Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Mysta faces the Revolt on Planet Xanthia



In this story from Planet Comics #59, an exile of the planet Xanthia returns to take over his homeworld and the Safety Council sends military support to the planet's government. Director Garro again decides to lead the intervention himself, perhaps as a result of his success putting down last issue's prison escape. Is he getting a taste for adventuring?

Naturally he takes along his top aide, Mysta, in her "disguise" as a Safety Technician. This is the first time I noticed the full title of Safety Technician and it can be read a couple of different ways. Without the modifier (and recalling that the Safety Council used to be called the Science Council), I've always read the Technician title as referring to some kind of low-level scientific specialist. So a Safety Technician would be someone like that who just so happens to work for the Safety Council.

On the other hand, maybe Safety describes the type of technical expertise she has. In other words, she's skilled and trained in the technicalities of keeping people safe. If this is the case, it goes a long way towards explaining why she's asked to advise and gets brought along on so many missions. It's a much cooler job.

It would also mean that changing the name of the Science Council to Safety Council was more than just propaganda, but actually indicates a change in function, settling a question I had a while ago.

We also get to see Bron again in this issue as well as the Saturn-shaped UFO from a few issues ago. Bron's apparently having an okay day, because he's not all resentful of Mysta's extended undercover mission like he's recently been. But he is getting a little jumpy at being all alone on the Moon with no one but Mysta's cold and impersonal robot for company.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails