PRINCE JASON of SPARTAX

Real Name: Jason (surname unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Spartoi) humanoid

Occupation: Prince (currently banished), adventurer

Affiliations: Soulship;
    formerly Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon), Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin Boltagon), Kyras Shakati, Captain P'krrd (Shi'ar), Shi'ar Empire, Spartoi Empire

Enemies: Inhumans, Kree, Ronan the Accuser, Kyras Shakati, Spartoi Council of Ministers (including Lord Boeder and their robservant spy)

Known Relatives: Emperor Eson (father), a "lord among the stars" (son who might someday exist in a possible future)

Aliases: Jason of Spartax, Milord Jason, Prince Jason

Base of Operations: Mobile among the galaxies;
   briefly the planet Kritnah, a former Kree world located somewhere in the Greater Magellanic Cloud;
   formerly the planet Spartax, in the Sparta system, part of the Spartoi Empire, a small interstellar empire in the outlying systems of the Greater Magellanic Cloud.

First Appearance: Inhumans IV#2 (July, 2000)

Powers/Abilities: Jason is a skilled pilot and (presumably) has some skills in combat.

   Jason had also been educated in a dozen different fields and had been a poet, a miner, a servant, and a soldier.

   Jason has access to the power of his Soulship.

Height: 6' (estimated)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Purple
Hair: Brown

History:
(Annihilation: The Nova Corps Files#1 - Spartoi sub-entry (fb) - BTS) - The Spartoi Empire is a small interstellar empire in the outlying systems of the Greater Magellanic Cloud. The Spartoi homeworld is the planet Spartax in the Sparta star system within that galaxy.

(Inhumans IV#3(fb) - BTS) - Jason is the son of Emperor Eson, and was thus born into the royal family which rules the Spartoi Empire.

(Inhumans IV#3 (fb) - BTS) - In accordance with the rules which, by tradition, strictly dictated how any would-be heirs to the Spartoi throne must be educated, Prince Jason was brought up on a dozen different planets, and tutored in a dozen different fields. He was a pilot, a poet, a miner, a servant, and a soldier, among others. This education was meant to enable Jason to gain experience while proving himself worthy of the throne. However, Jason unexpectedly learned to see many different points of view and he embraced unorthodox beliefs which made him, in some ways, more of an alien than a true Spartoi.

(Inhumans IV#3 (fb) - BTS) - Throughout his young life, Prince Jason was a solitary man, a knight without a lady, but he knew how to appreciate pure passion.

BTS - Under unrevealed circumstances, Jason became linked to the sentient starship known as a Soulship. The two became close companions.

(Inhumans IV#2 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Prince Jason crossed paths with the merchant Kyras Shakati but the details of this encounter have not yet been revealed.

(Inhumans IV#2 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Prince Jason did something which placed the Commercial Guilds in his debt. Whatever this act was, it may (or may NOT) have involved Shakati.

(Inhumans IV#3 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Emperor Eson began to make all of his public appearances as an immobile body suspended within what looked like a crystalline coffin. Although the exact reason why was not known, it was widely believed that Eson was neither alive nor dead, and while he was in that state the Council of Ministers became the effective rulers of the Spartoi Empire.

(Inhumans IV#2-4 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, the Spartoi and the Shi'ar finally met and (possibly only for political reasons) their sages and geneticists agreed that the two species were of common, remote ancestry. An alliance between these two "distant cousin races" was proposed and, after months of tense negotiation, it was agreed that their alliance would be consummated by a symbolic marriage of peoples. As part of this alliance, the frontier planets on the galactic borders between the two empires would be usurped from their original inhabitants so that the Shi'ar could provide an area of expansion for the Spartoi worlds who otherwise had lacked any space to colonize. Also, the Kree refugees who had survived the recent conquest of their empire by the Shi'ar would become a cheap labor force (of slaves) for their new Spartoi masters. In the process, those natives who resisted being displaced would be wiped out.

(Inhumans IV#3 (fb) ) - As part of his service as a pilot, Prince Jason had to transport hundreds of ships full of Kree refugees from their home planets to faraway new homes that were prison worlds and death-camp worlds. Having seen the horrors that were being enacted in the name of peace, progress and political stability, Jason came to believe that the very identity of the Spartoi people was being tainted by their alliance with the Shi'ar. Jason became aware that the Council of Ministers knew of his opinion, and he wondered if the reason why they kept his father alive was to prevent him from becoming emperor and disrupting the alliance.

(Inhumans IV#2 (fb) - BTS) - Prince Jason and Ship (and two other members of his flight) were assigned to escort some dignitaries to the planet Kritnah. After somehow learning that the Shi'ar starship carrying those dignitaries was being attacked, Prince Jason and his flight hurried to rescue them (even though Ship told Jason that they would be too late).

(Inhumans IV#2) - After traveling through a stargate, Prince Jason and his flight arrived at the battle between the Shi'ar starship and a marauder satellite (Attilan). After Ship reminded him that she had told him that they were too late, Jason ordered his comrades to protect the escape pods which had been launched from the Shi'ar starship and to attack the marauder satellite. In the ensuing fast-paced battle, one of the other two ships in Jason's flight was destroyed by cannon bolts fired from the satellite's defenses. Soon afterwards, the alien marauders teleported off the Shi'ar starship and their vessel began moving towards the stargate. Prince Jason ordered that they not be permitted to escape, but the marauders managed to reach the stargate and disappear through it. Since any attempt to pursue them would have been useless, Jason ordered his remaining comrade to return with him to the Shi'ar vessel and help retrieve the escape pods.

   Once the rescue operation was completed, the Shi'ar vessels and their escorts departed through the stargate. Later, still aboard the Shi'ar starship, Prince Jason shared a meal with Kyras Shakati and Captain P'krrd during which they discussed the marauders and the fact that they seemed to be an alliance between alien races. Shakati suggested that they were a cabal of soulless renegades who attacked ships and forced crews and passengers to join their ranks but P'krrd stated that no recruiting raids had been reported in Shi'ar space. Jason added that his people had heard no news of them on Spartax either and asked Shakati if the guilds knew anything about the marauders but the merchant claimed that little known alien beings were not their business. Shakati then said that he was sure both Shi'ar and Spartoi Empires would be happier and stronger once their sacred marriage had been sealed, but Jason replied that he wished he were so sure about that.

(Inhumans IV#4 (fb) - BTS) - Prince Jason was given the responsibility of protecting the city of Kritnalar on the former Kree planet Kritnah and the symbolic wedding ceremony that was going to take place there.

(Inhumans IV#3) - On Kritnah, at least two weeks after the attack on the Shi'ar starship, Prince Jason led a Spartoi patrol in Kritnalar against a group of scavengers who had just robbed a trio of Kree refugees. Once the patrol had used their stun-rods to drive the thugs off, Jason found himself bewitched by the beauty of the female refugee with the moving red hair as she identified herself, her husband and their servant as being poor immigrants from a distant Kree settlement who, in accordance with the Shi'ar edicts, had come to establish themselves in a new land. After she explained that their datachips had just been stolen, Jason assured her that all three of them would enjoy a most prominent place in the upcoming wedding ceremony, and told her to trust the word of Jason of Spartax.

