The ROCKThe ROCK
Official Name: Tortorelzor
Nature: Alternate Reality (Reality-8116) extraterrestrial planet, unidentified star system, Empirical Galaxy;
active 1 million years in the future from the 20th century A.D.;
Environment: Life-sustaining biosphere
Gravity: Unrevealed (but presumably possessed a gravitational field in which it was
comfortable for human-like beings to function)
Atmosphere: An unspecified combination of gases (presumably a combination of nitrogen and oxygen since it can be breathed by human-like beings);
some beings appeared to wear some sort of gas mask
that may have filtered the air and/or provided a different gas mixture
for them to breath
Natural Satellites: Apparently at least one moon
Artificial Satellites: None known
Natives: None known
Population: Unrevealed
Capital City: Inapplicable
Government: Instrumentality-ruled mining colony
Languages: Unrevealed
Monetary Unit: Unrevealed
National Defense: Unrevealed
Major Resources: Catorlite;
also copper, gold, iron, silver, other minerals;
communication equipment, hydro-atomic jack, mining equipment, space trawlers;
formerly Ship #Delta457
Planetary Defense: Deacons of Deltor
Places of Interest: Mines, notably Hangar Deck #51, Sub-Level #9, and Security Central
Prominent Residents: Deacons of Deltor, Miners of Tortorelzor (notably Work Crew #7);
formerly an unidentified woman (presumably Willow 327 (see comments))
Visitors: Vanth Dreadstar, Oedi;
First Appearance: Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar (December, 1982)
History:
(Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar (fb) - BTS) - A bleak and barren world, Tortorelzor
became a possession of the Instrumentality who established a mining
colony there. Tortorelzor was slowly stripped of its mineral riches,
including conventional metals. Tortorelzor's greatest treasure was the
lightweight metal Catorlite, which -- for some reason known only to the
Instrumentality elite -- was valued above any substance in the galaxy.
The Deacons of Deltor were set up as the overseers of the mines as well as the security force for the planet.
As mining work was dirty, dangerous, and
difficult (with 12-hour shifts running from 6:00 to 18:00 hours), only
the poorest of the empire sought this employment. Most workers were
pressed into service. Morale was forever low and tempers were always
short. Only the power and brutality of the Deacons kept order.
Space trawlers periodically departed Tortorelzor, heavily laden with mineral cargo.
(Epic Illustrated#15/4:
Dreadstar (fb) - BTS) - With the Instrumentality gaining the edge in
the war against the Monarchy, Vanth Dreadstar and Syzygy Darklock
resolved to institute Plan M, the first step of which involved their
acquiring a massive cargo ship. Syzygy noted that they could steal one
from the Instrumentality Mining Company on Tortorelzor. Vanth and their
ally Oedi traveled to Tortorelzor to acquire the ship.
(Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar (fb) - BTS) - Their heads covered with full masks, Oedi and Vanth infiltrated Work Crew #7.
(Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar) - Work Crew #7 (including the disguised Oedi and Vanth) began their shift, its workers listlessly heading toward their day's labor and staring blankly ahead, careful to avoid any eye contact that might provoke a beating from the ill-tempered Deacons.
From the secret maps, Oedi and
Vanth confirmed familiar landmarks and passageways, closely scrutinized
the planet's highly efficient mining operation, wondered at and about
the strange giant battery of communication beamers and receivers, and
focused on the massive space trawlers periodically taking off as well
as the army of security guards peppering the landscape.
Identifying fewer deacons in the
mine's lower levels, Oedi and Vanth slipped away from Work Crew #7 on
Sub-Level #9, heading down a tunnel that would lead them to a ladder to
the hangar deck. Glimpsing a woman resembling his deceased wife,
Delilah, Vanth briefly paused, after which the pair abandoned their
tool packages to hasten their journey. However, they then encountered a
quintet of Deacons who told them that they did not belong at that work
station and asked what they were up to. Oedi told them that they had
gotten lost and denied accusations of malingering, but when the Deacons
noted that they would have to take them to Security Central to check
them out, Vanth removed his mask and drew his sword. The pair made
short work of the Deacons, but a stray shot from one of their batons
hit a support beam and caused a massive cave-in.
