Cap'n Oz a.k.a. William Chance a.k.a. Cap'n Oz . . . Confused yet? Imagine how Chance feels!
| Actually a member of the mystically-powerful ClanDestine and hiding among humanity in Australia, WILLIAM CHANCE used his superhuman powers to help him become the actor portraying Cap'n Oz-- a movie superhero. Recently, he decided to use his powers to help save the city, presenting himself as an all- new, all-real, masked Cap'n Oz-- national protector! | |
|
ALICE SPRINGS: Actress portraying the sidekick Taz in the Cap'n Oz films, she also is Chance's girlfriend. |
| RICKY McCOY: Chance and Alice's agent. | |
|
JENNY JACKSON: Frustrated entertainment journalist, she was on hand for Cap'n Oz' "first" appearance, and wants to pursue the story for her own purposes... |
# 3Agents of the international terrorist force
ULTIMATUM travel above the Pacific ocean
in their recent acquisition-- a replica of
a SHIELD heli-carrier they now call Truthbringer. Built in an attempt by RCX to keep pace
with their USA counterpart and used briefly
by WHO before being stole by HYDRA, ULTIMATUM
acquired the helicarrier and outfitted it
with AIM weaponry. (Just trust me. It's a long story-- even
with all the abbreviations-- ozbot)
On the bridge stands the Flagsmasher, hands
on his hips, cape billowing dramatically
despite the lack of strong wind within the
vehicle.
"We are approaching Australia now, Flagsmasher,"
an agent at a flight console reports, "Brisbane
ETA fifteen minutes."
"Excellent. This will be our final capture.
Then, we can proceed once more to America,
to broadcast our message to the United Nations!"
"'Smasher," another agent softly
asks, "Are you sure this is a good idea?
I mean, this guy isn't a *heroic* champion
or anything."
"Listen!" Flagsmasher twirls to
face his agent, "You never questioned
my two predecessors. Now *I* have been chosen
among our number to be the newest Flagsmasher.
You *will* follow my directions!"
"Besides," he adds, watching one
of the many video screens peppering the command
center, "since he is *not* the superhero,
as you point out, that our last three champions
were, this mission should be the easiest
of the lot. And his death will be all that
more effective to our message!"
The video screen held the image of their
intended victim: Willaim Chance, internationally
reknowned actor, portraying Cap'n Oz.
William Chance sits in a makeshift dressing room, converted
from an office storage space. He has already
dressed as the Cap'n Oz character, made popular
internationally by the three Cap'n Oz blockbuster
films. Outside, he hears the hustle and bustle
of the film and promotional crew as they
set up TOYARAMA: the Toy Mega-Store into
a makeshift stage for Cap'n Oz' next charitable
appearance.
Alice Springs hops up and down, having difficulty pulling
up the knee-high boot of her costume. As
Taz, she's portrayed Cap'n Oz lovelorn sidekick.
As Alice, she's found her relationship with
Chance a bit more . . . well, *requited.*
Chance looks at her, a sly grin on his face,
as she bounces up and down-- something her
revealing costume wasn't exactly designed
to compensate for.
Suddenly, she pitches backward, landing in
Chance's lap. The momentum almost sends the
two of them to the floor, but Chance rights
the director-type chair, the two lovers laughing.
"Looks like you're falling for me all
over again," Chance quips.
Alice giggles, "Ha, ha! That's a good
one! Oh, wait! I got one too!"
Chance waits.
More giggles from Alice: "Uhm... okay,
no. No, I guess not."
Chance makes a move to kiss her, but Alice
squirms, "Ew! Give over! My make-up!"
The two tickle each other, laughing all the
while, until a knock comes from the door
and opens almost immediately to reveal Ricky McCoy, Alice and Chance's agent.
"Gah, you two, shush," he half-jokes,
half-admonishes, "You are going to ruin
your reputation!"
Ricky moves into the small room, "Okay,
Allie, I need ya to get out there for a bit
of photo op' before we start the ceremonies."
