Igliak is a planet featured in Tools of Destruction, the comic series, All 4 One, and Into the Nexus, with mentions in A Crack in Time. Located in the Praxus Sector of the Polaris Galaxy, it is home to the large metropolises of Meridian City and Luminopolis. Meridian City served as the capitol of Allied Polaris, Free Polaris and the seat of the Polaris government, where the galactic president resides. This made it both a central planet in the galaxy and also prone to invasion.
Ratchet and Clank first came to Igliak to repel an invasion of Meridian City, when Emperor Tachyon used the Dimensionator to unleash an army of cragmites. Following Captain Qwark's election as galactic president, after undermining Artemis Zogg's own campaign, Zogg stole Igliak using the Helios Project and brought it to his Artemis Galaxy, requiring the Polaris government to use the Apogee Space Station as a command post. After Zogg's defeat, Igliak was returned back to its original location. Dr. Nefarious later laid a trap for President Qwark in Luminopolis, where he unleashed a rare light-eating Z'Grute onto the city, attracting Ephemeris the Creature Collector to the planet. To send the nethers back to the Netherverse, Ratchet and Clank explored the Intergalactic Museum of History in Meridian City to recover the Dimensionator, and fought back a nether invasion.
History[]
Before Tools of Destruction[]
The warbots Cronk and Zephyr met when stationed in Meridian City's Zenith Outpost during the Phylax Intrusion.[1] During the Forfolax Emancipation of 23, the two were later stationed at the Folstoid Plateau to secure the gelatonium refinery so as to be able to transport fuel to the Meridian armory. After being attacked by undead zombie dung dragons created by the planet's radioactive sun, they went into battle with only a rusty spoke and a roll of toilet paper stolen from Igliak.[2]
At another time, Ulysses L. Ironfist and a gang of hillbilly ninjas stockpiled the galaxy's trillium deposit to hold Igliak capital using a neothermic deathbeam capable of laying waste to the planet. Cronk and Zephyr infiltrated the hideout and stopped them.[2]
Pepper Fairbanks, former weather girl and later news anchor, featured in a pictorial in "Women of Igliak".[3]
After Emperor Tachyon rose to power, Igliak's Meridian City became the capital of Free Polaris, comprising all planets and sectors not under Tachyon's rule. Tachyon sought to seize control of the city, but the combined forces of free planets in the Verdigris Sector held him back.[4]
After Lord Vorselon's body was lost in the battle of Zaurik, he and his army stormed GrummelNet Industries headquarters in Meridian City to obtain the design for his robot body.[5]
Slim Cognito came to Igliak but was arrested and sent to Zordoom Prison after exposing his Class B Grav-Cannon to a group of female tumfoids during a rock concert.[1]
Tools of Destruction[]
Tachyon saw his opportunity to finally invade Meridian City after taking the Dimensionator from Captain Qwark on Reepor, and releasing an army of cragmites. When invading, Tachyon heralded the return of the cragmites as the "true rulers" of the galaxy, sending any insurgents fighting back to a four-star penal colony in the Vartan Nebula. Qwark was also brought to the city as prisoner, sending a distress call to Ratchet and Clank.[6]
Ratchet and Clank saving Qwark.
In "Save Meridian City", Ratchet and Clank fought through hordes of cragmites and enforcers during the invasion to reach the spaceport. After hearing Qwark's distress call, in "Rescue Qwark", the two searched the city to find him, traveling through the sector 3 construction zone and down an air tunnel expressway, only to discover him wallowing in self-pity inside a closet. Ratchet and Clank left for Fastoon thereafter, with Qwark choosing to remain behind to supposedly coordinate the relief effort.[7]
After Tachyon was defeated, the original Dimensionator was moved to the Intergalactic Museum of History[8][9] in the Lombax History Wing.[10]
A Crack in Time[]
Due to the damage on the Great Clock, time anomalies froze several military installations on Igliak, leading to violent outbursts.[11]
A holo-film named Unicop about a Meridian City police officer named Marcus Kane transformed into a half-unicorn, half-cop, starring Captain Qwark as Kane, aired and was advertised on space radio.[12]
Minister of Defense Artemis Zogg had fusion turrets installed above tower Zogg Tower (presumably named for him) in event of an attack on Igliak by Dr. Nefarious.[13]
Comic series[]
Captain Qwark announcing his own presidential campaign.
