Paragon Vol 1 1

## Appearing

**Featured Characters**

* Paragon (first appearance, flashback and main story)

**Supporting Characters**

* Colonel Wade Rogers (first appearance)
* Professor Stella Hart (first appearance)
* Agent Q (first appearance)
* Doug Wattson (first appearance)
* Cole Rodriguez (first appearance, flashback and main story)

**Antagonists**

* Peter Lane (first appearance, unnamed)
* "The Whites" (first and only appearance, flashback)

**Locations**

* New York City, New York
	+ Project Paragon Base

**Items**

* Paragon Armor

## Synopsis

Marine Corps veteran Malcolm Strong is called in by government agents to test out a new super armor that they've created.

## Transcript

Marine Malcolm Strong and his partner Cole Rodriguez wander through a small destroyed town in an unspecified area.

* **Cole:** This place is a total dump. No way the Whites are operating here!
* **Malcolm:** We have a man on the inside, Cole. Why would he lie to us?
* **Cole:** You just trust everyone, don't you Mal?
* **Malcolm:** It's the only thing I can do. Without trust, we wouldn't've made it past sticks and stones.
* **Cole:** Sure, keep telling yourself that... Boy Scout...
* **Malcolm:** Did you just call me a Boy Scout?

Before he can answer, a gun is fired. Both men turn and see a group of five men in white standing in front of them. The men's leader nods his head and a deceased man in white is tossed in front of the two. There's a brief moment of silence.

* **Cole:** That's our man on the inside, isn't it?
* **Malcolm:** ...Do any of you speak English?
* **Whites Leader:** Talk fast.
* **Malcolm:** So you do... alright... my name is Malcolm Strong. This is my partner Cole Rodriguez. We--
* **Whites Leader:** You've been sent to take our members into custody. We won't allow it. This country is in need of us.
* **Malcolm:** You're a guerrilla force of would-be vigilantes that stole military equipment and put multiple people's lives at risk. Trust me when I say they probably don't need you as much as you think.
* **Whites Leader:** It is for the betterment of humanity!
* **Cole:** Six office workers are in the hospital because of you.

The Whites Leader pauses before making a gesture with his hand. The rest of the Whites pull out their guns and open fire, with Cole and Malcolm ducking for cover. Malcolm grabs a rifle and starts firing. Cole pulls a machine gun and does the same. The fight isn't too long, as they manage to shoot them down with relative ease.

* **Cole:** Well, that was a helluva lot easier than I thought it'd be.

A hidden White begins bursts out of a bush.

* **Malcolm:** Behind you!

The White stabs Cole in the leg twice before being gunned down by him.

* **Malcolm:** Crap!

Malcolm runs over to Cole.

* **Malcolm:** You alright?!
* **Cole:** I'll live. We got damn lucky today though.
* **Malcolm:** Yeah, but we did.

Cole smiles and holds his hand out. Malcolm grabs it and the shake each other's hands, smiling. Cut to present day. An alarm clock goes off in a really shabby apartment and a now slightly overweight Malcolm gets up. He puts his hand over his ear.

* **Malcolm:** Crap, ringing's back... this sucks...

Malcolm gets up and tries to pour a bowl of cereal but the milk runs out half-way. He opens his fridge back up. He has no more milk.

* **Malcolm:** Damn it.

He stands in his living room on a weighing scale.

* **Malcolm:** I've ***gained*** two pounds?! how?!
* **Malcolm (narration):** I keep having dreams about when I was in the Marines.

Malcolm's revealed to be talking to a cashier.

* **Malcolm:** Not, like, PTSD-style. Just things I've done in the Marines. Is that weird to you?
* **Cashier:** Sir, I get paid eight an hour and that's honestly not enough for me to care about anything you're saying right now...
* **Malcolm:** Forget it.

Malcolm walks out of the shop and pulls out his phone, revealing his background is of him and Cole as Marines. He looks at the picture and smiles.

* **???:** You Malcolm Strong?

Malcolm puts his phone away and looks at a man approaching him.

* **Malcolm:** That depends. Who's askin'?
* **Wade:** I'm Wade Rogers. A pleasure.
* **Malcolm:** Who?
* **Wade:** I'm Colonel in the military. I've heard a lot about you. "The man who was never injured". That's what they call you.
* **Malcolm:** I can't deny that.

Wade looks around the area before walking in close to Malcolm.

* **Malcolm:** Yo, personal space...
* **Wade:** Listen, I know you probably won't believe me, but tonight someone's going to show up at your doorstep...