   Later that day, Prince Jason shared a meal with his three new friends, Medusalith (Medusa), her mute husband Blackagar (Black Bolt) and their servant Gorgon. Over wine, Jason mentioned that he had never seen any other member of Gorgon's race, despite having traveled much of the known universe.
   Later, after Gorgon had left the table, Jason continued his conversation with Medusalith and her husband but, unsure of how to address someone who was mute, directed his words to Medusalith. When he mentioned that not all races were friendly and Medusalith suggested that perhaps he shouldn't be having dinner with a couple of Kree refugees, Jason stated that, although he was not above the law, being the prince heir of Spartax did have its advantages. Jason then went on to speak of the uncertain status of his father, Emperor Eson, and how the Council of Ministers ruled the empire. Jason then explained how the strict rules of education for Spartoi heirs had required him to be brought up on a dozen different planets and to have been tutored in a dozen different fields. When Meduaslith voiced her understanding that this was so that he would gain experience and prove himself worthy of the throne, Jason stated that he wasn't sure that he was interested in being emperor and he spoke of his belief that the Council of Ministers were happy that his father's current status made him a puppet whom they could manipulate forever. Jason then wondered if he might not be up to the Council's standards as a ruler due to the unorthodox beliefs he had developed. Jason then spoke of his uncertainty about what made a person a good, worthy king. As he recounted the suffering he had witnessed while transporting ships full of Kree refugees to other worlds that were prisons and death-camps, Jason admitted that he was concerned about the price that the upcoming alliance between his people and the Shi'ar had had on the races whose worlds were being usurped and on the Kree who would be serving as a cheap labor force and on the very identity of the Spartoi as a people. Jason then confessed that he didn't like the alliance with the Shi'ar and didn't trust it as a path for a better future, stating that just because this "wedding of the stars" was going to bring only benefits to the two strong races involved did not justify the fact that other, weaker races would be destroyed by it. Prince Jason then stated that he loved his people but did not want "the milk that sustains [their] children in the future to be tainted with the blood of the mothers of other races" and that there must be other alternatives. As the meal concluded, an underling brought Jason the gold datachips that he had requested and he in turn gave them to Blackagar, Medusalith and Gorgon so that they would have a place of honor in the ceremony, a position which Jason hoped would make them lucky enough to obtain a good farm to work upon in the newly-distributed territories, one that would give them one or two more years of life. Jason stated that he could do nothing more, and his three guests soon left.

   Later, while standing alone, Jason was joined by a holographic projection of Ship's humanoid avatar who observed that he had engaged in a lot of talk and that it had been quite a confession for the shortest relationship he had ever had. When Ship mentioned that Medusalith was a beautiful woman, Jason agreed but stated that he couldn't aspire to anything more from a woman of her kind. Ship replied that it was a pity that Medusalith was married but when Jason asked since when had that been an obstacle for them, Ship pointed out that it had always been so because he was the only sentient being she knew of who truly believed all that "idealistic tripe" he spouted. Jason replied, in a sarcastic manner, "Yeah. I'm a sainted one."

(Inhumans IV#3) - Several days later, Prince Jason was in his quarters getting ready for the wedding. As he told the servants that he could dress himself, Jason heard cheering coming from outside in the streets. Realizing what it meant, he looked out of his window and saw the Shi'ar starship carrying Majestrix Lilandra Neramani approaching the city as it prepared to land. Seconds later, in the temple of the wedding, Kyras Shakati also observed the Shi'ar starship's arrival and thought to himself that Lilandra would soon dearly regret "that prince's courtesy."

(Inhumans IV#4) - Later that day, Prince Jason was among the crowds who witnessed the ceremony for the symbolic marriage between the Spartoi and Shi'ar Empires, as represented by Emperor Eson (in his holocontainer) and Majestrix Lilandra Neramani.

   Later, after the ceremony was over, Prince Jason stood nearby as Lilandra personally awarded the property titles for the frontier planets between the two empires, first to the Spartoi settlers and then to representatives of the millions of Kree slaves who were to serve their new masters. As he saw his three new Kree friends pass by, Jason called out to Blackagar and Medusalith but they ignored him. Then, as Blackagar advanced alone, Lilandra activated a semi-invisible stasis field around him and called upon her Imperial Guard to seize the imposters (Medusa and Gorgon) and the traitors among them (Karnak and Triton). As fighting broke out between the Imperial Guard and the four Inhuman assassins who were still free, Prince Jason ordered the Spartoi forces to protect Emperor Eson`s holocontainer and to not shoot. As he saw Black Bolt about to attack, Jason called out to Blackagar, inspiring him to remain silent and not attack. Unfortunately, Ronan had prepared for Black Bolt's possible disobedience and used a remote device to force him to speak, creating a bolt of force that seemingly killed Lilandra. Their mission complete, the five Inhumans regrouped and prepared to flee. Jason called out to Medusalith, asking her to wait because "there must be a way," but she replied that there was none and bid "young Jason" farewell, and then all five Inhumans teleported away.

   In the sudden calm, Jason and the Spartoi delegation were shocked when Lilandra's body transformed into that of the shape-shifting member of the Imperial Guard known as Hobgoblin. Jason spoke aloud his realization that the Shi'ar had known what was going to happen. Speaking via a hologram, the real Lilandra told Jason of Spartax that they could take no risk, and when Jason asked her how they could have known, Lilandra revealed that Delphos' powers of prescience had manifested mere days earlier and she had foreseen a glimpse of this very scene and alerted the Shi'ar. Lilanda then announced that this event had taught her that as many lives would be hurt as helped if the alliance between the Shi'ar and the Spartoi were to be consummated and that it had been decided that, although the Shi'ar would not go to war against the Spartoi, their "flocks must fly apart from this day on."

   The Spartoi delegation was shocked by this announcement and protested that they hadn't known or even suspected, but then one of them found one of the golden datachips and brought it to Lord Boeder who publicly revealed that it was what had allowed the murderers to get so close to their intended victim. Boeder then identified the datachip as belonging to Jason and asked if he was the sixth member of the murderous cabal. Lord Boeder then played an audio recording made by a roboservant during Jason's dinner with the Inhumans in which the prince stated that he didn't like the alliance with the Shi'ar and didn't trust it as a path for a better future. Jason was outraged that the Council had dared to spy upon him and protested that he was being framed because he had been tricked like the rest of them. Emperor Eson then commanded Jason to be silent and stated that his imprudence had cost the Spartoi dearly and that his lack of love for his own people had proved that he was as unworthy of his title as the Council of Ministers had feared. Eson then banished Jason to wander among the stars, stating that, although he couldn't believe Jason was guilty, his zeal was improper and he had failed to protect the city and the ceremony.

   Accepting his fate, Jason donned his helmet and said, "So be it, Father. Judged and condemned in the blink of an eye. I see they have finally won." As he then left the city, Jason spoke to his Soulship, asking if she would come with him, and she asked how could he think otherwise? Ship then reminded Jason that she was his mate, his inner will, his conscience, and she would be so until she died.

   As the banished prince and his souslship departed the planet Kritnah for the stars, only the seer Delphos bore witness and in her mind's eye she saw the infinite possibilities of tomorrow.

   Delphos had a vision in which Jason of Spartax would wander among galaxies in search of Medusalith and proof of his innocence. His search would eventually bring him to the planet Earth where his soulship would crash and "effectively die." It would be on Earth that another woman would take care of him and would light a new spark of love in the sad, young man. Jason would father a child with this woman, a human child who was "destined to become a lord among the stars!"

   However, this vision was, perhaps, but one of many futures.

Comments: Original character (Jason of Sparta, now relegated to Reality-791) created by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin.
   Reality-616 version created by Carlos Pacheco & Rafael Marin, and Jose Ladronn.

   The co-writers of the 2000 Inhumans miniseries, Carlos Pacheco and Rafael Marin, both loved the Star-Lord character and wanted to do something that would make Peter Jason Quill really part of the Marvel Universe instead of being a "Lone Rider-type of hero in his own particular pocket universe." However, they also didn't want to be bogged down by Peter's past continuity so they chose to use his father, emperor-to-be Jason, as the Star-Lord of their storyline instead. In that sense, the Inhumans miniseries was a sort of prequel for the earlier stories which had starred Jason's son as Star-Lord. The changes that Pacheco and Marin made to Emperor Jason's back-story (i.e., "Sparta" to "Spartax," making Jason the ally of a sentient Soulship, changing the reason why Jason was/would be near enough to Earth to crash, etc.) were a bit off-putting but, overall, it was an acceptable price to pay for finally making Star-Lord an actual part of the MU. Of course, the later revelation that this Jason of Spartax was not (and could not be) the father of the Star-Lord who existed in the MU retroactively made Prince Jason a different character from Emperor Jason and that's why I've listed his creators as I have.

