catch up with the car carrying Cam and Katie. Each widescreen panel also features multiple images of the characters and car, conveying movement and distance.

Panel 1
2-page widescreen panel featuring three image sequences of the fight and car:

• On the rooftop, one of the members of the Wolfpack flies backward into the others from a hard kick. Cat-Man is already bolting in the other direction, heading toward a gap between buildings. The car is right below them, heading down the street in the same direction.

• Cat-Man leaps across the gap, behind him, members of the Wolfpack are also mid-air, following him across. The car is slightly ahead of them.

• Cat-Man lands on the other rooftop and tucks and rolls. Some members of the Wolfpack are about the land, others are still mid-air, and one dangles on the edge of the building, not quite making it. The car is further ahead.

Panel 2
2-page widescreen panel featuring two image sequences of the fight and car:

• Cat-Man has spun around to catch the Wolfpack off guard. He has clotheslined one, wrapped his arm around them and jumped into a drop kick against another. Below them on the street, the car is far ahead, almost on the second page.

• Knocked out members of the Wolfpack scatter the rooftops. Cat-Man has reached another gap between buildings and is leaping backward over it, tossing a crowbar at Red Wolf, the lone remaining Wolfpack member. The crowbar smacks into his mask, sending him careening backward. The car is almost entirely off the page.

Panel 3
1-page widescreen panel. From over Cat-Man’s shoulder, we see the busy street below extending out in the distance, the car gone from view.

Panel 4
In a straight-to-reader shot, Cat-Man hangs his head, devastated.

Panel 5
Cat-Man whips his head up, eyes wide, an idea suddenly hitting him.


END PART 3

Cat-Man and Kitten: “New Life” Pt. 2

And so a week later I have returned with the next part of my Cat-Man and Kitten one-shot comic script! What’s that? It’s been way more than a week? Well, considering time no longer has any meaning at this point in the world (and for anyone reading this in the future, look up 2020... I’m sorry ahead of time), it both has and has not been a week. But if you’re Cat-Man and Kitten, I guess it was a lifetime ago.

Anyway, the adventure continues! You can check out Part 1 Here, and I hope you enjoy this next section of the story! Comments always welcome!



PAGE 9

Panel 1
Inside a large, curiously decorated office—a hand-carved desk, a bookshelf packed with old weathered books alongside newer looking ones, a few paintings that seem like original works—David sits in a chair with a laptop, his eyebrows quirked. A visibly irritated Katie has just entered carrying bags of clothes. Her hair has been cut into a style similar to the one she had previously, but just a little longer. We can see a comfortable looking couch and a coffee table behind her, as well as a door with the words “MerryCon Investigations” stenciled into a large pane of glass.

DAVID: Have you seen my phone?

KATIE: You have got to turn on find my phone, David. But I’m pretty sure I saw it in the kitchen.

Panel 2
David slips his phone into his pocket as he walks through a kitchen area off of their office. Unlike the office, the kitchen feels more modern, though sparsely furnished, with a square, four-person dining table, refrigerator and dishwasher, and a few appliances (coffee maker, toaster over, and blender).

DAVID: Are you doing alright?

KATIE (Off Panel): Fine. Just a little frustrated going through all this again so soon. Not to mention half these clothes I basically owned back in the ‘90s.

Panel 3
Katie exits her bedroom into the kitchen dressed in better fitting, more modern clothes. She reaches over to take a driver’s license from David’s outstretched hand. He smiles softly, hoping what he’s sharing might cheer her up just a bit.

DAVID: Well, in brighter news: I got our new IDs and you are officially 18.

KATIE: Thank god. I could not do high school again.



PAGE 10

Panel 1
Close on Katie’s ID. She’s staring down at it, looking at an image of herself but from a literal lifetime ago. We can see some of the details about her but most of it is off panel. We’re focused on the picture of a smiling Katie.

KATIE (Off Panel): Did you stick with 20?

DAVID (Off Panel): I went with 22. Might as well keep our age difference.

Panel 2
From inside the fridge, we see Katie reaching for a drink, hand hovering over a beer. She could use one but is hesitant.