"And *you,*" he points at Chance
with a wagging finger as Alice leaves the
room, stomping her foot to completely fit
her boot, "You had better just stick
with the speech we got writ for you. Ever
since that *other* Cap'n Oz has been popping
up, it's become a hot topic. Only two appearances
and this mystery man's a media darling. Stay
clear of it, capeesh?"
Chance sighs, indignant, "But why, Rickers?
So there is a mysterious stranger who fights
crime as Cap'n Oz. You can't buy free publicity
like that!"
"Oy!" Ricky pulls his cap back.
"What do you want to do, dilute the
market? Why doesn't Coca-Cola start handing
out recipes willy-nilly? Come on, mate, *you*
are the one who owns the image trademark
and copyright of Cap'n Oz. What happens if
we do a story, and some imposter sues you
for taking something that he claims was a
*real-life* exploit! What happens when he
starts demanding payment from this so-called
'free' publicity? What happens when some
kid wants *you* to get a kitten from a tree,
thinking you can fly up there?"
"Well, really," Chance mumbles,
"the masked Cap'n Oz hasn't shown he
can fly or anything."
"Whatever. Look, this guy's only appeared
like twice so far. Any more and we *will*
have to take matters in hand. We'll sue or
press charges or something. But look, no
worries; she'll be right. Now get ready.
You're on in five, 'kay?"
And with that, Ricky closes the door behind
him as he leaves.
William Chance looks at himself in the mirror,
seeing himself in his Cap'n Oz costume. "Well,
it sounded like a good idea at the time."
But what was his reflection? Cap'n Oz, the
hero? Cap'n Oz, the movie character? William
Chance, Australian? William Destine, the
British-born near-immortal? Someone else
entirely?
"William Chance, I know who you are!"
A voice comes from the doorway.
"Excuse me?" Chance turns, smiling
with feigned innocence-- one of his finest
and most practiced performances.
Jenny Jackson, after looking over her shoulder, slips
inside Chance's makeshift dressing room.
"Cap'n Oz!" she explains.
"Uh, well, sure," Chance continues
his role and points to the costume he wears,
"I mean, that's why I'm doing this charity
appearance, after all!"
Jenny Jackson's eyes glaze over. His act
is good. Very good. She almost buys it. Almost.
"No, no, no! What do you think I am,
stupid? That you can put on a mask that leaves
only your eyes and mouth exposed, and think
that its enough to conceal yourself?"
For a split second, Chance is relieved. He
envisions sharing his secret with Jackson,
a secret that has been kept only within his
family-- those similarly blessed with a magical-born
super human physiology. No more hiding, no
more aliases. No more questioning who you
really are because someone else already knows--
a reporter who... A reporter!
"Uh, you know, you shouldn't be back
here. The press area has already started
seating. You should go or you'll be forced
to stand in the back...!"
"Aha! See! You're changing the subject!
That proves it!"
"Proves what?"
"That you're the new Cap'n Oz! I mean,
the old Cap'n Oz! I mean, the regular Cap'n
Oz!"
Chance smiles, knowingly, "Sounds to
me, you don't know what you mean. In fact,"
he stands, "what's your evidence? 'Cause
if you had any hard proof, you'd be breaking
a story in a little newsroom somewhere, not
asking me to confirm your suspicions!"
And with that, Chance leaves the room.
Jenny fumes, and takes a while to form her
retort. Unfortunately, she comes up with
the perfect response after Chance is already
on his way to the podium in front of the
Mega-Store.
"Arg!" She stamps her foot and
finds her way to the press area. Chance was
right about one thing-- the seating area
is full and Jenny is forced to stand in the
back. She watches Chance go through the motions
of pandering to the Children's Fund Charity
"There has got to be some way to prove
that William Chance is more than just an
actor *playing* Cap'n Oz!"