   An earlier version of this profile was based on the idea that Star-Lord's biological father, the Emperor Jason of Sparta who first appeared in Marvel Preview#11, was an older version of the Prince Jason of Spartax who, decades later, debuted in the 2000 Inhumans miniseries. However, Brian Michael Bendis made that impossible when he introduced King J-Son of Spartax and established that he was the father of the Star-Lord who existed in the "mainstream" Marvel Universe. Accordingly, the original profile had to be split into two. In the process, I've added a lot more detail, perhaps to compensate for the fact that each Jason character now has less appearances to their names. Also, a chronological problem that stemmed from the idea that the two Jasons were the same individual but at different points in their life has been avoided by BMB's choice and so I have removed some comments that had addressed that problem since they are no longer relevant.

   Snood's original profile contained some comments about Ship which speculated that, although the seer Delphos had forseen Ship crashing and "dying" on Earth (when Jason was her partner), it was likely that Ship had survived the destruction of her physical form (as she had before) and would likely then have returned to the Master of the Sun, awaiting a period when she could be returned to solid form (to become the Ship known to Peter/Star-Lord). Snood also suggested that, when Jason rebuilt his ship, it was just a mechanical device, no longer inhabited by the consciousness of Ship. Again, thanks to BMB, these comments reference a problem that no longer exists but I thought it worth mentioning them because the idea that Jason's Soulship would eventually become Peter's Ship was something that was generally accepted for almost ten years. I don't know for sure if that was what Inhumans writers Carlos Pacheco and Rafael Marin had in mind but it seems reasonable to assume that it was.

The following amusing comment was made by Snood in his version of this profile. I felt it was worth preserving.
   A running joke in the early All New X-Men series was a Shiar captain named K'rk. In the Inhumans series, there was a Shiar captain named P'krrd. If I have to explain this to you, you're no true comic geek type! Strip yourself of pony tail and goatee, lose 50 pounds, and move out of your parents' basement. You're no longer welcome in this crowd, mister!

   The K'rk character's full name has since been revealed to be "K'rk 'N'Kazaii".

How deliberately was Prince Jason targeted by the conspiracy?

   In my opinion, the fact that Shakati thought to himself that Lilandra would soon dearly regret "that prince's courtesy" proves that he knew that Prince Jason had given the golden datachips to Shakati's three reluctant Inhuman assassins. Those new datachips were to replace the ones which Shakati had previously given to the trio and later arranged to have stolen from them and destroyed so that they could not be traced back to him. However, I'm not certain if Shakati just knew of Jason's courtesy or if he had actually planned for Jason to rescue the trio from the scavengers and counted on Jason being kind towards those whom he had rescued. Maybe it was known that Jason had a thing for women with red hair and Shakati deliberately used that fact to his advantage?

   Another question would be, how involved was Lord Boeder? It was certainly convenient that he happened to have had a roboservant spying on Prince Jason during his dinner with the Inhuman assassins-to-be and he VERY conveniently had the audio recordings on hand immediately after the assassination, ready to accuse the prince heir of complicity. In fact, it was like he knew that he would soon have a use for them. So, is it possible that he, like Shakati, wanted the alliance with the Shi'ar to fail so that the frontier between the two empires would remain? Or did he just want to get Prince Jason removed as Emperor Eson's heir so that the Council of Ministers would no longer have any worries about Jason succeeding his father and helping to disrupt the alliance was Shakati's price? Did he even know of Shakati's involvement? In short, was Lord Boeder aware of the conspiracy beforehand or was he just very quick to see a way in which he could turn the assassination to his advantage?

Jason of Spartax's connection to Jason of Sparta?

   When they were first written, the "classic" Star-Lord stories contained no direct connections to the "mainstream" Marvel Universe so readers were free to decide for themselves whether or not Star-Lord existed in that familiar reality. That situation remained unchanged for over twenty years.

   In 2000, that year's Inhumans miniseries seemingly revealed that Peter Quill's father, Jason of Spartax, DID exist within Reality-616 but that, since he was currently childless, his son (the Star-Lord-to-be) and his adventures were actually part of a possible future of Reality-616 and not part of its past.

   In 2004, things changed again when the short-lived Thanos series and the subsequent Annihilation miniseries revealed that Peter Jason Quill, formerly known as Star-Lord, existed as an adult in the "present-day" MU. This contradiction was never officially explained but it did cast doubt on the idea that the Jason of Spartax from the Inhumans miniseries actually was the father of the Star-Lord character who existed in Reality-616.

   Most recently, in early 2013, writer Brian Michael Bendis presented his "streamlined and updated" origin for the Star-Lord who existed in the "mainstream" MU. Since it was impossible to reconcile this new Bendisized origin with the "classic" origin, it was decided, officially, that these two origins had to actually relate to two different versions of Star-Lord. And since the current-day Star-Lord definitely exists in Reality-616, it was decided that the "classic" Star-Lord and his adventures (and allies) would be relegated to Reality-791. This decision has certainly been been substantiated by Bendis' subsequent GOTG stories which have portrayed King J-Son of Spartax, the father of Reality-616's Star-Lord, as a VERY different type of ruler from both the Emperor Jason of Sparta who appeared in Marvel Preview#11 and the Prince Jason of Spartax who is the subject of this profile. Despite this, there are a number of online sites which continue to treat Emperor Jason, Prince Jason and King J-Son as the SAME BEING but at different points in "his" life. This idea is so clearly and ridiculously unsupportable that I cannot imagine how anyone could believe it. Therefore, I will not even try to do so. Instead...

The following table summarizes some of the similarities and the differences between Emperor Jason of Sparta from Reality-791 and his two namesakes from Reality-616.

Star-Lords and Ships and Jasons! Oh my!

1. It began in 1975 with a single Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) who was soon joined by "Ship" and his biological father, Emperor Jason of Sparta. And that's the way things were for almost 20 years.
2. In 1996, a different Starlord (Sinjin Quarrel) debuted as the new partner of the original Ship. And now there were two Star-Lords, one Ship and one Jason.
3. In 2000, a new Jason (the Spartoi Prince Jason of Spartax) and a (possibly) new Ship (or Soulship) appeared. And now there were two Star-Lords, two Ships and two Jasons.
4. The year 2004 brought a new Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) but he was believed to be the original so the count remained at two Star-Lords, two Ships and two Jasons.
5. In 2007, the fate of a new (but now-destroyed) Ship was revealed in a flashback but, as with the latest Star-Lord, this Ship was believed to be the original so the count again remained the same at two Star-Lords, two Ships and two Jasons.
6. The year 2013 brought a "streamlined and updated" origin for Star-Lord which made it clear that the character who had been active in the Marvel Universe since 2004 couldn't possibly be the original Star-Lord. Along with this new origin came a new father, King J-Son (or J'Son) who ruled the Spartax Empire. And now there were three Star-Lords, three Ships and three Jasons.
7. And finally, in 2014, readers met the Star-Lord of Spartax (King Peter Jason Quill) and Ship who existed in the 31st Century of Reality-691. And now there are four Star-Lords, four Ships and three Jasons.

Other versions of "Ship"
   This topic is covered extensively in the comments section of this profile so I'm not going to repeat it here. Instead, I'll just mention that the Soulship may (or may NOT) have an origin that is similar to that of the other Ship from Reality-616 who may, in turn, have an origin that is similar to that of the original Ship from Reality-791. The fact is, nobody's bothered to provide origins for either of the two Ships from Reality-616 so we readers really can't know how similar (or different) their origins are.

Link betwen the Spartoi and the Shi'ar?

   The justification for this alliance between the Spartoi and the Shi'ar was that, after the two civilizations had finally met, their sages and geneticists had agreed that the two species were of common, remote ancestry. Personally, I find this whole concept highly questionable.

