Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles

[Thorn Profile]

Just FYI, there's apparently a lot of buzz over at the Palladium forums about a new edition of the Robotech RPG. I expect it out just after Mechanoid Space and Rifts Scotland, my graduation, banks handing out free money, and effective solar-powered cars on the mass market.

[Halo Profile]

Well, after watching the Shadow Chronicles, I went back and gave the “Prelude” comics another read through. Some of it may be worth discussing, especially in light of the anime tie-in. So consider this a Spoiler Warning for anyone who has not read the Prelude comics or seen the new anime movies!

Having never read the Sentinels novels beyond the first, I’m not sure what in Prelude is original and what is a rehash of that series. But here are some interesting and key points from each issue:

ISSUE 1
- Opens with Admiral Hunter chasing down TR Edwards. He arrives in Edwards’ office to find the dead body of a man wearing a Ghost Squadron Uniform, and are perplexed to learn it is Kyle Lynn. This is never explained in the comics, so I assume it’s covered in Sentinels.

- Edwards, and those REF soldiers loyal to him, have stolen the Icarus (a Shimakaze class battlecruiser) and joined the Invid Regent. He also kidnapped Minmei, but it’s interesting to note she is only drawn from behind. Perhaps they haven’t revamped her design for the new series yet?

- Commander Baker, leader of Wolf Squad, and the SDF-3 move to intercept, but Edwards has acquired a new weapon from the Invid Regent that makes him unstoppable – Shadow Technology. Why the Invid would be so stupid to hand him the means to be invisible to their protoculture sensors is not explained.

- Most of the SDF-3’s fighters get spanked. Then, while attempting to fire the SDF’s Reflex Cannon, the Invid Regent fires its main gun straight into it and destroys the forward third of the ship. Edwards escapes and over the next year the SDF-3 is refitted so that it no longer looks Zentraedi in origin and matches the version seen in the new movie. It is interesting to note that in the appendix this ship is referred to as “Shadow Dimension Fortress 3: Pioneer”. I've never seen the SDF ships given proper names, although I assume SDF-1 is "Macross" to SDF-3's "Pioneer".

- Also during this strike Admiral Lisa Hayes is wounded and loses her unborn child. She decides to retire from military service.

- Dr. Lang and Janice discover notes left behind in Edwards’ abandoned compound and begin attempting to reverse engineer the Shadow Technology he gained from the Regent. Over the year of SDF-3’s refit they crack the code thanks to help from the Haydonites.

- Captain Vince Grant is given command of the new “Super Dimension Battleship” Tokugawa and assigned the task of hunting down Edwards. Breetai and his Zentraedi soldiers are assigned to his command. Jack Baker and Wolf Squadron are with him as well.


ISSUE 2
- Tokugawa tracks Edwards to Optera, and is attacked by the Icarus, which opens things with a Reflex cannon blast that cripples the Tokugawa.

- Breetai, piloting an “Anti-Invid Bioroid” mecha leads the Zentraedi assault on the Regent’s mothership.

- Edwards betrays the Regent by assuming control of the Invid Brain. Thus giving him command of the majority of Invid troops.

- Edwards strikes the Invid command ship with the Icarus’ Synchro Cannon, apparently killing both Breetai and the Regent in the process. He and Lazlo Zand laugh manically and watch as the Tokugawa crashes on Optera.


ISSUE 3
- Most of this issue Jumps the Shark IMO, so I’ll be brief.

- Vince Grant pilots a cyclone while his ship is crashing, and we may see why he comments that his wife doesn’t approve of it in the movie.

- A new android body is built for Janice, courtesy of the Haydonites, but does not download her mind into it.

- Hunter arrives on Liberty and begins discussing Neutron-S warheads. He also gets an eyeful of the new colony vessel Arc Angel. Odd since in the movie I thought they said it was old and outdated, and here it is a new vessel.

- Vince and the survivors of the Tokugawa crash are taken before Edwards in his Invid Throne Room (also a giant Genesis Pit).

- Edwards explains that he was “fighting fire with fire, and evil with evil” to defeat the Invid.

- **Skipping a bunch of lame Genesis Pit Mutant junk**


ISSUE 4
- New artist for this issue. Looks like ass.

- Janice uses her android body’s holographic features to appear like Minmei and tricks Edwards long enough to push him into the Genesis Pit. He emerges as a giant Godzilla-like monster. Lame. I’m not clear what became of the real Minmei since he kidnapped her over a year prior to this.

- Invid Brain is destroyed.


ISSUE 5
- Janice is ripped in half, and is downloaded into the new body waiting for her.

- SDF-3 uses its dual Refex Cannons to kill Godzilla-Edwards. Lame.

- Vince Grant and surviving crew escape Optera in the Icarus.

- With Edwards dealt with, Rick and the other brass discuss liberating Earth with Neutron-S warheads as a last resort.

- The Sterlings arrive on Liberty Station, although Max and Myria are never seen. Dana passes her sister Maia in a hallway, apparently seeing each other for the first time in years. She ignores her and keeps walking. Commander Mark Hamil comments to Maia, “That was awkward. She’s still not talking to you?”

- Dana passes Cabell and Rem in the same hallway, and remarks that she knew Rem “in another lifetime”. Cabell prophesizes that the victory over the Invid will bring no peace as long as protoculture is in the universe. Rem makes plans to join Rick for studying the Neutron-S Warheads.

