Template:Appearances
The Aphelion is a sentient lombax ship that was shot down on Fastoon during Tachyon's invasion. She was later repaired by Ratchet when he was stranded on Fastoon. Ratchet then continued to use her as his own ship for future missions, including several instances of space combat. There are two words written in Lombax on Aphelion; one reads as "Aphelion" and the second one as "angel." Her signature is 3371-Alpha.
History
Use by the lombaxes
I am sorry. My memory banks seem to have been damaged in the crash. The last thing I remember was laying down suppressive fire over the Court of Azimuth
The Aphelion answering Ratchet's question of the location of the lombaxes, ToD
Aphelion was originally constructed by the lombaxes, presumably as a defensive fighter, as she was armed. It is unknown if she was created sentient, or developed the sentience over time.
During Percival Tachyon's invasion of Fastoon, Aphelion was assigned to defend the Court of Azimuth from Drophyd forces. However, she was shot down by Tachyon's soldiers, apparently using seeker ammo (which she later calls "cheating").[1] It was not known if Aphelion was piloted during the battle; however, if she was, the pilot was probably either killed or escaped into the Lombax dimension. She was then abandoned, along with the rest of the planet, presumably because she was considered beyond repair. It is unknown how the parts were spread out when she crashed.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Repair
The Aphelion after her repair by Ratchet
Miserable little Drophyds! I can't believe they used Seeker ammo! Oh, what a bunch of cheats! Oh, a Lombax… I thought I'd never see one again. Thanks for repairing me.
The Aphelion meeting Ratchet., ToD
Many years later, Ratchet and Clank became stranded on Fastoon. While searching for a way off the planet, they came across the damaged Aphelion and found that she needed six parts to be repaired. The two searched the planet's surface, finding the six parts needed to fix her. Upon reactivation, Aphelion thanked Ratchet for fixing her, identifying him as a lombax. Ratchet used Aphelion's HD-800 screen to view a Holo-Vite from Qwark inviting him to the Imperial Fight Festival on Mukow. Ratchet and Clank took off in the Aphelion en route to Mukow.
Under Ratchet's ownership
The Aphelion landing on Fastoon
The Aphelion then became Ratchet's ship, taking him all over galaxy to whatever planets he needed to visit. She traveled with Ratchet and Clank to four sectors of Polaris: The Cerullean sector, the Praxus sector, the Drogol sector and the Verdigris sector. On Rykan V, the Aphelion even assisted Ratchet and Clank during a HALO jump with Cronk and Zephyr.
Voron Asteroid Belt
At the Voron Asteroid Belt, the Aphelion was used by Ratchet to destroy many space pirate fighters. At one point, Clank used the rear-facing turret on the ship to destroy other enemy fighters. After defeating many space pirates, the Aphelion, with Ratchet controlling it, went into combat with Puffy Pants Wallis and emerged victorious.
Rakar Star Cluster
At a later point, the space pirates attacked Ratchet, Clank and the Aphelion again this time at the Rakar Star Cluster. Here they destroyed many more fighters and several pirate heat harvesters placed on nearby stars before facing Iron Crotch Caruso in a one-on-one battle.
Verdigris Black Hole
The Aphelion at the Pegasus Outpost
The Aphelion after ejecting Ratchet and Clank on Fastoon
We haven't even finished building the pub!
Rusty Pete commenting on the destruction of the Pegasus Outpost., ToD
The Aphelion was involved in space combat with the pirates once more at the Verdigris Black Hole on the way to Jasindu. Ratchet decided to destroy the Pegasus Outpost on an ice moon as a "parting gift" to Captain Romulus Slag. Ratchet then piloted the Aphelion into a black hole where they confronted Greasepalms McGee. After defeating him, they arrived on Jasindu.
Return to Fastoon
Tachyon's fighters have locked on to our position! I'm not sure we can shake them!
The Aphelion in the atmosphere of Fastoon., ToD
When Ratchet, Clank and the Aphelion returned to Fastoon to defeat Tachyon and stop him from using the Dimensionator, the Aphelion was nearly shot down by Drophyd fighters again. Clank suggested that the Aphelion should remove extra cargo, prompting the Aphelion to eject Ratchet and Clank from the ship. The Aphelion survived, and Ratchet continued using her.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Search for Clank
Ratchet and Qwark in the Aphelion
The customized Aphelion, in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
During Ratchet's search for Clank, who had been taken by the Zoni, Ratchet and Talwyn traveled to Merdegraw with Aphelion. Later Ratchet and Qwark both traveled together in the Aphelion.[2] At that point, an unknown energy wave rendered Aphelion's flight capabilities useless and, after a horrific crash, had her wings and several other parts blew off the ship. He soon after used a Zoni device capable of containing Zoni and harnessing their energy to repair Aphelion, changing her look to that of Zoni technology. Later on, she was used to travel through space and to land on moons, planets and depots once again. She was also needed for space missions and to destroy space enemies.
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Aphelion flying in Luminopolis
Light-Eating Z'Grute
Ratchet: Hey! That's my ship!