Both Oedi and Vanth avoided
injury, and Oedi advised they take advantage of the confusion to get to
the hangar deck; however, calls for help from a number of miners led
them to the previously-observed woman who was trapped under a massive
boulder (she must have been pinned under it, but it's weight mostly
supported by surrounding structures to prevent her having been
crushed). A hydro-atomic jack was placed in hopes of lifting the stone
enough so they could get the woman out, but it instead exploded,
leading to another minor cave-in; the two miners and the deacon present
fled.
Fearing that his lack of fine
control over the sword's energies could cause the entire cavern to
collapse, Vanth physically lifted the boulder. His first effort broke
off a large chunk of rock, but the second time he lifted the entire
boulder into the air, and Oedi moved the woman to safety. They headed
to the tunnel as Vanth threw the boulder back down, narrowly escaping
the collapsing chamber. Figuring someone would be along to help the
woman, Vanth and Oedi left her behind.
In the tunnel leading to the hangar deck, Vanth and Oedi encountered a trio of deacons, who they swiftly incapacitated and continued on their way, unaware that the woman had followed them?
As they took off in Ship #Delta457
(or something like the delta symbol, with a small break in the center
of the bottom/horizontal portion of the triangle) from Hangar Deck #57,
they were instructed to return to the hangar twice and given a final
warning...but nothing happened?
(Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar - BTS) - Aboard Ship #Delta457, renamed "Big Bundle," Vanth
and Oedi allowed Syzygy to dock the Lightcutter II within the cargo ship,
and they began making steps for the next step in Plan M.
Comments: Created by Jim Starlin.
Dreadstar / Reality-8116 primer
I am working my way through Dreadstar storyline
from start to finish. If Tortorelzor or any of its sub-profiles appear
or are referenced again, I will add that information as I encounter it.
The narrative refers to Tortorelzor as both a planet
and a satellite.
Presumably it is the larger planetary body shown in
the main image and it is a planet.
Interestingly, while the narrative states that few people call the planet Tortorelzor and that it is known to most as the Rock, it is mostly called Tortorelzor in-story.
The story is split it three parts throughout Epic Illustrated#15, but they are not divided or titled as chapters, it just says "continues on..." and "continued from..."
Numbered pages 36-41; 60-65; and 76-87.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Rock (aka Tortorelzor) has no known connections to
|
With a smaller number of employees, and most workers pressed into service, morale was forever low and tempers were always short. Only the power and brutality of the Deacons kept order. They wielded batons that fired powerful energy blasts. (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to steal a cargo ship, Vanth Dreadstar and Oedi -- their heads covered with full masks -- infiltrated Work Crew #7. (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar) - Work Crew #7 (including the disguised Oedi and Vanth) began their shift, its workers careful to avoid any eye contact that might provoke a beating from the ill-tempered Deacons. Identifying fewer deacons in
the mine's lower
levels, Oedi and Vanth slipped away from Work Crew #7 on Sub-Level #9,
heading down a tunnel that would lead them to a ladder to the hangar
deck. However, they then encountered a quintet of
Deacons who told them that they did not belong at that work station and
asked what they were up to. Oedi told them that they had gotten lost,
but a deacon asked if they were sure they were not malingering. "We
don't like goof-offs around here." Despite Oedi re-iterating that they
were lost, one of the Deacons noted that
they would have to take them to Security Central to check them out. Vanth informed "your holiness" that they neither had the time nor the
desire to accompany them, and when the deacon asked what made him think
that they had any choice in the matter, Vanth removed his mask and drew
his sword; indicating the latter, he replied, "This!" A blast to the face from
Vanth's sword apparently slew one of the deacons as Vanth punched out
another, while Oedi kicked down a third. Vanth absorbed the deacon's
baton-blasts with his sword, but as Oedi kicked down the last of the
deacons, a stray shot from his baton hit a support
beam and caused a massive cave-in.
