The Defenders
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes avenge the planet from cosmic threats. But who tackles the crime that is too big for law enforcement yet too small for the Avengers…? (still working on the tagline)
EXT. HELL’S KITCHEN NIGHT THUNDERSTORM
-Three muggers get beaten up by DAREDEVIL while the two victims watch. DAREDEVIL displays he is a skilled fighter.
THUG 1
“Jesus! How many super-powered freaks are there?”
-DAREDEVIL hears the man’s heart rate increase steadily [Nothing else is heard] He hears the loud heartbeats of the two victims behind him [As does the audience]
DAREDEVIL
Turns to face the victims
“RUN!”
They both sprint out of the alley. DAREDEVIL kicks THUG 1 back against a dumpster while simultaneously throwing his stick at THUG 2’s throat. THUG 2 clutches his throat and moans. DAREDEVIL tackles THUG 3 to the ground pinning him and starts punching. [Slow heavy footsteps behind DAREDEVIL are heard.] DAREDEVIL stands up and intercepts THUG 1’s sloppy punch. He breaks THUG 1’s arm [There is a loud crack as the bone breaks] Then he punches THUG 1 in the head. THUG 2 raises a revolver to DAREDEVIL’s head. [The hammer extends backwards in slow motion with a click. The bullet travels down the shaft of the gun as DAREDEVIL flips over THUG 2. The gun fires missing the target. ] DAREDEVIL [Currently behind THUG 2] puts the gunman in a sleeper hold.
“Struggling will only make it worse.”
THUG 2 falls to the ground with THUG 1. THUG 3 [Now bloodied] stands confused. [While the downed thugs’ heartbeats slow down significantly a new one beats more powerfully than the others ] [BLAM! A gunshot is heard right before a rumble of thunder. THUG 3 falls with a bloodstain on his shirt instantly.]
“I didn’t need your help!”
PUNISHER
“I never said you did.”
DAREDEVIL
“No killing!”
PUNISHER
“One day you’ll realize that scum like them don’t deserve to walk among us.”
DAREDEVIL
“Even if that were true we don’t have the right…”
DAREDEVIL focusses intently [Camera zooms in on the side of his face. A distant crackling fire is heard, his nose sniffles]
“There’s a fire three blocks from here!”
Loud thunder and a flash of lightning occurs. DAREDEVIL is on the roof of the building.
“You coming?”
PUNISHER
Reluctantly hops on his motorcycle.
“Lead the way!” (sighs)
[DAREDEVIL leads PUNISHER in a parkour style form as he easily moves from one building to the next]
EXT. BURNING BUILDING HELL’S KITCHEN NIGHT
DAREDEVIL
Jumps from a rooftop and lands on his feet. Then sprints into the burning building. The Punisher pulls up to the building a few seconds later. He follows DAREDEVIL inside.
INT. BURNING BUILDING
Flaming debris falls from above. They avoid the flaming obstacles and start helping out survivors. The Punisher hesitates when he sees a dead Chinese man with a bird tattoo on his arm.
DAREDEVIL
“What’s wrong with you?”
PUNISHER
“The tattoo on his arm matches the ones of the Měngqín gang. This is the first lead I’ve gotten in days.”
DAREDEVIL
Bends down to the corpse and runs his fingers across the tattoo.
“The ink is fresh. It’s possible he was newly inducted into the gang.”
Punisher picks up the body and heads out of the building.
“Where are you going?”
PUNISHER
“I’m going to continue my investigation.”
DAREDEVIL
“I can still sense two more survivors on this floor”
PUNISHER
Without hesitating.
“You can handle it.”
EXT. THE ISLAND OF K’UN-LUN DAY [A MOUNTAINOUS ISLAND IN THE EAST CHINA SEA] [Amidst the snow covered mountaintops is a temple. A young man in his late teens and a fifty-year-old Chinese man sit on a stone patio next to the temple]
MASTER TUAN
“For nearly a decade you have devoted your life to the arts. You’ve learned the secrets of warriors past. Kung fu, Lian Bu Quan, Gong Li Quan, Si Lu Cha Quan all hand-to-hand fighting styles you’ve mastered. The sword, the spear, and the staff weapons that have become second nature to you. You’ve accepted that of all weapons in the arsenal the mind is the most powerful. The Chi Energy Force is an art few on the planet have fully harnessed. You are finally ready to challenge me for the title of Iron Fist.” [In Chinese]
DANIEL RAND
“I know I’m ready” [In Chinese]
A long fight ensues with neither opponent seeming to take damage. Daniel is a gifted fighter and that is shown in this scene.
MASTER TAUN
“Now!” [In Chinese]
An army of ninjas dressed in red appear armed with katanas, staffs, and sai. Daniel fights them unarmed. The fight reaches its climax when a few of the ninjas manage to hit, kick, and slash him. He is overpowered and forced down. His body takes the beatings with minimal expressions of pain. Daniel closes his eyes briefly and when he opens them his eyes are completely white. His hands start to glow brighter and brighter until they are a yellow flame. Daniel screams. He rises to his feet and knocks the ninjas around displaying incredible strength. A ninja swings a sword blade at his head that he catches with ease. When the blade comes into contact with his fiery hand it melts. Daniel kicks the ninja back several feet knocking him into a few others. Daniel hurls a ball of fire at a cluster of ninjas and continues fighting. His strength and speed have increased significantly. And finally all the ninjas are defeated. [The wounds Daniel has suffered begin to heal at an accelerated rate]
“Congratulations you have proven yourself worthy of the power of the Iron Fist. Your destiny awaits.” [In Chinese]
The master and student bow to each other.