KATIE: Technically, it’s a 10-year difference.

DAVID: We haven’t been 10 years apart for—

Panel 3
David and Katie both turn their heads toward the hallway leading back to their office. Katie’s out of the fridge, the door shut on the beer.

VOICE (Off Panel): Hello? Is anywhere here?

Panel 4
David and Katie re-enter their office to find a middle-aged woman standing near the entrance that Katie came in from earlier. She looks surprised, somewhat nervous, fiddling with her purse.

WOMAN: Uh, is this MerryConn Investigations?

DAVID: Yes, that’s us. How may we help you?

WOMAN: Oh, I’m sorry. You just... seem a little young to be P.I.s

Panel 5
Close on David and Katie’s smirking faces.



PAGE 11

Panel 1
The woman—Mrs. Wallace—sits in an armchair, while on the other side of the coffee table David braces against the arm of the couch. Katie, on the other hand, sits in the middle of the couch, leaning forward to inspect a set of pictures on the table that we can’t quite make out just yet.

MRS. WALLACE: I know how this will sound. It’s just... I didn’t know where else to go and—

DAVID: It’s okay, Mrs. Wallace. We won’t judge. Just tell us what happened.

MRS. WALLACE: It’s my daughter, Hannah. She lost her memory.

KATIE: Memory loss isn’t exactly—

Panel 2
Close on the pictures. They are of Hannah, 19 years old, pretty, blonde. One of her with her friends at a party. One with her and her mom. But in the one on top, Katie’s fingers visible on the bottom corner of the photo as she turns it to get a better look, Hannah is dressed in a windbreaker, grinning widely and holding up a gymnastics medal.

MRS. WALLACE (Off Panel): It’s more than that. Her identity has been stolen.

Panel 3
Mrs. Wallace explains her predicament to David and Katie, her face a mix of emotion and desperation, tears about to spill from her eyes. She needs them to believe her, to help her and her daughter.

MRS. WALLACE: Someone has broken into her social accounts, her bank accounts... someone is pretending to be Hannah!

Panel 4
Back on Katie and David, both listening intently to Mrs. Wallace. David is sympathetic while Katie glowers with intensity.

MRS. WALLACE (Off Panel): ...while the real Hannah, my Hannah, doesn’t even remember me...



PAGE 12

Panel 1
At night, a frightened couple runs out of a back alley as Cat-Man and Kitten take on three thugs. Their costumes have been modified to a more modern style. They appear more durable in order to protect their smaller builds. Instead of singlets, both wear full body coverings. Their boots are heavier and their gloves rougher to add more impact to their kicks and punches. Despite all this, the fight isn’t going nearly as well as their one against the Wolf Pack, even though they face far fewer numbers. Cat-Man takes a blow to the side while Kitten barely dodges a pipe swung at her face.

KITTEN: I spoke with the daughter but... got nowhere. Doesn’t remember anything.

Panel 2
Cat-Man smiles, getting a hit on one of the thugs, who goes careening backward, but another grabs him from behind.

CAT-MAN: Social accounts definitely still active. Whoever it is has been po—oh!

Panel 3
Cat-Man leaps backward, propelling him and his assailant high into the air and against the side of the building, slamming the back of the thug against it and knocking the wind out of them both.

CAT-MAN: Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have to actually concentrate on this fight.

KITTEN (Off Panel): Told you.

Panel 4
Cat-Man pounces toward the other still-standing thug while Kitten grapples with her pipe-wielding attacker. Kitten smiles, for the first time since their “rebirth.”



PAGE 13

Panel 1
Back in their office, David and Katie recover while sprawled out on their sofa and couch, half out of their costumes and masks removed. Boots off, David has claimed the couch and holds an ice-filled handcloth against his jaw. Katie has flopped down awkwardly into the armchair, laying across its arms with her body folded toward the cushion. Her head leans on one arm and her legs dangle over the other. Her gloves lie on the nearby coffee table.

KATIE: What were you saying about her accounts?

Panel 2
David sits up. He moves the icepack away from his jaw and flexes the muscles while talking, touching the spot gently with his free hand.