   I have been a science fiction fan for decades but one thing about the genre that I find extremely irritating is the overabundance of humanoid aliens, especially those who appear visually identical to Caucasian humans from Earth. I acknowledge that their presence in live-action entertainment (i.e., television shows and movies) is a necessary evil (as long as paying actors is still cheaper than using animatronics or computer-generated characters) but I find it less justifiable in comics where, at least in theory, it should be much easier for artists to draw aliens that are non-humanoid in form. Of course, producing pages of artwork quickly is a valued skill and it's easier and faster for human comic book artists to draw humanoid forms since they are most familiar with it. Also, there are other reasons why fictional aliens tend to be humanoid (such as the idea that it's easier for we viewers/readers to relate to aliens if they look like us).

   Anyway, I still dislike the idea of there being so many "human" alien races in the Marvel Universe and I generally favour any theories that provide explanations for these uncanny similarities of form. With that in mind, one would think that I would approve of the idea that the Spartoi and the Shi'ar were two races that had once been a single species...but I don't.

   The problem that I have with this idea is that the Spartoi and the Shi'ar have very clear differences, both in appearance and in internal biologies. Specifically, the Shi'ar evolved from winged ancestors and they have feathers while the Spartoi appear completely human and have hair. Also, the Shi'ar have hollow bones and superhuman strength, neither of which are known characteristics of the Spartoi. I'm not a scientist but my understanding of evolution is that it takes a large number of generations for separate populations of a single species to evolve enough differences that they become two species, and I would guess that it would have taken many thousands of years for the alleged "parent" species to diverge into the Shi'ar and the Spartoi. Given that they are both (comparatively) "young" species, there would seem to not have been enough time for such a divergence to take place unless it occurred before they left their common homeworld. Of course, this being the Marvel Universe, there are other factors that could have been in play, like advanced genetic engineering technology or meddling Cosmic Beings, but I'd prefer not to go there without any evidence.

   Without any actual evidence of how and when this supposed divergence took place, the default explanation would be the one that was provided by Xorr the God-Jewel. This being claimed that the Xorri, the now-extinct race that had formed him, "had already (as of six million years ago) spawned a thousand lesser races: the Kree, mankind, Skrull" and that "All humanoid races began in our genes." While I appreciate this attempt to provide a reason for the excess of humanoids in the MU, I've always been a bit dubious of the claims made by this entity since it seemed mentally unstable and thus an unreliable narrator. Xorr's plan to create a thousand worlds in its own image whose glory would be that they were totally its creation was quite megalomaniacal so it seems reasonable to wonder if its claims about the Xorri were anything more than delusions of grandeur. Plus, the deluxe edition of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe states that "The validity of (Xorr's) claim is questionable" so I'm in good company by being skeptical.

   Anyway, even if Xorr's claims were valid, then the common ancestry shared by the Shi'ar and the Spartoi would not be something special enough to justify their alliance since so many other "lesser races" would also share that ancestry. In fact, basing an alliance on that connection would be rather hypocritical since the Kree would qualify as being a "distant cousin race" to both the Shi'ar who had conquered them and the Spartoi to whom they were going to be enslaved by the alliance. So, if the Xorri theory was the basis for this idea of a common ancestry, then it has its weaknesses.

   However, if this alleged common ancestry between the Shiar and the Spartoi is determined to be real and did not (as I fervently hope) involve the Xorri, then I would like to know more (or some) details about how the divergence of their species occurred. Things like, which planet is their true homeworld and which race more closely resembles their parent species? What did this parent race call itself? How and why do the Shi'ar have avian characteristics while the Spartoi do not? If some future story were to provide this information, then I would accept the idea of their common ancestry.

   For the record, evidence of a long-standing relationship between the Shi'ar and the Spartoi can be found in the pages of Nova IV#23 (May, 2009), where one of the new Nova Corps recruits mentions that he's recently learned "who the sixteenth Majestor of the Shi'ar was, and how his policies affected territorial claims during the Spartoi interregnum." However, I have no idea what this means or even what it was meant to mean, but it does sound interesting.

Link betwen the Spartoi and the Spartax?

   It was in the pages of the 2000 Inhumans miniseries that Prince Jason of Spartax first appeared and was identified as being a member of the Spartoi race who ruled the Spartoi Empire located within the Greater Magellanic Cloud. Writers Pacheco and Marin also used the miniseries to introduce Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) into the Marvel Universe but the way they did this involved shifting his birthdate and his whole existence at least 40 years further ahead in time than had been established in his very first story. It was only a few years later when writer Keith Giffen made things more complicated by revealing that ex-Starlord Peter Quill actually existed within the present-day MU. So, how could Peter be an adult in "2004" if his earliest possible birthdate had to be sometime after "2000?" In trying to resolve this problem in the comments section of his Star-Lord profile, Snood considered and rejected two *easy" explanations (one of which was that his adventures had occurred on an alternate Earth) before settling on the idea that Jason had arrived on Earth-616 in 1961 via intentional or unplanned time travel.

   After reading those comments, I agreed that the alternate Earth idea was too easy but I also felt that the time travel option was too complicated since it would require that both Jason and the Ariguan assassins had traveled back in time and later returned to their proper chronological period. So, if a "two realities" idea was out and so was the "Jason existing in two time periods" solution, that left only a "two Jasons existing in two places in space at the same time" theory. Or, to put it another way, if Jason of Spartax never time traveled and thus could not have fathered Peter Jason Quill on Earth in 1961, then there had to be another (unrelated) Jason of Sparta who had existed in that time period. However, that would mean that there had to be TWO different interstellar empires, each ruled by a species that was identical to Caucasian humans from Earth, both with capital planets whose names were very similar (Sparta vs. Spartax) and both with a male member of their respective ruling families named "Jason." I really tried to make myself believe this theory but eventually I found the idea that two different-but-so-similar empires could exist in relative proximity to Earth to just be too implasuible. In the end, I came to prefer the theory that Peter Jason Quill had actually been born on an alternate Earth in 1962 but had somehow (and perhaps unknowingly) traveled inter-dimensionally to Reality-616 where he ended up in the Kyln after his encounter with the Fallen One. In this theory, the two Jasons were other-dimensional counterparts of one another but the histories of their two homeworlds had differed enough that Jason of Sparta had been born four decades earlier than Jason of Spartax. I became very certain that this was a better solution for the chronological problem of when Star-Lord was born but then Brian Michael Bendis introduced his own origin for Star-Lord and it was clear that the differences between his "King J-Son of Spartax" and the earlier "Prince Jason of Spartax" would be impossible to reconcile, and thus this profile's Jason could not be the father of Reality-616's Star-Lord.

   So, given that J-Son and Jason both definitely existed within Reality-616, I found myself again facing the problem of how two distinct but similar interstellar empires could both exist within the Local Group of galaxies. Sadly, it took me some time before I realized that the main problem lay in my assumption that those two empires were (AND ALWAYS HAD BEEN) completely unrelated. But suppose that wasn't the case? Suppose that the Spartoi Empire in the Greater Magellanic Cloud and the Spartax Empire in the Milky Way galaxy had once been a single intergalactic empire? If that were the case, then many of the problems with J-Son co-existing with Jason went away. After this epiphany, I developed two different theories to explain the situation. Or, more precisely, two variations on the same theory, which I will now present. Please note that both of these theories are entirely UNofficial and thus nothing more than fanfic.