Ten months prior to the events of the Ratchet & Clank comic series, Qwark visited Meridian City for an event where he was set to endorse Artemis Zogg, then a fan who had invited him.[14] Zogg also showed Qwark the Helios Project during development, then designed to prevent galactic disasters.[15] While Qwark was practicing his speech to endorse Zogg, his agent Cyrus instead talked him into running for president himself.[16] Five months later, Qwark won the election, and shut down the project, citing dangers from the Tachyon incident. Zogg stole the project and used it for himself.[17]
Igliak was one of the planets that Zogg used the Helios Project to steal and take to his Artemis Galaxy, with its inhabitants enslaved and forced to work for sunlight. Because this meant the capital was lost, Talwyn Apogee offered the Polaris Defense Force use the Apogee Space Station as a command post.[18] Following Zogg's defeat, Igliak was returned, and Ratchet and Clank visited Qwark in his presidential compound in Meridian City two weeks later.[19]
Before All 4 One[]
President Qwark established a failed initiative named Friendship Through Firepower establishing kiosks around the Luminopolis.[20] These weapon kiosks distributed free Combusters to citizens for protection and city defense, upon completion of a brief weapon certification program.[21]
A restaurant named Rusty Pete's Healthy Hamburger Shack was also at some point established. The restaurant's vegan-wheatgrass-and-tree-bark burger became a favorite of hipsters.[22]
Ratchet would pilot weaponized drones into Luminopolis twice a week, for which he would be fined ten bolts and given an online class.[23]
All 4 One[]
The Z'Grute being unleashed.
Dr. Nefarious orchestrated a fake award ceremony in Luminopolis to present President Qwark with the "Intergalactic Tool of Justice" award. During the event, he and Lawrence reanimated a cryosleep-induced, light-eating Z'Grute, intending for it to eliminate Qwark. However, the creature turned against Nefarious as well, prompting Lawrence to immediately quit.[24]
Due to the Polaris Defense Force being occupied on a field trip to the "Single N' Hating It" Speed Dating Convention in Meridian City, the Z'Grute was able to go on a rampage unchecked.[22]
Ephemeris approaching Luminopolis.
Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and Nefarious joined forces to pursue the Z'Grute to the Luminopolis Power Plant, ultimately defeating it using the fusion turrets atop Zogg Tower.[13] Shortly after, Ephemeris arrived to capture the Z'Grute but also abducted Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and Nefarious, transporting them to planet Magnus.[25]
Much later, the Loki Master on Magnus targeted Igliak as the first world in his planned invasion.[26] However, Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and Nefarious defeated him, thwarting his plans. Ratchet then piloted Ephemeris to return the group to Luminopolis.[23]
Into the Nexus[]
Before the events of the game, Qwark, now a former president of the Polaris Galaxy, sponsored an exhibit in the Intergalactic Museum of History: the Solana Galactorium, a zero-g exhibit based on the Solana Galaxy, which featured a replica of the Biobliterator and a ring of five planets.[10]
Vendra and Neftin Prog stole a tourbot, Docent 427, to access the Intergalactic Museum of History, learning that the Dimensionator had been moved there. Neftin's frame meant he was unable to steal from the museum himself,[9] and the twins eventually used one built by Pollyx Industries.[8]
Ratchet and Clank taking the Dimensionator from the museum.
After Mr. Eye and the nethers were summoned into reality, they invaded Meridian City. Spotted by a Polaris satellite, Mr. Eye destroyed six watch posts in the Cerulean Sector on the way to Meridian City. With the Polaris Defense Force occupied by Thugs-4-Less, the city was defenseless. After Talwyn, now a Polaris Defense Force captain, alerted Ratchet to this and pledged to engage the threat herself, Ratchet encouraged her to instead call a state of emergency as he arrived to protect the city.[27]
The Prog twins banishing Mr. Eye back to the Netherverse.
In "Find the Dimensionator", Ratchet and Clank explored the museum's various exhibits, including fighting the Biobliterator replica, before retrieving the Dimensionator. Thereafter, in "Fight off the Nether Invasion", the nethers launched a full-scale invasion, hoping to destroy the Dimensionator so they could not be sent back to the Netherverse.[28] While Neftin and Pollyx repaired the original Dimensionator, Ratchet and Clank stopped the invasion and defeated Mr. Eye, sending the nethers back with the help of Vendra Prog after Clank managed to free her. Vendra and Neftin thereafter agreed to turn themselves in.[29]
Geography[]
Igliak from space appears to be a vast cityscape. The planet does have a few waters, from which krull are fished during good weather.[30]
Zephyr alleged that the planet's radioactive sun once created undead zombie dung dragons.[2]
Merdian City[]
Meridian City in Tools of Destruction.
Meridian City is the capital of Free Polaris[4] and later the galactic government, home to the presidential compound. It is also the location of GrummelNet HQ[5] and the Intergalactic Museum of History. The city is also home to the Meridian armory,[2] the Meridian City Library,[31] and the Meridian City Racquetball Club.[32]
Meridian City is dominated by immense glass skyscrapers. The skyscrapers have round dome-like roofs, suggesting similarity to lombax design on Fastoon. Around its rooftops are several large red trees, with various branch tips encased in glass spheres.
Intergalactic Museum of History[]
The entrance to the museum.