DAVID: I talked with her friends. Whoever has been posting online talks exactly like her. They all thought it was her until they found out otherwise.

Panel 3
Katie still lays on the armchair in the exact some position, but she’s turned her head toward David, eyes gazing off in contemplation. She drums her fingers onto the glass tabletop while relaying her thoughts.

KATIE: Even with her bank accounts, whoever it is would have to know all the answers to her security questions.

Panel 4
Close on Katie, brow knitted in frustration.

KATIE: So, all we have is a name, then. The guy her mom said she was talking to?

Panel 5
David stands beside Katie, reaching his hand down toward her. He grins, all charm and playful amusement.

DAVID: Jack Spencer, yeah. More than enough to go on.



PAGE 14-15
Double page spread. Across these two pages, we see David and Katie investigating Hannah’s memory loss while also fighting crime as Cat-Man and Kitten and readjusting to life. There’s no dialogue across these pages. Everything is conveyed through events and body language.

Panel 1
David talks with a young man in a computer store. He is fit and handsome. On his nametag we can make out, “Jack.” He appears surprised but happy to help.

Panel 2
At a grocery store, Katie fumes while picking out some veggies. We can see two guys checking her out and saying something “flirtatious” but actually obnoxious to her.

Panel 3
Cat-Man and Kitten in the middle of a fight in an illegal gambling ring. Cat-Man takes a hit to the face and Kitten cartwheels over a table.

Panel 4
Katie speaks with a young woman at a coffee shop. Katie is attentive, reassuring the embarrassed girl across from her.

Panel 5
David at the gym on the bench press. No one around him really pays too much attention. Meanwhile, Katie is working her triceps, rolling her eyes as a guy attempts to give her advice.

Panel 6
Katie tries to enter a club, but the bouncer gives her a skeptical look over her ID.

Panel 7
David waved into the same club, the bouncer not even bothering to check his ID.

Panel 8
David at the club bar, leaning toward the bartender and asking questions while she hands a beer to a different customer.

Panel 9
Cat-Man and Kitten in a park, pouncing out of some trees and interrupting a weapons deal in progress.

Panel 10
David and Katie at the kitchen table in their office/apartment eating some breakfast. David is on his laptop and Katie is on her phone while simultaneously scribbling in a notebook.

Panel 11
David and Katie both talking to a man, someone closer to their former age rather than their current ones. They lean toward his phone, which he holds out toward them.

Panel 12
Close on the phone screen. On it, a dating app is open, the man’s profile pulled up.



PAGE 16

Panel 1
At MerryConn Investigations, Mrs. Wallace sits in the armchair, David and Katie across from her on the couch, both of them sitting this time. They explain what they’ve uncovered to the relieved mother.

DAVID: The good news is that Hannah will get her memory back. She’ll be fine. Her social accounts and email are most likely gone...

KATIE: But you can clear things up with the bank in person once her memory returns.

MRS. WALLACE: I’m so happy that Hannah will be alright! But how did this even happen?

Panel 2
In an angled profiled shot, a stern-faced Katie explains to Mrs. Wallace what happened. David faces his partner, tight-lipped after she cut him off.

DAVID: I’m afraid we’re not—

KATIE: Unfortunately, we found multiple people this happened to, a pattern where someone is apparently stealing people’s memories and identities.

Panel 3
Closer on Katie, her anger and disgust evident.

KATIE: Everyone that’s experienced this is okay, but they’ve had part of their lives taken from them by this person.

Panel 4
David ushers a flummoxed Mrs. Wallace out the door, a reassuring smile on his face.

MRS. WALLACE: Oh my god. Are you working with the police to find this person?

DAVID: Don’t worry. The proper authorities are on it. We promise.

Panel 5
Having seen Mrs. Wallace out and shut the door behind her, David faces Katie, who now stands by the armchair on her phone. David masks the concern he’s feeling, attempting to hide his thoughts behind his usual charm.

DAVID: Speaking of those “proper authorities,” how’s it going for them?

KATIE: Well... I’d say pretty good.

Panel 6
Katie holds her phone out toward the approaching David.

