THE FANTASTIC FOUR

Written by
Lamar Robertson & Tucks McKenna

BLACKNESS... BLACKNESS FILLS THE SCREEN

Muffled crackling sounds. Barely audible voices muted by the
rustles but they soon fade. The screen HEAVES up as we
realize - Our camera isnt standard.
FROM CAMERA A
INT. DIMLY LIT CAVE - DAWN
The camera take its time focusing on a distant man standing.
Short, pudgy. Grubby in an utterly eccentric way. He agitates
as rain THUMPS the hard ground from the outside. Followed by
ROARING thunder.
This is HARVEY ELDER. His sweaty palms grips a microphone to
his mouth. Wetting his lips for stalling support. Taking a
deep breath, begins to speak without inflection.
HARVEY
One hundred forty seven miles off
the coast of Japan, pioneering the
desolate island and charting
between our crust and mantle...
The camera WIDENS and reveal four spelunkers positioned just
under a lighting apparatus. ALYSSA MOY. Petite, shy, and
beautifully freckled. The geologist. DRUID, brown skin and
the most lively of the bunch, the forensic pathologist. MAC,
thin and pretentious, the biologist. And of course Harvey
himself, the leader of this expedition. The cryptozoologist.
HARVEY (CONTD)
A team of scientists stand willing
to make the unknown known, prove
the unproven proven, and have one
hell of a time doing it.
The camera again singles on Harvey as he eases his way over
to a wall of mineral deposits. Etched with complex glyphs
that could have only come from ancient civilization.
He uses his pocket magnifier and PANS across the wall.
Smiles.
HARVEY (CONTD)
Organically decaying, maybe thirtyforty thousand years old.
Harvey kneels, still observing across the glyphs.

2.

HARVEY (CONTD)
Damn there impossible to grasp
understanding or meaning. But in
theory, I say the linguistic
originates from the Moloids.
Harvey stands and reaches for his back-pocket, snatching a
wrinkled paper. Rushing to unfold it, he fills the screen
with the penciled drawing.
Humanoid figures with long arched fingers and ostrich like
feet. Thin but agile. Eyes wrapping across the head with
miniscule corneas.
HARVEY (CONTD)
Far from accurate but from
extensive research and decomposed
anatomy PM, we can suggest this is
how they would appear.
Harvey wraps the paper, goes from one corner to the next.
Extensively detailing and highlighting every landmark
noticeable.
HARVEY (CONTD)
The Moloids once roamed this here
surface. A civilization within its
own. But as humanity population
grew, the outside world became
frightening.
Harvey fills the screen once again with another paper. A
diagrammatic representation of a series of tunnels converging
into the middle.
HARVEY (CONTD)
With the use of network tunnels
leading to the Earths core, they
explored and hid in what is now
known as the Subterranea. Concealed
between our inner and outer core,
this body of land once stood steady
before the Great Cataclysm event
caused it to be submerged tens of
thousands of years agoA CUT- To indicate a time lapse.
ULYSSES STONE, strongly and solidly built, a nice tall
stature with laid back blonde hair; presumably the director
who lowers the camera.

3.

ULYSSES
We show scy-fy this we wont even
get picked up for an episode.
HARVEY
Its good to inform the audience.
ULYSSES
No one knows this stuff better than
you and no wants to. Were myth
busters not teachers.
Harvey begins to reiterate, an irritatingly glance on his
face, but he keeps composure.
HARVEY
Im being comprehensive whilst
building excitement and tension.
Theres no sense in going straight
for the discovery if our audience
doesnt know what it is were
looking for.
ULYSSES
And what are we looking for? Youre
Subterranea?
HARVEY
Youre being contradictory.
ULYSSES
No contradiction intended. This
show is just as reality based as it
is fantasy.
HARVEY
Subterranea isnt fantasy, its
untold history.
ULYSSES
You mean a hypothetical notion that
has been dismissed? Hollow Earth is
nothing but folklore,
pseudoscience, and crack-pot
theory.
Harvey drops the map as the mild wind SWEEPS it farther. He
gallingly smirks smugly.
HARVEY
I guess well find out. Roll the
camera.

4.

