Writers Give More Details On Star Trek Movie Prequel Comics December 10, 2008
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Comics, Star Trek (2009 film) , trackback
In January IDW will release the first issue (of 4) of "Star Trek Countdown," a prequel comic book for the new Star Trek movie, based on a story by the film’s co-writers. Today in an interview with CBR, Roberto Orci along with the writers of the comic Tim Jones and Mike Johnson reveal some of the secrets of this new book, including how TrekMovie.com was part of the genesis.
[SPOILERS]
Excerpts from Comic Book Resources.
Tying the new movie to the TNG era
As reported before, even though the new Star Trek movie takes place primarily in the TOS era, this new comic series will take place in the post Star Trek Nemesis TNG era. In the first press released Orci stated that the comic will ‘pass the baton’ from the TNG era to the new movie. The new interview reveals how this came about.
CBR: How did this comic project come about?
Roberto Orci: Anthony [Pascale] at www.trekmovie.com kept asking what bone can you throw the Next Generation guys as a kind of a passing of the baton, so we finally arrived at doing a [prelude] comic.
Tim Jones: We kind of worked backwards from the Kurtzman/Orci script to figure out Nero’s back-story and find out what’s going on in the Next Generation world.
…more specifically, they noted:
Tim Jones: TNG characters literally play into the story.
Mike Johnson: Both thematically and literally. Well, not literally that there’s actually a little baton that Picard hands over to the new guys – a little silver baton with the Starfleet logo, although that would be awesome. I want one. But literally, it is in the sense that the comic is the missing part of the story between the end of “Star Trek: Nemesis” and the new film.
The team also went into more detail about the comic and the story
TJ: It’s a very poignant character piece tracing the steps of Nero, who descends from a proud Romulan patriot to a murderous arch villain.
MJ: I think fans are going to be pleasantly surprised by the story that starts in #1 and how we introduce Nero. “Star Trek: Countdown” #1 is the issue that sets the stage, and after that the action and drama will steadily increase throughout the series, culminating in a cliffhanger that can only be resolved by a big fat summer blockbuster movie.
"Star Trek" opens May 9
Much more about Star Trek Countdown is available at Comic Book Resources.
Promo image for Countdown
Pre-order Star Trek Countdown now
Individual Issues
at Thing From Another World – tfaw.com (note, not final covers)
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Star Trek Countdown #1 |
Star Trek Countdown #2 |
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$3.19 |
$3.19 |
Issues #3 & #4 are not yet available for pre-order
Trade Paperback
at Amazon.com (note, not final cover)
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Star Trek Countdown |
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$12.23 |
Anthony’s note about ‘throwing a bone’
Regarding Bob’s comment above. Firstly I am honored that something I said to Bob inspired something related to this new book. I am not sure I said ‘throw them a bone’ but I certainly could have. The issue that I had discussed with Bob on a couple of occasions was that I knew the film has a link to the TNG era (via Nero and elder Spock) and I thought that the team could emphasize that for fans of the TNG era. I know that many fans of Trek came into it via the 24th century and many want more stories in that era. So I talked to Bob about how they can show their movie is not just about TOS and also has something of the TNG era in it as well.
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Comments»
I am really looking forward to this. :)
I love the covers
hmmm. i think i’ll consider it canon. The only thing that would change it from being canon is if they turned it into a movie or television version. anything on film or video overrides a comic book.
Never was a fan of TNG but I know many, many people were and I think this will be a very nice bridge indeed. I can’t wait to see it. Who knows…I may become a retroactive TNG fan yet!
And how cool is it that Trekmovie.com had a hand in this? Way to go, Anthony.
Balance of Terror
Unification, Parts I and II
Star Trek: Nemesis
Star Trek: Countdown
Star Trek
Interesting. (First!!)
(guess not first)
I have never been a fan of the comic books, but I will be getting these for sure.
If I pre-order this from Amazon, would I have to wait until the April when the 4th issue comes out to get it? Or would Amazon ship each one as it comes out each month? That’s doubtful I guess.
I wish you could pre-order the individual comics from from amazon.
Consider me well and truly teased. always enjoyed a good comic book and this looks like it’s going to be an excelent builder to the movie.
