Battlestar Galactica: Death of Apollo 2

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Battlestar Galactica: Death of Apollo #2 An issue of the Dynamite series.
Issue No.	2
Writer(s)	Dan Abnett
Illustrator(s)	{{{illustrator}}}
Penciller(s)	Dietrich Smith
Inker(s)
Colorist(s)	Fran Gamboa
Letterer(s)	Simon Bowland
Editor(s)
Collection Design	{{{designer}}}
Cover Artist(s)	Mike Mayhew (Cover A) Dietrich Smith (Cover B) Livio Ramondelli (Cover C) Ardian Syaf (Cover D)
Adaptation of
Published	January 2015
Collects
Collected in	Battlestar Galactica: Death of Apollo
Reprints
Reprinted as
Pages	{{{pages}}}
ISBN	725130224408
Population	0 Survivors
Special	{{{special}}}
Chronology
Previous		Next
Battlestar Galactica: Death of Apollo #1	Battlestar Galactica: Death of Apollo #2	Battlestar Galactica: Death of Apollo #3
Purchase
Available at BOOKSAMILLION.COM - Purchase
Available at Amazon.com – [[amazon:{{{amazon}}}|Purchase]]
Available at Amazon.co.uk – Purchase
Available at Things From Another World - Purchase

The Colonial Fleet has finally found an unexpected promise of salvation, after ten years of desperate survival. Yet is it all it seems to be? The Cylons have been quiet for a long time, but they never sleep and they never give up. Apollo and his fellow warriors embark on a dangerous mission to unlock the truth... and the consequences will change the lives of all aboard the Galactica forever. The shocking, continuity-shaking story continues from cosmic superstar writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy)!.

Plot

• Major Apollo's squadron escorts Taurella back to the Fleet. Captain Athena directs Countess Sephoni's shuttle to launch bay alpha.
• In core command, Commander Adama celebrates the return of the ship and Sephoni, commenting that her psionic gifts are well known and that she could be of assistance in their quest to find Earth. He reminds Colonel Tigh of Athena's previous advocacy of psionics, where Tigh replies that he's simply glad to be reunited with survivors.
• A full ceremonial welcome is ordered and executed. Apollo presents Adama to Sephoni and her court. In the initial meeting, Sephoni senses Adama's hesitation, where he notes that he wonders "not what they have seen, but what they haven't."
• In a lounge, Sephoni (accompanied by Taurella's Captain Rekort) tells Adama, Tigh and various assembled command echelon crewmembers of her divination of Earth's location, and tells of her survival from being hounded by the Cylons. She claims to have heard the clarion call of human minds of the Thirteenth Colony, and upon divining their coordinates, sought to divine the location of the Fleet. This is when she was able to connect with Xam's mind and ascertain their location.
• Later, Captain Starbuck ruminates "in an existential manner" on Sephoni's endowments, but is quickly brought to heel by Adama who opens the floor for discussion regarding Earth's coordinates.
• Athena advocates for sending a recon patrol to the coordinates, while Tigh also agrees, despite his misgivings on the efficacy of psionics. Apollo volunteers himself and two "new graders," Zurel and Neats, to head up the recon patrol over Starbuck's objections.
• With the meeting adjourned, Apollo discusses his decision with Starbuck, reasoning that should things go badly he'll need Starbuck to be by Xam's side. They discuss Starbuck's plan to live forever, and how that ties into Apollo's continued existence as well, seeing as he doesn't want to be forever lonely in his ascended plane of existence.
• Major Apollo's search flight trio launches, finding a dead moon at the coordinates. Zurel gets a magnetic reading, which on the other side of the moon reveals itself to be a Cylon super basestar flanked by a massive swarm of Raiders.
• On Galactica, Adama orders red and blue squadrons to launch, but is stopped by Apollo as he reports on the size of the forces and advocates for the Fleet to flee.
• In due course, the encounter turns disastrous and all are horrified as Apollo's last transmission (first presented in media res at the start of the previous issue) is severed.
• A shocked Adama orders Tigh to move the Fleet to escape. Sephoni offers her condolences, and Adama orders her and her court to be incarcerated on the suspicion of being Cylon agents.
• As Athena and Tigh hug in mourning for Apollo, a rampaging and distraught Starbuck storms core command. Adama tells him that Apollo is gone.
• Boomer reports to the bachelor officer's quarters, informing them of Apollo's fate and that telemetry confirmed Apollo's snuff dive.
• Sheba's thoughts go to Boxey and to who will be telling him. As it turns out, that burden is on Adama and Athena.
• Adama returns to his cabin, where he records his personal journal. He is at a loss for words, beyond "My son, Apollo, is dead. He is dead."
• In Galactica's brig, a belligerent and intoxicated Starbuck accosts Sephoni. After drawing his laser pistol at her, security officers restrain and tranquilize him.
• In the life sciences center, Dr. Madusa informs Dr. Salik of what transpired in the brig. Salik sympathizes with Starbuck and Madusa secures his help with dealing with Starbuck.
• In his chamber, the comatose Xam types out the coordinates 441:334:112:198 with the word "APOLLO" on the data pad.

Notes

Releases

• An additional exclusive subscription variant cover (Cover D) featuring the work of Ardian Syaf was made available to "comic shop subscribers and limited to initial orders."

Artworks

• Mike Mayhew's original artwork for "Cover A" was done in watercolor on 11" x 17" Fabriano Artistico 140lb. hot press watercolor paper, painted with a combination of both hand-brush and airbrushing techniques. As of 7 November 2021, Mayhew's sale price for the unique piece is $2,500.00 USD.

