Dick Tracy Storyline Map

The Three Detectives (Specs and Spicy)

December 26, 2015 to April 6, 2016 (105 days)

Tracy gets together with two international detective friends to track down X-Ray Specs and his girlfriend Spicy Condiment who are facilitating a wave of crime with glasses stolen from Smith Industries. A mini-story on the wedding of Mole is also incorporated.

Act 1: The Headaches are Getting Worse

The first act introduces the main villains, X-Ray Specs and Spicy Condiment, and Tracy's two collaborators, Francisco Wunbrow and Porfiry Ivanov. Specs' quest to relieve his migraines becomes a quest for riches once he discovers glasses with a remarkable ability. December 26, 2015 to January 9, 2016 (15 days)

Exposition/Introduction

26
Introduction to Specs and Spicy
Specs' headaches are getting worse.
27
Introduction to Ivanov and Wunbrow
They will meet Tracy at the International Detectives Conference.
28 29
Specs goes to a Smith Industries migraine clinic
With experimental glasses, his headaches are gone!
30 31
... but he can also see through solid objects!
1
Specs tells Spicy, "It will make us rich!"

Inciting action

His headaches gone, he has a new goal: making money using the glasses.
2 3
The Apparatus hires Specs as a jugmarker

Climax of Act 1

Specs is now starting on his path to riches.
4 5
Bank vault looted
The thieves couldn't have known the old bills were there.
6 7
Thorndike estate robbery
The thieves couldn't have known the location of the safe.
8 9
Smith Industries robbery
Diet thinks the glasses are being used for crime.

Act 2: Spicy's quest to "be their own boss"

Spicy thinks that their good situation would be better if they set out on their own. They could get rich even faster and nobody would push them around. Act 2 mainly follows the point of view of Specs and Spicy, except for a stop at the detectives conference. January 10 to January 23, 2016 to (14 days)

10
Spicy gets orders and it makes her think

Inciting action for Act 2

After receiving orders to lay low from the Ace of Spades (relayed by the Queen), Spicy starts to think of a life free of being ordered around. The Apparatus will be sorry they killed their golden egg.
11 12
Spicy gets an idea
Specs is content as a jugmarker for the Apparatus, but Spicy thinks they'd be better on their own where they wouldn't have bosses.
13 14
International Detectives Conference in New York
Tracy meets up with Wunbrow and Ivanov
15 16
Tracy talks to Dethany at the conference
She may help later with Abner Kadaver and Rikki.
17 18
Spicy's escape plan/Ace's disposal plan
Spicy's idea is to flee to Cuba, and just in time because the Ace of Spades intends to dispose of them as soon as he can figure out how to use the glasses.
19 20 21
Specs and Spicy escape from Apparatus HQ

Climax of Act 2

As the trash is picked up, our criminals get away from Apparatus control.
22 23
Specs and Spicy meet with John L. Springstein
He can arrange to get them to Cuba.

Act 3: The police respond to stop the crimes

The three detectives form a team to stop Specs' crime wave in its track before it spreads to Cuba. Act 3 is mainly concerned with the point of view of the detectives. January 24 to February 13, 2016 (21 days)

24
Tracy and Ivanov are both sent to Tracy's City

Aside: Update on Mr. Bribery

25
The air car is ditched at B.O. Plenty's
26 27
Bribery hires Ygor Glitch to create Matty Squared
28 29
Tracy updates Diet and Pat
He tells what he's learned from Bogart the Roach.
30
Pat Patton has his own informant...
31
Specs and Spicy arrive in Cuba
They start looking for a gang.
1 2
Springsteen tells what he knows
3 4
Tracy is re-assigned to Cuba
5
Diet Smith presents "Sunbug"
6
Ivanov is re-assigned to Cuba
7 8 9 10 11 12
The detectives are preparing to leave New York when Tracy spots a robbery in progress

Climax of Act 3

They arrest Bronson Canyon and Double E, who are trying to rob a bank.

Aside: Update on Honeymoon

13
Honeymoon is learning to control her moon powers

Act 4: Find the criminals/Stop the detectives

In Act 4, scenes bounce back and forth between Tracy's viewpoint and the viewpoint of our main villains, Specs and Spicy. The goal of the detectives is to track down Specs and Spicy. The goal of Specs and Spicy (following Mendoza's plan) is to kill the detectives so they can continue with their plan to get rich. February 14 to March 7, 2016 (23 days)

14 15 16
The three detectives meet with DJ

Aside: Update on Notta Fallar and Blaze Rize

17 18
With Tracy away, Notta proceeds to make her move on him
19 20
Blaze tries talk her out of it
Notta knocks Blaze out after saying Blaze can leave if she doesn't like the plan.
21
S&S go to a Vista Bill movie to meet Mendoza's gang
22 23
The meeting with DJ concludes
24 25
Kiko abducts Tracy from the car
The three detectives become separated as Tracy is taken to the alley.
26 27 28
Tracy hears why Kiko wants revenge
Meanwhile, Wunbrow overpowers Esteban.
28 29
Spicy loses her temper at Mendoza's HQ
Specs probably trusts DJ too much.
1 2
The detectives and S&S finally cross paths in La Habana
3 4 5 6
Following Mendoza's plan, rocks rain down on Wunbrow and Ivanov

Storyline false climax

All appears hopeless for the detectives. It appears that Wunbrow and Ivanov have been killed, Tracy is about to be killed, and Specs and Spicy have triumphed.
6
DJ plans to turn S&S over to the Apparatus when DJ's job is done
7
Specs is horrified at his role in the killing
Mendoza says there's one more little job to do before S&S get their gang.

Act 5: Kiko's Revenge/The Casino Job

In the final act, the detectives are again separated from Specs and Spicy, so we alternate between the two viewpoints again until they come together again in the climax and everything is resolved. March 8 to April 6, 2016 (30 days, including 7 days for Mole's wedding)

8 9 10 11
One more little job
Mendoza tells the story of the Casino Estrella's hidden vault.
12 13
Kiko's revenge — Tracy outsmarts him
Kiko will not get his revenge after all.
13
Specs locates the vault at Casino Estrella
14 15 16
Kiko foiled, the three detectives get back together
16 17 18
Spicy gets Specs ready to report to DJ
19 20
DJ's plan to break in to the casino vault

Aside: Update on Mole's wedding

21 22 23
Mole's wedding preparations are almost complete
Jerry King has arrived to be the best man. There is hope that Tracy will return in time to attend.
24 25
Tracy and Ivanov ordered to their hotel
Wunbrow drives past the Casino Estrella on the way to take them there.
25 26
Casino Estrella explosion

Story climax

The safecracker sees wire and dynamite through the opening into the safe. Seconds later, the casino explodes. Specs and Spicy have failed in their quest to become independently rich.

Falling action/Dénouement

27 28 29
The three detectives arrive at the casino
Ivanov finds Specs, then his glasses suddenly disappear. Wunbrow is surprised that the hidden vault was not an urban legend.
30 31
Tracy takes S&S back to the U.S.
The three detectives part company.

Resolution

1 2
Diet Smith's plane flies Tracy, Ivanov, and Specs and Spicy back to the U.S.
Ivanov reveals the X-ray specs hidden in his bandages. The stolen glasses are recovered. Diet understands Specs' migraine condition and has ordered new glasses without the X-ray ability. Specs' quest to solve his constant migraines (which started the plot in motion) is now permanently solved!

Aside: Mole's wedding

3 4 5 6
Mole's wedding is held
Tracy arrives in time to conduct the ceremony.