KATIE: “Hannah” wants to meet.

END PART 2

Cat-Man and Kitten: “New Life” Pt. 1

Welcome to the first part of a brand-new comic book script for a Cat-Man and Kitten one-shot! As mentioned in my previous post, I decided to do a re-imagining of the public domain heroes for this site (and to keep my writing muscles working).

I’m splitting the script into 4 parts for easy reading, with each part consisting of about 8 pages, and I’ll ideally be updating the site weekly with the next part. I thought this might be easier for readers (hopefully I have those) to get through rather than one giant post of 32 script pages.

I’m very excited about this new endeavor and I hope you all join me for it! Comments welcome, and please enjoy this first part of the all-new Cat-Man and Kitten in “New Life.”

PAGE 1

Panel 1
On top a large stack of shipping containers crouches CAT-MAN, aka 32-year-old David Merrywether. He wears a colorful costume consisting of a long-sleeved orange singlet with shorts, and red belt, gloves, boots, cape, and cowl complete with cat ears. It’s a costume that some would call “traditional” and others would call “dated.” He gazes down toward the entrance of a nearby warehouse, its rooftop about 15 feet from his location. It’s dark, near pitch black, with the only light coming from the full moon and stars above. Yet he does not squint, nor are his eyes open in strain. He looks as though he was in a well-lit room.

CAT-MAN: Well, this certainly is the right place. I see our guy...

Panel 2
Close on the focus of David’s gaze. A shady guy walks toward the entrance of the warehouse hauling a large case. He looks over his shoulder nervously, making sure he wasn’t being followed.

CAT-MAN (Off Panel): ...but I don’t see you.

Panel 3
Pressed against a wall of the warehouse, around the corner from the entrance is KITTEN. The 28-year-old Katie Conn is dressed in an outfit nearly identical to David’s, including the full cowl with cat ears. The biggest difference is that her shorts matches the red of her accessories. Her head is turned toward the corner’s edge, having just leaned away from view. She’s calm and collected, a professional in her element.

KITTEN: Other side of the warehouse. I was worried he’d see me... tailing... him. Meet on the roof in 20.

Panel 4
A large, wide shot of the warehouse. From one side, we see Cat-Man leaping across the gap between the shipping containers and the roof, the movement whipping at his cape. On the other side, Kitten is mid-spring upward.



PAGE 2

Panel 1
On the rooftop, Cat-Man holds his lower back with one hand, a grimace on his face, as he walks toward Kitten, who lifts and begins to enter a skylight window.

DAVID: I forgot how much aging past 30 takes a toll.

KITTEN: I wouldn’t know.

DAVID: You remember.

Panel 2
Now inside the warehouse, with a bird’s-eye view, Cat-Man and Kitten sneakily crawl across the rafters and beams. Far below them, we see a group of people facing a large table. Theirs backs are toward us but on the table, we can see stacks of money and bricks of drugs.

Panel 3
Cat-Man silently lands on his feet some distance behind the group. Kitten is mid-drop next to him.

Panel 4
Having crept closer, Cat-Man and Kitten stand dynamically and heroically behind the group. Kitten has her hands on her hips but Cat-Man points toward them, his body turned at a slight angle to emphasize his gallantry. A bit of over-the-top superheroism tugging at him.

CAT-MAN: Stop what you’re doing and turn around slowly.



PAGE 3

Panel 1
The group at the table have turned around to face the off-panel Cat-Man and Kitten. From the neck down, they’re dressed in normal street clothes. T-shirts. Jackets. Jeans. But on their face, each one wears a wooden mask in the shape of a wolf. Most are gray and black, stylized and painted with exaggerated features, but one is red with a wide grin of bared teeth.

Panel 2
Back on Cat-Man and Kitten, their enthusiastic postures have dropped slightly. Kitten stands with a bit of quiet exasperation while Cat-Man’s pointer hand has lost its passion and lowered down toward his waist.

KITTEN: Remember how we used to just fight bank robbers?

CAT-MAN: That was 70 years ago.

