I know having too many side projects is a bad thing, but I just had to get these ideas out of my head before I could work on anything else. Overwatch was announced not too long ago, and my immediate reaction on seeing the trailer was "That would make an awesome kids' TV show!" I started playing with ideas (I can't help myself sometimes) and came up with what I'm posting here

Please keep in mind this is my first attempt at a screenplay format. This was made even more difficult by the fact that I've never seen any more than a partial page of a script. And, after all that effort, vBulletin was unable to display it properly anyway. Oh, well. I will try to reproduce it.

For reference, when writing a script, the most important thing to remember is that you're a nobody. You're just writing dialogue to fit someone else's vision. You will be expected to give the cast and director maximum leeway in how those lines are delivered. I hope I sufficiently restrained myself...

For the pilot, we need to introduce our principal protagonist in a way that will tell everybody what she's all about -- even if they've never heard of Overwatch before.

Now, while I wrote this scene as happening in London (Tracer's starting location) I later realized this was building toward the cinematic, which almost certainly happens in Los Angeles. Those kids are definitely American and definitely NOT from New York. Oops. Then again, British people make everything funnier, right?

So, with Tracer introduced, it's time for her to start picking up followers.

That one person other than Winston is Torbjörn.

One thing I don't like about this scene is that Winston comes off as a bit more hostile than I'd like. I guess I just have to trust the actor to smooth it over. One of the themes I'm trying to hit is that most of the ex-Overwatch members have moved on an built post-superhero lives. Tracer has failed to do this, and she serves as a catalyst for "reawakening" them.

With the plot seeded (and probably in motion for a few more scenes) it's time for our principal antagonist to make his grand entrance.

I love this part because there's so much subtle stuff going on. Widowmaker is an unswervingly obedient killing machine, but there is still a flicker of her old self every so often. Reaper is malevolent and mysterious, revealing his intentions, but hiding his motivations.

One of the themes of the first season is to build up the idea that Reaper is working for Talon. Actually, he's just using them to finance his rise to power, in much the same fashion as the movie versions of the Joker and Redskull. His eventual betrayal leads to the surprise teamup with Widowmaker in the season finale. Winston offers to undo her conditioning, but she declines, saying she likes what she has become and has no desire to be "fixed." But was that the truth or just her brainwashing talking? Hmm...

The rest of the cast get picked up as Reaper travels around the world, gathering parts for his doomsday weapon. How long they stay with Tracer's flying circus varies. (Speaking of which, Tracer needs a plane -- something big enough to haul her entourage, but able to go supersonic.)

Parah quits her job as head of security to pursue her lifelong dream of joining Overwatch -- even if it technically no longer exists. She insures the team's battleplans are tactically sound, but her awe of Reinhardt means she defers to him more than she should.

Symmetra joins up in a similar scenario, but is eventually forced out when her insistence she knows best for everyone gets to be too much. How many episodes she lasts is to be determined.

Hanzo shows up just in time to help the team infiltrate Hanamura. He leaves just as quickly -- without even saying goodbye. He's that kind of guy.

For future seasons, I would start to explore who Reaper is. My initial idea was that he is a future version of the hoodie kid from the intro. Maybe he becomes a superhero, but goes mad with power. Then I thought of a better idea: Reaper is actually the younger brother, who has traveled back in time to stop his big brother from becoming a superhero (and getting KIA) by eliminating potential role-models. This has the ironic effect of making him responsible for the very sequence of events he's trying to prevent.

EDIT: Is there a form of tea that's packed with caffeine? Tracer should be all over that.

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

Whoa nelly, stop while you're ahead. Scripts require a lot more planning before you dive into the direct dialogue. You're looking at a very large potential cast, including foreshadowing of unknowns, not to mention world building and history management.

First off you want to figure out who and what your characters are. You already have their archetypes, but you need to touch a little deeper into their initial drives in order to pace their evolution properly in the context of the story. Next you want the end point of the character's personal arcs mapped against what you want to do with the overall plot. Who dies/leaves/goes into a coma/whatever? Who wins? Who loses? How do they lose and is it integral to their future or the end of their story as it relates to your script.

Further, there should never be unexpected "extension" arcs. The Inuyasha and DBZ style endless storytelling kills all growth and personality, so when you decide on when things are ending, stick to it. How it ends might change, but plan and pacing require that you understand your timeline of overall events.

As to dialogue, expository style writing should be handled carefully. Yes your audience is going to be largely young and ADD, but that doesn't mean you need to, or even should, over-explain things. Mystery, nuance, and words left unsaid grow the plot far better than just laying everything out. It should also be conversational. More importantly, it should reflect how individuals from such disparate backgrounds interact. Go watch (or rewatch) Avengers. Look at how the ensemble cast works together. Now compare that to something like the Wire and Breaking Bad.

You're not looking for a perfect happy medium, just a sense of what your dialogue can be. Believe me, you'll go through a lot of rewriting, and it's going to include tearing out scenes you love while including things you initially don't give a whit about. It's important though, because once you have the right track, you'll know how to go back and tweak things until you have the first EP.

Omacron can tell you, my pilot scripts were never perfect by any means, but whatever elements did work, I kept and evolved so that everything I write now includes an understanding of what I learned from the previous items.

__________________

Rationalizing the irrational since 2005.

Hey, I never said this was an attempt at anything serious. This was more a "mental vomit" to get the ideas out of my head -- which has worked, for the most part. I'm sure real screenwriters (who usually work in teams) do extensive prewriting to keep everyone on the same page. The "finished" scenes you're seeing here are actually much closer to the "character sketch" scenes used by prose authors to make a character more tangible. If you look closely, you'll notice these scenes manage to suggest a great deal about what the characters are all about while placing minimal constraint on future plot. For the scenes to delve too deeply into personal histories at this phase of development would indeed be foolish.

If you really know something about writing pilot scripts, that is awesome. I'm just an overgrown kid with delusions of grandeur who read one (poorly articulated) article on formatting.

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

I know the it on a hobbyist level. The only professional work I've had the chance to do was for a guy who wouldn't let his (formulaic and overly expository) baby go, which means my treatment barely scratched the surface of what could've been an efficient thriller.

That all said, I really did mean flesh out your timeline and character arcs before you do anything else. Character exposition, actions, and events will all require a logical flow, which means the initial plot exposition can be changed to become less overt. I really do encourage you to read through breaking bad and see where the actors are given time to shine versus where the actions are the focus. It's a balance between them that's important, even in CGI work (see Benedict Cumberbatch's full-on Mo-Cap work for Smaug and why the dragon actually felt menacing).

I'd also highly encourage you to look into top rated anime (e.g. Cowboy Bebop) for the pacing used. There's a reason why that show is showered with accolades, and it's because even with only voice-acting, it still managed to flesh out characters far more efficiently than most television.

Writing takes study, imagination, and a willingness to give up the golden eggs for the goose. That said, while you're looking up these things, you can always continue writing and revising. If you want me to help you, I'm always happy to as well.

__________________

Rationalizing the irrational since 2005.

I'd also add in the details, even if some aren't mentioned in the story. Specifically: who, what, why, where and when.

Who: as has been said, figure out who is in the story. Main and secondary characters. The ex-Overwatch people, enemies, average people and what not.
Who is protecting/aiding the characters? What governments/corporations are helping/hindering them?

What: what is happening? What's the plot? What are the story arcs? What is the aim of the villains? The heroes? The aim of the governments of the world? None of them would be happy at the thought of super heroes/villains running around doing whatever they want. What controls do they have to control the freelance ex-Overwatch people?

Why: why is Tracer allowed to pop(jump) in and out of places without getting arrested. What gives her immunity?
Why is Winston not working for a corporation/government able to give him the resources and funding he needs to be able to do the research he is doing? What he is doing in your OP isn't going to be cheap or easy to do. Where is his funding coming from?
Why are the other Overwatch people left to their own devices? You'd think the world governments would be keeping tabs on them for obvious reasons.
Why was Overwatch disbanded?


