Hi everyone,
Today, I'll be writing about the third part of Marvel's five-issue Spaceknights limited series. The cover shows a Galadorian facing off against an as-yet-unknown foe. The story was called "Redemption!" The issue had a cover date of December 2000.
The tale began after the first mission that the new Spaceknights embarked on. Their leader, young Prince Balin, bemoaned the fact that their mission to Trion had left one dead and two dozen more wounded against no enemy casualties. His confidant, Val, was perplexed by the mysterious ally of the Trion whose cloaking could not yet be penetrated and whose weapons were equal to those of the Galadorians.
Balin agreed that they must know the identity of the Trions' ally, but it was something that his brother Tristan already knew. Tristan had been confined to sick bay after confessing his visions to his brother and announced that the secret enemy was none other than the world's feared foe, the Dire Wraiths. He went on to say that these wraiths were far more powerful than the ones that tormented previous generations of Spaceknights. Val assumed that this could be possible, but Balin dismissed the news, because the wraiths had been sent to the Ebon dimension years past, and that his brother's psychic flashes weren't proof enough of his claims.
Tristan then had another vision, this time of their encampment being attacked by wraiths. Balin dismissed it as an insane rant and restricted his brother to sick bay as a patient until further notice for the duration of the expedition. He then left with Val, saying that his brother had been unstable even as a young boy. He blamed the behavior on things their mother, Brandy Clark, had said.
In her own chambers on Galador, Clark spoke to Lord Gaspar about the mighty weapon Axadar's rejection of her son Tristan. She noted that their empire was weakened without an active Prime Director. Gaspar suggested that it might be better for the planet to cut its losses and grant Trion its independence. Clark worried that doing so would spell doom for the Galadorian empire. She thought that unity was the best possible solution, and was surprised by his suggestion, not knowing that he was secretly conspiring against her. As they parted, Gaspar mused how the world was about to lose Axadar, and was about to use an outlawed gravitational imploder that would send everything within a quarter sec's radius into a black hole, including Axadar, in just two hours.
Back on the Spaceknight vessel, Balin insisted that he was sane. Val was willing to believe him, noting his rationality. Val offered to be his wingman, just before Balin had another vision of a threat that was thought to be long dead. Their encampment was now under attack, as Balin had predicted. Tristan called it a mere coincidence and pulled his soldiers into a defensive formation.
Val lamented Tristan's tactical skills, which still needed some work, but was glad that Pulsar's force field could protect most of the Spaceknights. Val urged Balin into battle, right before they suited up in their Spaceknight armor. Several Trion citizens watched the skirmish from the ground, noticing how both Trion and Spaceknight warriors had joined forces. Moments later, a Spaceknight fell dead before them, making the people aware that tricks were being played, but who perpetrated them was not yet clear.
Balin and Val opted to join forces to combat the mysterious foes. Tristan was outraged that both of them had joined the fray until Val noted how every available Spaceknight was needed. The new enemy who attacked was powerful enough to test the Spaceknights' mettle personally with hand-to-hand combat. Tristan eventually lunged at the foe, striking in the name of his late father and Lightningbolt. Terminator lived up to his name, as his opponent was soon defeated, but fell unconscious after his victory.
Another wraithknight joined the battle just as Balin rushed to save his brother. He was able to grasp Tristan with one hand and use his free hand to fire his weapon at close range at the second wraithknight. The enemies retreated temporarily, before reinforcements arrived in the form of Deathwings, a formidable wraith creature that was thought to be extinct.
Val directed the citizens and other Spaceknights to Trion's surface, where Pulsar was soon developing another shield to protect them all. It held, but the strain was torturous. Balin remembered how his father had once defeated a Deathwing, as did the original Firefall, who the current Spaceknight with that same moniker shares an existence. This Firefall went on to say how the original had been captured and tortured for two centuries. Vanium attempted to teleport his comrades to a safe place just before Tristan had another vision.
It was good to see that Dire Wraiths were still around in this issue. After ROM was cancelled, they had appearances in other Marvel titles, including Hybrid (before his mutant abilities were removed). Deathwings were always drawn well by Sal Buscema, and this incarnation, illustrated by Chris Batista, honors those original renditions. We start to see a shift in power from Tristan to Balin, and a little bit of the treachery from within Galador's government.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll be covering the fourth issue of this limited series. We'll find out what Tristan's latest vision was and how the Spaceknights react to the wraith threat. We'll also learn what Galador's leaders plan to do and how their actions, or lack thereof, impact surrounding planets. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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