I am still hoping to see Nero as a follower of Spock on Romulas before he goes to prison. I think it would be a nice character detail.
One other benefit of this new film coming out that no one seems to be discussing is: how the success of this new Trek film could easily spawn a new Trek TV show. And after hearing a number of TNG cast member express interest in taking on the roles again. I propose a new TNG series, like a TNG version of Phase II. Could have an over all specific “mission”, or goal behind the usual “seek out…” plot. Could also involve both the Enterprise AND the TItan on a joint mission to some far off, never traveled or explored part of the galaxy.
I would assume folks at Paramount are already working on this.
I have a whole concept worked out in my head here; i’ve only touched on some specifics above.
The point being, this new film could open up a whole new sand box to play in. Or rather, it could repair the sandbox broken by ENT (no offense to ENT fans, but you have to admit the sandbox is a little wrecked).
RE: Pre-orders
As noted above the Amazon pre-order is for the Trade Paperback which compiles all four individual issues. Usually TPBs come out weeks or months after the final issue, but this one will coincide with the last individual issue (arriving at the end of April).
But if you cannot wait, then you can buy the individual issues, either at your local comic shop, or via the link above to tfaw.com.
…or of course you can buy both the individual issues and the TPB! as I am sure some collectors will do.
I see Data inherited the Scotty hair that disturbed fandom awhile back!
:-)
#8 you CAN oder the comics indiviually. Issue 1 in jan 28th 2009.
you have to wait for April if you want the compilation. thats all four books in one.
#5 – yeah, I was drawing that point-to-point line myself. I’m thinking that the Romulan commander in BoT was Nero’s daddy, and Kirk took him out. Then, being the Romulan nationalist he was, he went over the edge when Spock’s unification initiative finally bore fruit. He gets rounded up as a subversive, thrown in the hoosegow on Rura Penthe, executes a jailbreak, then with Khan-like impetus and determination, goes back in time seeking to deprive both Kirk of his birthright and Spock of a planet for Romulus to unify with.
Bob? Anthony? Am I warm? Or colder than a well digger’s keister?
#15 – “The point being, this new film could open up a whole new sand box to play in. Or rather, it could repair the sandbox broken by ENT (no offense to ENT fans, but you have to admit the sandbox is a little wrecked).”
No offense taken, but I think the claims of wrecking are really somewhat exaggerated. My own feeling was always that ENT did more damage to what fans (including me!) had imagined the 22nd Century would be like than it did to anything established on film, and once I separated my preconceptions from canonical “facts”, it went along rather swimmingly.
To be sure, the show had some issues as a *show*, but that’s a different thing. :)
I think the let themselves get caught at Rura Penthe; it’s a place they can wait until the villians ship is ready. Keep in mind… maybe they steal the ship…
Gotta love time travel.
Post-Nemesis Romulus? Maybe we will be able to credit Shinzon being responsible for the course of events afterwards that will give birth to the new timeline? ;)
16-
Sure, sure…but what did you think of the theme song?
You could say it’s all a matter of taste, but i really feel that ANY song that relies so heavily on lyrics, is misplaced as a Trek theme.
Pop music just becomes dated so easily. Could you imagine if a pop vocalist from the mid-sixties had song the TOS theme song. Unintelligible vocalizing is far enough.
I love they’re escaping from Rura Penthe. Considering the only other person in the galaxy to have escaped was their sworn enemy: James T Kirk.
How awesome is that.
#16 Alex – leave me out of it. LOL
What a brilliant way to feed the salivation of the new movie and the sadness that we might never have found out what happened to TNG. Also an ingenious marketing move to have die hard fans get to feel they have a leg up when the movie hits and to build anticipation. I cant recall this ever being done before with such marriage with the folks behind the upcoming movie.
I’m not a comics reader , but I will soon become one. Be cool this could be made into a animated movie included with the Special Addition Star Trek flick when it hits DVD. I know I know
Confirming that the comic mini-series is going to be post-Nemesis seems to confirm that the android on the cover is not Data, but B4. Sigh. Let’s hope some of Data’s mental transfer from Nemesis finally kicked in, at least enough to make sure that B4 passed a basic intelligence test.
Edition even
So if it takes place after nemesis what’s up with Data it has to be B4? Interesting.
Anthony… thank you for making a difference!
Bob (boborci)… thank you for listening, lurking and learning from all the opining going on here! This is the best movie-tie-in since TWOK era, and wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for both of you.
I hope the Supreme Court goes ahead and declares Countdown canon, and opens a new era of Trekdom where a few authorized comics and books written in conjunction with the Supremes could be part of the milieu.
There’s a good fellow out there named Marco Palmieri that CBS+Paramount+Bad Robot could hire on to coordinate! ;)
I can’t wait to get this! I’m curious to see how Picard will fit into the story. Although I’m sure this will leave us with more questions about the movie and no answers :-)
Aw, shucks, Anthony. Admit that you and your site were part of the genesis of the series. Good job.
As a mostly TNG-era fan, I’m happy to know this will be an explanation as a “prequel” to the movie. I certainly hope and wish the story will make things very interesting! A big ‘Thank you’ for everyone involved in the project!
It’s funny that the movie baton was passed when Kirk was killed in a bungled job, and now the baton is being passed back through time to the original crew!
This is ideal, a bridge for TNG fans 2 TOS/reboot time. I cannot wait!
And it’s by the movies writers. How cool?
Congratulations Anthony. That’s the biggest news for me in this article.
I’m quite pleased and encouraged by this tributes Bob is doing to the fans, like the previous day with the fan made picture of Enterprise being built on the ground, and Anthony’s “bone” for the comic books.
And that’s the kind of man i want to lead the franchise for another 40 years.
Bob Orci, you have my biggest admiration. Believe me, I appreciate this small things much more that the result of the movie in May.
Jesus I’m all excited and this has nothing to do with me. I can only guess how Anthony is feeling. :))
P.S. I have my doubts about JJ’s lack of acknowledgment to the fans, but Bob is compensating quite good. :)))
31# Not written, but plotted i presume?
Anthony Pascale…OUR ADVOCATE! Dude you should run for office.
Really not feeling this cover art. Hope it’s a mockup and gets replaced. I understand the notion of echoing the teaser posters but this is pretty weak.
Other than that, I’m on board.
Interesting to see Nero with hair and without tattoos. That little black streak on Nero’s forehead in the promotional poster is actually hair. So I guess my theory in the other thread about this stands :)
who—-is—-it—-on—-the—-cover—-B4—–or——-Data??
Bring Datas head back! It’s come back before (Time’s arrow) and there was a explosion involved with thst head loss as well.
#11 – rationaloptimism
I concede that some people think the “sandbox has been wrecked”.
That, however, neither is, nor ever was, my opinion.
Is the inclusion of Rura Penthe a rumor or has it been confirmed?
I so have to read this thing!
I really haven’t read a lot of Trek comics (some), but this is totally on my must-read list for ‘09!
the art is awful, has anybody at Paramount ever seen anything from artists like Takehiko Inoue? This half assed and heavily photoshopped stuff is insulting.
I wonder how much Damon Lindellof´s self-professes addicion to comics has with this coming out at all. Either way, I am really looking forward to it!
Ha, for those of us who have seen artists like Takehiko Inoue, suggesting that they’d work in Trek is a pretty funny comment.
I reserved my copies of the first two just now. I can’t wait I had a feeling something to do with after Nemeis I had the feeling. I also heard from some paramount people about the tie in. C an’t say what I NDA even though I signed the NDA and went in for a fitting and they forgot to call me for the scene I was surposed to be in. Though I am not complaining. I will still watch the movie I will just pout in the theater (If I am in the theater since i am possibly deploying overseas in the coming months.) One Way JJ and Crew could make up for forgitting about poor lil me is to send me a copy of the movie in May so I can show troops one my base in Kosovo thats where I am heading. That would make up for it.
Anyways I am looking forward to reading these when they arrive
This is a cool idea. It should be considered canon.
Too bad they couldn’t have found found a small role for Patrick Stewart in the film.
46
Maybe they have, but the haven’t announced it. Kind of how we all thought for the longest time Shatner was in but they were keeping it hush hush.
As long as they bring Data back, I am absolutely considering this series canon, no doubt.
46.
They have.