With the sound of a bomb screeching through
the sky, the storefront explodes, sending
sparks and debris scattering over the crowd
below. Descending from the sky, guns blazing
and jet packs blaring, are a half dozen ULTIMATUM
agents in their traditional kevlar, masks,
sunglasses, and berets.
"Well, that might do!" Jenny grins
as fights back the crowd as the dozens of
reporters try to flee from the scene.
The ULTIMATUM agents secure the podium area,
with Chance in the middle.
Riding a cable line from the Truthbringer, above, Flagsmasher makes his appearance,
brandishing his mace dramatically. "Nationalism
is the cold hand of death, holding back all
peoples of Earth from joining into a glorious
encompassing union! A flag is not a symbol
of pride! It is a symbol of weakness and
submission! And this man parades around as
the very flag of Australia! We claim his
destruction in the name of the Flagsmasher!"
"What?" Chance tries to shout over
the cries from the crowd and occasional gunburst.
"Look, mate, you got the wrong guy,
right? We can settle this like normal blokes,
eh?"
"You have already settled into your
role as national symbol!"
"I'm an actor!"
"One growing fat from perpetuating the
idea of Australian nationalism to an international
audience! No, you are 'Cap'n Oz' indeed for
our purposes. You *will* be coming with us!"
Flagsmasher points his mace at Chance's head,
who flinches, only to met with a spray of
toxic yellow gas. Chance instinctively holds
his breath, and knows that his enhanced endurance
will allow him to last longer than any normal
human would hope to. He coils his fingers
into a fist, hoping to catch Flagsmasher
in surprise.... But he sees Jenny Jackson
among the crowd, and their eyes catch. Time
seems to slow to a crawl as they stare at
each other. Damn, Chance thinks. Can't tip
my hand!
And he crumples to the ground.
"Excellent!" shouts Flagsmasher,
and he motions to his agents to grab Cap'n
Oz' limp form. To the crowd, he twirls his
cape and laughs maniacally, "You will
see your beloved national champion only once
more-- as he makes his appearance as part
of our demonstration to the United Nations
in New York City of the so-called United
States. Watch at 1400 hours Greenwich Mean
Time, to see your beloved Cap'n Oz-- DIE!"
After rushed exhilaration of flight, hushed
curses and mumbling, and jostling and trussing,
Chance waits for a few more moments of silence
before opening his eyes. He is in the interior
of the Truthbringer, in the center of a dimly lit and barren
room, which sickenly smells of faint hydraulic
oil. Chance finds his hands bound above him,
as he half-hangs/half-leans in an open, tube-like
structure-one of many that forms a circle
in the center of the room, along with various
other examples of pipes, wires, and mechanical-studded
cables. Chance notices that the tubes radiate
from the central hub in the four cardinal
positions.
"Oy," Chance calls out to the figure
next to him, "Captain America, I presume?"
Similarly bound in his own semi-tube, the
hero Captain America turns as much as possible
to glimpse his neighbor. "Hm? Oh, yes.
I had thought you were unconscious. Cap'n
Oz, right?"
"Yeah," Chance answers, and then
thinks better of it, "I mean, no."
He gives the standard response, almost in
a monotone routine, "I'm-not-a-superhero,-I-just-play-one-on-the-screen.
I'm William Chance."
"Interesting," Captain America
says, vaguely dispassionately, "Although
you certainly are dressed for the occasion.
But a logical extension of tactics on the
part of UTLIMATUM-- it appears no symbol
of nationality is safe. They could be even
more dangerous than ever."
"Uh-huh," Chance wonders if he
is supposed to know what that was supposed
to mean, "And who's this bloke?"
Chance motions with his head to another figure
to his left.
"The Collective Man. When I first saw
him, he was acting as a clandestine Chinese
hero, but last I heard he was a political
activist fighting against his communist government.
This guy could be someone altogether new."
Chance winces inwardly at the mention of
"clandestine." It has been a pet
name for his family - Clan Destine - for
generations. Perhaps because they called
themselves that for so many years, they soon
believed it, which led them to hide among
humanity, and William in Australia in particular.
