Freestyle Academy proudly presents

Origin Story: A Senior Mise en Scene Illustration by Michael Francisco (2012)

All Max Marter wants to be is a superhero. Life would be so much easier if he wasn't just a puny fifth grade boy, and perhaps if he had super powers, it would be easier to adjust to his new life. His family had been forced to move to New York to chase better job opportunities, and being the new kid in a big city made him feel even smaller. Making friends is a slow-moving, agonizing process. It's not that he was too shy, it was that he missed all of his friends back home in California. Max was outgoing and outspoken, even going so far as to lead his class in discussion and correct his teacher on several occasions, much to her ire. However, Everyone he met simply seemed like copies of people he used to hang out with, except that they paled in comparison to the originals. Max just couldn't forget where he came from, and felt like he was living a life of two worlds. In the comic books, guys like Spider-man and Batman made it look so easy to switch between their mild-mannered alter egos and larger-than-life selves. It is for this reason that he retreats to the world of pulp comic book fiction, often eating lunch alone so he could have time to read. Unfortunately, this attracts the attention of many bullies at school. In this pivotal scene, Max is being taunted by one of the bullies, Todd Ingram. Max's expression is one of fear, as Todd's imposing appearance has taken him out of the safety of his comic book world, and his intentions look cynical. Todd is standing, rising out of the shot to highlight his intimidating nature compared to Max, who sits crouched and look up at Todd. Max's comic books are spread out in front of him, ready to be read, but Todd is taunting him by shoving a football in his view. Max must decide how to handle this brute. Should he stick to the moral code of a superhero and let Todd's teasing pass, or should he take action and beat up the bad guy just like in the comics? Max's mind races as he starts to tear up and feel his fist tighten.
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