- Maia is named the new commander for Skull Squadron (replacing Max). Taylor replaces Jack Backer as commander of Wolf Squadron (I didn’t see any explanation as to where Jack was off to). He is assigned two new pilots for recon duty named Alex and Marcus.

- Vince Grant takes Dr Nichols as his chief engineer aboard the Icarus, and prepares for the trip to Earth.

- SDF-3 and Deukalion leave to test the Neutron-S Warheads. The results of the test is a blast far more powerful than anyone expected, killing all life aboard Deukalion, save for Jancie (if you can consider her life). Among the fatalities are Dr Cochrane, Dr Emil Lang, and Exodore. Rem may have also been a fatality since he mentioned being involved in studying the weapon, but is not present in the final blast scene.

- The appendix shows a CG model for the SDF-4, or “Shadow Dimension Fortress 4: Liberator”. This is interesting, to me at least, since I don’t believe the SDF-4 was shown in the new movie. Why create a CG model for the ship unless you were planning to use it? This might be a hint for future movies.

[araruin Profile WebsiteICQ]

I'll do my best to provide information from the novels from memory.

Edwards betrays the Sentinels and has their ship destroyed while they are trapped on a planet that is starting to break apart. The Sentinels come back to expose Edwards, but he flees, taking minmei with him. Kyle Lynn attempts to stop him, but fails. Apparently, he had joined the SDF-3 mission for some reason I don't recall now.

Edwards travels to Optera and joins the Invid Regent. I don't remember anyone else traveling with him other than Minmei.

I don't remember Shadow Technology mentioned in the Sentinels, but it's possible. If it was mentioned, it is doesn't affect the story in any major way.

Breetai leads the attack against Optera in his N-Ger PA. During the battle, the Regent, also in power armor, locks on to him. Unable to dislodge a 10ft tall slug, Breetai opts to self destruct as it is the only option available to him. This never made sense to me, so I prefer how he dies in the Shadow Chronicles Prequal.

Lisa Hayes does not lose her baby. He becomes one of the psychic children who fight the Regis in End of the Circle, and they reach back through time to steal the fold drive from the SDF-1 so that the SDF-3 can escape from the Regis.

No notes from Edwards. The major research conducted was by Exedore and Cabell to reverse engineering a Protoculture Matrix, which Haydon steals to power the engines that take him into the Regis' fantasy world. The Invid were just an experiment by Haydon to evolve a lifeform to create a magical world where Haydon could be a god.

Vince Grant was not shot down over Optera, to the best of my knowledge.

Edwards never controls the Invid. In fact, he dies very shortly after the Invid Regent. Janice sacrifices herself to kill Edwards by carrying him into a Genesis pit. He is reduced to protoplasmic drool, and Janice dissolves.

After the Invid Regent is defeated, the fleet prepares to return to Earth. Dana has never met Maia because Maia is one of the children born during the Sentinels' mission.

Most of the fleet arrives at Earth just in time to be destroyed by the Invid Regis as she reaches her final evolution and leaves Earth for her new fantasy world.

The SDF-3 never arrives at Earth, and ends up travelling to fantasy land with the Invid. However, the Regis has stolen their fold drive and they are completely trapped.

Haydon IV becomes Unicron and travels across the Universe to Tirol, crushing Care Bear fleets along the way. Haydon steals the new Protoculture Matrix, builds some kind of supercool supership, and dives into a blackhole to reach the Regis' fantasy land. He then kicks the crap out of her and puts the Invid back on Optera with not memory of ever being anything other than farmers.

As mentioned early, the children born during the Sentinels' mission steal the fold drives from the original SDF-1 and the SDF-3 escapes just before the Invid get reformatted. They get back to Earth or somewhere and everyone lives happily ever after, until...

The End of the Circle novel forshadows that the Care Bears have an imperial mindset and they will likely be the next big problem for Earth.

[camk4evr Profile YIM]

On the Ship Names: I've heard (read) the SDF-3's mission as the Pioneer mission and that the SDF-3 was the Pioneer, the SDF-2 was the Megaroad (the Unofficial Robotech Reference Guide calls her the Odyssey), but I can't remember if the SDF-1 was given a proper name (the URRG lists her as Macross). Unfortunately I can't remember where I've found the proper ship names (SDF-1+2 were on one of various websites but the SDF-3's I'm sure I've seen in printed material...)

T.R. Edwards:
After the Regent's death Edwards took control of the Invid, developed new Invid mecha in the shape of various members of the REF mission, and nearly defeated the VF squadrens using video game tactics (if I remember correctly). He was beaten when Rick, Lisa, and a few of the other Sentinals (including Janice) infiltrated the Hive after breathing air from the planet Garuda to protect them from psychic assault.

[Lt Col Andy Reddson, REF Profile Website]

Okay, the DVD has been out for a week now, and I'm amazed no one here has commented on it yet. Has anyone seen it? Is it any good? Is it at least better than that crap-tastic comic book prequel?

I’m boycotting anything to do with the YUNES- ¡Those two (MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMRRRRMMMMMMMMMPH)!

[Skadi Profile]

Might I ask why? I've met them and they are both really cool.