   Theory #1: GMC Origin - Long ago, the Spartoi race evolved on the planet Spartax in the Sparta system of the Greater Magellanic Cloud. After developing a civilization and the advanced technology needed for interstellar spaceflight, the Spartoi set out to found their own interstellar empire. Unfortunately, the Spartoi soon discovered that most of their galaxy was already occupied by the warlike Kree Empire and they were only able to colonize enough planets to form a small empire in the outlying systems without provoking the Kree. Rather than risk a costly war with their more powerful neighbors, the Spartoi instead chose to sign a mutual non-aggression pact with the Kree, one in which, if they did not challenge the Kree or side with the Skrulls, then the Kree would not conquer the Spartoi and force their worlds into joining their empire.
   With their options thus limited, most Spartoi were forced to become more peaceful but some Spartoi retained their expansionistic drives. To avoid any violations of their treaty with the Kree Empire, these more aggressive Spartoi were sent out across the intergalactic gulf to the Milky Way galaxy. Once there, they colonized a planet they called "New Spartax" and began to colonize other MWG planets, making them part of a Spartoi Empire that now spanned two galaxies.
   Over time, the societies which existed in the two parts of the Spartoi Empire became significantly different, with the older section being dominated by scientists while the younger section was expanded by its warriors. Eventually, the warriors came to resent the fact that they were still ruled from the original homeworld and they decided that they would be better off on their own. Accordingly, the Spartoi Empire was divided into two, either through a peaceful secession or by a civil war. In the aftermath, the much-reduced Spartoi Empire governed all its worlds in the GMC while the MWG Spartoi renamed themselves the Sparatax race and their worlds became the Spartax Empire. Both of the empires retained monarchial forms of government and "Jason" remained a favored family name of both of the ruling dynasties.

   Theory #2: MWG Origin - Long ago, the Spartax race evolved on the planet Spartax which was located somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy. After developing a civilization and the advanced technology needed for interstellar spaceflight, the Spartax set out to found their own interstellar empire. Their initial successes inspired them and the boldest of their explorers soon set off across the intergalactic gulf to the Greater Magellanic Cloud. Once there, they colonized a planet they called "New Spartax" and began to colonize other GMC planets, making them part of a Spartax Empire that now spanned two galaxies.
   Unfortunately, the Spartax eventually discovered that most of the Greater Magellanic Cloud was already occupied by the warlike Kree Empire and hostilities seemed inevitible. Fortunately, their eternal war with the Skrull Empire was taking most of the Kree Empire's attention and so instead of using critical resources to conquer the newcomers the Kree offered the Spartax a mutual non-aggression pact, one in which, if they did not challenge the Kree or side with the Skrulls, then the Kree would allow the Spartax to retain their small empire in the outlying systems. Rather than risk a war that they could not win, the Spartax agreed to the Kree's terms.
   With their opportunities for expansion thus limited, the Spartax of the GMC colonies were forced to become less aggressive in order to avoid provoking the Kree. Those colonists who were unwilling to accept these restrictions were encouraged to return to the Milky Way galaxy where they could still contribute to the expansion of the Spartax Empire there. Over time, the societies which existed in the two parts of the Spartax Empire became significantly different, with the younger section now being dominated by scientists while the original empire remained in the control of the expansionists. Eventually, the older empire came to view the GMC territories as having become more trouble than they were worth, since the effort that was spent governing them was not rewarded with new worlds to colonize. For their part, the scientists of the GMC felt that they would be better off if they were no longer associated with the expansionists whose plans could drag the entire empire into conflicts with other galactic powers. Accordingly, the Spartax Empire was divided into two, with the GMC worlds being allowed to secede peacefully. To symbolize their new status, the GMC Spartax renamed themselves the Spartoi race and their worlds became the Spartoi Empire. Both of the empires retained monarchial forms of government and "Jason" remained a favored family name of both of the ruling dynasties.

   So, these are the best theories that I could form to explain the "Two Jasons" problem. Of course, they are both nothing more than speculation and there are still some aspects of the situation which remain ambiguous due to a lack of information.

   First, it has never been officially determined which of the two Jasons from Reality-616 is the counterpart of the original Jason from Reality-791. Sure, the fact that J-Son of Spartax's history when he crash-landed on Earth-616 is very similar to what happened to Jason of Sparta when he crash-landed on Earth-791 (i.e., both of them impregnated human women named Meredith Quill who gave birth to sons that they named Peter Jason Quill) is a strong indication that they are meant to be the two counterparts. However, this idea is undermined somewhat by the fact that their respective homeworlds have never been confirmed to be counterparts of the same planet. Chris Claremont wrote Emperor Jason's only two appearances and the only data revealed about his empire was that it was ruled from the imperial throneworld of Sparta and that it "sprawled across the better part of a galaxy." The fact that Jason crashed on Earth suggests that that galaxy was the Milky Way but that is never stated. Similarly, in the stories written by Brian Michael Bendis, King J-Son is the ruler of the Spartax Empire whose location is never mentioned. Aside from the fact that J-Son (or was it J'Son?) crashed on Earth, King J-Son's membership in a "council of galactic empires" and the fact that Peter Quill refers to his father as being "the king of the galaxy" suggests that that galaxy is the Milky Way since, by a process of elimination, it cannot be part of the galaxies ruled by the the Kree, the Shi'ar or the Skrulls. Also, J-Son does refer to Galactus having been repeatedly rebuffed by Earthlings as the only recorded incidence of this ever having taken place in "our entire galaxy" which implies that Earth and Spartax are in the same galaxy.

   Okay, maybe the evidence for J-Son's Spartax being located in the Milky Way galaxy is stronger than I had remembered, but it's still circumstantial, with no "official" confirmation as of yet. Furthermore, the fact that nobody had ever even heard of the Spartax Empire before 2013 makes it hard to believe that they are such a major player in the Milky Way that they get to represent the galaxy in intergalactic politics.

   Second, there seems to be some uncertainty as to the name of the alien race to which Peter Quill's father belongs. When Chris Claremont created Emperor Jason, he identified Jason's homeworld as Sparta but didn't name either Jason's race or his empire. When Carlos Pacheco and Rafael Marin tried to (indirectly) introduce Star-Lord into the Marvel Universe via a younger version of his father, they changed the name of Jason's homeworld to Spartax and identified his race as the Spartoi who ruled the Spartoi Empire. When Keith Giffen brought the actual Star-Lord (Peter Quill) into the Marvel Universe, he did so without mentioning Peter's alien heritage at all. And when Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning took over chronicling Quill's life, they chose to use the Spartoi name even though it was sort of impossible for Jason of Spartax to be his father.

   So, for the duration of DnA's time controlling the Cosmic Marvel Universe, Peter Quill was a half-Terran/half-Spartoi hybrid. And then came 2013, when Brian Michael Bendis took over with his "streamlined and updated" origin for Star-Lord which retconned his father's name into being J'Son (later J-Son) and the name of his race/empire into being Spartax. And so it was that Brian Michael Bendis created the whole "Two Jasons" problem in the first place.

   Having said that, I must also admit that this example of the indifference to continuity for which Brian Michael Bendis is notorious actually had some positive aspects. For one thing, the way in which he "updated" Star-Lord's origin made it impossible for the "classic" Star-Lord and the one currently active in the modern-day MU to be the same person, thus causing the "classic" version to be relegated to his own alternate timeline, Reality-791, where he was safe from any continuity-blind writers.

   For another thing, the revelation that Peter's father was J'Son from the Spartax Empire and not Jason from the Spartoi Empire resolved a problem that had been created when it had been established that the Spartoi Empire was located in the Greater Magellanic Cloud. If Jason of Sparta had been Jason of Spartax's counterpart, then that should have meant that, in Reality-791, Jason of Sparta's empire was likewise located in the Greater Magellanic Cloud, something which had never even been hinted. By essentially creating J-Son and his Spartax Empire, BMB inadvertantly enabled Jason of Sparta's empire to be located in the Milky Way.

   However, that still leaves the question of why writers (aside from Bendis) still identify Peter Quill's alien lineage as being Spartoi. The origin theories I suggested above would resolve that problem by making the Spartoi and the Spartax into a single species divided into two populations who call themselves by different names simply for political reasons. This would mean that calling Quill a Spartoi even though his father was a Spartax would be scientifically accurate since all Spartax were really Spartoi in their genes. Of course, this assumes that the Spartoi designation is somehow more accurate, presumably because the members of that race originally called themselves by that name, but this is unconfirmed speculation.

For any reader who might care, here are the vows spoken during the symbolic wedding ceremony between the Shi'ar Majestrix Lilandra Neramani and the Spartoi Emperor Eson:
From a common nest we flew away, to soar different paths in land and air.
Warriors and scientists, together at last.
We grant you power, the force of our armies, and most of all, the code of honor by which we live.
We offer you the wisdom of the sciences of body and soul.
For together we are the kiss and the lips, the hand and the touch, the will and the thirst.
And together we shall be the house and the foundation, the sheath and the sword.
So, as the Blue Flame burns between us, a New Era begins for our two peoples!