When when is this happening? How much time has passed since Overwatch was formed, since it was disbanded? This could affect the actions of the characters, If enough time has passed (20 years), the most of the characters that were Overwatch should be older. The 20 something hero is now a 40 something feeling his/her age, possibly with kids. Someone that was in their 30s or 40s would be in their 50s-60s and definitely not up to doing things they did 20 years ago.

Where: where is this going to happen? What areas of the world? Where was Overwatch's funding coming form? There is the characters funding coming from? Their stuff isn't cheap or bought at the local Walmart so they need -some- source of income/funding. Where is it?

There's other things too you should take into account: their impact on the world at large. What do the locals think about these people flitting about doing whatever they want. Who pays for damages caused by them? For example, in the trailer, who will pay to fix the museum? Who would the authorities go after for putting civilians in danger? In this case you could nail both sides. Widowmaker and the Reaper as well as Tracer and Winston for reckless discharging of firearms and such. How is their gear authorized and legal? It can go on and on, but the more details you nail down and stay consistent with, the more believable the plot is because of that consistency. Otherwise you have people asking why #character in episode 4 of season 2 didn't use the power/ability he/she used in episode 2,3,5,6 of season 1. Consistency is key here. And vice versa.




And just because someone will rule 34 this; where's the wild monkey lovings with Tracer and Winston in the plot?

That one's not even a worthwhile question if you know about gorilla anatomy (curse you reddit for telling me about it too!).

__________________

Rationalizing the irrational since 2005.

Pfft. As if that would stop them (the porn people). Since when has facts of biological physiology ever stopped porn artists/writers? They could even come up with reasons such as since he's obviously highly intelligent, there could/would be other alterations to his anatomy/body. And if that doesn't work, if he wears that armor all the time.. *cough*cybernetic addition*cough*

Over all, what little I have seen on the Overwatch (I watched the trailer, that's it), I am wondering why Winston isn't in a lab being studied, tested, dissected or bred to make more super intelligent gorillas (rise of the planet of the apes..)

The Winston question is baked into his origins, the last time they did that, they got a moon base full of pissed off gorillas. Why tempt fate twice when they can just choose a less terrifying species to work with? Winston will just be forever alone.

__________________

Rationalizing the irrational since 2005.

All good questions, Kynrind. I guess you could say I have an inferiority complex as a fanfic author. Most of these, I trust, have already been answered to some extent. We just haven't been told yet. As per the BlizzCon panel, we know the Omnic Crisis and the formation of Overwatch happened thirty years before the story begins. Overwatch was disbanded five years ago. It certainly had official sanction to do what it did, and I suspect arguments over what qualified as "abuses" of that sanction played a major role in its dissolution. In my version, the former superheroes were ordered to refrain from further "acts of public service," much like The Incredibles. The world's governments are very much keeping tabs on them, but do so surreptitiously. Their prime concern is that the former agents might be falling under the sway of other governments.

Tracer (and her merry band) most certainly does not have permission to save the world. The police know exactly who she is, but why waste time hunting down the uncatchable trespasser when there are burglaries, domestic violence incidents, etc.? As long as she doesn't hurt anyone or steal anything, the police are willing to look the other way. Entering a crime scene, however, is something the cops will take very seriously, which is why Winston is upset about it. In the version I envisioned, the team would spend a good amount of time lying low and making sure to "get out of Dodge" every time they take public action. Naturally, this makes it easy for people with influence to start portraying them as terrorists. Cue additional plot complications. Bottom line: The team is trying to save the world, but pretty much the whole world is trying to stop them.

The above Winston's "day job" is at a university, though you can take your pick which one. UCLA perhaps? That would play well in Irvine.

You're absolutely right that funding is going to be a problem. Jet fuel is expensive, and nobody in the cast so far has the shady connections to pay for things by shipping "packages" on board the plane. Luckily, kids' shows routinely ignore this problem.

You can surmise a surprising amount by reading every character biography, which was the prime inspiration for this post.

And don't worry about me and consistency. I'm a nazi for that.

One the likely after-effects of the Omnic Crisis is an expanded definition of "personhood." If you have to acknowledge a robot as a person with rights, why not an obviously intelligent gorilla?

And so, I'm more than happy to open this thread to anyone with ideas on the subject.

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

Necropost, but I'm re-purposing this thread. Basically, I got writer's block on my original project, and this came out instead. Sharing is good, right? Someday, I may get one of these together for everybody.


Name: Lena Oxton
Alias: Tracer
Sex: Female
Age: 26
Year of Birth: 2050
Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Appearance
Look of character is well-established. Her hair is cut short and often sticking out at strange angles because she lacks the patience to tame it. Prefers sneakers over boots because she is often running in urban environments. Her pilot's jacket is such a part of her identity that she wears it even in hot climates.

Kit/Fighting Style
Tracer is armed with a pair of pulse pistols, which deliver devastatingly high rate of fire. Mirroring her personality, this speed is offset by a small caliber and a smaller clip. While she must make frequent retreats to reload, her ability to time-jump negates this disadvantage. Tracer is noted for her willingness to take foolish risks, and she rarely devises any plan more complicated than "dive in with guns blazing." In battle, she delights in using her time-skipping abilities to surprise and humiliate opponents.

Personality/Role
Tracer's eternally sunny disposition and indomitable can-do attitude are an inspiration to everyone who meets her. Something about her appeals to the better angels of people's natures. However, her exuberance and infamously high risk tolerance can also be turn-offs. Tracer is impulsive, impatient, and hyperactive, prompting many to mutter that she's just an overgrown kid. Yet, this perception is precisely what prods them to protect her. While she always puts on a friendly face, Tracer quietly resents the tendency of others to treat her like a child.

Relations
Tracer has a special relationship with Winston. She owes him her life, and she is steadfastly loyal to him -- though she doesn't always do what he wants. She regards him as a kind of big brother on whom she can depend for protection. It also can't hurt to stay on good terms with the inventor of the machine that keeps you alive. Other characters cycle through, but their bond is forever.

Greatest Fear
Tracer places tremendous faith in her friends. Her greatest fear is that she will fail them.

Personal History
Born into an upper-middle class family in Essex, Lena Oxton grew up hearing tales of the harrowing Omnic Crisis. Much of her childhood was spent acting out the heroic struggles of the war -- and of Overwatch in particular. The first of several major turning points in her eventful life came when, at the age of four, she saw a performance by stunt flyers at an airshow. Lena was hooked. The girl's unrelenting obsession with becoming a pilot eventually bludgeoned her parents into paying for lessons at the youngest age the law would allow. Once behind the controls, Lena proved to be something of a prodigy. She learned with a speed that astonished her teachers and left her feeling bored as she logged the required number of hours. This boredom turned her into a menace. On more than one occasion, she deliberately threw the plane into an uncontrollable spin from which even her instructor could not recover -- only to pull out herself at the last possible moment. Understandably, it became difficult to find teachers willing to fly with her, which ended up delaying her progress. When Lena Oxton finally received her license at age fourteen, flight instructors across the UK breathed a sigh of relief.

Lena's next step was to join a stunt troupe, which proved more difficult than expected. Most felt they shouldn't encourage someone so young to put her life at risk. Lena solved the problem by tricking the leader of one group into flying with her, then demonstrating that she already had the skills they feared to teach. She was hired before the plane touched down. For the next two years, the girl wonder wowed audiences across the Continent with her death-defying feats. Her specialty was death-spirals, almost always highlighted with a smoke trail. Because of this, she took to using the call sign "Tracer." Some countries tried to stop her from performing, but Lena always found a way to displace her substitute at the last minute.

