Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse 3

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.

Issue 3 An issue of the Dynamite series.
Issue No.	3
Writer(s)	Javier Grillo-Marxuach
Illustrator(s)	{{{illustrator}}}
Penciller(s)	Carlos Rafael
Inker(s)
Colorist(s)	Carlos Lopez
Letterer(s)
Editor(s)
Collection Design	{{{designer}}}
Cover Artist(s)	Michael Golden, Pat Lee, Carlos Rafael, Stephen Sadowski
Adaptation of
Published	April, 2007
Collects	Virgin Pat Lee Cover
Collected in	Trade Paperback
Reprints
Reprinted as
Pages	{{{pages}}}
ISBN	725130069573
Population	0 Survivors
Special	{{{special}}}
Chronology
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Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse 2	Issue 3	Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse 4
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Galactica and her Vipers with the Cylons and their Raiders as Adama orders an attack against the Cylon Empire.

Summary

• Realizing the potential to rid themselves of the Cylon menace at Tessida in order to pass through the Canopus wormhole beyond the outpost, Commander Adama orders the weaponization of the nano-cybrid, a Cylon-constructed biomechanical agent that attempts (and fails) to return a Cylon to its biological form, with fatal results.
• As Vipers receive their special ordnance, Starbuck visits the Rising Star to pick up a special ring for Cassiopeia, but vehemently denies who he is getting the ring for to the merchant, Tassos, that sells it to him. When Tassos wonders if a sealing ceremony is in Starbuck's future, Starbuck decreases the amount he will pay for the ring in protest. When Tasso questions if Cassie, a former socialator, was Starbuck's interest, the Colonial Warrior drops the price again and threatens to drop Tassos to the floor until he apologizes. The ring in hand, Starbuck leaves (late) for the Cylon mission briefing.
• Adama briefs his command staff and senior pilots. As the Cylons know that the Colonials have the nano-cybrid, Adama wants to use a sneak attack to his advantage, taking Galactica herself in in a sudden lightspeed maneuver, providing bombardment cover to the Vipers in action.
• The target, Adama explains, is the Cylon mainframe computer to prevent any Cylon defense.
• On Tessida, Cylon viceroy Abbadon speaks to the tortured and partially disassembled IL-series Cylon, Belial, creator of the nano-cybrid.
• Belial believes that the Cylon state in mechanized form was limiting, and so created the nano-cybrid to bring the Cylon form back to a biological state. But the substance is not yet refined. When Belial questions why he has been kept operational, Abbadon tells him that he will die when the Colonials attack them with his creation.
• After evacuating non-essential personnel, Galactica leaves to Tessida. Boxey doesn't want to leave the battlestar, but his father, Apollo shoos him on his way after reminding him how he was still grounded for stowing away on a snowram during the Arcta mission.
• Starbuck meets with Cassiopeia, but stammers when trying to give Cassie his gift of the ring. But the young medtech scolds him for not truly feeling sorry. Losing his courage, he kisses her and runs to his Viper.
• Galactica enters the space over Tessida. Both sides launch fighters. Galactica aims her batteries to clear a defensive hole for his Vipers to enter the atmosphere.
• The Vipers encounter heavy flak and anti-aircraft fire. Galactica strikes the Cylon AA guns with fusion missiles to clear the Viper's path.
• Raiders come to intercept. Starbuck takes the fight to street level as Cylon civilians scatter about for cover. He launches a nano-cybrid missile into the Cylon data processing center. Over twenty-nine other missile strikes leave the Cylons realizing that they will be completely engulfed by the nano-cybrid within 5 hours. In the city, Cylon civilians and Centurions are disabled by the nano-cybrid, creating chaos.
• Just after he delivers the last of the missiles into the Cylon mainframe building, Starbuck is shot down. Unable to stay to rescue him due to increasing damage, Adama orders all Vipers to retreat and for Galactica to escape, leaving Starbuck to his fate.

Analysis

• Unlike its Re-imagined Series comic counterpart, this issue continues a strong and consistent use of Original Series canonical references. Use of phrases such as "gallmonging snitrat," "For Sagan's sake," and other episode references aided in the issue's persuasive and convincing atmosphere in the Original Series world.

Notes

Names and Nods

• Apollo uses Boxey's given name, Troy, in conversation.
• A humorous in-joke to the Star Wars universe (from the Death Star battle in Episode 4) occurs when Apollo tells Core command that "We've lost Tyrie and Hutch!" during the Battle of Tessida.
• Tassos' usage of "Mother of Hermes" is apt as Hermes is the Greek god considered to be the protector of both thieves and merchants.

Questions

• Why would the Viper pilots question Adama's decision to go to lightspeed when the ship has done so before during the Battle of Cimtar? (The pilots say that the battlestar hasn't gone to lightspeed in over twenty yahren. Because of the similarity between the same claim that Saul Tigh makes to William Adama in the Miniseries, this may be a writer's continuity mix-up between the Original and Re-imagined Series.)

Alternate covers

• 
  Michael Golden cover.
• 
  Pat Lee cover.
• 
  Carlos Rafael cover.
• 
  Stephen Sadowski cover.

External links

• Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse 3 - Regular Edition

Original Series definition: the equivalent of saying "objection" in a Colonial Tribunal ^{(TOS: "Murder on the Rising Star")}