Original profile by Snood.
Revised and expanded profile by Donald Campbell.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Prince Jason of Spartax is definitely a DIFFERENT entity from either

• Emperor Jason of Sparta from Reality-791, the ruler of the Spartan Empire which (apparently) exists within the Milky Way Galaxy--Marvel Preview#11
  OR
• King J-Son of Spartax from Reality-616, former ruler of the Spartax Empire which existed within the Milky Way Galaxy and father of the Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill)--Guardians of the Galaxy III#0.1

Additionally, Prince Jason of Spartax has no known connections to:

• Jason of the Argonauts, legendary Greek hero--Marvel Preview#10
• Jason of the Pantheon, a renegade member who was betrayed and exiled by Agamemnon--Incredible Hulk II#409/2
• Jason Voorhees, the recurring villain from the Friday the 13th movies.
• Any other characters with the title of Prince or the first name of Jason

Emperor Eson of Spartax has no known connection to:

• Eson the Searcher, one of the Celestials--Eternals I#9
• or any other "Eson" characters

The Spartoi Council of Ministers has no known connection to:

• The Council, a union of extraterestrials who were dedicated to saving races seeded by the Annunaki from destruction and who were once allied with the Silver Surfer--Silver Surfer IV#9
• The Council Elite, a sub-group of the Council of Godheads who meet to deal with special situations--Thor II#61
• The Council of Antiquarians (a.k.a. The Collectors), a group of (at least) six men and women who were obsessive and ruthless about gathering the obscure (and sometimes powerful) items that interested them--Black Panther I#1
• The Council of Cross-Time Kangs, a group made up of various time-travelers who had each encountered and defeated various alternate Kangs and adopted their armaments and methods--Avengers I#291
• The Council of Elders, a groups of five elders from Tiamat's extraterrestrial race who were committed to destroying the alien Messiah (S'met'kth)--Deadpool III#24
• The Council of Godheads, a group made up of the chief male gods of Earth's various pantheons who gathered to discuss or deal with entities or situations which posed major threats to their existence and/or power--Thor I#300
• The Council of Kangs (a.k.a. the Council of Time), a group of three divergent Kangs who (while unwittingly being manipulated by Immortus) had joined together to eliminate all of the other "lesser" Kangs in the multiverse--Avengers I#267
• The Council of Nine (a.k.a. The Council or The Nine), a mysterious group of (presumably) Chinese origin who were enemies of the United States of America and employed the criminal White Dragon as one of their agents--Iron Man I#39-BTS
• The Council of Order, a group of natives from the extradimensional world of Crystalium who banded together to serve Order and oppose and defeat the Force of Chaos--Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#7
• The Council of Seven, minions of Fu Manchu who were the seven elite warriors among the Si-Fan and also oversaw the Si-Fan's international operations--Giant-Size Master of Kung Fu#1
• The Council of the Chosen, the name by which the New York chapter of the Hellfire Club's elite Inner Circle was known during the period when White King Edward "Ned" Buckman had gained control over the club's New York chapter--X-Men I#100
• The Council of Werewolves, a group of werewolves who have taken it upon themselves to monitor their people's actions to ensure that they behaved properly--Wolverine 1999
• The Council Supreme, a group composed of the leaders of mystic Dark Cults from around the world--Strange Tales I#170
• or any other group known as a "council"

This particular "Ship" character is definitely a DIFFERENT entity from

• Ship from Reality-791, the consciousness of a star who has assumed the physical form of a sentient starship and is the companion of that reality's Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill)--Marvel Preview#11
  and from
  
• Ship, the sentient starship who was the companion of the Star-Lord of Sparatax (King Peter Jason Quill) who existed in an altered version of the 31st Century of Reality-691--Guardians 3000#3
  and is almost certainly a different entity from
  
• Ship from Reality-616, a sentient starship who was the companion of her reality's Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) until her destruction--Annihilation: Conquest - Starlord#1

Additionally, Ship has no known connections to

• Ship, a sentient being whose existence began as a huge data collection device created by the Celestials and left on Earth untold millennia ago that was later enslaved by the mutant Apocalypse until freed by X-Factor and who eventually evolved into the being known as Prosh--X-Factor I#19
• Ship, a gigantic humanoid-shaped starship built by the sentient robots of Halfworld--Incredible Hulk II#271
• The Great Ship from the Ultraverse, a space vessel created on and launched from the Godwheel which crashed on Earth-93060 sixty million years ago and whose "black box" ended up on that Earth's Moon--Phoenix Resurection: Genesis
• The Ship of the Chosen Ones from Earth-8208, the spaceship in which the twelve humans chosen by the Celestials to be tutored in the secrets of the universe returned to their homeworld to lead the rest of humanity to Celestial salvation--Bizarre Adventures#32
• The Ship of Arcturus, the last of the starship fleet created long ago by the super-race which lived on the planet Arcturus IV and which in recent years was flown to Earth where it crashed-- Adventures Into Fear#24
• The Ship of Empty Souls, a vessel used by the Dark Hunter in a pocket dimension where everything (including the Dark Hunter and his ship and its crew) were creations of Franklin Richards`subconscious--Daydreamers#1
• Ship-Master, a Brood who was sent to capture the Acanti Prophet-Singer but was ultimately destroyed by Binary (Carol Danvers)--Uncanny X-Men I#166
• or any characters or objects with "Ship" as part of their names or titles

Spartax, the planet of the Spartoi and capital of the Spartoi Empire (in the Greater Magellenic Cloud), has no known connection to:

• Spartax, the planet of the Spartax race and capital of the Spartax Empire (in the Milky Way galaxy)--Guardians of the Galaxy III#3
• Spartak of the Microverse, home of the Acroyears--Micronauts I#9

Council of Ministers

   The Council of Ministers was an advisory body who were meant to help the Spartoi emperor rule the interstellar Spartoi Empire. Nothing has been revealed about how members were chosen to join the council or how long their terms lasted or what responsibilities each minister had.

   Since the reigning emperor, Eson, was currently in a near-death state, the Council of Ministers was effectively ruling the empire in his name. Some Spartoi believed that Emperor Eson was actually catatonic or had already died but that the council was using a holographic conversor (controlled by them) in order to maintain the illusion that Eson was still alive and in charge. Prince Jason believed that the Council was happy that Eson was in that state because they had a puppet whom they could thereby manipulate indefinitely. The Council also feared that Prince Jason would not be a "worthy" ruler and keeping Eson as he was prevented Jason from inheriting the throne.

   It was (presumably) the Council of Ministers who were involved in the months of tense negotiation with representatives from the Shi'ar Empire that led to the proposed political alliance between the two interstellar empires.

   Following the cancellation of that alliance in the wake of the attempted assassination of the Shi'ar Majestrix Lilandra Neramani, one of the Spartoi delegates found the golden datachips used by the Inhuman assassins and brought them to Lord Boeder who quickly identified them as belonging to Prince Jason. Lord Boeder then publicly exhibited the datachips and asked if Jason was the sixth member of the murderous cabal. Then, before the prince could answer, Lord Boeder played a conversation recorded by a roboservant during his dinner with the Inhumans in which Jason stated that he didn't like the alliance with the Shi'ar and didn't trust it as a path for a better future. Jason was outraged that the Council had dared to spy upon him and protested that he was being framed because he had been tricked like the rest of them. However, Emperor Eson's hologram then spoke, saying that Jason's lack of love for his own people had proven that he was as unworthy of his title as the Council of Ministers had feared, and then banished Jason to wander among the stars. Jason accepted his punishment, stating that he saw that "they have finally won." Jason and his Soulship then departed for space, leaving the rulership of the empire behind.