Panel 3
Weapons in hand—a collection of chains, crowbars, and spiked knuckles—the gang advances on Cat-Man and Kitten, led by the man in the Red Wolf mask. They’re cocky, positive that because they outnumber the duo, they can easily take them.

RED WOLF: Looks like a bunch of curious cats have stumbled into the den of... THE WOLFPACK!

KITTEN (under her breath): Oh god.

Panel 4
The pack charges at Cat-Man and Kitten who brace for the fight, striking combat ready but feline-like poses. David stands arms up at his waist, claws out. Kitten crouches down, one hand on the floor, the other raised high.

RED WOLF: And you know what they say about curiosity and the cat.

DAVID: No, tell us. We’ve never heard before.



PAGE 4

Full Page Splash
Cat-Man and Kitten mid-fight with the Wolfpack. A determined Cat-Man catches a swinging crowbar with one hand while punching out a member of the pack with the other. Kitten grins as she slinks down the ground on all fours, dodging a chain from behind that ends up colliding with the face of a different pack member.

TITLE & CREDITS



PAGE 5

Panel 1
Unconscious members of the Wolfpack scatter the area, some on the ground, others crashed into crates. One member even lays knocked out and bent over the table. Kitten pulls a medallion out from one of the pack member’s coat while Cat-Man fills the case the shady guy from Page 1 was carrying in with the cash on the table.

KITTEN: Got the medallion.

CAT-MAN: Nice work. We should probably turn in all this cash, too.

Panel 2
Back outside, Cat-Man and Kitten stroll away from the warehouse side-by-side. Cat-Man carries the case of money in one hand as the two casually chat. Kitten stretches one arm horizontally across her body. She squints and her eyes look up and to the side as she contemplates David’s question. Unseen by them, the battered Red Wolf leans against the warehouse doorframe, a gun-like weapon in hand.

CAT-MAN: What are you thinking for dinner tonight?

KITTEN: Not sure. What’s even open this late?

Panel 3
Cat-Man dodges to the side and deftly tosses the case of cash straight at the Red Wolf, which smacks him hard in the face. The pack leader drops to the floor as the gun goes off, firing wildly.

RED WOLF: Di—*

Panel 4
Rising back to his feet, a pleased Cat-Man looks over his shoulder toward Kitten, who stands in silhouette from the waist up in the foreground.

CAT-MAN: Thank you cat reflexes. Am I ri...

Panel 5
A reverse angled shot of the previous panel. This time, Cat-Man stands in the foreground in silhouette. A confused Kitten holds her hands over her abdomen, blooding seeping from between her fingers and over her hands.

CAT-MAN: Katie...?



PAGE 6

Panel 1
David helps the severely injured and bleeding Katie down an alley, one hand around her lower back for support and the other holding onto her arm draped across his shoulder. Both their masks are off, revealing their mutually strained faces. David has dark brown hair and a rugged face while Katie sports short-cropped, bright blonde locks. Blood soaks much of Katie’s costume and her feet drag as she tries to walk, even with David’s help.

DAVID: Come on, Katie. We have to get to a hospital. Come on.

Panel 2
Both heroes begin collapsing to the floor, David unable to carry Katie any farther. Katie’s eyes are already closed, and David’s are halfway there, heavy and lidded. Sweat covers David’s face and Katie’s seems white and pallid.

DAVID (woozy, tired): Got to... keep moving...

Panel 3
David and Katie on the floor of the alley. Katie is unresponsive, lying on her back. David is on his side, still conscious but only barely, seconds way from fading completely.

DAVID: ... keep... mov...

Panel 4
A wider, more pulled out shot of the previous panel. David and Katie lie on the floor, unmoving.



PAGE 7
This page features a series of images, flashes of moments that begin bleeding together, coming faster and faster, a rush of information.

Panel 1
A Tigress approaches an 8-year-old David weeping in the jungle, the bodies of his dead parents and sister surrounding him.

Panel 2
An older David, around 15-years-old, living in the jungle with the Tigress and other tigers.

Panel 3
A dying Tigress places her paw on the chest of a 20-year-old David, a glowing energy between them. They’re no longer in the jungle but in a city.