Clank: Unhand the Aphelion right this instant!
Nefarious: There goes your ride!Ratchet, Clank and Nefarious in Luminopolis, A4O
The Z'Grute bites Aphelion
The Aphelion transported Ratchet, Clank and Qwark to an awards ceremony in Luminopolis for Galactic President Qwark. This turned out to be a set up for a new plan of attack from Nefarious. However, after unleashing a Light-Eating Z'Grute upon the city of Luminopolis, his plan went haywire, and Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Nefarious himself were forced to work together in order to stop the beast. Following it's rampage on the city, the Light-Eating Z'Grute tore and bit into the Aphelion, impaling her and draining the ship's light-energy.[3] She later survived the attack, as she reappeared in Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault.[4]
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault
QForce
Aphelion was repaired by Ratchet after he returned to Luminopolis and she became a member of the new QForce, stationed in an Unnamed Polaris Sector on board the Starship Phoenix II.
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus
Hunting the Progs
Aphelion returned in Into the Nexus and helped Ratchet and Clank travel to different planets to track down Vendra Prog and Neftin Prog.[5]
Equipment and abilities
The Aphelion is fitted with rapid fire cannons and a missile system which can be charged. The ship also has a rear-facing rapid fire turret which can be used to take out enemies that attack from behind. The Aphelion's basic weaponry is powerful enough to break apart Harvesters - which were built to resist the heat of a star - and could take down Iron Crotch Caruso's ship - which was capable of staying inside a star without taking any damage. Additionally, the Aphelion cannot be damaged even when close to a star, and can both resist the pull of, and survive inside a black hole.
A HD-800 screen, which shows the Galactic Map and other things, such as Holo-Vites is also built into the ship.
Aphelion has a sentient AI with a female personality and voice. She provides assistance for navigation and space combat; she can also open the cockpit by herself and perform simple maneuvers autonomously.[6]
Upgrades
Aphelion can be upgraded by the Zoni in A Crack in Time. After Ratchet collects a certain amount of Zoni, Aphelion can receive an upgrade. The upgrades include weapon, armor and thruster upgrades, as well as a Ship Tether and a forcefield known as a Quantum Reflector.
Ratchet and Clank repairing the Aphelion
- After Repair: Impaler Missiles
- After Repair: Pulse Cannons
- 6 Zoni: Thrustmaster 500
- 9 Zoni: Harmonic Plating
- 12 Zoni: Ship Tether
- 15 Zoni: Kinetic Demolishers
- 18 Zoni: Plasma Torpedoes
- 21 Zoni: Quantum Reflector
- 24 Zoni: Polarity Plating
- 27 Zoni: Proton Cutters
- 30 Zoni: Swarm Rockets
- 35 Zoni: Xulian Overthruster
Non-canon appearances
PlayStation Move Heroes
In PlayStation Move Heroes, Aphelion appears in the background of the Metropolis stage.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
In PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Aphelion appears as Ratchet and Clank's level 3 super move; they jump into Aphelion and launch lasers and missiles at enemies from a first-person perspective.
Behind the scenes
Aphelion in A Crack in Time landing on a spherical moon
The Aphelion was designed to loosely resemble Ratchet's lombax silhouette.[7]
The name Aphelion may have come from the point in a planet's orbit; when the planet is the furthest from the sun.
Trivia
- Aphelion's name is a term for the point in the orbit of an object where it is farthest from the sun; however, Ratchet pronounces it "Afelion," while the real word is pronounced as "App-helion."
- In the Metropolis level in PlayStation Move Heroes, players can sometimes see Aphelion drifting in the background using her design from Tools of Destruction.
- In the A Crack in Time manual, there is a picture of space exploration using the original Aphelion design from Tools of Destruction. This indicates that Insomniac Games may not have originally intended to remodel her in A Crack in Time.
- Aphelion's signature 3371-Alpha may have a connection with 1337 (due to it containing all the numbers of 1337), which in "Cyber Latin" (Internet lingo), translates to leet (elite).
- In Full Frontal Assault, Aphelion's paint job is very similar to the colors of Ratchet, Qwark, and Clank armor at "Master" rank in Q-Force campaign. The paint job of the ship may meant that she is already ranked "master," also stating that she is a member of Q-Force.
- Aphelion's voice is muted all throughout Full Frontal Assault and Into the Nexus.
- For a brief moment in the intro for All 4 One, bubbles can be seen coming from the Aphelion.
- The Aphelion appears in the Insomniac Museum in the 2016 reboot.
Aphelion paint job similarities
Notes and references
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JYKLpjrcR4 - 6:09 in.
- ↑ Comic-con A Crack in Time storyline trailer.
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWXi-6FxHzY
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uET6degrmBg
- ↑ Ratchet & Clank Into the Nexus Demo Live Stream with Q&A from Brian Allgeier
- ↑ Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction: Return to Fastoon.
- ↑ Sony Computer Entertainment (2018). The Art of Ratchet & Clank. Dark Horse Comics. p. 160.