PAXTONPAXTON
Real Name: Paxton
Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Reality-8116) extraterrestrial (unidentified race)
Occupation: Advisor, ambassador
Group Membership: Formerly held unrevealed position in Rok's army
Affiliations: Izak, Rok;
indirectly Cookie, who was secretly aligned with Rok at the time
Enemies: Allegra (presumably while she was under Palafox's control), Debardinis, Lord Palafox;
hostile relationship with Vanth Dreadstar and opposed to his group, who were aligned with Palafox (Dreadstar, Iron Angel, Junior, Oedi, Skeevo Phlatus, Tuetun);
he was framed for the death of Debardinis' daughter, Lexi
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Bad man" (from Allegra, presumably under Palafox's control)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed
perished on Debardinis' ship;
formerly the base of Rok's army on an unidentified world (or ship)
First Appearance: Dreadstar I#49 (December, 1989)
Powers/Abilities: Paxton did not have any superhuman powers, nor did he demonstrate any particular skills, although he is somewhat experienced in negotiation and debate.
However, he was not skilled at
judging the crowd, projecting strength and hostility when that actually
undermined his goal of achieving sympathy for his cause
History:
(Dreadstar
I#49 (fb) - BTS) - For years, Paxton served Rok as his most faithful
and trusted advisor. At some point, presumably after Rok had defeated
his own father, Lord Palafox, Paxton advised Rok to kill Palafox, but
Rok elected to instead exile his father.
(Dreadstar I#49) - Years later,
Paxton stood by as Rok detailed to his forces how Palafox had been
freed by and then allied with "extraordinary renegades" (Dreadstar and
Company), which led to further alliances with the Kagami and the
Gryxptznorsyw (aka Army Ants).
Paxton asked where these renegades had
come from, and Rok told him he did not know, but that Palafox was
realigning his greatest allies over to his cause. Rok then stated that
in order to gain ships to support his cause, Palafox would need the
Toth, but he intended to get to them first by sending Paxton.
Concerned
by the idea, Paxton asked for protection, and Rok assured him that he
would have it.
(Dreadstar I#49 (fb) - BTS) - Rok assigned Izak to protect Paxton.
(Dreadstar I#49) - As his craft approached the ship of Toth leader Debardinis, Paxton considered that had Rok listened to him and slain Palafox years ago, none of this would have happened.
Paxton met with Debardinis, advising him that Rok was concerned about
Palafox's efforts to reclaim his place in the galaxy and suggestingt
that Debardinis would not want to jeopardize it. Debardinis agreed but
countered that his people would not be ordered about and that he would
be guided by his people's feelings on the matter. Paxton replied that
Debardinis' advice weighed heavily on his people, but they were then
interrupted when an aide informed Debardinis of the arrival of Palafox
and his entourage.
When Paxton attempted to inform Rok of this, Debardinis stopped him, noting that all were welcome there and that anyone who denied this was one with whom he would share no peace. Debardinis allowed Paxton to summon his bodyguard.
After Debardinis greeted Palafox,
Paxton warned Palafox that he knew why he was there and that soon Rok
would know and that Palafox would not survive the encounter. When
Palafox referred to Rok as "the usurper," Paxton put his finger in
Palafox's face and argued that Rok was this galaxy's savior and that
his gang of hired cutthroats would never wrest control from him.
Dreadstar then put his finger in Paxton's face, telling him that he had
a serious attitude problem, after which the recently arrived Izak in
turn put his finger in Dreadstar's face and advised him that he had
problems of his own.
After Tuetun punched down Izak, Debardinis and his forces brought the hostilities to a halt, and he gave Palafox and Paxton to take three hours to prepare their cases and then would debate on an open broadcast to their community. After one sleep period passed with both parties as their guests, Debardinis would announce his decision.
During the debate, Paxton was accusatory, describing Palafox's rule as a time of terror and fear, with those who disagreed with him being punished and those who opposed him vanishing. He urged the Toth that they could not aid this tyrant in his mad quest for power.
At the conclusion of the debate, Paxton told Debardinis "I pray, for your sake, <your decision> is the correct one...the consequences could be very dire for you -- and your loved ones. Those beloved children of yours could be casualties of an ugly war."
Palafox advised Paxton not to be so belligerent, and Paxton shoved him back, replying, "Keep your advice for those who don't know you as well as I do, old man." As he walked away, Paxton, unaware that he had appeared to be the hostile one, told himself, "Stay aggressive. Stay tough. Remember what's at stake."
(Dreadstar I#49 (fb) - BTS) - Unseen and unnoticed at the time, Palafox took Paxton's pendant.
(Dreadstar I#49 - BTS) -
Dreadstar considered that Palafox had come across as sincere, concerned
and rational, while Paxton seemed shrill, accusatory and argumentative.
He figured the debate should have been more than enough to swing the
Toth to their side.
(Dreadstar I#49 (fb) - BTS) - That evening, Allegra screamed, and Debardinis rushed to their room and found his son, Lexi, dead.
(Dreadstar I#49 - BTS) -
Dreadstar and his allies rushed toward the sound of the scream. Outside
of the room, Palafox urged Dreadstar and the others to tread lightly on
Debardinis' grief, and when they entered, Debardinis told them that his
son had been murdered.
As Dreadstar noted rope burns on
Lexi's neck, Palafox comforted the trembling Allegra and then asked her
to tell them what had happened. She told them that she and her brother
had been playing and then a bad man had come in with a cord and just
strangled Lexi, saying it was a warning about casualties. She had
jumped on him but could not make him stop, after which he had run off.
(Dreadstar I#49) - When Paxton entered the room, Allegra identified him as the "bad man." She then showed the pendant that she had pulled off of the bad man when she had tried to make him stop, and --at Oedi's query -- Paxton admitted it was his and that he had been wondering where it...and then he saw the look on Debardinis' face and realized his peril. He added, "I...I mean...maybe it's not mine...I..."
(Dreadstar I#49 - BTS) - Debardinis apparently snapped Paxton's neck, killing him.
(Dreadstar I#49) - Debardinis told Izak to "bring this lifeless sack of flesh back to Rok. And you tell him...it is war."
Comments: Created by Peter David and Angel Medina.
Dreadstar / Reality-8116 primer
I have old, hand-written notes
from 36 years ago that are brief and hard to read, but I am pretty
certain that Palafox somehow caused Allegra to say what she did about
Paxton being the killer. It is clear that Paxton was wearing his
pendant before he shoved Palafox but not after. I don't recall whether
he slew Lexi himself or somehow made Allegra do it, but he did also
contact Allegra right after the debate. I think it was fairly strongly
implied in the original stories but obviously not clearly stated.
According to my notes, in Dreadstar#55, Junior tells
Palafox he knows that Palafox killed Debardinis' son. I'm not positive
if/when we got more specific details.
And, it would turn out that
Palafox was indeed evil, and Paxton was right in opposing him...but he
just played into Palafox's hands before being framed by him.
I don't recall ever seeing a name for the galaxy to which Dreadstar and Company traveled in Dreadstar#41. They had been in the Empirical Galaxy, but this was a new set of adventures in a new galaxy (and the start of Peter David's run).
This profile was completed 08/26/2025, but it was saved for Peter David's birthday.
Rest and piece and enjoy whatever part of the
Omniverse you are in, Peter! Thanks for all the great stories and
characters!
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Paxton should be distinguished from:
First posted: 09/23/2025
Last updated: 08/26/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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