The second major turning point in Lena's life came as she was flying home from a holiday with her parents in 2066. The otherwise routine flight became a tableau of horror when some of the passengers turned out to be terrorists affiliated with Talon. When all seemed lost, one man rallied his fellow travelers to fight back. The ill-conceived plan produced only partial success, however. The impromptu army succeeded in subduing the hijackers, but the battle left the plane badly damaged -- and cost the life of the uprising's organizer. With the pilots dead and a gaping hole in the fuselage, it fell to young Lena to put the plane down safely. Tracer not only brought the airliner down without further loss of life, but did it on the centerline of an airport runway. Lena never found out the name of the defiant passenger (mysteriously, there was no record of him getting on the plane), but she quietly vowed to be like him.

Tracer's heroic actions made headlines around the world -- and attracted the attention of Overwatch. When the organization offered her a position, she jumped at the chance. However, her dreams of flying missions in honor of the mysterious passenger were quickly dashed. Overwatch had a longstanding policy of hiring those who performed high-profile heroic deeds, but generally didn't trust them in combat. It was simply a public relations maneuver. The higher-ups shuffled Lena away, and buried the "child" at a desk job. While she did get to work at a top-secret airbase, the most she ever got was promises to let her fly "when you're older." If that wasn't bad enough, her actions also drew the attention of Talon, who held her responsible for the failure of their operation. Unable to reach Lena inside Overwatch's maximum-security aircraft testing facility, they went for her parents instead. Just weeks after she left them, they were dead.

Devastated, Lena became uncharacteristically sullen, moping about the office and even refusing photo-ops when dignitaries came to call. Then, an order from the top arrived: Lena was to be activated as a full member of the Overwatch test pilot corps. It did the trick; Tracer was back. Over the months that followed, her commanders were continually astonished by her ability to unflinchingly push high-performance fighter jets to their operational limits. She was the youngest pilot at their disposal -- but also the best. Such was her reputation that Tracer was selected by name to test the Slipstream, a new fighter equipped with a teleportation device. While flight testing proved uneventful, the first attempt at airborne teleportation was disastrous. The Slipstream disappeared -- and never returned.

Lena was presumed dead. Until, that is, she reappeared. Jubilation was soon replaced by terror, however. Tracer was a ghost. She was able to walk through walls and even people. She was unable to interact with normal matter at all. Even worse, she would vanish for days on end, only to reappear with no memory of previous events -- or speaking of events which had yet to occur. Overwatch scientists determined she was adrift in time, living her life out of order. They termed the condition "chronal dissociation." While most threw up their hands and declared her a lost cause, one, Winston, did not. Winston worked day and night to devise a solution, racing against the clock as Lena, unable to eat, slowly starved. That solution was the chronal accelerator, a machine that could keep Tracer anchored in the present. While the first prototype kept her imprisoned in one room, Winston eventually created a miniaturized model that could be strapped to her body and thus brought anywhere.

Further refinements gave Tracer the ability to control her passage through time, an ability that again drew the notice of the brass. Just short of her seventeenth birthday, Lena Oxton went from being the youngest-ever pilot in Overwatch to being the youngest-ever field agent. More experienced agents disapproved of the move -- a state of affairs that only got worse when she proved as reckless in battle as in the air. Only Winston consented to work with her regularly, and the two became very close over the next few years.

Tracer could only watch helplessly when Overwatch was dissolved in 2071. She took it hard, having come to consider her coworkers a surrogate family. Unlike other Overwatch agents, Lena Oxton didn't have a former life to go back to. Despite an intense bidding war for her services as a test pilot, Tracer turned down every offer and struck out on her own. She spent the next five years working odd jobs and wandering more or less at random, though always taking up the cause of justice wherever she went. Then, a series of headlines grabbed her attention. One by one, former Overwatch agents were dying -- violently. She now seeks to find out why and put a stop to it.

How to use this character
Tracer's primary "job" is to force others to act -- particularly Winston. If he delays too long, she may just strike out on her own. Luckily, someone always comes to her aid before she gets in over her head. Otherwise, she is the prime trigger for others to join (and leave) the group.

Villains may attempt to Break The Cutie, but their efforts will always fail. The Incorruptible Pure Pureness is just too strong.

Notes

• Tracer actually has two chronal accelerators. One is wearable, the other projects a stationary field that allows her to remove the first. (Gotta take a shower some time, right?) Both have to be kept charged up.
• An earlier draft had Tracer herself organize the revolt on the plane, though I decided she wasn't quite old enough for that yet. "Even if we do take control, we don't have a pilot." "Cheers, love! Cavalry's here!"

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

Necropost, but I'm re-purposing this thread. Basically, I got writer's block on my original project, and this came out instead. Sharing is good, right? Someday, I may get one of these together for everybody.

WARNING: Creative liberties taken!

Name: Lena Oxton
Alias: Tracer
Sex: Female
Age: 26
Year of Birth: 2050
Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Appearance
Look of character is well-established. Her hair is cut short and often sticking out at strange angles because she lacks the patience to tame it. Prefers sneakers over boots because she is often running in urban environments. Her pilot's jacket is such a part of her identity that she wears it even in hot climates.

Kit/Fighting Style
Tracer is armed with a pair of pulse pistols, which deliver devastatingly high rate of fire. Mirroring her personality, this speed is offset by a small caliber and a smaller clip. While she must make frequent retreats to reload, her ability to time-jump negates this disadvantage. Tracer is noted for her willingness to take foolish risks, and she rarely devises any plan more complicated than "dive in with guns blazing." She insists the best approach to anything is to make it up as you go. In battle, she delights in using her time-skipping abilities to surprise and humiliate opponents.

Personality/Role
Tracer's eternally sunny disposition and indomitable can-do attitude are an inspiration to everyone who meets her. Something about her appeals to the better angels of people's natures. However, her exuberance and infamously high risk tolerance can also be turn-offs. Tracer's outgoing manner puts people instantly at ease, something often needed around the hulking Winston. Unfortunately, her tendency to show affection by playing pranks can push them away just as quickly. Tracer is impulsive, impatient, and hyperactive, prompting many to mutter that she's just an overgrown kid. Yet, this perception is precisely what prods them to protect her. While she always puts on a friendly face, Tracer quietly resents the tendency of others to treat her like a child.

Relations
Tracer has a special relationship with Winston. She owes him her life, and she is steadfastly loyal to him -- though she doesn't always do what he wants. She regards him as a kind of big brother on whom she can depend for protection. It also can't hurt to stay on good terms with the inventor of the machine that keeps you alive. Other characters cycle through, but their bond is forever.

Greatest Fear
Tracer places tremendous faith in her friends. Her greatest fear is that she will fail them. That wordless, "not angry, just disappointed" look that Winston gives her from time to time is pure torture. However, Tracer is not one to wallow in self-pity. Each let-down only renews her determination to make up for it in any way she can.

Education
With all her travails and joining Overwatch at such a young age, Tracer never actually finished school. Her science illiteracy is a frequent headache for Winston, but it forces him to drop his technobabble and explain things in terms the audience can understand.

Personal History
Born into an upper-middle class family in Essex, Lena Oxton grew up hearing tales of the harrowing Omnic Crisis. Much of her childhood was spent acting out the heroic struggles of the war -- and of Overwatch in particular. The first of several major turning points in her eventful life came when, at the age of four, she saw a performance by stunt flyers at an airshow. Lena was hooked. The girl's unrelenting obsession with becoming a pilot eventually bludgeoned her parents into paying for lessons at the youngest age the law would allow. Once behind the controls, Lena proved to be something of a prodigy. She learned with a speed that astonished her teachers and left her feeling bored as she logged the required number of hours. This boredom turned her into a menace. On more than one occasion, she deliberately threw the plane into an uncontrollable spin from which even her instructor could not recover -- only to pull out herself at the last possible moment. Understandably, it became difficult to find teachers willing to fly with her, which ended up delaying her progress. When Lena Oxton finally received her license at age fourteen, flight instructors across the UK breathed a sigh of relief.

