BLACK FLEET
The Black Fleet attack!

Membership: Not specified

Purpose: Cut-throat mercenary force

Affiliations: Ecbatani Rebels (led by Polibos)

Enemies: Acroyears (Prince Acroyear, Lady Illyrie), fleet of the triple planet Ecbatan (Laios)

Base of Operations: Mobile Extra-dimensional (Microverse)

First Appearance: Micronauts II#7 (April, 1985)

Ship Specifications: Numbering at least 20 spaceships, the Black Fleet was comprised of black ships, all apparently of the same design. They had one main rear drive, powered by two main and one minor engines, with directional thrusters mounted at the end of each wing on either side of the hull. Their ships dwarfed most conventional starships in the Microverse, excepting the powerful Acroyear warfleet. Although armed with two heavy-duty nose-mounted laser cannons, plus additional lower yield guns mounted behind the bridge, the ships had limited shielding.

Crew members onboard a space craft of the Black Fleet

The crewmembers of the Black Fleet wore a dark blue metallic armour that completely covered the wearer, including a red visor. The captain also carried a handgun, and there were at least three members on the bridge when a craft was engaged in battle.

The Black Fleet also had great hidden resources. Additionally, their fighting crews were described as being "swift, subtle and courageous" by Acroyear.

History:

(Micronauts II#7 (fb) BTS) - The Black Fleet, a cut-throat band of mercenaries, were hired by the rebellion on Ecbatan to attack the Ecbatani space fleet within vicinity of the tri-world planet in order aid in the overthrow of the world's ruler, the duplicitous Regent Laios. However, as Ecbatan was under the Acroyears' protection, Laios called upon the might of the Acroyear space fleet to counter this threat.

(Micronauts II#7 (fb)) - Prince Acroyear and his second-in-command, Lady Illyrie, led a task force to the tri-planet. Upon reaching Ecbatan, they found that the Black Fleet had successfully blockaded Ecbatan, with the "indifferent" Ecbatani space fleet being outclassed and outgunned by the mercenaries. The planet was set to fall without aid.

The Black Fleet devastated by the Acroyear attack

The Acroyear fleet quickly joined the fray and Prince Acroyear elected to "strike as the demon strikes!" This maneuver entailed the Acroyear fleet splitting in two, with Prince Acroyear engaging the Black Fleet directly in ship-to-ship battles, while the second half, under the guidance of Lady Illyrie, flew around and then through the atmosphere of the first sphere of Ecbatan at sufficient speed to turn much of it into searing plasma. The Acroyear ships were protected by their special shielding. This second half of the fleet then trailed the burning plasma behind them like a multi-fingered fiery hand.

Meanwhile, the Black Fleet had the remaining - and dwindling - Acroyear and Ecbatani ships encircled, and was ready to launch the final barrage against the huddled spaceships, when the red-hot ships guided by Lady Illyrie soared toward the Black Fleet on the crest of a wave of fiery plasma streams. The remaining Ecbatani ships nestled under the wings of Prince Acroyear's half of the fleet, thereby being protected from the rain of plasma, but the Black Fleet had no such protection and was decimated by the fiery attack.

Comments: Created by Peter B. Gillid (story), Rod Whigham (pencils), and Akin & Garvey (inks).

The defense of Ecbatan was told as a flashback by Acroyear.

It would seem that the entire Black Fleet was destroyed in this failed assault. Although panel 2 on page 8 shows four Black Fleet ships seemingly escaping the conflagration, it does not match with the text.

Their low shielding and powerful guns suggest that their focus was on flying in fast and blasting hard.

Profile by Grendel Prime

Clarifications:

The Black Fleet has no known connection to:

images:
Micronauts II#7, p4, panel 2 (3 ships)

p6, panel 3 (crew)
p8, panel 1 (detroyed by "demon")

Micronauts II#7 (April, 1985) - Peter B. Gillid (writer), Rod Whigham (pencils), Akin & Garvey (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)

Last updated: 12/24/05.

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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