The Chinese man speaks up, "You may
call me Collective Man. My motives are not
hidden, Captain America. My . . . brother
once used the name Collective Man to fight
against my government in a group called Three-Peace.
For my people, I . . . came back as Collective
Man to stop his terrorist actions. He now
calls himself Mountain Cry, believing my
name is too corrupted by allying with the
government."
"Sure he did," Cap'n Oz rushes
through the introductions. "And I assume
by the layout of the room there's another
captive on the other side of me?"
"Sunfire," Captain America assents,
"Pretty much the closest Japan gets
to a national protector."
An annoyed grunt is the response from Sunfire.
"I may not be as public or as consumed
with the role as you, Captain, but I *am*
every inch a protector as you ever hope to
be!"
"I certainly didn't mean. . .,"
Captain America began, but trailed off, shaking
the remark from his memory.
There was a period of awkward silence. Chance
struggles quietly against his rope bonds.
After a bit, he calls to Captain America
again.
"So, you got a plan, or what?"
Captain America replies, "Perhaps."
More uncomfortable silence.
Chance raises his eyebrows, "And…"
Captain America sighs, not bothering to turn
this time, the angle too great to watch Chance.
"They might be monitoring the room."
"Ah," Chance realizes somewhat
sheepishly. Well, how was I supposed to know
that?
What an idiot I am, he thinks, I feel totally odd man out here. But really,
I gotta have just as much raw power as any
of these heroes. Surely I'd be even more
effective than Captain America-- I'm Cap'n
Oz -- practiaclly Superman, for crying out
loud! Well, except for the flying and vision
powers and all that.
Oh, stop it, Chance ponders, These guys are pros. They got more experience
than I ever have, and I'm almost 200 years
old! They think I'm a normal human, so I
should just play it safe and let Captain
America lead me out of here.
More silence.
No! That was the OLD William Chance. The
old Chance played the role of a normal human
because that's how the people saw him! But
that's not who I am! I am something different,
and that means my responsibilities are different…
Maybe these guys are more experienced-- but
they don't sound like they got it much more
together. Sunfire's got a chip on his shoulder
the size of Mt. Fuji, Collective Man gots
some sort of family situation, and Captain
America… well, maybe it's just the stress,
but I didn't realize he was such an asshole.
Chance struggles with the ropes that bind
him. I'm not going to play this as Willaim Chance,
actor. I'm not going to play this as Cap'n
Oz, movie character, or Cap'n Oz, superhero.
This is just me, William Destine, and he's
gettin' outta here!
And the ropes give way.
"Chance!" Captain America admonishes.
"What are you doing, man!"
"They must have underestimated me,"
Chance winks, "I *do* work out on the
set, you know!"
He moves over to help Captain America, but
the old soldier shakes his head. "Collective
Man!" he instructs. "And hurry!"
"You something special, then, mate?"
Chance asks the Collective Man, sliding over
to help him.
Collective Man smiles as Chance searches
the semi-tube the hero is lying in. "Merely
able to summon the collective strength of
my brethren and countrymen!"
"Well, that's one reason not to be concerned
about overpopulation."
"Excuse me?"
"Sorry. I can't find the release. Pull
with me against the restraints-- if you're
as strong as you say, may I'll just tip the
balance."
The Collective Man concentrates, and visibly
grows, his muscles building and bulk adding
mass. Even still, the restraints stay fast.
Chance grits his teeth, and pulls, lending
his magically-steeped strength to the Collective
Man's. With a resounding crash, the Collective
Man is free!
"Impressive," Chance remarks.
Collective Man bows, "Yes. My powers
have developed a bit over the years."
In moments, Sunfire and Captain America are
free, as well.
Sunfire snorts derisevly, "Pfauh! It
is time to teach those dogs what it means
to imprison us-- treat us like cattle to
be slaughtered! They will be going down!"
Captain America reaches to the bottom of
his semi-tube to retrieve his shield.
