Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 1

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Dynamite Comics separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 1 An issue of the Dynamite series.
Issue No.	1
Writer(s)	Tony Lee
Illustrator(s)	{{{illustrator}}}
Penciller(s)	Aneke
Inker(s)
Colorist(s)	Alex Starling
Letterer(s)	Marshall Dillon
Editor(s)
Collection Design	{{{designer}}}
Cover Artist(s)	Ardian Syaf (Cover A) Sergio Fernandez Davila (Cover B)
Adaptation of
Published	August 13, 2014
Collects
Collected in
Reprints
Reprinted as
Pages	{{{pages}}}
ISBN	725130219275
Population	0 Survivors
Special	{{{special}}}
Chronology
Previous		Next
	Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 1	Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 2
Purchase
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Summary

Welcome to the world of Battlestar Galactica as never seen before, as #1 NYT Bestselling Author Tony Lee gives it a Steampunk spin! After Professor Baltar's clockwork Cylonics destroy the Colonial Empire, Arch Duke Adama learns that his son Apollo is missing! It's up to Lady Athena to travel to the Sky Pirate world of the Rising Star and ask for help from the only hope she has — the disgraced Captain Starbuck and his humanoid / Daggit copilot Muffit...

Plot

Overview

• A yahrens long conflict between the Ovions and the Colonial Empire took their toll on the humans.
• Professor Baltar creates a machine race of clockworks to replace the depleting numbers of Warriors: Cylonics.
• Cylonics turn the tide in the Ovion Wars within sectons, ending the conflict.
• Buoyed by this, Baltar sets his sights on acquiring power over the Colonial Empire. He is thwarted by Archduke Adama of the aethership Galactica, and Baltar absconds with the Cylonic army and the babbage computer that controls them.

The Fall of Caprica

• On Caprica, large Cylonics cause havoc and wreak destruction throughout a densely populated city. In the skies above, Vipers ineffectually fire upon them.
• Zachary asks Crown Prince Apollo for a new attack plan. Apollo mistakenly confuses Zachary for Starbuck, who is lost to them.
• On Apollo's order, they use grapples to drag down the Cylons as concentrated Viper firepower on the knees does the rest.
• On Galactica, Fleet Admiral Tigh celebrates the downing of that Cylonic. * Adama orders the ship about while belting out a rousing speech on how Caprica will not fall.
• Zachary sarcastically questions Apollo on how Caprica's been ordered to survive, and asks if that's how Apollo stays alive as well. Apollo retorts that being Crown Prince doesn't make him immortal, but it makes him act that way. Starbuck, too, acted that way and notes "look what happened to him."
• Atlantia engages another towering Cylonic, which fires smaller versions of itself at it. These Knights board the ship and head to the control room.
• As Apollo is reporting on this new act, a Knight climbs upon his Viper and smashes the canopy.
• Aboard Atlantia, Knights enter the engine room and commandeer the vessel, overloading the solium core and steering the aetership into the planet itself.
• Adama orders an evacuation of Caprica, realizing that the ship is now a bomb. The order is in vain, as Atlantia explodes and kills all life on Caprica.
• The Flight Commander informs Adama that Apollo's vessel has been found floating in the atmosphere.
• Tigh and Adama inspect the craft in the hangar. Tigh shares the belief that Apollo was sucked out when his plexi-crystal canopy broke.
• Adama vows vengeance against Baltar and his creations as Lady Athena arrives with her page Boxey in tow.
• Athena informs Adama that she had been visiting Lord Cain on Pegasus. Adama reminds her that he disapproves of that relationship, but is told that Cain is dead as Pegasus' destruction occurred prior to Atlantia's.
• Athena examines the Viper, voicing her belief that Apollo may have survived. Tigh agrees that it could be possible if Baltar had desired it, and Athena believes that Apollo was abducted as a trophy for Baltar as destroying Caprica wasn't enough.
• Incensed at this, Adama rebukes entertaining Apollo's survival and seeks vengeance instead, and ends the conversation.
• Athena weeps, asking Tigh for help. Tigh notes that only one man could have a chance at saving Apollo—Flight-Lieutenant Starbuck, a deserter whose name is no longer spoken.
• Tigh informs Athena of Starbuck's location on the border world of Rising Star, and that someone needs to remind Starbuck about his life debut to Apollo.
• Now hopeful, Athena tells Boxey to ready her bubbleship for the trip.