EXT. MANHATTAN NEW YORK DAY
LUKE CAGE
Luke sits at a table next to a newsstand reading the DAILY BUGLE. [The main headline states: HELL’S KITCHEN SET ABLAZE LAST NIGHT AS VIGILANTE BURNS DOWN APARTMENT COMPLEX] [PUNISHER is seen in the photo fleeing the scene of the burning building]
Luke calls Jessica.
“Hey. I was wondering if you heard about this ‘Punisher’ guy on the news.”
INT. PUNISHER’S BUNKER
The corpse of the gang member is on a steel table. He has been stripped of his clothing and his possessions are in a messy pile on the floor. The Punisher sits at multiple computer monitors looking at images of the body. He sends the images to an ME that he bribes to examine the body over the phone
INT. FORENSICS LAB
MEDICAL EXAMINER
“The cause of death is a gunshot wound to the diaphragm. Not the third-degree burns on his body.”
INT. PUNISHER’S BUNKER
PUNISHER
“A cover up.”
INT. FORENSICS LAB
MEDICAL EXAMINER
“The man was an undercover cop, his name was Michael Lu.”
INT. PUNISHER’S BUNKER
PUNISHER
“I need everything the NYPD knows about the Měngqín gang.”
INT. FORENSICS LAB
MEDICAL EXAMINER
“Are you asking me to reveal information on an ongoing case? You already know I can’t do that.”
INT. PUNISHER’S BUNKER
PUNISHER
“It doesn’t matter, I’m already passed their firewall”
The PUNISHER hangs up the phone and continues to hacks into the NYPD database. [Images of the bird tattoo show up on different people. Images of drug deals and arms deals are displayed.]
TEN YEARS AGO
EXT. NEWYORK, MANHATTAN
[The camera shows a large skyscraper, the Rand Corporation]
EXT. RAND CORPORATION
WENDELL RAND
Along with his entourage he walks to his car as paparazzi follow berating him with questions.
REPORTER 1
“Mister Rand! How have the recent attempts on your life affected you and your family?”
REPORTER 2
“Do you know who is trying to kill you?”
HAROLD MEACHUM
“I think that’s enough questions for now.”
He silences the reporters and enters the limousine along with Wendell and Heather Rand (Wendell’s wife). The limousine drives off
INT. THE LIMOUSINE
WENDELL
“Thanks, those reporters can really be a handful.”
HAROLD MEACHUM
“Where will you be staying? The city is clearly not safe”
WENDELL
“I know a place. Very far away. No one would find us. K’un-Lun, an island in the east china sea.”
EXT. PRIVATE SCHOOL IN MANHATTAN
A 10 year old DANIEL RAND is seen in his school uniform. The boy walks to the limousine and enters.
INT. LIMOUSINE
DANIEL
“Mom! Dad! What’s going on?”
Daniel is clearly confused and has genuine worry on his face.
HEATEHR RAND
“Danny, we’re going to have to go away for a while. New York is a dangerous place for us right now.”
DANIEL
“But…?”
WENDELL
“Listen son, I know this will be hard on you. But it’s gonna be hard on all of us.”
EXT. AIRFILED NIGHT
The Rand family boards the plane and Harold waves at them from afar. The plane begins down the runway.
HAROLD MEACHUM
He sends a text from his phone [The text reads: Make it look like an accident]
INT. RAND’S PRIVATE JET COCKPIT
PILOT
PILOT reads the text and smiles. [The camera stops on a bird tattoo on the Pilot’s hand.] He turns around and sees DANIEL arguing with his father. After flying for a few hours the PILOT adjusts a few of the knobs on the dashboard. The PILOT turns around and sees that all passengers are asleep. He grabs a parachute and slowly creeps through the cabin. DANIEL awakes as the PILOT sneaks passed him.
DANIEL
“What are you doing?”
He asks worriedly. The PILOT stares him in the eye and push him back down into his seat. Wendell and Heather wake up. The PILOT shoots Wendell in the chest with a hidden handgun he had. Then quickly opens the side door causing powerful gusts of wind to enter and he jumps.
EXT. OVER THE EAST CHINA SEA NIGHT THUNDERSTORM
The jet takes a nosedive descending faster and faster toward the water.
INT. RAND’S PRIVATE JET CABIN
Heather and Daniel are thrown across the plane screaming and crying. Heather manages to grab Daniel and tries to sit down in a seat and buckle up she fails a few times but finally does it [This scene should be very emotional and intense]. Oxygen masks are deployed from above and she attaches one to DANIEL’S face before attaching one to her own. They are both crying and screaming.
“DAD! PLEASE!”
DANIEL begs and his mother holds him tightly.
EXT. PLANE NOSEDIVE
[As the plane makes impact screams are heard and then the scene cuts to black]
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