I had another vivid/lucid dream last night that I think several people here might enjoy. It played out just as it is written:
The dream started in the dark, soft murmuring can be heard all around. A screen is barely visible in the dark. The show begins...
(fade in) The opening moments of the original "G.I. Joe" cartoon miniseries intro plays. The video appears to be an old VHS recording. As Duke and a few other Joes run towards the viewer, the image freezes and transitions into a photograph of several actors recreating the image in animation accurate costumes. The camera pulls back to reveal that the photo is framed and hanging in a large museum dedicated to the "G.I. Joe" team. The camera pans around the hall revealing displays of VERY accurate recreations (Flash's original laser rifle/hose/backpack in a glass case, Destro's helmet under a glass dome, mannequins wearing complete uniforms, a tattered and singed Cobra flag behind glass, more photos of actors recreating action figures' card art, etc.) and a group of 13 young people in jumpsuits (typical modern PC casting - multi-ethnic, 7 males and 6 females) being led through the museum by an older woman with a head full of what was once vibrant red hair that is now heavily shot through with grey. This older woman is Scarlet (played by Diane Lane) and she is giving a history lesson to the new recruits.
Scarlet: "The G.I. Joe team has existed in one form or another since the 1960's..." (as she is speaking, images from around the museum fill the screen, images covering the entire history of the brand including the original line, the "Adventure Team", ARAH, etc.)
Scarlet (continued as voice over): In the 1980's and early 1990's, the main focus of the team was protecting humanity from Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization that was determined to rule the world" (this paraphrasing of the old cartoon intro spoken word segment brings cheers from the unseen audience) Footage of more exhibits from the museum, mostly focusing on Cobra relics.
Scarlet (continued as voice over): By the mid 1990's we had finally defeated Cobra" (footage of a cobra-themed temple in the jungle exploding and collapsing in on itself).
Scarlet (voice over): "With most of Cobra's High Command either incarcerated or dead, the G.I. Joe team was decommissioned." Footage of computer screens with various Cobra personnel played by actors in toy accurate costumes flash by as if in a slideshow including- Destro (Incarcerated), Firefly (Deceased), Major Bludd (Deceased), Zartan (Incarcerated), Scrap-Iron (Deceased) and finally, Cobra Commander (Deceased).
Close up on Scarlet's face, looking a bit emotional. "Many Joes lost their lives bringing the threat of Cobra to an end" (image of an enormous "In Memoriam" plaque on the wall- close up on one row of in focus names - SNAKE EYES, DUKE, LADY JAYE, DUSTY, THUNDER, HAWK, RECONDO...).
Scarlet (voice over): After the team was decommissioned, most of the remaining Joes returned to civilian life." Montage of several different scenes - Roadblock (played by Ving Rhames) now the head chef of a fancy restaurant putting food onto the plate of a waiting waiter's tray, a female African American doctor with the name "Greer" (Doc II) on her white coat conferring with a Caucasian male doctor with glasses (identified as Lifeline later in the series) conferring over some test results, three men (Sci-Fi, Flash and Mainframe) cutting the ribbon on the headquarters of their new tech company, etc. "A few remained in the military, like your father, Agent Fairborne." Camera cuts to an attractive young woman with dark hair, her name tag on her jumpsuit reads "M. Fairborne" (this is "Marissa Fairborne", now adult daughter of Flint and Lady Jaye and our series' main character).
(Long shot of Scarlet from above and behind addressing the new recruits assembled before her) Scarlet: "The G.I. Joe team was re-commissioned following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Our mission was once again to protect American citizens from terrorists. Our current operation is more discrete, we no longer have our own jet fighters, battle tanks or field artillery pieces. Most of our work is now intelligence gathering, but we still see our share of action."
Exterior shot of a squat, 2 story steel and glass building in the desert. The building could be any corporate campus with no hint of being a military installation. Montage of shots from inside the building including a command room with multiple monitors and computer stations with an older, though still in shape man (Flint - played by Kurt Russell) watching the action unfolding on the large central monitor, an armory stocked with high tech weapons (including several that would be recognizable from the toy line), a motor pool full of Hummers and large S.W.A.T. styled vans as well as an unusual futuristic looking vehicle in the shadows of the back of the room, and finally- the museum.
Close up of Flint with a large double blast door opening behind him. Scarlet and the new recruits enter through the blast doors. Flint turns to greet Scarlet and the recruits with a cocky, crooked smile (and a playful wink to his daughter).
Flint: "Welcome to the team. You are about to see Alpha Team take down a terror cell in Miami." Flint turns to the main monitor, Scarlet joins him and the recruits spread out behind them.