Aetherprison Proteus

• Cylonic Knights drag Apollo through the aetherprison Proteus in orbit of the planet Helia; it is here that the large towering Cylonic Centurions that besieged Caprica are being constructed.
• Apollo comments on being roughly handled by the Cylonics as he is pushed upon the floor of Baltar's throne room.
• Baltar presents himself as "Imperious Leader Baltar," and notes his pleasure about saving Apollo's life. He debates what to do with Apollo: work him to death in Helia's mines, or turn him into the next evolution of a Cylonic Knight.
• As Baltar makes the decision to have Apollo work his mines—noting that only Apollo's brain is required for the future experiment—Apollo vows to kill Baltar.

Rising Star

• Athena and Boxey make way to the bar an old man on Rising Star spoke of. When Athena asks Boxey about it being a trap, Boxey replies in the affirmative: "We're certain to die in a matter of centons."
• They enter the pirate-infested bar and, even after Boxey corrects himself from his earlier statement, Athena commands for the barkeep. Her inquiry regarding Starbuck and his aethership Starchaser attracts the unwanted attention of two pirates, one of them noting that "saying the name Starbuck isn't a way to make friends" and that Starbuck hasn't many on Rising Star.
• Athena flips over one of the men into a table, while the second bald-shaven aggressor pulls a gun on her. Before he can proceed further, the tip of Starbuck's sword comes close to the aggressor's face. The aggressor stands down, retrieves his friend and leaves the bar with haste.
• After exchanging barbs on Starbuck's state of inebriation, Starbuck directs Athena to his "office"—an out-of-the-way table at the bar.

Atherprison Proteus

• A Cylonic Knight pushes Apollo into a cell, where he encounters Boomer, an old acquaintance from the Ovion War who had been banished. Apollo asks why he was banished by the Quorum of Twelve, Boomer replies that it was because he was saved by Baltar's prosthetics—where they were converted into half-human, half-clockwork machines—after having been badly wounded at the Battle of Carillion.
• In the cell is Jolly, another Warrior saved by Baltar's science and summarily banished. They tell Apollo that the Quorum feared anyone saved by Baltar would be controlled by him. Despite Adama's objections, the Quorum exiled them and Baltar "rescued" them to work on mining ores for Baltar's weapons of mass destruction.
• Apollo recruits Boomer and Jolly to his cause, assuring them that he does not view them as enemies while promising that they will be returned to the nobility of the Colonial Empire by helping him escape after they land on Helia.

