Starbolts #520: Visiting Scenic Demonsk

 

Hail!

    Welcome back to scenic Demonsk where the hellish landscape has been replaced by lush forests and the people have been forced to be happy as if their lives depend on it. Because it totally does. Well, it looks like a lot has changed in Demonsk since we last saw it in Starbolts #200. Demonstorm himself appears to be gone and someone who claims to be his son is now in charge. Who is he? We'll find out more about him and what he did to his people next time.

    The mood of the people drew inspiration from the '90s film "Demolition Man" where Sylvester Stallone's character wakes up in a seemingly utopian future where people are far too chipper for their own good. It's a decent action movie and it's got a nice moral to it. Check it out wherever movies are available. Or look it up on YouTube.     

    Back to the comic. It looks like all may be lost for Angela. I hope whoever this guy is can help. Is he friend or foe? Tune in next week and find out!

    See ya next time!

Starbolts #519: To the Other Side

 

Hail!

    This week Angela and Tanis are on their way to Demonsk to find out more about the ceremony that nearly killed our favorite Latina superheroine. What will she uncover in the wasteland ruled by a cruel tyrant? Hopefully, she'll find the answers she's been looking for as we return once again to Demonsk! It's been a long time since we've been there! We haven't been there since Starbolts #200!

    Some comic notes to think about. In my head, I'm thinking that they had a portal set up to try and get Shenra back home if she ever needed/wanted to return to Demonsk. That's why a basic portal was set up. That and to keep tabs on Demonstorm. You always have to be prepared when dealing with him. He may return. One never knows!

    Another note to talk about is the Centurions'  inaction during the Aquan Occupation. They were aware of it and didn't act. Gregorio was a young Centurion during its final years. Would he have made a difference? Oh, yeah. But, the Corps decided he was needed elsewhere. Thankfully, the Aquans do not hold a grudge! And they managed to overthrow the bugs eventually. Perhaps the Corps has the uncanny ability of foresight?

    Now than that's out of the way, I wonder if Kevin is really as okay with this trip to Demonsk as Angela told everyone. Time will tell. Tune in next week as we once again go to the other side!

Starbolts #518: A Romantic Interlude

 

     Hail!

    If you've guessed that Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth" is Crystal and Marcus's song, then you'd be correct! It's a good song and when Crystal was little she'd listen to the singer all the time just to spite Ruby and Jeb and the song's lyrics really suit Crystal to a tee. She was afraid to love before and now she isn't. She's got her rock and nothing is going to stop her.

    So, it's been about a year since Starbolts #303 when Crystal and Marcus kissed for the first time and what a year it's been. That comic came out when I was just thinking about elevating Crystal to main character status and I'm glad I did because there was a lot of story potential with her. Since she was elevated, Firaxil (then Dennis), Sara and Jack have all gotten great character moments.

    Crystal has gone through a lot and her character has become a LOT better in my opinion. And that's good because you want your characters to grow and change. Everyone changes for good or bad. But, in the end everyone needs a rock to keep them steady.

     What's next for the happy couple? Well, we'll just have to wait and see because next time we go back and see what Angela is up to. See ya next time!

Starbolts #517: Breaking the Dimensional Barrier

 

    Two years ago (comic time), some serious drama occurred within the Starbolts. Jack and Crystal lost their sister. Dennis (Now Firaxil) lost Sara. And of course Angela had a brush with death at the hands of Demonstorm. This comic calls back to Starbolts #17 through Starbolts #26. In the real world, this was way back in 2009. It's fun to revisit these stories and upgrade the sprites to today's standards. You'll notice Tanis is wearing his old costume but with a modern twist. Demonstorm himself also looks different from how he looked back in those days.

    The question on everyone's minds should be "What will Angela find in Demonsk?" Will she find the answers she is looking for? Will the people of Demonsk even help her? Only time will tell.

    And yes it looks like Tanis and Crystal aren't going to be friendly any time soon. She blames him for what happened to Marcus. I don't think that's going to be forgiven quite so easily. We shall see.

See ya next time!

Starbolts #516: The Glue

 

  Hail!

    After talking with the Source, Angela  has to seek out Tanis and Shenra. Perhaps they can tell her more about the ritual that killed her back in Starbolts #17.  Wow. That was four hundred and ninety-nine comics ago! I guess it's better late than never. If you recall, this was around the time Sara vanished too. I told Sam recently that it seemed like a lot of stories refer back to those days. It was two years ago in comic time. But, in the real world it's been about a decade. That's crazy to think about. Time flies when you're having fun.

    This week, we check in on Shrall, Tayalla and his mother. The latter seems to be adjusting to life well after being displaced in time. You can be sure that there were many parades and interviews with the Queen once she returned to Aquarius. You can also be sure that the first Lady Liberty, Carter Danvers, has been going through the same thing!

    As far as the Source goes, we now learn more about it. The Source, I think, is basically a small sun and has been around since the Big Bang. In fact, the Big Bang is probably what created the Source to begin with. I would go into more details. But, those are for another time. We got a meeting with Tanis and Shenra coming next week! Stay tuned!

Starbolts #515: The Heart of Illibrata

 

Hails and horns!

    Well, it looks like Angela discovered a shocking secret deep in the heart of Illibrata! What did the source mean by "its heart"? Whatever set it off like that has a lot to do with what happened to Angela WAY back in Starbolts #17. She died at the hands of Demonstorm and was eventually brought back to life. The comic was from mid 2009 and like Sara's supposed death around the same time period, this is yet another deep cut into the history of the webcomic.

    I've been enjoying writing these deep cuts and of course spotlighting the older Agents. It's a good idea to flesh them out as characters. As for Angela? Well, she is definitely has a lot of stuff going on. We'll see what happens next for her and delve into that connection she has with Demonstorm. 

Stay tuned!

Starbolts #514: Illibratan Lore

 

Hail!

    This week Angela and the readers learn about the Centurion Corps. Sam and I thought about their origins quite a bit and came up with something that was more or less a combination of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, the origin of Marvel's Nova Corps and a few other things tossed in for good measure. I have to thank Sam for helping to flesh out the story and what a story it is!

    He'vet was the first Centurion and thanks to him his society changed dramatically. The Corps was founded over ten thousand Terran years ago and thanks to the Force, Illibrata began to evolve quickly into a golden paradise. However, we know what awaits the ringed world in about twenty to thirty years. Remember, it was slated to go BOOM and Angela's son, Angelo, was there to witness it. Check out Starbolts #486 for details.

    Yeah. Things aren't looking too good for Illibrata, huh? Things are going to have to change on that planet if they want to avoid that fate. Can it be done? I suppose anything is possible. For now let's see how Angela does meeting with the "Source".

See ya next time!