A
hydro-atomic jack was placed in hopes of lifting the stone enough so
they could get the woman out, but it instead exploded, leading to
another minor cave-in; the two miners and the Deacon present all fled. After Vanth freed the woman,
he and Oedi continued on their mission. In the tunnel leading to the
hangar deck, Vanth
and Oedi encountered a trio of Deacons armed with pistols. One of them
was in mid-story, "So I says to the chief, 'a disaster like a cave-in is no place for a man of the cloth,' and he..." As Oedi mockingly apologized that they had no time to chat, Vanth took
out two of the deacons with his fists as Oedi punched out the third. As the three deacons lied unconscious, Oedi and Vanth were apparently followed by...someone (the woman they had rescued)? (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar - BTS) - As Oedi and Vanth took off in Ship #Delta457 (or something like the delta symbol, with a small break in the center of the bottom/horizontal portion of the triangle) from Hangar Deck #57, they were instructed to return to the hangar twice and given a final warning...but nothing happened? --Epic Illustrated#15/4: DreadstarNote: I am pretty certain the Deacons appear in some of the Dreadstar series issues, and so I will most likely split this sub-profile into its own profile at some point. It seems off to have one of the deacons trying to help the trapped woman and not objecting to the presence of Vanth and Oedi (even though the latter was still masked), but he certainly had the appearance of a deacon. Deacons are shown in the main image and the Miners sub-profile. |
 The
Instrumentality set up a mining colony on the barren world Tortorelzor,
aka the Rock, which was slowly stripped of its mineral riches,
including conventional metals. Tortorelzor's greatest treasure was the
lightweight metal Catorlite, which -- for some reason known only to the
Instrumentality elite -- was valued above any substance in the galaxy.
The Deacons of Deltor were set up as the overseers of the mines as well as the security force for the planet. As mining work was dirty, dangerous, and difficult (with 12-hour
shifts running from 6:00 to 18:00 hours), only the poorest of the
empire sought this employment. Most workers were pressed into service.
Morale was forever low and tempers were always short. Only the power
and brutality of the deacons kept order. Space trawlers periodically departed Tortorelzor, heavily laden with mineral cargo. (Epic Illustrated#15/4:
Dreadstar (fb) - BTS) - Vanth and their
ally Oedi traveled to Tortorelzor to steal a large cargo ship. (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar (fb) - BTS) - Their heads covered with full masks, Oedi and Vanth infiltrated Work Crew #7. (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar) - Work Crew #7 (including the disguised Oedi and Vanth) began their shift, its workers listlessly heading toward their day's labor and staring blankly ahead, careful to avoid any eye contact that might provoke a beating from the ill-tempered Deacons. Identifying fewer deacons in
the mine's lower
levels, Oedi and Vanth slipped away from Work Crew #7 on Sub-Level #9,
where they encountered a quintet of deacons. In the subsequent
struggle, a stray shot from one of the deacons' batons hit a support
beam and caused a massive cave-in. Both Oedi and Vanth avoided
injury, but calls for help from a number of miners led them to a woman
who was trapped under a massive boulder; a pair of miners and
apparently a Deacon were trying to help her.. A
hydro-atomic jack was placed in hopes of lifting the stone enough so
they could get the woman out, but it instead exploded, leading to
another minor cave-in; the two miners and the deacon present all fled. (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar - BTS) - After freeing the woman, Oedi and Vanth stole the cargo ship and departed Tortorelzor. Note: Miners are shown in the main image, and in the Work Crew #7 and Sub-Level #9 sub-profiles. |
  One of the divisions of the Miners of Tortorelzor(Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar (fb) - BTS) - Their heads covered with full masks, Oedi and Vanth infiltrated Work Crew #7. (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar) - Work Crew #7 (including the disguised Oedi and Vanth) began their shift, its workers listlessly heading toward their day's labor and staring blankly ahead, careful to avoid any eye contact that might provoke a beating from the ill-tempered Deacons of Deltor. Identifying fewer deacons in the mine's lower