Shot of the monitor displaying multiple images from the helmet cams of the Joes in action. Montage of various shots of them blowing the door, entering the warehouse full of crates, securing the room. There are no terrorists, but the crates are clearly full of explosives, assault rifles, bomb components, etc.
Flint (voice over): "Striker. Give me a sit-rep."
Shot of Striker, field leader of Alpha Team with a few other team members near him. The new Joes wear grey jumpsuits with armor on top, very reminiscent of the "Halo"-esque "Future Warrior" concept the military is currently evaluating. There are some differences to differentiate the various team members, but they are more or less uniform, a far cry from the Joe Team of old.
Striker: "The place is packed full of enough ordinance to level Miami but there are no enemy combatants present."
Flint (voice over through Striker's earpiece): "Secure the building. See if you can find any computers or anything that may contain any clues as to what their plans for all of that ordinance was."
Striker (nodding to another Joe): "Copy that, sir."
An ominous voice, obviously coming through a speaker breaks the silence in the warehouse: "Just like in the old days, wherever there's trouble, G.I. Joe is there..." (this is spoken in a mocking tone) (cheers from the audience)
Cut back to Flint and Scarlet in the command center, both looked shocked.
Flint: "That voice....it can't be..."
Scarlet (in a hushed tone): "Scrap-Iron...but he's dead..."
Cut back to the warehouse with one of the Joes finding a laptop on a table strewn with bomb components. The laptop's webcam is on and the screen reveals a middle-aged man with close cropped greying hair, a scar down one side of his face and a cloudy white eye on the side with the scar. This is Scrap-Iron (played by me).
Scrap-Iron: "I have to admit that I am impressed with how quickly you were able to discover my new network and locate this staging area. Your intel department is just as good as I remember. I do have to admit though that I am completely unimpressed with your unit's current sense of style." Cut to image of the Joes present in the warehouse in their mostly identical gear.
Scrap-Iron: "You no longer have the showmanship of the old days. Where is the oaf running into battle in a football jersey? Where is your barefoot martial artist? Where are the highly impractical helmet mounted missile launchers and neon colors?"
Cut back to Striker cocking his head to the Joe next to him who has raised his hand in a questioning manner.
Striker (softly): "Don't ask. Things were pretty weird back then, especially towards the end." This elicits laughter from the audience.
Extreme close up of the monitor with Scrap-Iron's face, an evil grin begins to spread across his visage.
Scrap-Iron: "This has been a fun walk down memory lane, but it's time to go. Tick...tick...boom..."
Quick cut back to Flint's face, panic visible.
Flint (shouting): "Striker! Get your team out of there now!"
Cut back to the exterior of the warehouse as it explodes violently.
Cut back to the control room, Flint and Scarlet both look stunned. Several of the new recruits turn their heads or cover their faces. Flint composes himself.
Flint: "Recall Bravo Team. Get them back here asap. From this point forward, finding Scrap-Iron is our number one priority!"
Shot of 2 black armored S.W.A.T. styled vans travelling down a lonely stretch of highway. Cut to interior of first van. Van is packed full of gear and 6 Joes all dressed similarly to the now dead Alpha Team.
Knight (Bravo Team field leader): "This is Bravo Team, we are inbound."
Exterior shot of the 2 vans moving from left to right on the highway when they are struck by missiles coming from off screen. Both vehicles are obliterated.
Interior of command center. A Hispanic female Joe commtech turns to Flint.
Commtech: "Sir, we have lost contact with Bravo Team!"
Cut to the main monitor as it fills with static. The static clears and is replaced with Scrap-Iron (seen from mid chest up).
Scrap-Iron: "Flint, Scarlet, I would like to be able to say that it is good to see you again after all of these years, but this isn't a social call. This is goodbye."
Exterior shot of the complex housing Joe headquarters as seen from a distant hill. On the hill sits a black SUV with its tailgate facing in the direction of the complex. Close up on tailgate- a blue sleeved arm with a black glove reaches for the latch and the tailgate opens. Inside the tailgate is a modern update of the iconic missile launcher that came with the original Scrap-Iron action figure.
Cut to an unknown location where Scrap-Iron sits behind a table covered with blueprints (blueprints are for updated versions of iconic Cobra vehicles and a new Battle Android Trooper), weapons, components, etc. While he has the typical middle aged weight gain, he still looks more or less in shape and very dangerous. In his hand is an advanced model of tablet. On the tablet's screen is the Joe complex in the middle of a target reticle and 2 red "FIRE" buttons. He quickly presses one button and then the other.