Rising Star

• Starbuck tells Athena that he told Adama that Baltar couldn't be trusted. After Adama shared these concerns with the Quorum of Twelve, Starbuck was forced out as the Quorum "decided I could no longer be trusted."
• Athena takes offense to this, and Starbuck agrees with her that Adama is a good man, but the "Quorum has many bad seeds." He tells her of his two wingmen, Boomer and Jolly, who were saved by Baltar's prosthetics after the Battle of Carillion and went mysteriously missing the next day.
• He asks Athena how many men and women saved by Baltar's prosthetics still remain, noting that the Quorum excised anything "touched by Baltar's hand." Athena bristles in anger at this and is interrupted by Starbuck's second in command, a Daggit named Muffit. Muffit informs Starbuck that someone is looking for payment, which he brushes off.
• Athena is shocked at the presence of Muffit, noting that Daggits are unstable. As Starbuck is about to leave, he imparts his sorrow of what had transpired on Caprica and is uncertain about what he can do to help win the new war.
• Athena tells Starbuck that she doesn't care about the war, noting her only concern is about Apollo. He changes his tune, noting that she should have simply said that in the first place.
• As they leave to make way to Starchaser, Boxey introduces himself to Muffit.
• They enter the bay where Starchaser is berthed, where Starbuck tells Athena that she'll find "no faster ship in all the aether" with the addition of special modifications "at great cost."
• Before they can board, Queen Sheba and her brigand announce themselves; Sheba claims that Starbuck stole the credits from her.
• Athena uses her father's name in an attempt to defuse the situation, but Sheba notes that it is she who rules Rising Star, and not the Colonial Empire.
• Athena questions Starbuck about Sheba's claim, and arrives at the truth: he didn't deliver goods from a run.
• Before Sheba can have her satisfaction, Queen Cassiopeia arrives demanding satisfaction as Starbuck wronged her first. Starbuck briefly explains the situation to Athena, while Sheba discerns that Cassiopeia slept with Starbuck, noting it "ripe for mockery."
• Starbuck attempts to talk his way out of the situation, noting that both queens are not able to get what they want. Sheba replies that this is incorrect, and declares a three-way fight between the parties.

Notes

• The use of "1880" in the title notwithstanding, no special date designation is used in the depiction of the story itself.
• Use of the Ovions in this saga could very well be a meta-nod to the "Selenites," the race of insect-like creatures from the H. G. Wells novel The First Men in the Moon. The depiction of insect-like creatures in science fiction originates from this story.

Character Comparisons

1880 Character	TOS Counterpart	Notes
Archduke Adama	Commander Adama	The 1880 counterpart is militaristic and concerned about revenge, and does not share the patriarchal approach portrayed aptly by Lorne Greene. The 1880 counterpart easily writes off his son, forbids Athena from pursuing the matter, and exemplifies many of Cain's qualities from the Original Series itself.
Crown Prince Apollo	Captain Apollo	The 1880 counterpart is acts as if he is immortal and has a vengeful side. Aside from those qualities, the Crown Prince shares many of the traits of his canonical counterpart, including a sense of idealism.
Lady Athena	Lieutenant Athena	The 1880 counterpart shares many of the technical know-how of her canonical counterpart, but beyond that the 1880 counterpart's development diverges (and, in notable ways, surpasses) from the canonical counterpart where she becomes important into the ongoing story.
Fleet Admiral Tigh	Colonel Tigh	The 1880 counterpart shares many of the qualities of his original counterpart. Very few differences exist.
Lieutenant Starbuck	Lieutenant Starbuck	The 1880 counterpart shares many of the qualities of his original counterpart. Very few differences exist.
Lieutenant Boomer	Lieutenant Boomer	The 1880 counterpart is forced into exile due to his life being saved through the use of Baltar's prosthetics. Aside from that, very little differs from the canonical version.
Lieutenant Jolly	Flight Sergeant Jolly	The 1880 counterpart is forced into exile due to his life being saved through the use of Baltar's prosthetics. Aside from that, very little differs from the canonical version.
Zachary	Ensign Zac	The 1880 counterpart appears to have no familial relation to Adama, Apollo or Athena.
Lord Cain	Commander Cain	The 1880 counterpart is never fully developed, and so much of his character is inferred by those who react to him. In this version, he does not have Adama's respect, as Adama disapproves of the relationship Cain has with Athena.
Queen Sheba	Lieutenant Sheba	The 1880 counterpart appears to be "in name only" as she has no familial relation to Cain—particularly as she also has a sister, Cassiopeia. Many of her issues with Cassiopeia are similar to the rivalry (wherein Starbuck is concerned) between Cassiopeia and Athena.
Queen Cassiopeia	Cassiopeia	The 1880 counterpart appears to be "in name only" as she has a sister, Sheba. Many of her issues with Sheba are similar to the rivalry (wherein Starbuck is concerned) between Cassiopeia and Athena.
Boxey	Boxey	The 1880 counterpart is a manservant, or page, of Lady Athena. He shares very little childish tendencies and is exceedingly proper.
Muffit	Muffit	The 1880 counterpart is a humanoid creature with a predilection for instability. Aside from the name, Muffit isn't a lovable robot daggit.
Professor Baltar	Baltar / Imperious Leader	The 1880 counterpart is the master of the Cylonics, and betrays his race due to his thirst for power. Baltar also creates his own leadership position using the bombastic title of "Imperious Leader."
Count Iblis	Iblis	The 1880 counterpart is a computer scientist and inventor, and has a hand in creating the Cylonics and the babbage computer, Lu-c-fer. Iblis is merely human (as opposed to his counterpart), but also has his own thirst for power and attempts to seize it by transferring his consciousness into Lu-c-fer.
Lu-c-fer	Lucifer	The 1880 counterpart is the babbage computer server and coordinator of the Cylonics, and is under Baltar's control.