The Intergalactic Museum of History is a large squat stone structure visited during Into the Nexus. Its interior is a multi-wing complex that guides visitors from its entrance hall—accessible only with Docent 427—through a sequence of themed exhibit areas. The main museum features cultural, historical, and technological displays such as the kerchu, space pirates, Cronk and Zephyr, Gimlick Valley, terachnoids, and gelatonium exhibits. The second floor hosts the Natural History Wing, followed by the zero-g Solana Galactorium with its interactive Biobliterator display.
Subsequent areas include the wigwump exhibit, a side vent housing the Dan Johnson statue, and the Hall of Villainy. The route continues into the Groovitron Experience room and its adjacent escape-pod display before culminating in the Lombax History Wing, where statues and historical accounts of notable lombaxes—including Alister Azimuth and Ratchet and Clank—as well as a display of the original Dimensionator complete the tour. An elevator leads to a gift shop, and an exit at street level.
The Museum also contains a Bolt exhibit (currently empty) and a Raritanium Wing.
Luminopolis[]
Luminpolis.
Luminopolis is an expansive, densely packed metropolis characterized by towering skyscrapers illuminated by vivid lights and a bright mist visible below the buildings. Walkways are lit by heliogrubs contained within street lamps and adorned with lilac-leaved trees, along with various other blue and green flora. The city's skyline is perpetually illuminated by crisscrossing searchlights. Transportation infrastructure includes extensive tunnels and skyways for flying cars and air taxis.
The city is powered by aphibian creatures known as lumenoids, which generate electric impulses and are contained within power conduits. The Luminopolis Power Plant houses large pools of water where lumenoids reside, allowing their bioelectricity to be harvested and distributed throughout the city.[22] Additionally, large metal grind tubes spread throughout Luminopolis function as electricity conductors.
Luminopolis is also home to a rooftop amphitheatre, Rusty Pete's Healthy Hamburger Shack,[22] as well as Zogg Tower,[13] named after Artemis Zogg.
Behind the scenes[]
The word meridian has a number of meanings, but is most typically a term in astrology referring to midday or noon, meaning the highest point of altitude reached by a heavenly body. It has also commonly been interpreted as the attainment or arrival at the highest point of power, a meaning which appropriately represents Meridian City's status as the seat of government and capital city of the Polaris Galaxy.
In the 2011 E3 demo of All 4 One, the destruction of a generator the light-eating Z'Grute was feeding on in Luminopolis, is said by Pepper Fairbanks to have caused a massive blackout from the Grimgord Skyway all the way to Apogee Square. This dialogue is removed in the final release.
Citations[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tools of Destruction script § "IRIS Questions and Answers"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Tools of Destruction script § "Escape the Cragmite Caves (gameplay)"
- ↑ A Crack in Time script § "Gimlick Valley"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tools of Destruction menu § "Planet Igliak"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Crack in Time menu § "Galactic Trivia"
- ↑ Tools of Destruction script § "Save Meridian City (gameplay)"
- ↑ Tools of Destruction script § "Rescue Qwark - Part 2 (gameplay)"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Into the Nexus script § "Qwark the Savior"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Into the Nexus script § "Neftin Prog's Hideout"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Into the Nexus script § "Find the Dimensionator (gameplay)"
- ↑ A Crack in Time script § "Time Phenomena"
- ↑ A Crack in Time script § "Unicop (Trailer)"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 All 4 One script § "Access the Fusion Turrets atop Zogg Tower (gameplay)"
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 1-2
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 6-7
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 11-14
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 18-20
- ↑ Lost and Spaced, p. 4
- ↑ Bros Before Foes, p. 19
- ↑ All 4 One script § "Fend off the Minions (gameplay)"
- ↑ All 4 One script § "Complete Weapon Certification Program (gameplay)"
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 All 4 One script § "Chase Down the Z'Grute (gameplay)"
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 All 4 One script § "The End of the Loki"
- ↑ All 4 One script § "Intergalactic Tool of Justice"
- ↑ All 4 One script § "That's Not One of Mine"
- ↑ All 4 One script § "Infiltrate Ephemeris and Defeat Nevo Binklemeyer (gameplay)"
- ↑ Into the Nexus script § "Head to the museum on Planet Igliak (gameplay)"
- ↑ Into the Nexus script § "Déjà vu"
- ↑ Into the Nexus script § "The Grand Finale"
- ↑ Tools of Destruction script § "Meridian City, Planet Igliak"
- ↑ Into the Nexus script § "Free Vendra Prog (gameplay)"
- ↑ Into the Nexus script § "Defeat the Netherbrutes (gameplay)"
References[]
- Video games
- Insomniac Games (2007). Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2009). Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2011). Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2013). Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Bibliography
- Fixman, TJ (2010). Ratchet & Clank (Issue 3: Lost and Spaced) [Book]. Wild Storm.
- Fixman, TJ (2011). Ratchet & Clank (Issue 6: Bros Before Foes) [Book]. Wild Storm.