Zogg introducing the Helios Project to Qwark.
The Helios Project is a program in the Ratchet & Clank comic series. It was designed by Artemis Zogg to geo-shift planets, teleporting them from one location to another. The project had two key components: the Surinox Shard, responsible for geo-shifting, and Helios (the project's namesake), an artificial sun providing sunlight to planets during teleportation.
The project was initially created for the Polaris Galaxy while Zogg held a government position. He later used it to form his own hidden galaxy, the Artemis Galaxy, where he imposed an authoritarian regime. This project stole planets from the Polaris, Solana, and Bogon galaxies.
History[]
Before Ratchet & Clank (comic)[]
The Helios Project was overseen by Vorn Garblak, Zogg's advisor and chairman of the Galactic Panel of Interstellar Know-It-Alls.[1] It was developed in a facility in Meridian City, Igliak, after studying the Surinox Shard, a comet shard with transdimensional properties, previously used for the Dimensionator. Ten months prior to the events of Lost and Spaced, the project was still under development.[2]
Zogg showing Qwark the Shard.
Zogg's concept revolved around moving planets to escape cosmic disasters like temporal rifts, black holes, or supernovas. Early tests involved creating transdimensional portals on grunthors using negatively charged energy, but they failed to replicate the success the lombaxes had with the Dimensionator. As a result, Zogg settled on positively charged energy for simple teleportation.[2] The project was named after Helios, the artificial sun used to provide sunlight during planetary shifts.[3]
Zogg watching Helios turn on.
Though Zogg had presidential ambitions, he showed the Helios Project to Captain Qwark, who was expected to endorse him after asking questions about it.[4] However, Qwark decided to run for president himself and, five months prior to Lost and Spaced, won the election. Zogg was initially content, seeing the Helios Project as his legacy, but Qwark, citing concerns from the Percival Tachyon incident with the Dimensionator, shut the project down. Zogg, refusing to accept this, ordered Mr. Klink and his loyal followers to move the project to his personal ship, misleading bodyguards Cronk and Zephyr by claiming it had been approved for field testing.[5]
Ratchet & Clank (comic)[]
Veldin being transported to the Artemis Galaxy.
Zogg then used the Helios Project to steal planets from across the universe. By the time of Lost and Spaced, these planets included Terachnos, Cobalia, Sargasso, Aranos,[6] Veldin,[7] Igliak, Umbris, Zaurik, Fastoon, and Kerwan. Their inhabitants were enslaved and forced to work for sunlight.[8] The coordinates of these stolen planets were known only to Zogg's inner circle.[9] Qwark kept his knowledge of the project secret for some time,[6] but one week before the events of Lost and Spaced, the Galactic Rangers and Polaris Defense Force were mobilized, prompting Qwark to reveal details.[8]
During Thanks for the Armories, Ratchet and Clank successfully stole the Surinox Shard, rendering the Helios Project inoperative and unable to expand the Artemis Galaxy.[10] Ratchet kept the shard in his possession during Multiple Organisms.
In Bros Before Foes, Zogg attempted to retrieve the shard by attacking the Apogee Space Station, but Ratchet used his Praetorian OmniWrench to create a portal that banished Zogg to dimension A2-66 using negatively charged energy.[11] Ultimately, the shard and the Helios Project were used to return the stolen planets to their original locations.[12]
Behind the scenes[]
In ancient mythology, Helios is the Greek god of the sun.
Citations[]
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 18
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lost and Spaced, p. 6
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 7
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 2
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 18-20
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ears of War, p. 6
- ↑ Ears of War, p. 10
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lost and Spaced, p. 4
- ↑ Bros Before Foes, p. 6
- ↑ Thanks for the Armories, p. 18
- ↑ Bros Before Foes, p. 16
- ↑ Bros Before Foes, p. 19
References[]
- Fixman, TJ (2010). Ratchet & Clank (Issue 1: Ears of War) [Book]. Wild Storm.
- Fixman, TJ (2010). Ratchet & Clank (Issue 3: Lost and Spaced) [Book]. Wild Storm.
- Fixman, TJ (2010). Ratchet & Clank (Issue 4: Thanks for the Armories) [Book]. Wild Storm.
- Fixman, TJ (2011). Ratchet & Clank (Issue 5: Multiple Organisms) [Book]. Wild Storm.
- Fixman, TJ (2011). Ratchet & Clank (Issue 6: Bros Before Foes) [Book]. Wild Storm.