Note: Since none of the Council of Ministers were ever explicitly named or even positively identified as being on panel, I have had to presume that Lord Boeder was a member. However, I could be wrong.

(Council of Ministers)--mentioned in Inhumans IV#3-4; (Lord Boeder)-- Inhumans IV#4

Emperor Eson

   Emperor Eson is Prince Jason's father and the current reigning ruler of the interstellar Spartoi Empire. Eson was known for never having been a passionate man, so much so that his son believed that a hologram could have successfully been substituted for him.

   At some point, Emperor Eson began to make all of his public appearances as an immobile body suspended within what looked like a crystalline coffin. The reason for this new behavior was not explained so various rumors began. Some believed that Eson was already dead within the coffin but that the high medicine of the Spartoi people enabled him to still reign. Many more were sure that the coffin was only a holographic conversor and that Eson's actual body remained at home on the planet Spartax, possibly in a catatonic state. Even Prince Jason was unsure if his father was "only a step away from death" or "beyond death" but he was sure that the Council of Ministers were happy with Eson being a "living corpse" who was neither alive nor dead because they could keep him in an inaccessible state for a hundred years more, thus giving them a puppet whom they could manipulate forever.

   It was during Eson's reign that the Spartoi and the Shi'ar finally met and, possibly only for political reasons, their sages and geneticists agreed that the two species were of common, remote ancestry. An alliance between these two "distant cousin races" was proposed and, after months of tense negotiation, it was agreed that their alliance would be consummated by a symbolic marriage between peoples, as represented by the two imperial leaders, Eson and Lilandra Neramani.

   Several days before the ceremony was to take place, a large Spartoi ship arrived at the planet Kritnah and Eson's coffin was lowered into the city of Kritnalar. A few days later, Eson (in his coffin) was waiting in the temple of the wedding when the Shi'ar starship carrying Majestrix Lilandra arrived. Once it had landed, Lilandra and some members of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard disembarked.

   Soon afterwards, the symbolic marriage ceremony between Eson and Lilandra took place, with each reciting their vows in turn. Once the ceremony was over, Eson (in his coffin) stood silently nearby while Lilandra personally awarded the property titles for the frontier planets between the two empires. When an assasination attempt on Lilandra's life occurred, Prince Jason ordered the Spartoi forces present to protect Emperor Eson's holocontainer and to not shoot. Later, after Lilandra had seemingly been killed and her assassins had fled, the victim was revealed to actually have been the shape-shifter Hobgoblin, who had taken his Majestrix's place due to a foreseeing of what was going to happen. The real Lilandra appeared via a hologram and announced that the Shi'ar-Spartoi alliance was cancelled. When a Spartoi delegate found a golden datachip used by the assassins and Lord Boeder used it to accuse Prince Jason of being part of the conspiracy, the prince protested his innocence. At that point, Eson spoke up, saying, "Silence, my son. Your imprudence has cost us dearly. Your lack of love for your own people has proved you are unworthy of your title, as the Council of Ministers feared. So we banish you to wander among the stars. For though we can't believe you are guilty, your zeal was improper and you failed to protect this city and this ceremony."

   Upon hearing these words, Jason accepted his father's command, stated that he was judged and condemned in the blink of an eye and that "they" had finally won, and then left the temple and the planet to begin his banishment.

--Inhumans IV#3-4

frontier planets

   The frontier planets were those worlds which existed on the galactic borders between the Spartoi and Kree Empires within the Greater Magellanic Cloud. Due to their remote locations and isolation from the imperial spaceways, these planets and their inhabitants had been left to survive alone for generations. Although not described as such, it may be that these planets existed within some sort of neutral or buffer zone between the two interstellar empires, one in which neither empire could establish colonies without it being considered an aggressive move by the other empire. This frontier remained in place even after the Kree Empire had been defeated in its war with the Shi'ar, with the only apparent difference being that it was now a buffer between the Spartoi Empire and the former Kree territories which had been annexed by the Shi'ar Empire.

   Eventually, several years after the Kree/Shi'ar War ended, the status of these frontier planets changed. As part of the upcoming political alliance between the Shi'ar and Spartoi races, the two empires decided that these unaligned planets would be usurped from their original inhabitants and given to the Spartoi so that they would have a new area into which they could expand. Of course, the weaker races that were already on those worlds would have to be removed first and it was left to the elite corps of the Shi'ar Empire to make that happen.

   One of these worlds was "a moon with no name" that was located "half a galaxy away" from the planet Kritnah. The inhabitants of this frontier moon were humanoids who exhibited few traces of civilization but once had at least aspired to become a proud stellar race. Despite their uncivilized status, the natives were armed with weapons that fired laser blasts and rapid fire bullets as well as swords and spears.

   Somehow learning of what the two interstellar empires had planned for their home, the natives of this moon decided to resist and prepared themselves for war, and when the Shi'ar elite corps arrived the natives attacked with laser blasts and rapid fire. Among the first platoon of Shi'ar warriors were the seer Delphos as well as Karnak and Triton, two Inhumans who had infiltrated the Shi'ar forces. During the battle the amphibious Triton fell victim to the poisoned swamp waters and Karnak defended him, trying his best to win without inflicting any permanent harm on his foes. Working together, Delphos and Karnak saved Triton and dealt with their attackers. Hours later, Delphos foresaw that the mission was almost over and that the moon was going to be settled in a matter of days.

   As Delphos had predicted, the battle soon ended with all resistance on the border moon having been swept away, with most (or all?) of the natives dead and their dwellings set afire. With the zone having been cleared in less time than expected, Hobgoblin arrived in his personal vessel to pick up the three who had led the attack (Delphos, Karnak and Triton) and transport them to Kritnah where they were to be made members of the Imperial Guard. Once the warriors left, others would inherit the moon's resources, now that there was no opposition to fight back.

   Days later, on Kritnah, the Shi'ar Majestrix Lilanda (who was actually a shape-shifted Hobgoblin) began to award the property titles for the frontier planets, first to the Spartoi settlers who would get the profits of the lands and then to the representatives of the millions of Kree slaves who would serve their new masters on these worlds. However, the alliance was later cancelled after "Lilandra" was assassinated and the frontier between the two empires remained intact.

   Although the Shi'ar chose to not go to war against the Spartoi, they were clearly not happy with how events had played out and it seems unlikely that the Shi'ar would have been willing to allow the Spartoi to benefit from the situation. This would (presumably) mean that the frontier planets which had been usurped from their native inhabitants were not colonized and were instead left depopulated.

Note: It wasn't revealed how many of these frontier planets were usurped in this manner or how many resisted occupation. Also unrevealed was the fate of those races who did not oppose the usurption of their worlds. And none of the names of any of these planets (or of the races who had inhabited them) have ever been revealed.

--Inhumans IV#3

Kritnah

   Kritnah was the planet where the Shi'ar and the Spartoi had decided the symbolic marriage between their two peoples would take place. Located somewhere within the Greater Magellanic Cloud, Kritnah had been a Kree planet until the Shi'ar took over after defeating the Kree Empire.

   Prior to the Shi'ar conquest, Kritnah was a mixture of old and new, wilderness and high culture. The planet was a hub through which the highways of the Kree galaxy ran. The sacred city of Kritnalar was full of temples and spires, and was the Kree's religious center.

   Later, as news that the upcoming ceremony of the symbolic marriage between the Shi'ar and the Spartoi was to take place in the sacred city of Kritnalar spread, thousands of pilgrms came to Kritnalar, many of them refugees from a hundred worlds who were looking for a new home, a new hope and a new beginning. Some of them were victimized by street punks, thugs and scavengers who stole their belongings.

   As the day of the wedding approached, hundreds of starships arrived at Kritnah, bringing with them thousands of people from across the galaxy who wanted to witness history in the making. Among these visitors were lawyers and politicians, merchants and judges, and priests and soldiers. Many of the chapels in the city held symbolic ceremonies to celebrate the union that was going to take place between the Shi'ar and the Spartoi, and the streets were full of people rejoicing through song and dance.

   The symbolic ceremony itself was held in the temple of the wedding, which had once been a sacred Kree emporium. Later, an assassination attempt was made on the life of the Shi'ar Majestrix Lilandra Neramani, an attempt that only failed because the shape-shifter Hobgoblin had secretly replaced her. During the assassination, the Kree warlord Ronan had had to force the unwilling Black Bolt to strike and his method of coercion had led to an excess of destructive energies having accumulated in the throat of his living weapon. Black Bolt realized that if he allowed himself to mutter another word he could obliterate half of the planet, and so he chose to unleash his built-up power into Kritnah itself. This energy discharge awakened volcanos in distant parts of Kritnah and shook a continent on the other side of the planet but by doing so he saved the lives of all the Spartoi and Shi'ar and the enslaved Kree who were gathered in Kritnalar.

   Later, after Majestrix Lilandra had cancelled the alliance between the Shi'ar and the Spartoi and the Spartoi Prince Jason had been banished for his (unwitting) part in the conspiracy, the Shi'ar departed, full of rage, and the Spartoi also left, full of shame. Those pilgrims who had come to witness the wedding presumably left as well.

Note: It was very soon after the failure of the alliance that the Kree Empire was re-established during the "Maximum Security" event. The planet Kritnah may have been reclaimed by the Kree at that time but this has not been confirmed.

--Inhumans IV#3 (Inhumans IV#3-4

"A lord among the stars"

   As the banished Prince Jason and his Soulship departed the planet Kritnah for the stars, the seer Delphos bore witness and in her mind's eye she saw the infinite possibilities of tomorrow.

   Delphos had a vision in which Jason of Spartax would wander among galaxies in search of Medusalith and proof of his innocence. His search would eventually bring them to the planet Earth where his soulship would crash and "effectively die." It would be on Earth that another woman would take care of him and would light a new spark of love in the sad, young man. Jason would father a child with this woman, a human child who was "destined to be a lord among the stars!"

   However, this vision was, perhaps, but one of many futures.

--Inhumans IV#4 (ff)

roboservant

   An android which Lord Boeder and his allies used to spy on Prince Jason, allegedly "for (his) own protection." While in the city of Kritnalar on the planet Kritnah, this device served the dinner eaten by Prince Jason and his three guests (Blackagar, Medusalith and Gorgon). Once the meal was finished, the roboservant poured wine for the diners and later cleared away the plates. As it performed these tasks the roboservant was also secretly making a recording of everything that was said in its vicinity. Other agents working for Lord Boeder recorded visual images of the roboservant carrying out its function during the dinner.

   Several days later, after the attempted assassination of the Shi'ar Majestrix Lilandra Neramani had caused her to cancel the Shi'ar-Spartoi alliance and evidence had been found which implicated Prince Jason in the conspiracy, Lord Boeder brought forth the roboservant and played a recording of some of what the prince had said during the dinner, along with some video of the dinner party. Prince Jason was outraged that Lord Boeder had dared to spy upon him but his protests were silenced by Emperor Eson who felt that this evidence of his son's imprudence was more important than how it had been obtained.

   Although the roboservant could perform its tasks well enough, there was no indication that it was actually sentient. Additionally, the fact that the roboservant was visible in the video played by Lord Boeder indicated that it had only recorded the voices and that someone else must have made the video.

Note: Although the roboservant is definitely a mechanism, it was not established if its artificial nature was clearly evident to those who spent any time near it. Specifically, the roboservant's appearance may have been lifelike enough that Jason had not known that the being who served the meal was actually an android. Alternatively, Jason may have known that the waiter was a roboservant but was unaware of the fact that the Council of Ministers was using it to spy on him and record his conversations.

--Inhumans IV#3 (Inhumans IV#3-4

Soulship

   Ship is a sentient starship, a Soulship, whose origin and true nature have never been revealed. Ship could be a purely technological creation or she could be an energy being who had assumed the physical form of a starship. Similarly, the circumstances in which she and Prince Jason of Spartax first met each other and established their strong mutual bond have also never been revealed.

   Ship's hull is crescent-shaped, with a wide window in her bow and a smaller oval window atop it. On her underside she has a larger oval window with a circular entry port located slightly to the rear of it. When the port is open, a tractor beam can either raise visitors up into her or lower them down out of her.

   Ship's capabilities have not been fully revealed. It is known that she can fly through outer space and planetary atmospheres, and can transport at least one human-sized pilot/passenger while doing so. Ship is armed with powerful energy weapons that can function in space. Ship's power source and the nature of her capability for FTL travel have not been revealed. Ship is known to be able to use Shi'ar stargates.

   Ship can communicate with Prince Jason over an unspecified distance via a comlink but she can also remotely project a holographic image of a woman which serves as an avatar through which she can hear and speak.

   Ship was being piloted by Prince Jason when they came to the aid of a Shi'ar starship which had been attacked by alien marauders based on a giant mobile satellite (Attilan). After exiting the stargate, Ship reminded Jason that she had told him they were too late and he reminded her that they had just traversed billions of miles. Jason then told her to shut up and let him do his job. Ship apparently allowed Jason to control her flight and weapons fire during the battle. Ship later docked with the Shi'ar starship, and Jason disembarked from her.

   Weeks later, while Prince Jason was on the planet Kritnah, Ship presumably remained in orbit above him. Ship was able to monitor his dinner with the three "Kree refugees" and later projected a hologram of her avatar down to Jason. Ship observed that Jason had engaged in a lot of talk and that it was quite a confession for the shortest relationship he had ever had, then added that Medusalith was a beautiful woman. Jason agreed but stated that he couldn't aspire to anything more from a woman of her kind. Ship replied that it was a pity that Medusalith was married but when Jason asked since when had that been an obstacle for them, Ship pointed out, "Since always. You're the only sentient being I know of who truly believes all that idealistic tripe you spout." Jason replied, in a sarcastic manner, that yes, he was a "sainted one."

   Days later, after Prince Jason had been banished by Emperor Eson and was walking away from the temple on Kritnah, Ship's shadow appeared around him, indicating that she was flying not too far above him. When Jason asked if she would come with him, the Soulship replied, "How could you think otherwise, Jason? I am your mate, your inner will, your conscience, and I will be so until I die."

   Once Jason had boarded Ship, the two of them departed for the stars with only the seer Delphos bearing witness. As they left, Delphos foresaw a possible future in which their travels would eventually take them to the planet Earth where the Soulship would "effectively die." However, that was only one of many futures.

Note: During the battle with the alien marauders, Ship was accompanied by two other starships that appeared to be identical to her and who were piloted by comrades of Prince Jason who was their leader. It was not made clear if these other ships were also Soulships or if Jason's Soulship had merely chosen to duplicate their appearance (assuming, of course, that the Soulship was actually capable of physically restructuring herself into different forms).

--Inhumans IV#2 (Inhumans IV#2-4

images: (without ads)
Inhumans IV#3, p19, pan7 (main image)
      p17, pan7 (head shot)
      p16, pan4 (dining with new friends)
Inhumans IV#4, p4, pan4 (in the post-wedding crowd)
      p17, pan1 (possible future)
      p15, pan8 (Lord Boeder)
      p16, pan3 (Emperor Eson)
Inhumans IV#3, p12, pan5 (frontier moon natives)
      page 15, panel 2 (Kritnah landscape)
Inhumans IV#4, p17, pan2 ("a lord among the stars")
Inhumans IV#3, p18, pan1 (roboservant)
Inhumans IV#2, p9, pan2 (Soulship - underside view)
      p10, pan5 (Soulship firing weapons)
Inhumans IV#3, p19, pan7 (Soulship avatar)

Appearances:
Inhumans IV#2-3 (July-August, 2000) - Carlos Pacheco & Rafael Marin (writers), Jose Ladronn (artist), Mark Powers (editor)
Inhumans IV#4 (September, 2000) - Carlos Pacheco & Rafael Marin (writers), Jorge Pereira Lucas (artist), Mark Powers (editor)

Last updated: 02/09/17

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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