ALTARIXALTARIX
Official Name: Altarix
Nature: Alternate reality (Reality-8116) extraterrestrial planet, unidentified star system, Empirical galaxy;
period of activity is approximately 1 million in the future
Environment: Life-sustaining biosphere
Gravity: Unrevealed;
presumably possessed a gravitational field in which it was
comfortable for human-like races to function
Atmosphere: Unrevealed;
presumably an unspecified combination of gases
(mostly nitrogen and oxygen) able to be breathed by humanoid beings
Natural Satellites: At least one moon;
the two large spherical bodies in the sybolic image
would seem to have to be moons, but perhaps they just represented
worlds in the war between the Monarchy and Instrumentality
Artificial Satellites: None known
Natives: Ajar'l Darklock, Cula Darklock, Lena Darklock, Ravol Darklock, Syzygy Darklock, Woolfor Darklock, Sister Marian, Anton Mezlo;
presumably Dr. Hoggarth, Dr. Loomis, unidentified nurse; unidentified pathology officer;
presumably Loterian panthers;
Population: Unrevealed;
presumably a few billion; but only one city was
seen, so it is unrevealed whether that city was representative of other
cities and how populated the rest of the world was;
much of the population seemed to be essential human, but there were some non-humans present as well
Capital City: Unrevealed
Government: Theocracy ruled by the Instrumentality
Languages: Unrevealed
Monetary Unit: Unrevealed
Major Resources: Unrevealed
Planetary Defense: The forces of the Instrumentality; Priests of Vieltoor
Places of Interest: None identified
Prominent Residents: The Lord High Papal and Cardinal Spyder spent time here, but it is unclear whether they lived there or just visited
Organizations: Daily Instrument, Instrumentality, Brotherhood/Order/Priests of Vieltoor,
Visitors: None identfied
First Appearance: "The Price," Eclipse Graphic Album Series#5 (1981) - see comments
History:
("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Nestled deep within the protective
folds of the immensity of the Instrumentality theocracy, the inner world Altarix was
homeworld to the Order of Vieltoor.
The Instrumentality's mystical arm, the Order was composed of mysterious holy men who delved into, studied, and communicated with the Instrumentality's supernatural forces
Although the Instrumentality had warred against the Monarchy for 200 years, Altarix and the other inner worlds were largely spared from this conflict.
("The Price" (fb)
- BTS) - During the first 100 years of the war, big busines reveled, as
productivity and profit skyrocketed, and industry expansion went wild.
The second century of the war, however, was marked by stagnation as
there was no more space, market, or resources with which to grow.
The
economy was left in a state that it would collapse without a war to
support it.
On Altarix, there was 88% inflation and 14% unemployment.
("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - A
few decades before the main story, Dread Veil Sorcerer Taurus
Killgaren discovered a
potential future stellar event that would have a tremendous
and very positive effect on existence.
Learning that one of the
Darklock brothers was destined to
be a major factor
in this grand scheme, Killgaren chose
Syzygy and influenced him into joining the priesthood
of the Instrumentality, within with he rose to Lord High Bishop within
the Order of Vieltoor.
Syzygy ultimately sought to rule the
Instrumentality and put an end to the war
with the Monarchy.
Ajar'l Darklock became an executive tax lawyer for
the Instrumentality.
Eventually, Killgaren arranged the murder of
Ajar'l Darklock by demon agents, leading Syzygy to gain power,
ultimately sacrificing his assistant and would-be lover, Marian, to the
demon Slytis.
Rebult as a cyborg due to damage incurred in the process,
Syzygy left Altarix and the Instrumentality and sought out Vanth (later
known as Dreadstar) on the planet Caldor.
Comments: Created by Jim Starlin.
Dreadstar / Reality-8116 primer
I am not certain that the top left image is of Altarix, rather than just a symbolic image showing warfare in space while some worlds lived almost oblivious to the battle.
I would ASSume the base word of "altar" in
Altarix, the center of the theocracy known as the Instrumentality is
not accidental.
The Price was originally published in black and white in Eclipse Graphic Album Series #5 (1981). It was reprinted, with colorized artwork, in Dreadstar Annual#1 (1983) by Epic (the licensed characters/stories division of Marvel).
This profile is complete up to the Dreadstar graphic novel. From there
I'll hit the Dreadstar story in Epic Illustrated and then I'll start
the main Dreadstar series. I would imagine Altarix is at least
mentioned thereafter, but I'll work through the series and add
references as I encounter them.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Altarix has no known connections to
| Apparently some sort of newspaper on Altarix. ("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Instrumentality tax lawyer Ajar'l Darklock refused to accept/believe the "wild/whispered rumors" about how the church dealt with tribute evaders. He told himself that if those were true, he'd have "seen something on the video" or in "The Daily Instrument." --The Price |
|
The pathology officer felt the butchery didn't look to
be the work of any human killer. ("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - As the security force was legally not allowed to investigate any
crime involving any mystical power or element, the Papal division sent
a cardinal, who examined Ajar'l's remains and ruled that no supernatural
agency had anything to do with it. ("The Price") - Syzygy
Darklock met with pathology officer, who sympathetically told him that
all they were able to recover of his brother was in ths box in front of
them. Syzygy asked how the security force was handling the case, and
the officer told him that the captain figured that they had to go on
the assumption that Ajar'l was the victim of some outlaw fringe
religious cult...some sort of human sacrifice. Syzygy asked the pathology
officer if this was how he saw it, and the officer reluctantly and
respectfully admitted that the butchery of the body did not look to be
the work of any human killer. However, he also shared the laws
preventing the security force from investigating any crime involving
mysticism and that a cardinal had already examined Ajar'l's remains and
ruled out the supernatural. Suspecting the truth, Ajar'l
thanked the officer and bade him a good day, and the officer,
presumably suspecting Darklock would investigate on his own, bade him
good luck. Note: The lack of any nasal structure, the pale yellow (or possibly white skin), and the solid eye may indicate he is of similar race/genetic makeup to the Lord Papal. I'll re-visit this comment after I review the Papal's origins...in a few years |  |
Loterian panthers are presumably large felids native to Altarix known for ther running speed and jumping height. ("The Price") - Dr. Loomis placed Syzygy Darklock's bionic legs, noting them to be of ardimanium construction and that they would allow him to outrun and outjump a Lorterian panther. --The Price Note: Maybe they show up in later issues, but they were only mentioned in The Price. |
"The Price," story pg. 1, panel 1 (population and symbolic picture with Instrumentality and Monarchy symbols);
panel 2 (Altarix from orbit);
pg. 2, panel (Ajar'l and the city);
pg. 7, panel 6-8 (officer speaking to Syzygy);
pg. (Syzygy and the Lord Papal in a courtyard)
Appearances:
"The Price," Eclipse Graphic
Album Series#5 (1981) - Jim Starlin (writer/artist); I don't know who
edited it; reprinted in Epic's Dreadstar Annual#1 (1983) it credited Jo
Duffy (associate editor) and Archie Goodwin (editor)
First posted: 02/04/2024
Last updated: 02/04/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - The investigating police captain assumed
Ajar'l' Darklock's death to have been the result of some outlaw fringe religious
cult, some sort of human sacrifice.