Lena's next step was to join a stunt troupe, which proved more difficult than expected. Most felt they shouldn't encourage someone so young to put her life at risk. Lena solved the problem by tricking the leader of one group into flying with her, then demonstrating that she already had the skills they feared to teach. She was hired before the plane touched down. For the next two years, the girl wonder wowed audiences across the Continent with her death-defying feats. Her specialty was death-spirals, almost always highlighted with a smoke trail. Because of this, she took to using the call sign "Tracer." Some countries tried to stop her from performing, but Lena always found a way to displace her substitute at the last minute.

The second major turning point in Lena's life came as she was flying home from a holiday with her parents in 2066. The otherwise routine flight became a tableau of horror when some of the passengers turned out to be terrorists affiliated with Talon. When all seemed lost, one man rallied his fellow travelers to fight back. The ill-conceived plan produced only partial success, however. The impromptu army succeeded in subduing the hijackers, but the battle left the plane badly damaged -- and cost the life of the uprising's organizer. With the pilots dead and a gaping hole in the fuselage, it fell to young Lena to put the plane down safely. Tracer not only brought the airliner down without further loss of life, but did it on the centerline of an airport runway. Lena never found out the name of the defiant passenger (mysteriously, there was no record of him getting on the plane), but she quietly vowed to be like him.

Tracer's heroic actions made headlines around the world -- and attracted the attention of Overwatch. When the organization offered her a position, she jumped at the chance. However, her dreams of flying missions in honor of the mysterious passenger were quickly dashed. Overwatch had a longstanding policy of hiring those who performed high-profile heroic deeds, but generally didn't trust them in combat. It was simply a public relations maneuver. The higher-ups shuffled Lena away, and buried the "child" at a desk job. While she did get to work at a top-secret airbase, the most she ever got was promises to let her fly "when you're older." If that wasn't bad enough, her actions also drew the attention of Talon, who held her responsible for the failure of their operation. Unable to reach Lena inside Overwatch's maximum-security aircraft testing facility, they went for her parents instead. Just weeks after she left them, they were dead.

Devastated, Lena became uncharacteristically sullen, moping about the office and even refusing photo-ops when dignitaries came to call. Then, an order from the top arrived: Lena was to be activated as a full member of the Overwatch test pilot corps. It did the trick; Tracer was back. Over the months that followed, her commanders were continually astonished by her ability to unflinchingly push high-performance fighter jets to their operational limits. She was the youngest pilot at their disposal -- but also the best. Such was her reputation that Tracer was selected by name to test the Slipstream, a new fighter equipped with a teleportation device. While flight testing proved uneventful, the first attempt at airborne teleportation was disastrous. The Slipstream disappeared -- and never returned.

Lena was presumed dead. Until, that is, she reappeared. Jubilation was soon replaced by horror, however. Tracer was a ghost. She was able to walk through walls and even people. She was unable to interact with normal matter at all. Even worse, she would vanish for days on end, only to reappear with no memory of previous events -- or speaking of events which had yet to occur. Overwatch scientists determined she was adrift in time, living her life out of order. They termed the condition "chronal dissociation." While most threw up their hands and declared her a lost cause, one, Winston, did not. Winston worked day and night to devise a solution, racing against the clock as Lena, unable to eat, slowly starved. That solution was the chronal accelerator, a machine that could keep Tracer anchored in the present. While the first prototype kept her imprisoned in one room, Winston eventually created a miniaturized model that could be strapped to her body and thus brought anywhere.

Further refinements gave Tracer the ability to control her passage through time, an ability that again drew the notice of the brass. Just short of her seventeenth birthday, Lena Oxton went from being the youngest-ever pilot in Overwatch to being the youngest-ever field agent. More experienced agents disapproved of the move -- a state of affairs that only got worse when she proved as reckless in battle as in the air. Only Winston consented to work with her regularly, and the two became very close over the next few years.

Tracer could only watch helplessly when Overwatch was dissolved in 2071. She took it hard, having come to consider her coworkers a surrogate family. Unlike other Overwatch agents, Lena Oxton didn't have a former life to go back to. Despite an intense bidding war for her services as a test pilot, Tracer turned down every offer and struck out on her own. She spent the next five years working odd jobs and wandering more or less at random, though always taking up the cause of justice wherever she went. Then, a series of headlines grabbed her attention. One by one, former Overwatch agents were dying -- violently. She now seeks to find out why and put a stop to it.

How to use this character
Tracer's primary "job" is to force others to act -- particularly Winston. If he delays too long, she may just run off by herself. Luckily, someone always comes to her aid before she gets herself killed. Otherwise, she is the prime trigger for others to join (and leave) the group.

Villains may attempt to Break The Cutie, but their efforts will always fail. The Incorruptible Pure Pureness is just too strong.

Notes

• Tracer actually has two chronal accelerators. One is wearable, the other projects a stationary field that allows her to remove the first. (Gotta take a shower some time, right?) Both have to be kept charged up.
• An earlier draft had Tracer herself organize the revolt on the plane, though I decided she wasn't quite old enough for that yet. "Even if we do take control, we don't have a pilot." "Cheers, love! Cavalry's here!"
• Concerned saving the plane, losing her parents, and having her accident is too much in one year. Thoughts?

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

After Tracer, Winston kind of had to come too. The two are so greatly entwined.

Name: Winston
Alias: AL-8
Sex: Male
Age: 29
Year of Birth: 2047
Place of Origin: Horizon Lunar Colony

Appearance
Covered with black fur and massive muscles, Winston is an intimidating sight. He tries to offset this by smiling as much as he can and fidgeting with his glasses, which seems to do the trick -- most of the time.

Kit/Fighting Style
Winston's primary armament is a Tesla cannon that can stun or kill a theoretically unlimited number of targets in its short range. Like everything else in Winston's kit, it is his own invention. Over the years, Winston has modified the spacesuit he took from the lunar colony into an armored battlesuit. In addition to its bullet-resistant plating, the current model boasts a shield generator and a jet pack -- though the flight time is extremely limited due to his weight. In battle, Winston attempts to place himself between his allies and any attackers. Due to their respective personalities, however, he is often trailing Tracer.

Personality/Role
Winston is a firm believer in the power of human ingenuity to overcome any obstacle. As a scientist, he has achieved a reputation for inventive solutions to "impossible" problems. Unfortunately, his tendency to get bogged down in "paralysis of analysis" as he considers every possible ramification of every possible course of action is unhelpful in crisis situations. Often, some external factor is needed to goad him into action. As the brains of the operation, Winston almost always acts as leader of the group, deciding where it will go and what it will do. His battle plans are typically sound, and his reasonable compromises seem able to diffuse virtually all internal conflict. As a general rule, the longer someone has known Winston, the more they respect him.

Relations
Winston has a special relationship with Tracer. He has come to regard her as a sort of adopted child whom he must protect -- from herself as much as anyone else. Others may regard her loose-cannon ways as a liability, but Winston won't hear of it. No matter how many times she does foolish, childish things (such as stop for ice cream while tailing someone), he will come up with whatever rationalizations are necessary to justify keeping her around. This cognitive dissonance arises because Winston feels responsible for her condition. While he would list "saving Lena" as his proudest achievement, he would list "needing to save Lena" as his greatest failure. To this day, he can't look at the device on her chest without feeling a pang of guilt. He does, however, worry that she never seems to comprehend the gravity of life-and-death situations.

Winston also has an established relationship with Torbjörn -- a highly contentious one. Winston feels very strongly that science should be used for good, and the wanton pursuit of ever more destructive weapons is anathema to that ideal. Violence is only ever a necessary evil in the mind of the ape, which put him heavily at odds with Torbjörn's cynical, mercenary mentality. Unfortunately, the nature of Overwatch forced them to collaborate often. Long after the dissolution of their employer, the two men deeply despise each other.

As someone who knew and respected Gérard Lacroix, Winston is one of the few who still holds out hope that Widowmaker can be returned to her former self -- if only because it's what he would've wanted. While his insistence on addressing her as "Amélie" only seems to make her angry, it is also the only thing that makes her emotional enough to make mistakes. He is not above using this against her, but wouldn't dream of hurting her any more than absolutely necessary. As long as Widowmaker lives, so does Amélie.

