REDSTONE
REDSTONE
Classification: Planet
Environment: Cities amidst otherwise barren terrain
Location: Unidentified star system and galaxy
Dominant Life Form: Extraterrestrial
settlers;
native humanoid race exterminated
and/or mutated into Beastmen
Significant Inhabitants: Sylvana, numerous unidentified
settlers, long-nosed equids
formerly
Beastmen (extinct),
Quan-Zarr (deceased), Quan-Zarr's
son
(deceased)
First Appearance: Marvel Preview#18 (Spring, 1979)
Characteristics: Redstone has a breathable atmosphere. Most of the planet is a barren, rocky terrain, with cities built within various craters. With the exception of the ports and Quan-Zarr's citadel, the planet is kept without any sources of energy or power. Redstone attracts those settlers interested in the simple life, without machinery, computers, etc.
Redstone's surface was policed by Quan-Zarr's soldiers and its atmosphere and region of space were defended by Quan-Zarr's remote-automatic fighters. There was apparently little crime on Redstone, and little risk of invasion, as the planet had nothing of significant value to steal.
Redstone's surface temperature was apparently relatively cool, though not cold. Scant clothing was sufficient for its residents.
History: (Marvel Preview#18 (fb) - BTS) - The original inhabitants of Redstone were humanoids, dedicated to peace, and they had no means of defense against assault.
(Marvel Preview#18 (fb)) - Quan-Zarr -- having held the position of power among "the Twelve Worlds" and lost the position under unspecified circumstances -- sought a new base from which to rebuild his power. Finding an easy target in the planet Redstone, Quan-Zarr's forces used their starships to destroy the world's gleaming cities, shatter its people's culture, slaughter their population, and steal the planet for his own. Quan-Zarr allowed a handful of the people of Redstone to survive for his scientists to experiment on. After sufficient genetic manipulation, the subjects were bred like animals, and the results were the Beastmen.
(Marvel Preview#18 (fb) - BTS) - <Some sixty cycles before the main story> Quan-Zarr subsequently claimed to have discovered Redstone as an unoccupied planet, and he set himself up as its founder and ruler, establishing Redstone as a haven for colonizers wishing to enjoy the simple life: the world was kept without mechanical or other power sources, save for the port in each city and in his own fortress. Taxing the new inhabitants who flocked to Redstone, Quan-Zarr became wealthy.
(Marvel Preview#18 (fb)) - <Some thirty cycles before the main story> The Beastmen -- numbering around 500 -- matured, and they escaped Quan-Zarr's zoo-like captivity aided by Quan-Zarr's son. Some went berserk, killing in the streets, and most were themselves killed. Quan-Zarr's son saved the last 27 survivors, helping them escape Redstone completely to live on a miserable planetoid two star-leagues away. Quan-Zarr alleged that the Beastmen were of unknown origin and had attacked without provocation.
(Marvel Preview#18 (fb) - BTS) - Recognizing his father's evil, Quan-Zarr's son sought to assuage his guilt by helping the Beastmen destroy Quan-Zarr. He provided them with six fighter ships and worked on a weapon for them. They made their home on a "miserable planetoid two star-leagues away."
(Marvel Preview#18) - Aboard a starship, the Beastmen tested
Quan-Zarr's son's weapon, the
Power-Rod, using it to destroy the planetoid on
which they had dwelled. As they prepared to gather the other fighters
and return to Redstone to overthrow Quan-Zarr, they were ambushed by agents by
Quan-Zarr who blew up their ship, killing all aboard. One of the Beastmen
relayed a transmission to his brethren before dying.
Quan-Zarr's agents reported their success as they claimed the
Power-Rod, and Quan-Zarr stated that while he had lost his son, he now had the
means to return to power and conquer all.
(Marvel Preview#18 - BTS) - Quan-Zarr's soldiers delivered to him the Power-Rod.
