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Whatever Happened to Stephen Hawking?

The Heroes of Science discover a derelict satellite in orbit and decide to make it their home. The server room, however, is flooded, so they have Leonardo Da Vinci create a pump to clean it out. The rest of the Heroes of Science leave to get chinese take-out. But the satellite holds a dark secret. Can Leonardo Da Vinci survive long enough to discover the truth? Or will he be reduced to long pig lo mein?

Page 1

This is another introduction page for Heroes of Science. It's fun to quickly sum up the story so far. This page hints at things to come. The two biggest hints are the figure shrouded in silhouette, who will serve as this chapter's villain, and the doctor in the back of panel 3.
Panel
Hey, look, the flag raising on Iwo Jima. Aren't I clever?

Page 2

The title for this chapter comes from Alan Moore's semminal "Whatever happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" which serves as an endcap for Silver Age Superman. I don't feel that this is a big shock, given the chapter's name, but we will indeed learn the fate of fabled scientist Stephen Hawking, in the Heroes of Science Universe. Start salivating kiddies.
Panel 6 I do not like this panel.

Page 3

Panel 4
I decided to go with "cold" colors for the space station's interior. This is of course, because it is apparently abandoned, and nothing dwells here... until the Heroes of Science set up shop, anyway.
Panel 6
"...the house settling." This is an audio motif that will recur throughout this chapter.

Page 4

Panel 7
Whu-oh, that pink sphere with wings wasn't there before! That must be some kind of clever foreshadowing!

Page 5

Panel 4
For some reason the Heroes of Science always find themselves in abandoned structures which, inexplicably always have intact, but inert, computer rooms. It's sort-of like the "I woulda gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those meddling kids!" plot device from "Scooby Doo."
Panel 5
I started off "Da Vinci's Cypher" with Leonardo explaining how his newly-invented beard, hiding spot works. This was to remind the reader about Leonardo's most-commonly used special ability. I'm all about economical writing.
Panel 8
I know, I'm going to the "panel with only a sound effect in it" well too often in this chapter. I won't do it again. I promise.

Page 6

Introducing Pol Pot. Pol Pot is probably my favorite genocidal maniac. It's sad that few people are aware of his existance. Here's a quick biography: His political party, the Khmer Rouge gained power in the mid 70's in Cambodia because the whole region was a festering, open wound. Once in power Pol Pot began the heady work of transforming Cambodia from a society with people and things, into a society without people and things. Pol Pot's attempts to transform Cambodia into an agrarian wonderland eventually killed about 20% of the population. In the process he killed a hundred fifty thousand "intellectuals" which in this case meant anyone who looked smart enough to annoy the Khmer Rouge, or anybody in glasses. Class act, all the way.

Page 7

James Bond villain monologues are incredibly fun to write.

Page 8

Panel 3
It's been prohibitively long since I've made a Stanley Kubrick reference. As such, watch out for your precious bodily fluids, frenchie.

Page 9

Panel 7
When a face of a tv stutters, usually that's a reference to Max Headrom.

Page 10

I believe this is the most dialog heavy page of Heroes of Science yet. Stephen Hawking alone has more lines on this page than Marie Curie or George Washington Carver.
Anyway, one of the earliest key-concepts I came up for while developing Heroes of Science was that Stephen Hawking was their orbitting battle-base. In the hypothetical 80's toyline the Hawking-1 Battlestation costed 100$, was much like Metroplex and Trypticon, was the greatest toy a parent could give their child. Likewise, this is the first instance of a living person appearing in Heroes of Science. Well, outside of the huge crowd scenes from Chapter 1, but should those really count?
Panel 4
This is what I call the "Star Trek" ending. Somebody makes a pun that doens't really make any sense and sure as hell isn't funny, then everybody breaks out laughing. Well, not Spock, but you know.