"Collision Course" Battlestar Galactica #13 (Marvel) Written by Roger McKenzie and Walter Simonson Pencils by Walter Simonson Inks by Klaus Janson March 1980

The Cylons set a basestar on a collision course with the Galactica.

Story Summary

Picking up from last issue, a Cylon basestar has been directed into a collision course with the Galactica, while two more basestars attack the rest of the fleet on the other side of Scavenge World. Adama directs the Galactica's and Scavenge World's guns to aim for the central pylon of the onrushing basestar. This successfully splits the basestar into two discs which fly off in opposite directions, sparing the battlestar. But debris from the blast damages the battlestar significantly, forcing repairs to take place before it can make the hop to the other side of Scavenge World to protect the rest of the fleet.

While the battle rages, Starbuck is forced to honor his agreement to return to Scavenge World with Queen Eurayle to be her king. While wandering Scavenge World in his funk, he comes across some space-happy prisoners in cells, captured from the missing agro ship that was found by Scavenge World.

Back in space, Apollo has come up with a plan to use one of the fleet's ships against the Cylons. Evacuating the personnel, he has a handful of warriors plant bombs throughout the vessel and guides it between the two attacking basestars. The Cylons' own firepower is directed at the ship and triggers the bombs, creating a tremendous explosion that takes out both basestars at once.

Meanwhile, Starbuck has managed to commandeer a Scavenge World fighter vessel to join the battle. As the remaining Cylon raiders are mopped up, he returns to the Galactica with his passenger, one of the prisoners, who confirms to Commander Adama on the bridge that Sire Uri was responsible for ordering the theft of the agro ship. Uri is placed under arrest.

Almost immediately, an enraged Eurayle arrives as well, to claim Starbuck and take him back to Scavenge World to live to his dying day.

CONTINUED IN BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #14! 

Didja Notice? 

The corner logo is slightly modified on this issue. Notice the smoke passing behind the Cylon figure. Presumably, this is meant to indicate the dire state of battle the Galactica finds herself under in this story.

On page 3, Athena refers to the basestar as being at fifty radons and closing. I know of no Colonial or Earthly unit by that name.

On page 11, Lucifer refers to a centurion as a B-2 unit. I'm unaware of any other source that refers to a Cylon centurion by that model or designation.

Also on page 11, Lucifer laments that he misses Baltar because he, at least, had a sense of humor, unlike the centurions. Where is Baltar then? Last we saw, Lucifer had rescued him from the tombs of Kobol and had plans for him ("The Memory Machine"). Possibly Baltar had serious injuries from the stone block that had fallen on him in "A Death in the Family" and has been taken somewhere for treatment, but how easily could he have been transported considered they are still in the middle of the void?

An additional ship is lost in the Cylon attack this issue, the garbage scow Jerico (probably a reference by the writers to the ancient city of Jericho on the West Bank of the Palestinian Territories on Earth). The fleet is now down to 216 ships.

Apollo makes use of a Scorpian ship called the Misquamacus. "Misquamacus" probably refers to the Native American character of that name who appears in several stories from the Cthulu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. The Misquamacus is destroyed taking out the two basestars attacking the fleet. That brings the fleet to 215 ships.

Scavenge World returns the agro ship, which they had captured after it had allegedly been stolen by Sire Uri's men, bringing the fleet back to 216 ships. But, since when did Uri's men steal the agro ship? He seemed surprised and disturbed by the news that it was missing in "All Things Past and Present" and it was implied that he and his men were only responsible for the two earlier missing ships.

Just how many basestars have the Cylons sent into the void? We initially see just one in "Into the Void". But here we see Lucifer in command of three, all of which are destroyed by the combined Colonial/Scavenge World forces. If these were the only three in the void, then, again, where is Baltar? Is there a fourth basestar in the void? Or might Baltar be recuperating at a Cylon encampment now on Kobol?