Non-Character Counterparts

1880 Nod	TOS Counterpart	Notes
Carillion	Carillon	In the Original Series, Carillon (one "i") is a world rich in tylium and apparently the home of the Ovions (and a fancy chancery and resort that they used as a honey pot to lure in unsuspecting future food animals, i.e. humans). In 1880 Carillion (two "i"s) is the homeworld of the Ovions who openly warred with the humans for reasons unknown.
Cylonics	Cylons	In the Original Series, Cylons are robots not created by humankind. As with the Re-imagined Series, 1880 also has the Cylons (or "Cylonics") created to serve man.
Daggit	Daggit	In the Original Series, daggits are canine creatures, while the 1880 version is humanoid.
Ovions	Ovions	In the Original Series, Ovions served in "The Alliance" created by the Cylons, whereas the 1880 version features them as victims of the Cylonics in their conflict against the humans.
Proteus	Proteus	Both are prisons; Proteus in 1880 is a Cylonic prison ship, while the Original Series counterpart is a Colonial prison planet lost to the Colonials.
Rising Star	Rising Star	In the Original Series, Rising Star is a luxury liner, whereas the 1880 series features it as an outlaw planet ruled by Queens.
Starchaser	Starchaser	In the Original Series, Starchaser is Starbuck's modified Viper seen in "The Long Patrol" (where Proteus is also introduced), whereas the 1880 counterpart makes it more of a transport in the style of Millennium Falcon.

Analysis

As this comic book series is approached as a "blank slate" by the author, a merging of various themes from both the Original Series, Re-imagined Series, and even Caprica occur here.

Cylonics

Revising the origin story of the robotic enemy, the Cylonics are created by humans, echoing the Cylons creation in the Re-imagined Series story. What differs here is the reason for the Cylonics creation and how they are used: first to fight the Ovions, who war with the humans of the Twelve Colonial Empires, and then to fight at Baltar's behest when he seeks dominion over the Empire.

The inclusion of a human Count Iblis is a nod to the fallen "Being of Light" depicted in "War of the Gods," as well as Iblis' manipulative role in creating the robotic Cylons. 

Star Wars

The easiest, superficial nod to Star Wars is in the role appropriation amongst Starbuck as the roguish Han Solo, Muffit as the first mate Chewbacca, and Starchaser as a Millennium Falcon.

Tony Lee admits this point in an interview, and the mirroring (and reversal) of story beats: "Apollo’s been captured and lady Athena goes on a desperate hunt for the one man that can help her rescue her brother, the disgraced Aethership Captain Starbuck, one time best friend of Apollo, now a smuggler, captain of the Starchaser with his first officer Muffit, a humanoid Daggit / robotics hybrid. It’s very Han and Chewie. In fact, thinking about it, it’s Star Wars, if Leia hired Han to help her rescue Luke."