Malcolm looks at him in confusion. It cuts to him pacing in front of his door.

* **Wade (narration):** If you want to serve your country again, follow him...

Malcolm stops pacing and leans against his wall, staring at his door. He stands there for a little bit before someone knocks, catching him slightly off-guard. He answers and a man in full black and sunglasses stands in front of him.

* **Agent Q:** You're Malcolm Strong, I'm Agent Q. I'm the person that Rogers told you about earlier. You may either follow me and I'll show you how to serve your country again or you can stay here and never tell anyone of my existence.
* **Malcolm:** I suppose I can serve.
* **Agent Q:** Good.

He sprays Malcolm with something and knocks him out. When Malcolm finally comes to, he's sitting in a chair inside of a massive base. He takes it all in for a good second.

* **Wade:** Ah, good!

Malcolm sees Wade standing on a platform above him.

* **Wade:** You're finally awake!
* **Malcolm:** The hell?
* **Wade:** Sorry but we couldn't compromise our position. The plan was to just put a blindfold over your eyes but...
* **Agent Q:** I improvised.

Malcolm looks to his right and sees Agent Q standing in a corner.

* **Malcolm:** ...You're crazy, aren't you?
* **Agent Q:** If you expect an apology you won't get one...
* **Malcolm:** So you're crazy, good to know...

Wade walks down to Malcolm's level.

* **Wade:** The point is, we have something for you that we think you'd appreciate. It'll let you get back into action after your Marine life.
* **Malcolm:** And that is...?

Cut to later on, Wade opens up a door for Malcolm revealing a red and silver metal suit.

* **Wade:** The Paragon armor. Able to lift a 3,000-ton train, move faster than the fastest vehicles in the world, and, with the help energy projecting palms and feet plates, can fly higher than the clouds.
* **Malcolm:** Oh my god... this is insane!
* **???:** Thank you.

A woman and a man in lab coats walk out from behind the armor.

* **Woman:** I was going for that exact reaction while making it!
* **Wade:** Malcolm, meet Stella Hart and her assistant Doug Wattson. She created the armor and he made sure it wouldn't explode.
* **Malcolm:** Why would it explode?
* **Doug:** We had to experiment with nuclear radiation for some parts of it.
* **Malcolm:** What?! that's nuts! why would you do that?!
* **Doug:** it wouldn't have worked.
* **Malcolm:** Do you... do you want me to get ***in*** that thing?
* **Agent Q:** Pretty obvious, isn't it?
* **Malcolm:** You're all insane! there's no way I would ever--
* **Wade:** What else do you have to do? you're bored with life now that you're not a Marine anymore. Back then you could help people. Now what?

Malcolm goes quiet.

* **Malcolm:** ...Go to hell.
* **???:**Sorry, I can't.

Malcolm turns around, revealing an older Cole, who is walking with a cane.

* **Cole:** I've been there too many times. They won't let me come in anymore.
* **Malcolm:** C-Cole?
* **Cole:** Been a while. You put on some pounds.
* **Malcolm:** Coming from the guy that aged eighty years in only six?
* **Cole:** The war changed me.
* **Malcolm:** The war changed a lot of people, didn't it?
* **Cole:** Listen, Mal... these guys called me here because they thought you'd say no. And, I know you think it's crazy, but please. Wear this armor. The war didn't end, it just moved location. The new Whites are criminals making the world a worse place for everyone to be in. So please, if you won't do it for them then do it for me. Become this world's paragon of justice.
* **Malcolm:** Fine. Only for you. No for crazy dude, lady mad scientist, jolly white general or the mad scientist's nuclear-using assistant.

Cole smiles.

* **Cole:** Welcome to Project Paragon, Mal.

The two shake hands. Meanwhile, a man in a chemsuit is seen walking through the halls of the building, waving at people while he does so. He eventually makes his way to a large metal door and opens it with a keycard. He walks into the room and takes his mask off, revealing it to not be the same man as on the keycard. The man then pulls out a phone.

* **Man:** I'm in but it took a lot of effort to find a place without cameras in this building and to knock out that guy. So, what I'm saying is, double my pay or I'm not doing it.

The man waits for a response.

* **Man:** Wonderful.

He hangs up and it's revealed he's standing in front of a version of the Paragon armor inside of a glass tank.

* **Man:** Payday, here I come...

The comic ends with a caption reading "To Be Continued..."

## Notes

* First appearance of Paragon and his supporting cast.