CUT TO:
INT. VALLEY OF CRYSTALS - DAWN - LATER
An EXTREME CLOSE-UP of a kaleidoscopic suffuse. Slowly PULL
BACK to reveal a slanted pillar... Several pillars,
translucent of one another.
Up on top of the fringe, the crew TRUDGE down a gorge laced
within hazmat suits.
The rad meter Alyssa is holding begins to CHIRP with activity
- Levels are rising.
ALYSSA
Make sure youre properly
protected. Non-lethal for now but
once we hit the bottom we can only
endure approximately 7 minutes of
exposure at a time.
Ulysses sees that Alyssa has exhausted herself with the pick.
He takes over for her.
Harvey is looking at the walls of the stone pocket, looking
for fissures. His lights pick out something in the stone. He
LOOKS CLOSER:
Tiny black flecks. Harvey, ever the scientist, forgets their
predicament and begins chipping at the stone.
HARVEY
Ive found something.
He chips further in as he hits nothing but rock. He curses as
he continues down.
They hit the pond as Alyssa rad meter begins BEEPING
frantically.
DRUID
Anyone feeling dizzy? Catching a
headache? Overwhelmingly pressured?
MAC
Were fine. Turn that meter off,
would you?
Harvey slinks over to a crystal, runs his hand across the
smooth, dry surface.

5.

Alyssa readies the camera steady on a tri-pod.

ALYSSA
Ready when you are, Harvey.
Harvey skims over his notes. Nods, puts them away. The rest
of the crew spread as they explore the cave.
HARVEY
Filming.
ALYSSA
And... Action.
FROM CAMERA A
Harvey takes a deep breath before commencing in describing
the crystals in ultra-detail.
HARVEY
We stand in the worlds largest
natural crystal cave as it abodes
crystals up to 17 meters in length,
6 meters in diameter and 78 tons in
weight. Extremely hot with air
temperatures reaching up to 64
degrees Celsius with 90 to 99
percent humidity.
Harvey smiles as he points to his fogged mask obscuring his
face.
We ZOOM OUT and WIDE-ON the housing of the crystals.
HARVEY (O.C.) (CONTD)
A beauty to behold; The valley of
crystals.
The camera steadies back on Harvey as he tours the between
the encased pillars.
HARVEY (CONTD)
However, the beauty of the valley
is not why we journey through here.
My sensitive radar scope detected
anomalies with lower intensity of
2.0 magnitude. Suggested, maybe it
was a result of underground nuclear
testing or even large detonations
of conventional explosives, but no.
(MORE)

6.

HARVEY (CONTD)
What I detected was rippling
gravitational waves and was able to
pin-point it to this exact
location.
Harvey continues walking as the camera freezes. Soon Harvey
notices, stops as hes shook by Alyssa.
HARVEY (CONTD)
What are you doing?
Shes staring off into the distance. An orange hue glinting
within the dark of the valley. Gleaming, we see an antennae
glow with the same orange hue, then eyes.
The shine grows brighter into a bright yellow, and the yellow
grows bigger at a rapid pace.
Harvey turns, snatches his flashlight and tries to stable it
on the hue.
HARVEY (CONTD)
Oh my God...
The camera WOBBLES and SHAKES and a loud CRACKLING SCREECH is
heard the hued pitch flies overhead with a gust knocking the
camera down.
Harvey stands and sprints the immediate direction.
CUT- As we revert normally. Alyssa reaches for her
transmitter, cautiously yells into it.
ALYSSA
Weve found something... I dont
know what it is. But we found
something.
INT. VALLEY OF CRYSTALS - DAWN - SOMEWHERE ELSE
Harvey is straining to see through the pillars, scanning the
bleak outlook. He races across a shallow pond as he tries to
connect a go-pro to his helmet.
HARVEY
This is what our viewers will want.
To the right, the tinted shape of the creature appears,
flying low over the pillars. Harvey banks. Bursts out of the
crystals and splashes across the pond and into an old,
abandoned cave network, planted over with pre-historic
plants.

7.

