4001 A.D. Vol 1 1

Father is a liar. He's not even... he's not even really real. He's a program. Designed to keep us in line. Controlled. He's hurting the Earth and he's enslaving us. He's not human and we don't have to listen to him. We can't listen to him.

-- Lula Lee

Solicitation[]

In the tradition of BOOK OF DEATH, ARMOR HUNTERS, and HARBINGER WARS, Valiant’s most ambitious crossover event yet starts here! At the dawn of the 41st century, the future of Earth will be decided in the stars. This May…the rebellion begins in 4001 A.D.!

One hundred years from today, Father – the benevolent artificial intelligence that governs the island nation of Japan – will gain sentience. To defend its borders, Father will take drastic action by launching Japan into space…where its people will thrive in isolation, away from the overpopulated and resource-deprived planet below. Over the centuries, as New Japan orbits our increasingly unstable world, it will become a model society – one built on peace, prosperity… and Father’s control.

A thousand years from today, Father will create the first Rai, founding a lineage of technologically enhanced heroes engineered to defend New Japan and sworn to protect it from all enemies. For hundreds of years into the future, the Rai will single-handedly enforce New Japan’s justice well…and serve Father without question.

Now, at the dawn of 4001 A.D., the latest Rai is about to inherit the dark truth behind the origin of his kind…and discover the sinister secret at the heart of Father’s existence. For New Japan to live, Earth must die…and as Rai challenges his former master for the first time in more than a millennium, the lone guardian of New Japan will be cast out of his own Father’s kingdom…

Exiled from the only realm he’s ever known, Rai now walks the ravaged world of 4001 A.D. in search of forgotten heroes like himself… on a mission to collect the last surviving legends of a broken planet…and to forge a rebellion with the power to bring the most advanced civilization in history crashing back down to Earth.

Part One[]

Appearances[]

Featured Characters:

Rai X

Supporting Characters:

Villains:

Father (Behind the scenes)
- Rai XI / X-Eye

Other Characters:

Dinosaurs
Fish-Eyes (New Japan police)
Guide
Hunter
The Geomancer (Mentioned only)
Kids
Lula Lee's father (unnamed)
Lula Lee's mother (unnamed)
New Japan Board of Directors (unnamed)
Rai's mother (Flashback only)
Spylocke (Mentioned only)

Locations:

41st Century
- Earth
- New Japan
  - Lower Sectors / "Vestigial Sectors"
  - Sector 938
    - Hunting Sector
  - Sector 2555
    - Blackwater

Items:

D.N.A. scanner (Mentioned only)
Komodo Protocol (First appearance)
Rehabilitation cubes

Vehicles:

Flying pick-up truck
X-O Manowar Mech-Armor Class
- Manowar One (of the Giant Knights of the Great X-O War)

Credits[]

Writers: Matt Kindt
Pencilers: Clayton Crain, David Mack
Inkers: Clayton Crain, David Mack
Colorists: Clayton Crain, David Mack
Letterers: Dave Lanphear
Cover Artists: Clayton Crain, Tula Lotay, Ryan Bodenheim & Michael Garland, Clayton Henry, Ryan Lee & Allen Passalaqua, Ryan Sook, Matt Haley, Diego Bernard, Chance Butler, Clayton Henry, Jeff Piña, Clayton Henry & David Baron
Editors: Warren Simons, Kyle Andrukiewicz (associate)
Editor-in-Chief: Warren Simons

Synopsis[]

Father, in the body of Rai XI, explains to the New Japan Board of Directors the reason why he has ejected 22 sectors in the space of a night, the most recent of which is sector 938, the hunting sector.

Lula Lee, now a fugitive, hurries to her parents home in Blackwater. Despite her desperate attempt to convince her parents of fathers faults, Lula was unsuccessful and left her parents as sector 2555 prepares to be ejected.

On Earth, Rai, Gilad and Lemur begin to make their way towards a mountain. They look up at the sky as sectors of New Japan fall towards earth. As they make their way inside the mountain, the trio finds Manowar One. Rai manages to awaken the armor and takes off to attack Father an save New Japan.

Rai attempts to prevent a sector from falling to Earth, but fails to as the momentum of the falling sector is too great.

As Rai, in the Manowar Armor, confronts Father, Father activates the "Komodo Protocol", killing the New Japan Board of Directors in the process. New Japan turns into a mecha dragon.

Notes[]

The "Komodo Protocol" turns floating city of New Japan into a giant space dragon that has the shape of the largest living lizard, the Komodo dragon.

Quotes[]

Father is a liar. He's not even... he's not even really real. He's a program. Designed to keep us in line. Controlled. He's hurting the Earth and he's enslaving us. He's not human and we don't have to listen to him. We can't listen to him.

-- Lula Lee

I will stop you, Father. I will cut you out of New Japan! And I'll hold the pieces together!