Writing exercise

Read through some New Teen Titans and Uncanny X-Men--which I think we can agree are a high point of modern cape shit--with an eye for what plot advancement happens on each and every page. Obviously, the trick is also investing this stuff with characterization--and some of this stuff will spill over into a few panels on the next page, et al--but it seems to me like a good outlining trick is one or two sentences of plot progression per page, with allowances for multiple pages in the case of visually spectacular action scenes.

1-2: Sunfire leaves the team

3-4: Banshee agrees to stay, but the old X-Men leave.

5: Cyclops decides to stay, Jean leaves him.

6-7: Cyclops begins training the X-Men.

8: Thunderbird has a training accident and flips out.

9: Establish NORAD setting.

10-11: NORAD is invaded by Ani-Men, working for Count Nefaria. 

12: Nefaria establishes his bona fides, recalls backstory.

13: Cyclops broods; the team is made aware of Nefaria.

14: Nefaria threatens, the X-Men are dispatched, an injured Thunderbird refuses to stay behind.

15: The team is confronted by the Air Force, who then further brief them on Nefaria.

16: Nefaria attacks the approaching X-Men.

17: The X-Men evade missiles, but finally are hit.

18: They get away in an escape pod, which Nefaria further destroys, leaving them falling unprotected from a great height. 

1: Splash page picking up from cliffhanger.

2: Further recap, the team struggles to find a way to land safely.

3: Colossus lands safely via his mutation.

4: Cyclops is saved by Banshee.

5: Scott has Nightcrawler teleport into the base, but he’s attacked.

6: Nightcrawler duels and overcomes his attacker.

7: Nightcrawler lets in the others, but his prisoner escapes.

8-9: The X-Men are attacked by and overcome low-level defenses.

10: The Ani-Men attack the X-Men.

11: Wolverine is overcome, but Colossus saves him.

12: Cyclops and Nightcrawler help each other defeat their foes.

13: The last of the Ani-Men are beaten.

14: The team leaves an unconscious Thunderbird and Banshee, but are still too late to stop a doomsday program. Nefaria flees in a Harrier jet.

15: The recovered Thunderbird and Banshee attempt to catch Nefaria. Thunderbird recklessly boards his plane.

16: Professor X informs Cyclops that the battle with the Ani-Men damaged the program enough to render it inoperable. Thunderbird attacks the plane despite being cautioned against it.

17: Thunderbird’s attack causes the Harrier to explode.

18: Epilogue: The X-Men mourn Thunderbird.