“You can’t have my Butterfinger!”
Battlestar Galactica #15
Marvel Comics (May, 1980)
“Derelict!” SCRIPT/PLOT/BREAKDOWNS: Roger McKenzie & Walter Simonson FINISHER: Klaus Janson COLORIST: Bob Sharen COVER ART: Walter Simonson LETTERER: Jim Novak EDITOR: Allen Milgrom
The Galactica comes across a derelict battle cruiser that came from Caprica. Boomer goes in to investigate and finds one surviving crewperson, the others a victim of a plague left by the Cylons on Caprica that also mutated vermin into monsters. The survivor turns out to be Ila, Adama’s wife, who dies aboard the ship from the plague. Boomer promises not to tell her family that she was there and destroys the ship to keep the plague from spreading.
What they got right: It’s nice that Boomer gets his own story, even if it isn’t one that goes into his character, which would have been preferred. I don’t know if the battle cruiser design matches up with the design style of the TV series but I kind of like it.
What they got wrong: Ila died in the first episode/issue. Adama found her body among the ruins of their home, or at least that’s how I always read it. Bringing her back to die here in this situation isn’t just wrong in continuity but also makes no sense. Any surviving Caprican would have done just fine. Even better would be that Boomer is questioning things and this drives him to remember that humans can’t give up against the Cylon threat. It feels like a lost opportunity.
Recommendation: This story has a huge misstep (Ila’s return) that makes this story unnecessary and easily the weakest of the Marvel run I’ve read. It’s not worth getting unless your a completist.
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