levels, Oedi and Vanth slipped away from Work Crew #7 on Sub-Level #9,
where they encountered a quintet of deacons. In the subsequent
struggle, a stray shot from one of the deacons' batons hit a support
beam and caused a massive cave-in. Both Oedi and Vanth avoided injury, but calls for
help from a number of miners led them to a woman who was trapped under
a massive boulder; a pair of miners and apparently a deacon were trying
to help her. A
hydro-atomic jack was placed in hopes of lifting the stone enough so
they could get the woman out, but it instead exploded, leading to
another minor cave-in; the two miners and the deacon present all fled. Note: The being at the front of the long picture at the top is not Oedi. This character has a longer and more narrow muzzle than Oedi and looks a bit more like perhaps a jackal or fox-like. Oedi was wearing a full face mask at the time of that image. In the image at the top-right in this sub-profile, Oedi is the character on the viewer's right; plain mask with one-way eye-coverings and carrying the object in his hand. The character with the atmospheric mask and the sack slung over his shoulder is Vanth; who atmospheric mask is shown more clearly to the left here. |
 Having
infiltrated Work Crew #7, Vanth and Oedi observed their surroundings,
and they wondered at and about the strange giant battery of
communication beamers and receivers--Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar |
 Hangar Deck #51 contained the Ship #Delta457.Taking out a trio of deacons just outside the hangar, Oedi and Vanth stole the cargo ship. They were instructed by unidentified security forces (perhaps deacons) to return to the hangar twice and given a final warning...but nothing happened? --Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar |
  Presumably
either empowered by a combination of hydraulics and atomic power, or
just atomic power (with "hydro" referring to the hydrogen atom).When a cave-in led to a woman being pinned beneath a massive boulder, the miners used a hydro-atomic jack was placed in hopes of lifting the stone enough so they could get the woman out. However, the jack exploded, leading to another minor cave-in, and the two miners and the deacon present fled. --Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar |
 Having infiltrated Work Crew #7, Vanth and Oedi scrutinized the planet's highly efficient mining operation. --Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar |
|
Presumably run by the Deacon of Deltor (as they security force for the
planet), this was presumably the central location from which security
issues were dealt with. Discovering a pair of workers (a costumed Oedi and Vanth) out of place in Sub-Level-9, Deacons noted that they would have to take them to Security Central to check them out. The two refused and subdued the Deacons. Later, taking out a trio of deacons just outside the hangar, Oedi and Vanth stole the cargo ship. They were instructed by unidentified security forces (perhaps deacons/security) to return to the hangar twice and given a final warning...but nothing happened? --Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar |
 Having infiltrated Work Crew #7, Vanth and Oedi observed massive space trawlers periodically taking off, heavily laden with the spoils of the Rock, notably Catorlite but also copper, gold, iron, silver, other minerals.--Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar |
  Sub-Level #9, as the name would imply, would most likely nine levels down from the surface. Noticing there were fewer deacons in the lower levels, Oedi and Vanth broke from Work Crew #7 at this level and headed for the hangar. However, they encountered some deacons and, in the subsequent struggle, a stray shot from one of the deacons' batons hit a support beam and caused a massive cave-in. Vanth and Oedi rescued a woman trapped under a boulder and then made their way to the hangar and fled with the stolen cargo ship #delta457. --Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar |
  (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar) - Employed in something beyond manual labor, the woman was working
on her tablet in Sub-Level #9, and she passed by the incognito Vanth
and Oedi without a second glance. Vanth paused upon seeing her, as she
resembled his murdered wife, Delilah, and Oedi had to get Vanth to
focus on the mission again.(Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar - BTS) - A conflict between Vanth and Oedi and the Deacons of Deltor resulted in a cave-in, and a massive boulder pinned the woman's lower body to the ground (she must have been pinned under it, but it's weight mostly supported by surrounding structures to prevent her having been crushed). (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar) - Calls