Greatest Fear
Winston's greatest fear is that his inventions will end up doing more harm than good. Tracer's accident was an uncomfortably close brush with killing the innocent, and Torbjörn's callous disregard is something he could never bring himself to do.

Education
Winston has no formal education, but has collected honorary degrees from seemingly every notable university in the world. An autodidact, he functions on a PhD level in every subject he's had time to read about -- which is every subject the story calls for.

Personal History
The Horizon Lunar Colony was founded in 2048 by wealthy adventurers seeking to leave the growing overcrowding and chaos of planet Earth behind. Humanity's destiny lay in the stars, the company CEO preached, and they could all be a part of taking that first step. With the Omnic Crisis still fresh in everyone's minds, robot labor was out of the question. Instead, the colony was to use apes, genetically modified to make them able to understand -- and speak -- human language. AL-8, then just a year old, was brought to the Moon as one slave among many. However, he soon demonstrated an aptitude for learning and problem-solving far above and beyond his peers. Despite repeated attempts, it proved impossible to determine just why AL-8 had responded so much more strongly to the gene therapy. All that time in laboratories, however, piqued the young ape's interest in science. Bonded by their time together, the station's science officer, Dr. Harold Winston, began to teach him.

AL-8 spent the next eighteen years as Dr. Winston's personal assistant. In that time, his mentor taught him the techniques needed to keep every aspect of the station working, from the rockets to the hydroponic gardens. He told the young ape of the scientific process and the grand body of knowledge being forever expanded by constant exploration and experimentation. AL-8 began to dream of making his own contribution. In his time off, he gazed longingly at the lush, blue world he was too young to know.

Unfortunately for both of them, there were those who had other plans. In 2065, the other ape laborers banded together and staged a bloody uprising that killed every human on the station -- including Dr. Winston. AL-8 was devastated. The other apes were baffled by his emphatic condemnation of his self-proclaimed liberators. They tried to get him to integrate into their new society, but he remained apart. Eventually, the coup leaders determined he was too deeply indoctrinated as the humans' lapdog, and they had no choice but to kill him before he did something against them. Luckily, AL-8 was already two steps ahead. Rigging the station's computers in a way his peers could never understand, he stole an automated escape ship and returned to Earth.

The arrival of an ape from the lost colony made headlines around the world. AL-8 felt it was his duty to tell the story of what happened. Taking the name "Winston" in honor of his slain mentor, he hit the talk show circuit to tell his story. For a while, the news media lapped it up. Eventually, though, the story faded. While most employers saw him as no more than an oddity, someone Winston had met in his time in front of the cameras saw a better use for his extraordinary talents: Gérard Lacroix. Winston joined Overwatch, and with a friend on the inside, he was able to land a place in the research and development division. At long last, he would be able to contribute to a better world.

His first project was a device that would allow aircraft to teleport in mid-flight. Everyone insisted it couldn't be done, but Winston pushed ahead anyway. While others threw up their hands at the supposed impossibility, Winston educated himself and -- free of the groupthink that had mired earlier efforts -- demonstrated a working prototype. The rest of the department was stunned. Winston just smiled and remarked on the importance of taking a different approach. The device was mounted in a stock fighter jet codenamed "Slipstream," and Overwatch's best test pilot was selected to fly it.

It was in this moment, when Winston's triumph was nearest, that disaster struck. When activated, the Slipstream simply vanished. It's pilot, Lena Oxton, was gone -- or so everyone believed. Winston was beside himself. He had killed an innocent girl. He was poised to resign from Overwatch when word came that Tracer was not, in fact, dead. Somehow, she was appearing and disappearing in what the medical team dubbed "chronal dissociation." No one could figure out what that meant, let alone how to fix it. Once again, others threw up their hands -- but Winston did not. As long as the possibility remained of saving her, Winston still had a chance to redeem himself. Working himself almost to death, he at last created a device that allowed Lena to rejoin the world.

When Lena was reassigned as a field agent because of her extraordinary new abilities, Winston asked to be kept with her. While this was ostensibly to be ready for any glitches in the chronal accelerator, he actually wanted to protect her wherever she went. This was more of a field position than he preferred, but such was his due penance. Over the next five years, the two became practically inseparable.

Winston spoke forcefully against the dissolution of Overwatch in 2071, but his residual celebrity failed to sway enough votes. When the lights went out, he took a job at a research foundation, still seeking a way to build a better world. Yet nothing could compare to Overwatch. Winston buried himself in his work, trying to forget the dreams he'd once had. Even his contact with Lena became sporadic at best. If someone could offer it, he would jump at the chance to be a hero again.

How to use this character
Winston is most at home devising plans and building newfangled devices, so he will be the go-to guy any time the plot calls for wonder-weapons or technological countermeasures. His plans are often unnecessarily complex, and it's a good bet Tracer will somehow ruin them. If asked to explain what he's doing or why, Winston will respond with technobabble or make cryptic references to classified information he insists he cannot divulge. Winston's leadership is by acknowledgement only: he never pulls rank on anyone. Instead, he allows dissenters to vote with their feet. This has the bonus effect of keeping the cast down to a manageable level.

Notes

• Winston is Hyperopic, making him farsighted literally as well as figuratively.
• Development on the Slipstream's teleporter is a bit fast for my taste.
• Reed Richards Is Useless definitely applies here.

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

Since warped psychology is something I seem to be good at...

Name: Amélie Lacroix
Alias: Widowmaker
Sex: Female
Age: 33
Year of Birth: 2043
Country of Origin: France

Appearance
Widowmaker flaunts her figure in a tight-fitting (and very low-cut) suit, with an impractically long ponytail trailing behind. Despite the pride she takes in her tough-as-nails existence, the assassin is actually quite vain. Years of near-constant genetic manipulations have left her skin a dull blue, suggesting the inhumanity that lurks beneath outward beauty.

Kit/Fighting Style
Widowmaker is outfitted with the most advance gadgets money can buy -- and some her masters made especially for her, such as an infra-red vision system capable of sighting targets through walls. Her primary armament is a custom-built rifle capable of both long-range single shot and rapid-fire modes. She generally prefers to use sniper tactics to pick off her targets one at a time, but will make devastating use of automatic fire if caught. This is complimented by a grappling hook that allows her to quickly occupy strategic positions. In addition, she carries a variety of traps into which she will chase or lure her targets.

In battle, Widowmaker stalks the shadows, striking without warning. She reveals herself only when victory is assured. Opponents must keep constant track of her position, lest they fall victim to the infamous widow's kiss.

Personality/Role
Widowmaker is the best assassin on the planet, one so successful that her very existence is difficult to verify. She generally says very little, content to lurk in the background while greater evils plot and scheme. In fact, she speaks only to acknowledge orders, interrogate victims, and engage in self-coaching. She sees no need to engage in frivolous talk, and will simply not respond to any conversation not pertaining to her mission. She seems not to care about anything at all -- with the sole exception of her job.

For Widowmaker, assassination is more than a job, it is her purpose. She was "created" to destroy the enemies of Talon, and spends every waking moment seeking their deaths. When not in the field, she trains constantly, keeping her skills sharp and adding new ones. It is said there is no security system immune to the Widow, and her track record offers no counterexamples. Existing only to serve, she cannot be bribed, cannot be deterred, and cannot be stopped. Widowmaker is doggedly persistent and eternally patient. No matter how close of a call she may suffer, her demeanor is always calm and rational. In fact, the occasional wry smile is this only emotion she displays at all.

Among the many "improvements" bestowed upon Widowmaker by her masters is the deliberate destruction of certain parts of her brain. The woman once known as Amélie Lacroix has been rendered permanently incapable of sympathy, morality, or remorse. She now views the world with a detachment even some of her masters find disturbing. While she is aware her actions are abhorrent, it is on a purely intellectual level -- and one she would just as soon ignore. In fact, she has come to look down on those who are restrained by such concepts, and reveres Talon for rising above them.