Several yards in front of him, the creature is still hugging

the ground. It has impossibly long, skinny wings, blunt on
the edge. The tops of its wings are covered with gruesome
scars.
The creature WEAVES at speed through the old, trampled
crystals in the desolated, past oversized area of the cave.
Harvey rounds a corner and come face-to-face with a crystal
pillar. He jerks to avoid it but loses an LCD monitor.
The creature guides the desolation from pillar to pillar,
trying to chart a straight path across the field. It bounces
as it smashes through a set of pillars. Ahead, Harvey is
banking, nearing the creature.
The creature LANDS as we get our first good look at it.
ANNIHILUS. Gaunt and wicked in the most disturbed way. Wartorn and weary, its yellow eyes gaze back at Harvey.
HARVEY (CONTD)
(prone)
Son of a bitch...
Harvey attentively reaches for his go-pro camera. Stalks it
upon Annihilus.
Annihilus growls, its claws snikt. His gnarly face becomes
shielded by his transference helmet and small tectonic plates
merges his body. His heavy breaths are heard going through
the helmet, almost robotic like. He crawls and creeps towards
Harvey, who stands alert.
Annihilus plucks the go-pro from Harveys grip. Observes it.
Annihilus chest plate on the cybernetic micro-circuitry
drapes a brightly yellow rod. Harvey notices it but jumps
from the sound of Annihilus crushing the go-pro.
He YANKS Harvey by the neck, raises him eye-level. The helmet
enclose as Annihilus stutters with its words.
ANNIHILUS
Fragile human, are you no more than
wretched beast?
Annihilus squeezes Harveys neck harder.
ANNIHILUS (CONTD)
This universe has no room for
weaklings.
Harvey struggles as he begins to lose conscience. He FLOPS in
the air but Ulysses dashes into the room, firing an assault
rifle at Annihilus.

8.

Annihilus drops Harvey as he turns and ROARS. Stone takes a

second and reloads but doesnt fire back. Annihilus isn't
attacking but focused on the weaponry in his hand. The two
circle each other.
After a beat of tension, Ulysses fires another round. No
damage as the bullets ricochet off the armor. He loads
another clip.
ULYSSES
No moral in a fight. Take off the
armor.
Annihilus looks up, a notable gaze in his eyes.
ANNIHILUS
The moral is that you have the
respect to earn a chance? You
dont.
Ulysses lowers the gun, staggered at the cold response.
ANNIHILUS (CONTD)
Youre burdened by the principles
but the only way of sensibility is
cynicism. Then again...
Annihilus IMPALES Ulysses through his abdomen.
ANNIHILUS (CONTD)
As to life is its privilege death
is its reward. Shame you never got
the honor in war.
He drops the gored body and turns to Mac who throws a bottle.
Makes contact with Annihilus helmet, causing it to fall back.
Mac throws another body and causes Annihilus to fall to its
knees. He ruggedly coughs a green, goo acid onto the
pavement.
ANNIHILUS (CONTD)
As savage as you present yourself
you interest me the most...
Another bottle crashes against his face.
ANNIHILUS (CONTD)
I have yet to scratch the surface
on your purpose of existence...
Mac raises another bottle but doesnt make contact. He waits
for Annihilus to finish his closure.

9.

ANNIHILUS (CONTD)
But the forward thinking of
understanding...
(Beat)
This should be fun.
BAM. The bottle knocks him out cold.
The last remaining crew circle around Annihilus as they
respite.
FADE OUT:
EXT. MONSTER ISLE - DAY
A forested island with wildfires and earthquakes shaken and
burned what was left. A HUGE grotesque volcano sits in the
middle of the island as a tandem rotor helicopter SWOOPS over
following the coast.
The helicopter circles the island until he finds a long, flat
grassland in the center of the island.
EXT. FIELD - MONSTER ISLE - DAY
The helicopter bounces and hops to a halt in waist-deep
grass. Walking out of the helicopter is VIKTOR VON DOOM,
imperiously SUAVE DETERMINED. Following her, the pretentious
Doctor Franklin Storm climbs out.
Doom and Storm approach Mac who guided the helicopter down.
Doom slings a sizable briefcase over his shoulder as Franklin
carries another. A few dozen yards from the plane they reach
Mac and the entrance of the cave.
Doom stops, mesmerized by a paper stuck between tumbleweeds.
Grabs it, Harveys map.
ALYSSA (O.S.)
We had a mole.
INT. VALLEY OF CRYSTALS - CAPSULE - DAY
Alyssa and Harvey search through a confined, chrome pod.
Harveys attention focused on a several viewscreens as Alyssa
stands next to him.
ALYSSA
Mac was an informant for something
called the Future Foundation.
(MORE)

10.