for help from a pair of miners (either alongside a deacon or with a
third miner strongly resembling a deacon in appearance/outfit) led
Vanth and Oedi to the woman -- whom they recognized as the woman they
had seen before. The miners placed a hydro-atomic jack in the hope of lifting the stone
enough so they could get the woman out, but it instead exploded,
leading to another minor cave-in; the two miners and the deacon(?) present
fled. Fearing that his lack of fine
control over the sword's energies could cause the entire cavern to
collapse, Vanth prepared to physically lift the boulder. The woman was first shocked
when Oedi removed his mask and revealed his nature as a cat-man; when
the woman called him a cat, Vanth corrected her that Oedi was a man,
the last of his race, and a friend. When he told the woman he was going to lift the boulder off of her, she asked if he was mad, noting that the rock must weigh 10 tons. Vanth corrected her that it was probably closer to 15 tons but that she should not worry as he was stronger than he looked. His first effort broke
off a large chunk of rock, but -- determined to save the woman as he
had to be able to save one person if he was to save the entire galaxy
-- the second time Vanth lifted the entire
boulder into the air, and Oedi moved the woman to safety. They rushed
to the tunnel as Vanth threw the boulder back down, narrowly escaping
the collapsing chamber. Figuring someone would be along to help the
woman, Vanth and Oedi left her behind and bade her farewell. She replied, "'bye...?" In the tunnel leading to the
hangar deck, Vanth and Oedi encountered a trio of deacons, who they
swiftly incapacitated and continued on their way, unaware that the
woman had followed them? As they took off in Ship #Delta457
(or something like the delta symbol, with a small break in the center
of the bottom/horizontal portion of the triangle) from Hangar Deck #57,
they were instructed to return to the hangar twice and given a final
warning...but nothing happened? (Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar - BTS) - Aboard Ship #Delta457, renamed "Big Bundle," Vanth and Oedi allowed Syzygy to dock the Lightcutter II within the cargo ship, and they began making steps for the next step in Plan M. --Epic Illustrated#15/4: DreadstarNote: I would not have thought the woman trapped under the rock from this story to have been Dreadstar's soon-to-be-teammate Willow (way before the Buffy the Vampire-Slayer character, and unrelated to the movie Willow).
Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar, story pg. 4, panel 3 (writing on tablet); panel 4 (face); pg. 11, panel 3 (trapped under boulder); pg. 14 (3rd part, pg. 2), panel 8 (face, full); pg. 23, panel 5 (arm and leg of figure following Vanth and Oedi seen) |
images: (without ads) - black and white images
are scanned from Dreadstar: The Beginning; gray scale images are from
the original story (in a few cases, the newer images were so dark that
detail was lost)
Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar, story pg. 2, panel 1 (Tortorelzor from space);
panel 2 (city overlooking the mining colony - main image);
pg. 3, panel 1 & 2 (Work Crew #7, plus Vanth and Oedi);
panel 5 (mining equipment);
panel 6 (communications equipment);
panel 7 (space trawlers);
pg. 4, panel 1-2 (Sub-Level #9);
pg. 5, panel 2 (deacon face);
panel 4 (Vanth & Oedi vs. deacons);
panel 5 (deacon's baton firing blasts that Dreadstar stops);
pg. 7 (2nd part, pg. 1), panel 3-4 (miners and deacon?);
pg. 9, panel 8 (hydro-atomic jack);
pg. 10, panel 5 (jack exploding);
pg. 22 (3rd part, pg. 10), panel 7 (deacon full);
pg. 23, panel 7 (cargo ship departing city)
Appearances:
Epic Illustrated#15/4: Dreadstar (December, 1982) - Jim Starlin (writer, artist), Stan Lee
(editor/publisher), Archie Goodwin (editorial director), James Shooter (consulting editor), Jo Duffy (associate editor)
First posted: 03/03/2024
Last updated: 03/16/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
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Agents of the Instrumentality, the Deacons of Deltor were
set up as the overseers of the mines as well as the security force for
the planet Tortorelzor, more commonly known as "The Rock."
Both Oedi and Vanth avoided
injury, but calls for help from a number of miners led them a woman who
was trapped under a massive boulder. 
