DISTRESSED DAMSELS: First-draft EMPOWERED pages, pt.1

I don't think I've posted these pages here before, though I could be mistaken. Anyhoo, behold the very first version of Empowered (long before the nascent project acquired that title), drawn over the weekend of July 4, 2004 in place of a bunch of damsel-in-distress pin-ups that were boring me to tears—and while I was waiting for editorial approval on a Marvel Livewires cover rough, but that's a subject for another post.  

Note the extremely first-draft takes on the future Superhomeys, folks! (Also, note the "TM" after "Deathmonger," which I'd completely forgotten about.)

And now, our next one-page story—or "story," arguably:

Years later, both the previous stories were expanded considerably for eventual publication in Empowered vol.1, as was the next one:

Brace yourselves for our first foray into the wider world of.... two-page stories!

Oh,no—"Escher girls," ahoy! Gasp! Proto-Emp lost her mask a lot in these early, tossed-off, hastily scribbled episodes, it seems.

On to another two-pager that would likewise be expanded for later publication:

And there goes her mask again!

Proto-Emp clearly had very long hair at times, if only temporarily so to helpfully cover up the ol' naughty bits when necessary. Of course, heaven forfend that her hair should be long enough to obscure her "toothsome rump" (per the Caged Demonwolf, who never appeared in this draft of the nascent project). Note also that our unnamed heroine wouldn't acquire an actual "supranym" until much later on in the series' development.

Next time around, I'll post some early proto-Empowered pages that weren't redone for publication, including the original ending of the project! No, really! 

TOMORROW ON THIS HERE PATREON: Time for October's exclusive post for the Big Spenders of the $10 & $20 tiers, as I trot out the month's last sketch sets based on art reqs from those tiers' Patrons.

Everyone else, swing by on Friday for another set of Vintage Con Sketches featuring two ladies familiar for their Loveliness and Angelicism. (Hint, hint.)

Meanwhile, back to the ol' drawing board for me as I noodle away at the first new page of the Empowered vol.12 restart! (Or, TBH, the restart of the restart, after real-world issues shut me down for a month or two.)