Panel 4
David and a noticeably young 11-year-old Katie as Cat-Man and Kitten. They are both smiling widely, a very old-school “Golden Age” look about them.

Panel 5
A concerned Cat-Man with his mask off holding the hand of a dying 16-year-old Kitten. The same glowing energy that was between David and Tigress now between their hands.

Panel 6
A much older David and Katie—40 and 36, respectively—argue with each other. Neither wear their costumes.

Panel 7
A younger looking David and Katie compared to the previous panel. They’re both in darker-colored costumes, gritting their teeth as they punch out two thugs.

Panel 8
David and Katie as we knew them, David smiling and the short-haired Katie with a smirk on her face.



PAGE 8

Panel 1
Katie bolts up with a gasp. She’s sitting in the alley we last saw her in but looks significantly younger. Her costume hangs loosely off her and her hair is longer, down to her shoulders.

Panel 2
Katie gazes down at herself, taking in her younger appearance and frame in dismay. Behind her stands a more fresh-faced David. His costume also hangs off his slightly less muscular build. He stares off toward the distance, listening to approaching sirens.

KATIE: Oh, no. Not again.

DAVID: I’m afraid so. We got to go.

Panel 3
David and Katie rapidly climb and jump their way up the side of a building, scaling the structure with ease. Katie brushes her hair out of her face in frustration.

DAVID: It does feel good to be this spry again.

KATIE: You say that now but wait till you try to do a flip kick and fall on your ass.

Panel 4
The two make their way across a city skyline, bounding across rooftops in cat-like leaps. Their ill-fitting clothes flap in the wind as much as their capes.

KATIE: Barely even a decade. This sucks!


END PART 1

Who the heck are Cat-Man and Kitten?

When I started doing research for the Monster Mash-Up anthology, I ended up diving pretty deeply into the world of public domain superheroes. And my friends, what I found there was equal parts fascinating and coocoo-for-cocoa-puffs insane (and just the slightest bit racist?). These characters were created around the dawn of superhero comics, about 1940, and pretty much none of them landed. The companies that published them folded, copyrights expired or never existed, and they lapsed into the public domain for anyone to use if they wanted to.

Everyone promptly forgot about them.

But I kind of fell in love with a lot of these absurd characters, all clearly created to capitalize off the popularity of the highly successful and relatively recently debuted Man of Steel and Dark Knight Detective. Even after completing the anthology, part of me really wanted to explore some of these characters a little more, and with the launch of this website I decided, why not do that?

Generally speaking, publishers don’t have a ton of interest in revamps of failed Golden Age characters. But I enjoy them, so I’m going to be flexing my writing muscles by coming up with re-imagined stories for these characters and giving them all-new twists. But before we get into that, I wanted to set the stage with some info on the character’s original backstory.

With that in mind, buckle up any feline-based-character fans because I’m going to start things off with Cat-Man and Kitten! And if you think Cat-Man sounds like it’s gonna be a pretty close rip-off of Batman, I’m here to tell you, boy is it!

As a young child, David Merrywether witnessed his parents’ murder—but in Burma, so very different. He was raised by Tigress (a literal tiger) and that somehow gave him all the powers of a cat: agility, night vision, the ability to scale any surface, and “nine lives.” The “nine lives” thing never actually came into play, though this character survived the sands of time better than a lot of other Golden Age heroes, so kinda.

David eventually returned to the U.S. where he became a private detective by day and the heroic Cat-Man by night. He also gained a ward, the 11-year-old circus acrobat Katie Conn. It’s like they weren’t even trying, huh? Although, despite him being an adult man and her being a literal child, readers seem way more okay with that than Batman and Robin. I wonder why. I’m kidding. We all know why.

Cat-Man and Kitten’s adventures didn’t last long, with their original run ending after 33 issues (which is actually quite an accomplishment comparatively). They had a few revivals here and there but these days whenever anyone hears Cat-Man, they either think you mean a suspiciously similar DC Comics character (not Batman, actual Catman) or that you mistakenly meant Catwoman.

However, Cat-Man and Kitten are BACK, everyone! Stay tuned for my re-imagining of the characters in an over-sized one-shot issue!