ALYSSA (CONT'D)
I dont know how much I can trust
him but he said the people here are
experts.
Alyssa turns to Harvey, who isnt paying any attention.
ALYSSA (CONTD)
Harvey, do you hear me?
Harvey stares into the viewscreens: an inferior quality,
observations of our planet Earth and countless people,
cities, states, countries, and continents.
HARVEY
It was surveilling our planet for
who knows how longFRANKLIN
It couldve been thirteen years or
it couldve been three.
Harvey turns, Franklin enters the capsule. Casually takes his
seat next to the two.
FRANKLIN (CONTD)
Youve made quite the discovery.
HARVEY
Not the discovery I anticipated,
but creditable nonetheless.
Franklin nods. Extends his arm for a greeting.
FRANKLIN
Im Franklin StormHARVEY
Yeah, I know who you are. Founder
of the Future Foundation.
Harvey ignores the gesture, Franklin pulls back.
HARVEY (CONTD)
You dont make the tomorrow better
you make it the best.
FRANKLIN
Right. Scientist yourself?
HARVEY
Was.
FRANKLIN
What happened?

11.

HARVEY
A repeating of history. As John
Scopes once challenged creationism
I challenged the laws of belief.
Reality.
FRANKLIN
Well you have my respect.
Harvey ignores the sentiments. Franklin stands, walks across
from the two. A change in attitude as his voice becomes more
stern and professional.
FRANKLIN (CONTD)
What you detected was in fact
gravitational anomaly. Wormholes
colliding with our atmosphere.
ALYSSA
Within our atmosphere?
FRANKLIN
(Laughs)
Not exactly. If that happened wed
all be consumed by now. The anomaly
you detected was most likely
disintegrating portals. Not for
more than a few billionths of a
second, the meeting of our world
and another.
ALYSSA
Portals are impossible.
FRANKLIN
Were extraterrestrials impossible
before today, Ms. Moy? Ignorance is
bliss.
That shuts Alyssa up for now.
FRANKLIN (CONTD)
Unprecedented technology proves
otherwise and have granted the
stability needed to create a
substantial portal.
Harvey and Alyssa glance at each other as Franklin smiles.
INT. VALLEY OF CRYSTALS - DAY
Viktor and Franklin stand across a set of encased pillars.
Harvey and Alyssa are behind. He leans into her ear.

12.

HARVEY
Make sure youre recording this.
Viktor opens his case as a low, flat armored gun is emplaced.
He reaches for it. Clasps it. He wires it on to a lathe and
directs it inbetween two pillars.
He pulls back on the triggers lever. The flaring rings and
glow of the muzzle spout out brighter and louder. Energy
builds up into a BEAM which HITS at the end of both the
crystals surface. The great maelstrom beam FIRES the energy.
The beam then forms a VORTEX, which then opens up a sparkling
sphere.
Viktor reaches for Franklins same mechanism, firing it up
the same. This time, opens up a PORTAL within the sphere.
From the portal, the blackness of SPACE, beautiful and
mysterious, strewn with a billion stars appears and a GUST of
ORANGE ENERGY CLOUDS fill the room, shining everyone.
It's abnormally quiet. Then... A small SNAP is heard. An
infinitesimal ripple travels through the space and bounces
off the clothing and strands of hair of the crew standing.
Harvey and Alyssa stand nervously as the ripple approaches
them and Alyssa in fright drops the camera. The ripple zero-g
catches the camera.
FROM CAMERA A
The camera steadies as if on a tri-pod but slowly begins to
move forward... And forward... And closer into the portals
mouth. It slowly egresses in and we begin our TITLE SEQUENCE:
SPACE.
But not the dark lonely corner of it were used to. This is a
glistening environ full of striking stars and ravaged
planets. The camera steadies along a trail; A variegated
gassed mist that runs for millions of miles.
Through the lively, and vibrant atmosphere, its just as
majestically quiet and beautiful in the most awe-inspiring
way.
Countless beats of spectacle, we approach a much more calm
aura. An asteroid ring slowly revolves and lingers but before
we can get any great look of it; we PULL BACK heavily.

13.

INT. AIR FORCE HANGAR - NIGHT