AS DOCTOR WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I don’t consider the comics canon. I think we should just stick with the rule that have already been set forth, “not canon until it is on screen.” For what it’s worth, I’ll be considering them “official.” That is, valid information from a valid source but not as set in stone as “canon.” Another example of this category would be the “Star Trek TNG Technical Manual.”
Nevertheless, I am very excited about these comics and will definitely be reading them. It is very cool that the film’s production team had a hand in them and that they will fit in nicely between “Nemesis” and “Star Trek 2009″ (as long at the Data or B4 character is consistent with “Nemesis”)
50-In my view, these books apparently have the blessings of the current PTB. So, for all intents and purposes, they should be considered canon.
I’m very pumped for this. Congratulations, Anthony! You now have franchise power! Wow!
As for the comics, the idea just excites me wonderfully. I’m really looking forward to them–although I dearly hope the Supreme Court doesn’t make the mistake of declaring them canon. Keep ‘em labeled “official” like the tech manual, so they’re assumed to be true unless contradicted on-screen, but don’t bind future writers to them absolutely.
Very excited to see what the post-Nemesis vision of the new team is, though. I’ve got great confidence in Orci, Jones, and Johnson.
And, again, congrats to Tony.
This is pretty cool… I not into comics, but I’ll probably buy this series.
They should have made this “set up” story into a series of 5-minute animated “webisodes” that lead up to the Star Trek movie opening.
I guess it would have been expensive to get Patrick Stewart and the rest of the “crew” to voice their parts, and it would be difficult for someone else to fake Patrick Stewart doing Picard.
OK… I guess the comic series makes sense.
#11
I certainly hope they stay away from doing another tv show for quite a while. Over saturation killed Trek in the late 90’s/early 00’s, so let’s not jump on that train again. Slow and measured approach would be my preference. Maybe after a successful 2nd movie.
I’m not a comic book guy, but I’ll probably be looking into this, too. Kinda cool tie-in for TNG fans. In fact, maybe Bob & the other writers can manage a more fitting goodbye than Nemesis (actually, that can’t really be that hard considering how bad that was, can it?)
It’s a great idea Anthony. No reason a developed link between ST & TNG can’t be established using the characters from the movie… I’m not much for the 24th century, but overall it has some interesting characters and relationships. And many good stories.
I’m interested in what became of the original characters after star trek 6. I’d read a comic about that, too.
I say, redo the saga after star trek 6 as well. …Star Trek 7 was lame.
Re 45:
Chris… So sorry you didn’t get that call! Just wanted to write and wish you best of luck in Kosovo… and also a heartfelt thanks to you for serving our country! I just watched your video w/ Natalija Nogulich (Admiral Nechayev) and left a comment on YouTube there. She seems like an incredibly sweet person, and what a wonderful gesture on her part for the troops. Well anyways, take care and hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
19. The pop theme songs date easily? My God, the Enterprise theme song was dated from day one, sounded like a riff on ’80s Journey schlock. Made me cringe. And I hated that the only achievements in space prior to the Federation evidently were American ones. The whole TOS philosophy was about coming together as nations, and utlimately planets. Would have been nice if they would have tossed a bone to the Russkies, the EU folks, and even the Chinese (or did that predate the Chinese Suzhou orbits?)
Whoops.
Errata: Shenzhou.
I’ve been in China too long. . .
# 39 – Thank you for saying what needed to be said…
CBS took out the sandbox and a whole lot of potential to boot.
#19 – “16- Sure, sure…but what did you think of the theme song?
You could say it’s all a matter of taste, but i really feel that ANY song that relies so heavily on lyrics, is misplaced as a Trek theme.”
I actually didn’t mind the song, because it captured the tone of the show very well, especially Archer’s arc.
That said, I think “Archer’s Theme”, which played over the end titles, would have been better as the show’s main theme. I had thought, though, that what ENT needed, and didn’t get, was something much more up-tempo. The DS9 and VOY themes were both gorgeous pieces of music, but they were very sedate and measured, not really infusing the kind of energy that Star Trek had needed for a while, even by then.