Widowmaker is somewhat more conflicted about the other major change to her biology, however. Genetic manipulation by Talon scientists has made her literally a cold-blooded killer. While this enormously reduces her requirements for food and enables her to remain motionless for days on end, it also leaves her dependent on heating elements in her suit. The trade-off has its pros and cons, but if her masters call it good, then it must be so.

Widowmaker's narrative role is to hunt the team and keep up the pressure on them. While they may live in fear of her, she can never actually succeed (for obvious reasons), so she may be required kill and/or torture someone every so often to prevent Villain Decay.

In confrontations with the team, Winston (and later Tracer) will address Widowmaker as "Amélie" and try convince her that she is still capable of good. However, she will generally respond to such assertions by deliberately doing something to prove how evil she is.

Relations
Widowmaker seems to particularly have it in for Tracer, though the reasons are deliberately ambiguous. Maybe Lena's ability to inspire acts of heroism offends her twisted sensibilities. Maybe the pilot's carefree demeanor reminds her of her former self, thus arousing intense disgust. Maybe Widowmaker just targets her first because she's the least predictable threat.

While Winston begins as simply one more target on Widowmaker's list, his ability to use her former life against her and constant assertions that she deserves better than to be a slave gradually stoke a sizable grudge against the ape. Nobody beats Widowmaker that many times. Nobody.

Reaper acts as the Big Bad for the first season. Widowmaker doesn't trust him one bit, but as long as her orders stand to work with him, she will obey without question.

Widowmaker regards Talon and its goals of chaos as her "god." She feels that Talon has given her life a higher purpose -- and takes satisfaction in terminating those who besmirch it.

Amélie Lacroix remains the one weak point in Widowmaker's psychological armor. She feels her former existence was a vapid, superficial, and ultimately pointless life. Widowmaker is possessed of an intense hatred of her former self, to the point that she is disgusted by anything that reminds her of that other life. She attempts at all times to assert herself as a completely different person. If pressed, she will insist "Amélie Lacroix is dead. I killed her."

Greatest Fear
No longer able to feel fear on an instinctual level, Widowmaker's greatest fear is that Amélie Lacroix still exists somewhere inside her; and that -- should she reassert herself -- she would feel the guilt for her sins.

Education
Amélie Lacroix attended university with a major in interior design, but her real training began after her transformation. Widowmaker is an expert in covert infiltration, and seems able to bypass any security measure. Her sniper skills are the stuff of legend, as is her apparent mastery of martial arts.

Personal History
Too young to know the horrors of the Omnic Crisis, Amélie Guillory's earliest memories were of a country in ruins. Lyon was virtually leveled in the Omnic Crisis, and Amélie's parents were forced to flee with little more than the clothes on their backs. Unsurprisingly, her early childhood was spent wearing donated outfits, often mismatched, stained, and worn. Amélie came to feel inferior to her better-dressed peers; and as a preteen, spent every penny she could spare on better duds.

Always impeccably dressed and eager to put on airs, Amélie attracted the attention of a young photographer. She was only fourteen, and their brief romance went nowhere, but it was enough to leave her captivated with the idea of a career in modeling. Others attempted to dissuade her, but as her figure blossomed into womanhood, it became obvious she had the right stuff. Still, until she could get a break, her "calling" could be little more than a hobby. To keep time, Amélie attended university with fashion and interior design as her major course of study.

Midway through her final semester, the break finally came. A major cosmetics company had selected Amélie Guillory to be the face of new product launch. The opportunity was simply too good to pass up, and Amélie left school to pursue her career full time. Better still, the risque advertising blitz in which she featured became the most controversial of 2064, which made it all too easy to push her way into tabloids and talk shows.

Infamy proved fleeting, however. Amélie resorted to ever more dubious tactics to keep herself in the spotlight, but her pride simply wouldn't allow her sign a reality TV contract. A day job was looming in her future until she happened to meet another big break in the the talk show waiting room: Gerard Lacroix. The photogenic Lacroix was the public face of Overwatch. He was heir to a sizable fortune as well. He was perfect.

Amélie aggressively courted Gerard throughout 2066, but was initially rebuffed. Finally, he told her she was simply trying too hard. Amélie broke down and confessed her fears and insecurities. It worked. Gerard agreed to begin seeing her, and their relationship became ever more serious as 2067 progressed. When promoted to the head of Overwatch's anti-Talon activities the next year, the euphoric Gerard asked Amélie to marry him. She agreed. The marriage of the squeaky clean Overwatch spokesman to the troubled model sparked a controversy all its own, but it gave Amélie a somewhat graceful exit from the public eye.

At first, life was bliss for Madame Lacroix. Her husband was wealthy, handsome, and held the most glamorous job in the world. In other words, Amélie had everything she had ever wanted out of life. Yet inside, she felt empty. She served no purpose but to host parties and endlessly redecorate his house. Willful as ever, Amélie begged Gerard to get her into Overwatch, but he wouldn't hear of it. His work against Talon was very dangerous, and he couldn't bring himself to put his beloved wife at risk in any shape or form.

Amélie sulked for days, but ultimately resolved to find some other means of giving her life purpose. She began shopping for a religion, seeing a long succession of clergy of various faiths. Slipped in among them was the "Church of the Enlightened Path," a plant by Talon agents. When she when to see them, Amélie Lacroix vanished.

Over the next two months, she was subjected to an intense program of psychological torture and an experimental mental programming technique. On Christmas Day, 2069, Overwatch was allowed to stage a rescue, but the perpetrators of the crime were long gone. Amélie was returned to her husband. Two weeks later, she killed him in his sleep -- exactly as she had been programmed to do. She then slipped past the security detail in the ensuing consternation and traveled to her programmed rendezvous point.

Once there, she was again abducted, and her "creators" finished converting the once-spirited woman into a soulless killing machine. She was trained for her task -- and thoroughly indoctrinated into the ideology that would keep her loyal. The legendary "Widowmaker" was born.

Most of Widowmaker's time is spent traveling the world in pursuit of her targets. Owing to the nature of an organization like Talon, there are many. This pleases her. On the rare occasions of downtime, she returns to her custom training center in Annecy. She chose this location not for the lake or the mountains (which she is no longer able to appreciate), but for its quiet solitude. Widowmaker tolerates no distractions.

When the bosses of Talon call, she will eagerly fulfill her purpose -- with one exception. Widowmaker takes no jobs in Lyon.

How to use this character
Widowmaker presents a challenge to would-be writers for two reasons. First, she says very little. Characterization is therefore in the hands of the animators, who must squeeze every possible drop of flavor from motions and expressions. The second reason is that she is not one character, but two. Frequent flashbacks will be needed throughout Season 1 to establish Amélie and how occasional hints of her are still peeking through.

Notes

• The hyper-rational Widowmaker provides an excellent foil to the impulsive Tracer.
• Widowmaker's primary job is to be the Dragon chasing the team, a role she must fill until some other villain is avialable.
• Should a Heel-Face Turn happen in future seasons, Widowmaker has potential as a Well-Intentioned Sociopath.
• The humor could end with a dark twist if, after struggling to comprehend morality for a season, Widowmaker returns to the life she knows after she tragically concludes it's the only role of which she is capable.

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

I know I wasn't going to do this any more, but I did. Sorry.

Okay, maybe Reaper wasn't the right guy for that, but we don't know anybody else yet. I like my villains smooth. He's just toying with her, though. The real point of capturing Tracer is to make Winston go ape (pun intended) trying to get her back. Perhaps a Sadistic Choice.

Luckily, Tracer escapes by taking off the chronal accelerator and simply walking through the wall. The rest of the episode is about trying to meet Winston at the right place and time for him to realize what happened and set up a chronal stabilization field. There's no better way to show the audience the nature of Tracer's condition.