"They didn't keep your shield when they
captured you," Chance raises an eyebrow.
"Some things," Captain America
simply chuckles, "remain thankfully
predictable."
An alarm sounds, the light flashing and claxons
blazing.
"But you," Sunfire thrusts a finger
at Chance, "are simply an actor. I suggest
you stay out of sight. I will go ahead and
flush out these murderers."
"All right. You go ahead," Captain
America confirms. "Chance, just stay
close to me. Collective Man, watch our backs,
use your strength and collapse any doorways
to cover our advance. This is a SHIELD helicarrier,
so take my direction, Sunfire, and I'll get
us to the bridge. Let's move, people!"
Flagsmasher paces the captain's platform
on the Truthbringer's bridge, visibly agitated.
"We're down to 84% compromise, sir,"
the Ultimatum agent reports from a station
along the wall.
"ETA to the bridge!" demands Flagsmasher,
still pacing.
"60 seconds. Maybe less," the agent
turns, attempting to console his superior.
"The plan was sound, sir. We had them.
We had them right where we wanted!"
With a crash of thunder and burst of debris,
the far wall of the bridge explodes inward--
flames and dust billowing out. The smoke
clears, and the heroes stand defiant. Sunfire's
chest heaves indignantly. Chance stands aside
Captain America, his powerful frame almost
surpassing Captain America's own. The Collective
Man seems to have grown to massive hulk-like
proportions.
"Fools!" shouts Flagsmasher, "Our
message is meant for the world! You cannot
stop it, just as you cannot stop your deaths!"
A mighty blow with his mace sends the driving
control stick forward, and the entire Trutherbringer helicarrier pivots forward.
"We are prepared to die for our beliefs!"
Flagsmasher screams, "What about you?"
"Too right, mate," Chance winks
in reply. "Just... not yet!"
Chance's superhuman reflexes allows him to
recover from the pitching helicarrier even
as his comrades just begin to grab their
bearings.
"CHANCE!" Captain America yells,
"No! Stop, man!"
"No worries, Cappa!" Flagsmasher
only has time to open his mouth in surprise
as Chance' fist smacks into his head, sending
Flagsmasher to the ground.
"After all," Chance continues,
"I've been *playing* the hero long enough!"
Captain America shakes his head with a smirk,
"All right then... Sunfire... Collective
Man..." Captain America motions.
The other ULTIMATUM agent on the bridge starts
to stand in defiance, but quietly resumes
his station as Sunfire sidles close beside
him, arms folded across his chest. "Don't
be stupid," is his only instructions.
The Collective Man bounds to the pilot controls,
using his massive strength to pull back on
the throttle, easing the helicarrier into
its normal flight position.
Flagsmasher, his mouth seeping blood, looks
up from his hunched position on the floor.
"You will never stop us! Our message
is truth, and the truth cannot be stopped!
The people of Earth demand to be one! They
cry out in their disharmony and strife, agonizing
for a solution! We would give them that solution--
and you call *us* villains!"
"On the contrary," Captain America
stands next to Chance over the body of Flagsmasher.
"People have cried out, and they've
banded together to create the very nations
that you stand opposed against.
"That unity gives them strength,"
Cap nods to the Collective Man.
"That unity gives them pride,"
Cap nods to Sunfire.
"That unity gives them..." suddenly
Cap stops, looking quizzickly at Chance.
Chance, dressed as Cap'n Oz and weary from
his flight across the helicarrier, nods solumenly.
"Purpose," he adds.
Captain America smiles, and shakes Chance's
hand.
Then Chance leans closer to whisper in Cap's
ear, "Also, 'profit,' but that didn't
seem what you were going for."
Captain America chuckles, then admonishes,
"You gonna leave the superheroing to
the professionals? Or at least just the big
screen?"
"Well..." Chance trails off, looks
at the assembled heroes. He then adds under
his breath, "We'll see..."
Purpose, indeed.
THE END (?)