#53
Expensive or not, I’m certain that Stewart would have done the voice had he been asked. He’s played Picard in practically every Star Trek video game that had voice acting. Would have been a nice thought
@60…
In summer 2001 there were some runup ads for ENT, short teasers with Archer and Tucker etc. They featured “Wherever You Will Go” by The Calling, whitch gave the whole thing much more speed than the final product offered…
#16—”…I think the claims of wrecking are really somewhat exaggerated. My own feeling was always that ENT did more damage to what fans (including me!) had imagined the 22nd Century would be like than it did to anything established on film, and once I separated my preconceptions from canonical “facts”, it went along rather swimmingly.”
Well put.
Great – hope we can get the comics in oz
Anyway I loved the ENT mirror universe theme – set the scene perfectly
TJ: It’s a very poignant character piece tracing the steps of Nero, who descends from a proud Romulan patriot to a murderous arch villain.
Do I get this right ?
Nero is the descend of Mark Lenard’s character ?
That would be the second version in comic form
Is it just me or do comic characters from the Star Trek (TNG) universe have extremely dark eyebrows???
These drawings of the TNG crew make me think they should make a high-quality TNG animated series.
#65—I don’t think you can assume that. I think that means a descent in his own status.
In other words, he is a proud Romulan patriot who eventually becomes a murderous arch villain…a downward turn, in Johnson’s view.
@ #66 Steve:
“Is it just me or do comic characters from the Star Trek (TNG) universe have extremely dark eyebrows???”
You’re right, they are kind of dark. xD; But, it’s comicking, so it’s just given that it’s supposed to be a bit exaggerated..? Hehe.
I’m more into mangas myself, but maybe I’ll take a first look at American Comics (aside from all my “Garfield” collections) with this! 8D
#68 … Do you plan to read these? I’m looking forward to them. I can recommend a few good comic shops if you need me to.
#70—I absolutely plan to read them!
I’ve never been a comic book guy, but for me, this whole thing is very special.
Closettrekker …
I’m in the same boat. It is an interesting idea. As much as I like the Star Trek ‘09 concept, I do wish they could have given Picard one last try on the silver screen.
Oh crap… now they even want to mess with the TNG timeline?
We TNG fans have the books! We do not need Abrams Trek 24th century.
Wait… There are people who don’t like TNG?
I…
Don’t understand?!
Is that even, like, scientifically possible? Even non-trek fans love TNG..
MY UNIVERSE IS SHATTERED!
#74—TNG never resonated with me. When I heard of its coming debut, I was very excited. It was really at the height of my enjoyment of the original film series, and I had watched every TOS episode in syndication 20 or 30 times by then (since the 70’s).
When it came, it had not lived up to my expectations. I found the characters merely a shadow of their predecessors. By the 3rd season, I’d stopped watching altogether. It was only years later that I saw the rest of the series in its own syndication run, but never with anything more than casual interest.
Holodecks, android pinnochios, caveman Klingons, ship’s counselors, children on the bridge, excessive technobabble, Earl Grey tea—-all set aboard the USS Hilton…It did nothing for me, except to amplify my longing for the more romantic TOS-era.
TOS was colorful, adventurous, sexy, and best of all—entertaining. I thought the characters in TNG were one big snoozefest.
There were some highpoints. To this day, I’ll go out of my way to watch “Yesterday’s Enterprise”, for example. That’s just good writing. Kudos to them for that.
DS9 did a little bit to reclaim the “frontier feeling” I always felt was lost on TNG, and the characters were at least a little bit more interesting to me, but it really never found its stride as a series until it had taken a far more dark turn. I thought it was okay on its own, but it still never felt like Star Trek to me.
VOY was awful. Just plain awful.
By the time ENT premiered, I had all but forgotten that they were still making Star Trek spinoffs. After it was cancelled, I caught a few episodes and eventually bought the dvd’s.
Go figure…I actually liked it (although the characters could still never so much as shine the boots of Kirk/Spock/McCoy), especially when it finally started to feel like a prequel to TOS…right up until a fat Riker and Troi showed up with a holodeck program!
Betrayed. I could have thrown up.
Enter Bo Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Bryan Burk, and yes…Mr. Abrams.
Finally… a return to the glory days of Star Trek—-the 23rd Century, under the flag of creative artists who might not be afraid to once again go boldly, and without the handcuffs.
Let’s have a captain who will gladly fistfight and fornicate his way to resolving a problem, a Southern doctor with a sarcastic yet undeniably humanistic approach to the Universe, and a half-Vulcan science officer who, although he’d never admit it, is more human than any of us (all of whom can reach but a fraction of their own potential without one another).