"It could be worse, you know. You might have to spend the rest of your life strapped to a machine." -Tracer, trying to cheer someone up

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

I know I keep promising I'm not going to do this any more, but BlizzCon brought on another storm of ideas. I couldn't care less about the game, and yet I'm salivating over these characters. Why do you do this to me, Blizzard? Why?! Oh, well. The view count says someone likes the crap I'm making up.

With twenty-one characters now announced for Overwatch, we may be flirting with one of the chief dangers of large-cast stories: that characters begin to overlap in their roles. Therefore, I would like to offer some notes on how I would keep certain heroes apart.

Differentiating Winston and Mei (both wacky scientist archetypes):

Winston is driven and focused -- often so much that he can't see the forest for the trees. Mei is prone to daydreaming and oblivious bumbling. In fact, her biggest scores against the bad guys are usually by accident -- not to the point of being an Idiot Hero (because she is a scientific genius), but nodding in that direction every so often.

While Winston often seems crushed by the weight of the world, Mei approaches life with wide-eyed innocence. She's out to save the world, but has no grasp of how big a job it is -- let alone why anyone would want to stop her. She may also have some esoteric rituals for luck.

Therefore, I would use Mei as a Bumbling Professor who would make a good Bumbling Sidekick for someone.

EDIT: Somebody is about to call racism on this one. I just know it.

EDIT EDIT: Maybe a better way of describing my take on Mei would be to say she's a cross between Abby of NCIS and Luna Lovegood of Harry Potter; brilliant, naively determined, but off in her own little world.

Differentiating Symmetra and D.Va (both prima donna archetypes):

Symmetra takes smug satisfaction in her superiority. D.Va demands to be actively adored. Symmetra is a careful, rational decisionmaker. D.Va is hot-headed and impulsive, seemingly needing to prove herself over and over.

As a female who fought her way to the top of a male-dominated world, D.Va has a massive chip on her shoulder. Her attitude can be summed up as, "I'm a girl -- and I'm better than you. Deal with it."

Come to think of it, a Mei/D.Va pair-up would be highly amusing.

EDIT: After some additional thought, both Mei and D.Va have some degree of overlap with Tracer: Mei in her tendency to bungle someone's plans, D.Va as the rash instigator. Luckily, there's enough differences to keep everyone standing on their own.

Addendum: Pharah
How well did Pharah know her mother? I think her character would be more interesting if she didn't. She would spend her life pursuing this impossible ideal, trying to be as much like her mother as possible -- even getting the same tattoo. It is her hunger to hear stories about her mother that welds her to Reinhardt almost from the moment they meet. She comes to function as his "Sancho."

However, when the group picks up Torbjorn, he has no hesitation about laying down the unvarnished truth: her mother was in fact a closet alcoholic who nursed a hidden depression. Eventually, she took her own life. Knowing her status as a national hero would make the truth unacceptable in Egypt, Overwatch Director Jack Morrison concocted a story about how she heroically gave her life to save others. When confronted in later episodes, Soldier: 76 says he did it in part because "She deserved a better death."

Paragon role-model a lie? Drinking? Suicide? These are heavy blows for anyone -- but especially for a Muslim. Watching how Pharah deals with this would say a lot about her character. I would have her (ironically) go about it in much the same way her mother did: keep up the front of the unflappable professional while brooding in private. This eventually leads to a lecture about "Your mother was crushed by her burdens because she chose to bear them alone." Perhaps add, "You were always the one thing that gave her hope. Don't disappoint her by falling into the same trap."

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.

I know I shouldn't be doing this, but these ideas came to me so vividly that I had to do something with them. Can you forgive there not being a Dispatch for December if this is the consolation prize?

This is just notes, so we'll be drifting in and out of script format.

[Show opening]

INT. MEKA TRAINING CENTER -- DAY
The members of MEKA are engaged in a training simulation. D.Va, the only female, is much better than the others. There is a big explosion, and the simulation ends. MEKA exits the simulators and forms up for inspection. [Rival], an arrogant young officer, enters.

[RIVAL]
Unacceptable! Your takedown was a full three seconds slower than it was last time. You're slipping, people.

D.VA
I could win in half the time if you didn't keep sticking me with these incompetent idiots! They just plain can't keep up.

A barrage of dirty looks surrounds D.Va. She doesn't care. [Rival] walks up to her, face to face.

[RIVAL]
Ah yes, Hana Song, the great D.Va. Are mere mortals not up to your standards, great one?

D.Va glares.

D.VA
Look, I was the one brought in to kill this thing; the rest of you are supposed to back me up. Find someone who can follow my lead, and that scrapheap will die.

[Rival] glares back.

[RIVAL]
I might remind you, lieutenant, that you've had four chances to accomplish your task -- and your "scrapheap" is still coming back. That's why I'm in charge now. See, no matter how good your micro might be, my macro has always been better.


The conversation is cut off by an alarm. The monstrosity is back again. MEKA suits up and scrambles to engage. In the battle, D.Va complains that [Rival] is playing too conservatively. She declares everyone else cowards and strikes out on her own. When ordered to rejoin the group, she tells him, "That's the difference between you and me: I play to win."

Visual note: All the MEKA mechs sport some form of "nose art," but they are of muted body colors. Only D.Va's is bright pink.

D.Va rushes in close, a move that would be suicidal for anyone else.

D.VA
Hey, there! Remember me?

The monstrosity focuses heavy fire on D.Va. She deftly dodges through it.

D.VA (CONT'D)
Looks like you do.

D.Va fires back.

D.VA (CONT'D)
Well, I'm happy to see you too.

After a protected action sequence, D.Va manages to blow off one of the monstrosity's legs -- but it comes down directly on top of her. She guns her high-boost engines to maximum and ejects at the last possible moment. Thrown clear with inches to spare, she lands in a snowbank and blacks out.

[Insert scene of what the team is doing]

INT. A MILITARY HOSPITAL -- DAY
D.Va wakes up in a hospital bed. The first thing she sees is [Rival], who informs her she is confined to quarters for disobeying orders. Seething, D.Va asks if the monstrosity has been destroyed. He tells her it has escaped again -- and implies the failure was her fault. D.Va loses it. "I blew one of its legs all the way off, and you morons still couldn't finish the job?!"

[Rival] exits the hospital room. The general who oversees MEKA meets him outside. [General] comments that D.Va is immature and seems to think this is all a game. [Rival] says he has known her far longer, and that everything is a game to her. [General] questions the wisdom of letting gamers use real weapons.

[GENERAL]
Gamers are not soldiers. They lack the discipline needed to deal with real threats.

However, he is immensely pleased with [Rival], noting he is unique for understanding both worlds. He orders [Rival] to resume training exercises -- with a particular focus on discipline and teamwork.

[RIVAL]
I will not disappoint you, father.

[GENERAL]
I know you won't.

That's right. Military nepotism.
[Insert scene about what the team is doing.]

INT. [GENERAL]'S OFFICE -- DAY
[Rival] enters [General]'s office. He reports that D.Va has not only slipped out of confinement, but left base entirely. Apparently, she can get anything she wants by signing autographs and posing for pictures. She left in her personal vehicle, and enough time has passed that she could be halfway back to Seoul by now. [General] tells him to wait for her return, then take disciplinary action.

[GENERAL]
There are many who regard Hana Song as a national hero. We must resolve this quietly.

The moment [Rival] leaves [General]'s office, he whips out his phone.

[RIVAL]
[Name]? This is [Rival]. I think I've found the story of your career. Anonymous tip, of course.

INT. A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT -- DAY
Cut to D.Va's picture on a television screen next to the Korean equivalent of "D.Va goes AWOL." Pull back to show rest of shop. [Father], the man behind the counter, hears something in the kitchen. He moves to investigate. He finds D.Va digging items out of the freezer.

[FATHER]
What are you doing?

D.VA
Helping you with the shop, father. It's what I always do when I need to think about something.

[FATHER]
(grunts)
In my experience you only come back here when you are running from something.

D.Va finishes her task and closes the freezer. She gives her father an innocent smile.

D.VA
And what do I have to be running from?