Questions

• Why did the conflict between the Ovions and the Colonial Empire exist?
• What really happened to Starbuck?
• What happened to Carillion?

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Archduke Adama gives a "rousing speech" during the Cylonic attack on Caprica:

Adama: This is Archduke Adama of the aethership Galactica. Caprica will not fall. I repeat—Caprica will. Not. Fall.

Zachary: You hear that, Apollo? Caprica's been ordered to survive this! Is that how he keeps you alive? Orders for you to live?

• Lady Athena and Boxey make it to Rising Star in search of Starbuck:

Athena: Calm, Boxey—there's the bar that the old man spoke about. Do you still think this is nothing but an elaborate trap?

Boxey: Absolutely, ma'am. We're certain to due within a matter of centons.

Athena: (after entering the bar) See? Nothing to worry about.

Boxey: I stand corrected, ma'am. Until we're viciously mutilated by pirates, that is.

• Starbuck talks to Athena about the two queens (Sheba and Cassiopeia) of Rising Star:

Athena: Two queens?

Starbuck: It's complicated. They're sisters, each believing that they have more right to rule.

Athena: You've been playing them off against each other, haven't you?

Starbuck: Pretty much.

Official Statements

• Tony Lee discusses the inspiration of the 1880 series:

"Very much a case of being in the right place at the right time. It was back in February this year [2014]; I’d finished the Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck series and we were looking for something else to do together. I’d gone over to Los Angeles for a convention, and had arranged to arrive a few days beforehand to take some meetings with producers in relation to a couple of screenplays I have out there. So, there I am, in the office of a very high-up and influential producer, nervous as hell and staring at a selection of posters and props from some of my favourite films ever as I talk about the film – when my phone buzzes, telling me I have an email.

Now, I always turn my phone onto silent, but for some reason this time it didn’t happen. I apologise, and carry on the pitch. But the producer says to check it, as it could be important. And to be honest, he needs to take a call quickly himself. So, I check my emails, and there’s one from Joe [Rybandt] and Nick [Barrucci] saying that they’ve had this idea for a Steampunk Battlestar Galactica series, they’re not sure how it’d work, did I have any thoughts on it, that sort of thing. The producer comes back in and, from one look on my face, he knows I’ve hit some kind of motherload. So, I tell him. And it turns out he’s a massive Battlestar Galactica fan. And we spend the next ten minutes bonding as I explain how I’d do a Steampunk Battlestar Galactica series, before moving back to the movie I was there to pitch. But those ten minutes were invaluable, as it meant that by the time I replied to Joe and Nick, I already had a fully fleshed out idea of what I wanted to do, and how I wanted to play it. And bar a couple of characters, it’s pretty much how I envisioned it back in February.

Related Imagery

Covers

Even though the covers are not identified with letter designations on the cover identification sheet inside of the issue, they are used below for consistency and order purposes.

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  Cover A Main colorized cover.
  Art: Ardian Syaf
  Inks: Guillermo Ortega
  Colors: Kyle Ritter
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  Cover B: Original art incentive cover.
  Art: Sergio Fernandez Davila
  Colors: Ivan Nunes
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  Cover C: Black & white incentive variant.
  Art: Sergio Fernandez Davila
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  Cover D: Athena Concept Art Incentive Cover
  Art: Sergio Fernandez Davila
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  Cover E: Cylon Concept Art Incentive Cover
  Art: Sergio Fernandez Davila
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  Cover F: Baltimore Comicon Exclusive Cover
  Art: Ardian Syaf
  Inks: Guillermo Ortega

Preview Pages

Please Note: These are used for promotional purposes by the publisher, and are provided here in the same vein.

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  Page 1 (sans lettering)
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  Page 2 (sans lettering)
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  Page 2
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  Page 3 (sans lettering)
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  Page 3
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  Page 4 (sans lettering)
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  Page 4
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  Page 5 (sans lettering)
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  Page 5
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  Page 6 (sans lettering)