SEEKER 3000

Classification: Starship, extra-temporal

Creator: Jason

Users/Possessors: Gideon Braddon, Cyrene, Kristian Delano, Dermot, Griggs, Jason, Lhasa, Vaun Lysander, Martika, Medusae, Ben Payton, Valida Payton, Phaedra, John Running Bear, Carter Shaw, Jericho Shaw, Jordan Shaw

First Appearance: Marvel Premiere#41 (April, 1978)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Seeker 3000 is a arkship over a mile long, expanded and refitted many times over the years since its initial launch. It is equipped with living facilities for all of its inhabitants. Its many rooms include a command deck, a "green room" of plants and trees (later expanded to several Green Galleries), an "aquatic plantation" (pool), a medical bay, a bazaar for social gatherings, cryogenic chambers containing thousands of DNA samples to be used in the ship's cloning facilities, a warp-dome from which the ship's Pathfinders can launch Seeker 3000 past the speed of light, and various hangars. Seeker 3000 can also launch sophisticated probes. It initially contained 6 shuttlepods (one for each member of the Six); 25 years later, at least 23 "mules" were kept aboard Seeker 3000, each craft able to make exploratory trips to other planets. The ship's operations are performed by the Censys computer system.

History: (Marvel Premiere#41 (fb))- The arkship Seeker 3000 was created by Jason over a period of five years, designed to be the most advanced ship ever built by man. The goal of Seeker 3000 was to attain a safe warp-drive, and abandon Earth's Solar System with the Six and thousands of DNA samples aboard to use in cloning. To this end, the Six obtained the telepath Phaedra to power the warp-drive, and Jason forced Jordan Shaw to captain the ship by promising that his wife could join him aboard Seeker 3000. To make sure Shaw did not interfere with Jason's plans, he was kept in prison for the nine months leading up to the launch.

(Marvel Premiere#41)- After assuming command, Shaw informed the ship's crew that he intended to mutiny and abandon the Six. The crew agreed with him, and helped him rescue Phaedra from the Six on Mars, then dumped the Six's DNA samples to collect a different set of DNA, chosen by Shaw. As Seeker 3000 set off to warp out of Earth's Solar System, they were pursued by ships of Jason's, launched from Saturn. Jason's forces nearly destroyed the ship, but Phaedra was able to obtain warp speed, saving them all. Afterward, Shaw discovered that Jason had placed himself within the ship's Censys program, granting him control over the ship, although forced to obey the crew's wishes.

(Seeker 3000#1 (fb))- The crew began to raise families and grow clones ("vats"), but Jason used his position to turn crewmen against Shaw, until a civil war broke out aboard ship. John Running Bear sacrificed his life to purge Censys of Jason. Seeker 3000 spent the next four years at Proxima Centauri, expanding the ship's design and making repairs. During this time, Phaedra led her fellow telepaths away from the other crewmen to live in the ship's "Dead Zones."

(Seeker 3000#1)- 25 years after Seeker 3000's launch, Jordan Shaw died on an away mission to Cyclades 778 due to the deliberate negligence of his clonal son, Jericho Shaw. Jericho succeeded his father as captain of the ship.

Later, Carter Shaw, Cyrene and Vaun Lysander went on a exploratory mission to the Calver Fermion Theta Cluster, and encountered the alien race the Hkkkt, who had learned of Seeker 3000 from one of the ship's probe. They were shot down by the Hkkkt.

(Seeker 3000#2)- Valida Payton led a search for Carter and the others, but soon encountered the Hkkkt vessel Jakarah, which opened fire upon Seeker 3000.

(Seeker 3000#3)- The Hkkkt boarded Seeker 3000, leading to a fight in the ship's corridors. As the crew went to hide in the Dead Zones with the Pathfinders, the Hkkkt's leader, Lamia, took over their bridge. She suggested to Censys that it had not been entirely freed of Jason's influence, and in searching its systems to learn if this was true, Censys found Jason's program, which uploaded itself into Jakarah, taking control of the Hkkkt's own ship. By now, Carter, Cyrene and Lysander had returned with members of the Medusae race, who aided the crew against the Hkkkt.

(Seeker 3000#4)- Lamia forged an alliance with Jason, as the ship's crew attempted to hide in the Green Galleries. The crew finally learned of the role Jericho had played in his father's death, as the Pathfinder Martika gave her life to unleash a psychic weapon which destroyed Jakarah, Jason, and all of the Hkkkt. With Jericho's behavior having come to light, Carter assumed command, and welcomed the Medusae as the ship's newest crewmen as he continued his father's search for a new home.

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Tom Sutton.

The Seeker 3000 limited series was to have been part of a line of science-fiction titles published by Marvel in 1998, but the other two titles announced with it-- Killraven and Guardians-- did not appear at the time. Killraven was finally published in 2003, and Guardians...unless the 2004 Guardians series is the same concept, it was never published.

In Guardians of the Galaxy#0.1 (April, 2013) a young Peter Quill is seen reading Marvel Premiere#41.
--David A. Zuckerman

Profile by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Seeker 3000 should not be confused with:

• Seeker, Tarm, of the Spaceknights, @ Rom Annual#2
• Seeker, of the Inhumans, @ Fantastic Four I#46
• Seeker, identity used by Arthur Stacy, @ Amazing Spider-Man II#23
• Seeker, Dr. Doom's android, @ Fantastic Four I#144
• Seeker, Ralph Hutchins, super-powered form, @ Savage She-Hulk#21
• Seeker, of the Inhumans, brother of the original, @ Fantastic Four Unlimited#2
• Seeker of Earth-Ultraverse, created by Vyr, @ Solution#9
• Seekers, armored Iron Man foes, @ Iron Man I#214

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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