Cut back to the missile launcher in the back of the SUV as the missile burst forth in a flash of smoke and flame. The camera tracks the missiles from right to left keeping the 2 missiles center frame until moving behind the missiles as they continue into the distance and strike the complex. The explosions are far larger than what would be expected from such compact missiles.
Interior command center- explosions rock the building, monitors explode in showers of sparks, the ceiling caves in.
Interior museum- explosions, the ceiling caves in shattering glass display cases and plunging the scene into darkness. Extreme close up of the photo from the beginning of the film as it slowly begins to curl and blacken from the flames moving in from the edges until it finally consumes Duke's face.
Somber montage of rows of flag draped coffins, Flint's funeral in the rain as his casket is lowered into the ground and his folded flag is handed to his daughter who is crying, Scarlet in a hospital bed- the left side of her face completely bandaged, her left arm is missing as is her left leg from the knee down.
Shot of Scarlet in the hospital bed transitions into a shot of her in a wheelchair. The left side of her face is burned/scarred and she has an eyepatch over her left eye. Her dress uniform's left sleeve and lower pant leg are neatly pressed and pinned to her uniform shoulder and thigh respectively indicating she has lost her limbs.
Reverse shot from behind Scarlet as she addresses the new Joes, now in their uniforms- which are far more unique than their predecessors allowing for easier identification for viewers. Marissa, wearing her father's old beret stands before her 12 teammates (assembled in rows of 6 behind her).
Scarlet (determined): "You are now all that is left of G.I. Joe. Your mission from here on out is to crush Scrap-Iron's network and bring him to justice for what he did to your brothers and sisters in arms."
Marissa salutes than turns to her team as they raise their right arms in the air, fists clenched and shout in unison: "Yo, Joe!"
Screen goes black and the new "G.I. Joe" logo fills the upper 2/3rds of the screen. It looks like brushed metal.
Screen fades. Unseen audience in the dark begins cheering exuberantly but quickly quiet down when the image fades back in and they realize there is still more to see.
Fade in on an enormous dark hall, possibly an aircraft hangar or a warehouse. It is dark but figures can be barely made out in the dark. They are standing at attention, row after row stretching off into the blackness. A single spotlight is visible on a raised platform at the very front of the room.
Close up on spotlighted area. In the center of the light stands Scrap-Iron wearing a blue jumpsuit with black gloves, boots, kneepads, belt, etc. Blood red body armor adorns his torso in a nod to his original action figure. Tucked under his left arm is a modern version of his iconic helmet.
Reverse shot over Scrap-Iron's shoulder as he looks out at the assembled shadowed masses in front of the stage.
Return to previous front shot of Scrap-Iron. A second figure can barely be made out at the very edge of the spotlight. Scrap-Iron smiles his evil grin.
Scrap-Iron: "The troops are ready for you.....Commander."
Scrap-Iron takes one step backwards out of the spotlight and the second figure steps into the light. It is Cobra Commander. Hard, cold eyes peer out from the holes in the blue hood draped over his head. His blue Nazi-esque uniform in cut as intimidatingly as possible. The red Cobra sigil is emblazoned on his chest.
Close up shot of the podium with Cobra Commander standing at the mic. His voice is deep and terrifying, a far cry from the screeching of the old cartoon.
Cobra Commander: "For far too long we have waited in the shadows. Now it is time for Cobra to rise once again!"
The lights come up in the room revealing HUNDREDS of Blue uniformed Cobra soldiers (they are faithful recreations of the "Pursuit Of Cobra" action figures). The first 3 rows in front of the stage have silver chevrons on their helmets denoting their status as officers. The troops begin to chant...
Cobra Troopers/Officers (in unison): "COBRA! COBRA! COBRA!... (this continues until the screen fades back to black.
Black screen with "May 7, 2020" in blood red in the center of the screen and the green "Hulu" logo in the bottom center of the screen.
The lights in the auditorium go up and the fans go crazy. It is Hall H at San Diego Comic Con 2019. On stage is a long table with many people seated behind it, these are the stars of the sizzle reel that the audience just watched. Patton Oswalt is the panel moderator. Seated at the table are Larry Hama (Godfather of "G.I.Joe" and the Executive Producer and Head Writer for the series), Diane Lane, the actress playing Marissa, myself and then down the table are the rest of the new Joes.
Patton Oswalt begins talking to the crowd and introduces the panelists. Questions begin getting asked of the panelists but before it could continue, the alarm went off and I woke up.