(Marvel Preview#18) - The Power-Rod's energies were detected by Ship who sent Star-Lord (Peter Quill) to investigate. Upon landing, Star-Lord was forced to surrender his weapon, the Element Gun (which he did, knowing that none but he could activate the gun), after which he checked out a local bar. As Star-Lord learned of Redstone's history (as Quan-Zarr had fabricated it), Quan-Zarr's soldiers detected Ship in orbit, and Quan-Zarr -- wary after the near disaster with the development of the Power-Rod -- ordered the ship to be destroyed by the remote-automatic fighters. A pair of Beastmen assaulted the tavern and slew Quan-Zarr's couriers, hoping to claim the Power-Rod and unaware they were too late. When the native Sylvana drew her sword and approached the Beastmen, Star-Lord took the sword from her and flattened both Beastmen without killing them, then grabbed the courier pouch and took off. Within the pouch, Star-Lord found a tape containing information on the location of the Power-Rod, and he and Sylvana fled as the two Beastmen recovered and chased them in an air-skimmer, using its blaster to fire at them. When the Beastmen wounded Sylvana, Star-Lord surrendered the tape to them, and they told him of their true origins before vowing to slay Quan-Zarr and his people as they had slain his people.
The Beastmen contacted their brethren, and they all converged on Quan-Zarr's tower, assaulting it and slaying hundreds before the fortress' defenses fell before them. The remaining Beastmen invaded the fortress, with a sole survivor making it to and slaying Quan-Zarr. Star-Lord had made his way into the fortress as well, and he watched Quan-Zarr's death in silence. Unwilling to allow the Beastman to destroy the entire city's population, Star-Lord faced in a swordfight and was forced to kill him. Star-Lord shattered the Power-Rod and buried it with the last Beastman.
Ship used a cloaking mechanism to escape the remote-automatic fighters, causing them all to crash into each other as they rushed her. Ship then picked up Star-Lord and Sylvana, presumably returning the latter to the city.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Bob McLeod.
Redstone was named b/c it had a red color when viewed from space, appearing like "a red stone set on glittering black velvet." Doesn't show up so well in black & white though...
One of the Beastmen noted that the original people of Redstone were human, from the same common stock <as Star-Lord> which is so prevalent in the universe. The fits with the common history of humanoids espoused by Xorr the God-Jewel.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connections to:
Sylvana is a resident of Redstone, having either settled their on her own or grown up with family who settled there in the last sixty cycles before the story. She was hanging out at a tavern, wearing a skimpy two piece with her sword at her side when a pair of Beastmen rushed in and slew Quan-Zar's courier in an effort to locate the Power-Rod. She drew her sword and rushed to confront the Beastmen, but Star-Lord--who had surrendered his Element Gun on arrival--snatched it from her hands, defeated the Beastmen non-lethally, and took the tape containing the location of the Power-Rod with him. Wanting her sword back, Sylvana chased after Star-Lord, and she then found herself pursued by the Beastmen who came after Star-Lord for the tapes. When the Beastmen wounded Sylvana, Star-Lord surrendered the tape to them, and they told him of their true origins before vowing to slay Quan-Zarr and his people as they had slain his people. Widgets from Star-Lord's ship used an energy ray to heal her wound.
Though she sympathized with the Beastmen, she implored Star-Lord to get over his recent vow to no longer kill that he might save her people from death. Star-Lord reluctantly agreed and was ultimately forced to kill the last surviving Beastman to prevent him from committing genocide with the Power-Rod. Afterward, Ship picked up Star-Lord and Sylvana, and presumably gave her a ride back to the city.
Sylvana presumably had some experience with a sword and was in reasonably good shape.
--Marvel Preview#18
images: (without ads)
Marvel Preview#18, p5, panel 1 (Redstone)
panel 5
(crater city)
p6, panel 1-2 (street life)
p13, panel 3 (Sylvana full body)
p15, panel 5 (Sylvana face)
Other Appearances:
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 08/03/06
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