Ratchet & Clank: Issue 2: Friends with Benefits is the second issue of the Ratchet &; Clank comic series. Released on October 20, 2010, it was written by TJ Fixman. Following their abduction by Artemis Zogg, Ratchet, Clank, and their home planet Veldin are taken to the Vartax Detention Facility, where they must plan their escape.
Plot[]
Ratchet and Clank meet Artemis Zogg and his assistant, Vorn Grablak. Zogg expresses admiration for their defeat of Dr. Nefarious and their role in saving time itself but warns them not to interfere with his plans for the Artemis Galaxy. Vorn suggests throwing them into the incinerator, but Zogg opts to imprison them in the Vartax Detention Facility, returning Ratchet’s OmniWrench as a gesture of respect. Before departing, Zogg mentions Galactic President Qwark and the "Helios Project".
Confined to a small cell decorated with a Courtney Gears poster, Ratchet and Clank plot their escape. Three months later, they remain trapped. Clank recounts his failed attempt to escape through the recycling plant. During lunch in the cafeteria, the duo accidentally collides with General Glahm, an agorian general. Recognizing them from the Krell Canyon battle in A Crack in Time, Glahm instigates a fight. Warden Klink intervenes, punishing Ratchet and Clank with airlock ejection.
On their way to the airlock, Glahm reveals the fight was a ploy to facilitate their escape. Meanwhile, Clank and a buccaneer manage to steal a key from a guard and break out of their cell. As Ratchet and Glahm face execution, Glahm's backup—Cronk and Zephyr—launches a rescue.
A gunfight ensues as the heroes fend off guards. Ratchet reunites with Clank while the buccaneer incites other prisoners to revolt, aiding their escape. In a heated confrontation, Klink accuses Cronk and Zephyr of treachery, referencing their knowledge of political events in the Polaris Galaxy during Ratchet and Clank’s absence. The heroes escape aboard Talwyn Apogee's ship, leaving behind an explosion, while Glahm stays behind to ensure their safety.
Meanwhile, a frustrated Zogg punishes Klink by ejecting him into space. Determined to lure the heroes to him, Zogg ominously sets his sights on Veldin.
Behind the Scenes[]
The title "Fiends with Benefits" was one of the original proposed titles for Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One.