[Father] stands aside, allowing D.Va to see the TV behind. The frozen items crash to the floor, a look of stunned horror on D.Va's face. She scrambles to collect them again.

D.VA (CONT'D)
This...this is all a big misunderstanding. I just need to stay somewhere while we work this out.

[Father] sighs as D.Va carries the items to the counter.

[FATHER]
These "misunderstandings" would not happen if you could just once do what you are told.

D.VA
(sneering)
You wanted me to stop playing games.

[FATHER]
You are lucky your mother is out; this arrogance would break her heart. Do rules not apply to Hana Song?

D.VA
I happen to have skills.

[FATHER]
And that somehow puts you above the law? I do not know what it was this time, Hana, but it ends now. When the police get here, I will not only tell them exactly where you are, I will lead them to you myself.

D.Va turns in shock.

D.VA
I am your daughter!

[FATHER]
You are no daughter of mine. Get out.

[Father] points to the kitchen door. Distraught, D.Va leaves. She emerges into an alley. On reaching the street, she sees police examining her car. She quickly turns around and heads deeper into the alley.

Yet, when police question Mr. Song, he insists he knows nothing of his daughter's whereabouts. He suggests she may be holed up in one of her childhood hideouts. He claims not to know where any of them are.

[Insert some form of break]

NIGHTMARE SEQUENCE -- A PRO STARCRAFT EVENT
The match ends. The crowd goes wild.

[ANNOUNCER]
And there's the gg! The reigning world champion does it again!

The players emerge from their booths, D.Va bouncing, her opponent sullen. The announcer takes one hand of each and raises D.Va's over his head. Confetti blankets the stage. Booth babes bring out a trophy.

[ANNOUNCER]
Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for D.Va!

The crowd roars. A chant of her name breaks out. Suddenly, the cheers turn to screams. The monstrosity smashes open the stadium. D.Va finds she is in her suit, her mech standing by. She gets in and takes off. Her platoon appears and fights beside her. The monstrosity looses a leg, which falls directly toward her. D.Va ejects and lands in a snowbank.

A limousine pulls up to a red carpet event. D.Va emerges in a prison jumpsuit, led in chains past the crowd. They point at her and laugh. Their laughter builds and builds. Suddenly, D.Va wakes up, nestled in a pile of garbage bags.

Okay, not sure where to insert that, but it was fun.

The fugitive D.Va happens to cross paths with the team, who happen to need access to something inside the base where she was stationed. D.Va is moved by the gravity of their mission, but declines to join them. Instead, she cuts a deal: She will help them circumvent the base security if they will help her steal a mech. She plans to lie low and make a heroic return the next time the monstrosity attacks.

EXT. THE MEKA BASE -- NIGHT
D.Va makes her escape. On the radio, she hears chatter about how the team is pinned down and MEKA is closing in.

Cut to the team being backed into a corner. A mech alights, cutting off their last avenue of escape. Suddenly, another mech rams it out of the way.

D.VA
Don't just stand there! Run!

The team makes use of the opening. D.Va turns and fires on her comrades. As the team runs, Tracer suddenly stops.

TRACER
Well we can't just leave her. She's completely boxed in!

SOLDIER: 76
She made her choice. We have to reach our objective.

TRACER
Then go on without me.

Tracer flashes back the way they came. Winston looks after her.

SOLDIER: 76
Oxton made her choice too. We still need you to ____. Move!
No idea what they need Winston for.

They run again.

Cut to the mech battle. D.Va cuts through the lesser mech drivers with ease.

DRIVER
Sir! The intruders are getting away!

[RIVAL]
Leave them! We have a traitor in our midst. I want that mech brought down at all costs.

Begin intercut of the team's suspenseful mission with the battle outside.
Tracer uses her speed and clever positioning to trick the mechs into shooting each other. The fight comes down to a duel between D.Va and [Rival]. They taunt each other about livestreaming their battles. Finally, D.Va makes a comment about the importance of teamwork. [Rival] notes that's an ironic thing for her to say. She says she's learned a lot in the last few hours. At that moment, Tracer takes him out by planting a pulse bomb on his legs. Also at that moment, the team accomplishes its objective. They all flee the wrecked and burning base.


EXT. A HILLTOP OVERLOOKING THE BASE -- NIGHT
The team meets and discuses its next move. Fire and explosions are still happening at the base below. Finally, they turn to D.Va.

WINSTON
What about you, "D.Va?" We could use someone with your talents.

D.VA
Thank you, but I won't be coming.

Everyone looks at D.Va in surprise.

TRACER
Why not?

D.Va takes a deep breath and swallows hard. She stares ahead.

D.VA
I will turn myself in and face the consequences of my actions.

TRACER
What?! You can't go back. They'll put you away for life!

D.VA
(looking down)
I know.

D.Va looks at Tracer with hollow resolve.

D.VA (cont.)
But I have to do it sooner or later. I'd rather get it over with.

Tracer nods in understanding.

TRACER
I'll always remember you, Hana.

D.VA
(forced smile)
So will I.

D.Va boards her mech and flies away. A grim silence falls over the team as they watch her go.

REINHARDT
That takes courage.

SOLDIER: 76
It does. But we have to keep moving.

As the credits roll, D.Va stands in front of her mech on a dark street under a glare of bright lights. She gets down on her knees and puts her hands behind her head. A SWAT team quickly surrounds her.
Shift to same scene on the TV in the shop. D.Va's parents hug and cry.

And it all started because I wanted to try writing something poignant. Oops. Plus, it fails quite a few of the objectives I started out with. Why does D.Va have such a change of heart at the end? The reasons don't really come out. She's a headstrong egotist, but she's not a criminal. She also finally realized what she's been doing to her family. We just don't see that.

Can this story fill its time slot? No idea.

Can a character like this work in the context of Korean culture? I don't know that either. She seems very American in this version.

What makes D.Va fun for me is her "teenager spoiled rotten by premature fame and fortune" aspect. And then I went and took that away in her first appearance. I had been inspired by her trailer appearance to teach her a lesson in true (read: moral) courage while nudging Soldier: 76 back toward his old Captain America value system. Kinda lost sight of that somewhere along the line. It came out more like she needed to learn the magic of friendship -- I mean, the power of teamwork.

Plus, Blizzard seems to be aiming more for the "child playing with very dangerous toys" aspect. Oh well.

I'd also like to see [Rival] face some consequences for his decision to ignore the intruders. The slimeball was so determined to bring D.Va down that he destroyed himself in the process.

Similar single-episode stories would be good fits for Zarya and Lucio. However, Lucio's episode has to happen while Symmetra is part of the team. That'll give us some fireworks -- and maybe a philosophical debate.

A hook for the second season might be for the powers that be to give D.Va an offer: "We'll let you out of jail if you'll infiltrate the New Overwatch and help crush it." Cue conflicting loyalties.

EDIT: D.Va's "personal vehicle" is a pink Ferrari. You know you want one.

Anyway, this ate way too much time.

Further Addendum:
Having read BlizzCon transcripts, I got their plans for the character wrong the second time too. D.Va is all about being competitive. Therefore, the one thing I may have gotten right about her are these little quips, which didn't find a place in the above.

SOMEONE
They've cut off our communications.

D.VA
What?! But I was winning that conversation!

And
D.VA
What would he know? His APM isn't half what mine is.

However, I remain convinced about the other characters she needs to make her facets pop. She needs a rival to set off her hypercompetitive tendencies. She needs her father to highlight how she is against the grain of a more traditional Confucian mindset. And, I think, she needs a big brother, who introduced her to video games all those years ago. He's the one person she both trusts and respects, as those two things are usually mutually exclusive for her. Competition does have its down side, you know.

From all that, I realized there may be enough there to build a whole spin-off series, apart from the main "Tracer and Company" plot. Would that work with other characters?

Actually, this technique of identifying facets and counterpointing them could come in handy elsewhere. Maybe this wasn't such a waste after all.

__________________
Every ending is but a new beginning.