Throw in a two-fisted, occasionally hard drinking engineer with a penchant for making “miracles” happen, and you’ve got yourself some characters that audiences know and cannot help but love. You end up with the potential to entertain more than just some “geeks only” club, armed with their TNG technical manuals and overly-sterilized notions of the revisionist Roddenberry doctrine prevalent in the late 80’s and perpetuated throughout the 90’s within the extended Bermanverse.
You might just end up with Star Trek…the one I fell in love with some 30 years ago.
It’s time to remove the handcuffs, IMO.
You should have never lost the key! :)
Since you couldn’t stand TNG, you would have really hated Star Trek: Phase II, wouldn’t you?
I always enjoyed TNG knowing that Riker was not Decker, Picard was not Kirk-old, Data was not Xon, and Denise-Crosby-as-Troi was not Ilia. TNG was more the David Gerrold Let’s Have A Generation Ship approach: in that regard, kids onboard made sense… given that this was sold as an exploration vessel, where the ship would really never be in jeopardy. Of course the conceit that is Q immediately ruined that idea: which made me wonder why Picard’s first course after Farpoint was to return to Earth and disembark all families and children… especially including Wesley Eugene Crusher.
Just be glad we never got Phase II.
#76—”Just be glad we never got Phase II.”
In many ways, I am. Kirk and McCoy without Spock might not have been as good. But I probably would have liked it more than I liked TNG, and probably only because Roddenberry would have been in a different state of mind about Star Trek than he was a decade later, and perhaps Dorothy Fontana (my favorite Trek writer) would have been a bigger participant than she was in TNG. If we had gotten ST: Phase II, we would not likely have enjoyed the glory days of the original movie era, at least not in the same form.
We’ll never really know what move was better for the franchise, since we only know the result of the road taken, but it is difficult to imagine that a series without my favorite Star Trek character could have ever been as good to me as what ended up–IMO–to be 4 very good films and 1 decent one with that character aboard.
But my passion for Star Trek slowly went to sleep with the 24th Century spinoffs, and it has only been awakened by the notion of a new Star Trek movie that features the iconic characters of old living in the 23rd Century.
And for the record, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I “couldn’t stand” TNG, otherwise I would never have taken any time to see the rest of it in syndication. I simply had no “passion” for it, primarily because I never cared for the characters (which I thought was the strength of TOS). There is a difference for sure.
#73 – You are assuming too much.
I still remember that great story in TNG with Spock … was it Unification Pt1 and 2? I always wondered about what happened to Spock and his mission with the Romulans. I just remembered it as such a great episode and story. I was actually hoping that they would finish that story in a TNG movie. I’m still sadden by the fact that TNG was never really given any justice in the movies. First Contact was a such a great movie (it wasn’t perfect though I admit), and Insurrection and Nemesis just was plain disappointing. Only saw it once and I never wanted to see it again … and I’m a big TNG fan. Too bad Shatner wasn’t in this movie … perhaps in the sequel after this movie makes oogles of cash?
Did I mention that I’m excited about this new incarnation with a good non-ST director and big budget?
Geeze why does someone ALWAYS have to diss “Enterprise”?
I mean it certainly wasn’t the strongest or best Star Trek series and it only lasted 4 seasons, but the 4th season was particularly strong, especially the Vulcan episode arc, which was some of the best Trek that there has been so far of any series.
I like to throw a bone out there this could be a good book or movie about End Times. There are a lot of things talking about the subject. Here is a little bit that can go in different ways and I hope someone would act on this subject. It is called the Watchers, one or two ways this can go. Super Heroes in space that are protecting the world until the time of the End. There then have to reveil themselves for a dark presence comes and the battle for our souls begins. Two, an alien race tasked by God to protect us until the 1000 year cycle comes they would watch over us until God’s decision to end it or save us. Three make it an action love story where one of the Watches accidently kills an inocent human and has to replace him on Earth until the End. He this there falls in love and have to find and save the savior whom God puts on Earth for him to do his penance until the End of time on Earth. There will be battles, rumors of wars, action thriller. I hope someone will write something up and run with this idea.