The Comic Throughline--Put to the Test! (SPOILERS)

One of the biggest things I learned from The Comic Toolbox (and the entire semester of Lit and Civ, really) was “The Comic Throughline.” I was already familiar with the three-act story structure—you know, with the “expositions,” “rising actions,” “denouements,” and all that. But it was never explained to me in the short, simple, straight-forward way that Vorhaus did. In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to give it a spin with a screenplay I had written over the summer.

I will proceed to lay out my entire screenplay according to Vorhaus’s comic throughline, so if some part of you is hoping this story will someday be made into a movie and you don’t want to know the ending, in the words of River Song, “Spoilers!” Stop reading now.

But this is the first draft, so chances are this story will be altered entirely by the time it actually gets made into a movie, so you are safe.

Also, please don’t judge my story. I’m not a professional.

Anyway, let’s get to the action.

1.      Who is the hero? The hero is quite literally a hero—Maximum, an alien with brilliant superpowers from the planet Superius. He flies, runs with incredible speed, shoots energy blasts from his body, and has the ability to sense pending danger and quickly calculate attack/escape logistics. He’s the proverbial superhero from outer space.

2.      What does the hero want? Max wants to go to Earth. He hates Superius, its totalitarian regime, and its obsession with dominating the universe. He’s unhappy there. He thinks he can go to Earth, start over, and be a hero.

3.      The door opens. Max finally gets his chance to escape to planet Earth.

4.      The hero takes control. Max establishes himself as a bona fide superhero. He’s “Maximum Man,” the hero of Earth. He’s saving the old woman from the burning building and all that jazz. The U.S. government is after him, but whatever. Most importantly, he falls in love with Aurora Grace, an exceptional military captain. They marry, and Captain Grace keeps Max’s true identity secret from her commanding officers. They’ve got each other’s back. Everything is okay.

5.      A monkey wrench is thrown. The totalitarian elders from Maximum’s home planet discover he has escaped to Earth. They are NOT HAPPY. They strike Earth with a deadly weapon and make plans for an even greater assault.

6.      The hero hits bottom. The government discovers Max’s secret. Captain Grace is reprimanded and discharged. Max is sent to prison. Earth goes to war with Superius.

7.      The hero risks all. Max escapes prison. He rescues his wife and, together, they fight to protect planet Earth. Superius is defeated—at the cost of Captain Grace’s life.

8.      What does the hero get? Max goes home to bury his wife, realizing what it truly means to be a hero. (Then there’s a plot twist. That’s for me to know, and for you to discover.)

           

            I suppose my story does somehow fit Vorhaus’s comic throughline, although my story isn’t exactly a “comedy” per se. I believe Vorhaus’s formula makes for good storytelling, but you tell me. Did you think Max’s story is a good one?