Nods

• Sheba's romantic relationship with Apollo seems to have dissipated, given her reaction to Boomer's news regarding Apollo's demise.
• Starbuck's obvious reference to Sephoni's breasts is done by using the word "psionics" interchangeably, a common motif in the Original Series when referring to secondary sexual characteristics. Previously, Starbuck compared the sensitivity of piloting a Viper to that of a "schoolgirl's... lips" when training shuttle pilots (a.k.a. "female pilots") in "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I".

Errata

• As with previous Dynamite Entertainment installments, there is a juxtaposition of visuals between the Original Series and the Re-imagined Series. The corridor backgrounds depicted are those of the "A-frame" corridors of the Re-imagined Series.
• The coordinates depicted for "APOLLO" on Xam's data pad are the same ones used to depict Taurella's location in the first issue. This is corrected in the subsequent issue.

Analysis

• While the reactions to Apollo's death are typical, the one seemingly notable exception is Sheba's reaction, which seems to be a professional indifference. "The Hand of God" touched upon Sheba's fear of losing someone else she cares for, so soon after Commander Cain's apparent loss in "The Living Legend, Part II," which is why she experienced attachment issues with Apollo. The relationship hinted at in "The Hand of God" seems to have cooled to a professional yet friendly one, without the romantic entanglement.
• The Cylons appear to have a fundamental understanding of psionics, despite their current form as mechanical creatures. This may be either a vestigial understanding from their predecessor's organic roots or stem from Count Iblis' involvement in their creation.
• The Cylons' trap presupposes that they also had knowledge of Taurella and who they carried, and a confidence in their ability to fool psionically-inclined.
• In the two yahrens since the previous encounter, the Cylons develop a super basestar to stage a trap in waiting. The Cylons appear to play by the same playbook, wherein they use a human (this time an unwilling mouthpiece for Cylon propaganda) to issue a promise that would lead the humans to their destruction (this time being the promise of Earth). Given this, Adama's reaction to incarcerate Sephoni and her court on the belief they are Cylon agents is understandable, even in the immediate aftermath of his son's death.
• Adama has now outlived both of his sons, each having been slain after a Cylon trap was sprung.
• Starbuck's heavily emotional reaction to Apollo's death is mirrored by his reaction to Apollo's "death" at the hands of Count Iblis in "War of the Gods, Part II."

Questions

• How were the Cylons able to fool Sephoni's psionic powers, particularly presenting the "clarion call" as those of humans from the Thirteenth Tribe?
• Are the Cylons able to track humans using psionics, in much the same way Xam was able to use divination to locate Taurella?
• Has this event shaken Athena's confidence in using alternate means to find Earth?
• Are there other Cylon super basestars in existence?

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Starbuck ruminates on Sephoni "in an existential manner":

  Starbuck: She's quite a piece, that Sephoni. Quite a piece.

  Athena: Down, boy.

  Starbuck: I meant with the graces and the smile and the great big--psionics. Gorgeous psionics.

  Adama: Can we bring this briefing to order, Captain Starbuck?

  Starbuck: Aboslutely, sir. Merely ruminating in an existential manner.

• Starbuck's view of Sephoni changes through the death of his friend, Apollo, as he accosts her in Galactica's brig:

  Starbuck: You. You and your charming ways and your oh-so-perky... psionics.

  Sephoni: Captain Starbuck, please--

  Starbuck: You got him killed. You got him killed. Best friend I ever had and you got him killed.

  Sephoni: The psionic evidenced seemed accurate--

  Starbuck: "Seemed?" Now you say "seemed?" You got him murdered by the Cylons! [Starbuck pulls out his laser pistol.]

  Sephoni: Captain! Starbuck: I ought to shoot you dead through these frackin' bars!

Related Imagery

Covers

• 
  Cover A by Mike Mayhew.
• 
  Cover B by Dietrich Smith.
• 
  Cover C by Livio Ramondelli.
• 
  Cover D by Ardian Syaf.
• 
  Cover E by Dietrich Smith. (B&W Incentive)
• 
  Cover F by Ardian Syaf. (B&W Incentive)
• 
  Cover G by Dietrich Smith. (Red Monochrome Incentive)
• 
  Cover H by Mike Mayhew. (Sketch Board Incentive)
• 
  Original Cover A artwork by Mike Mayhew.
• 
  Detail closeup from original Cover A artwork by Mike Mayhew.
• 
  Detail closeup from original Cover A artwork by Mike Mayhew.
• 
  Detail closeup from original Cover A artwork by Mike Mayhew.
• 
  Detail closeup from original Cover A artwork by Mike Mayhew.

Preview Pages

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

• 
  Page 1
• 
  Page 2
• 
  Page 3
• 
  Page 4
• 
  Page 5

External links

• Dynamite.com - BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE DEATH OF APOLLO #2 (web.archive.org backup link)
• Dynamite.com - BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE DEATH OF APOLLO #2 (OF 6) EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT COVER (web.archive.org backup link)

 

Re-imagined Series definition: in military parlance, directive to continue the attack; otherwise used to refer to journalists ^{(TRS: "Maelstrom")}

Original Series definition: a title of nobility (e.g. Count Iblis)

Re-imagined Series definition: battlestar landing bay mechanism that arrests a landing Viper, Raptor or other small craft ^{(TRS: "Final Cut")}