Cyberspace 3000 is a 1993 comic series published by the Marvel UK imprint of Marvel Comics. It's written by Gary Russell and illustrated by Steve Tappin and Michael Eve (although Tappin and editor Michael W. Bennent, not Russell, are credited as its original co-creators). Color art by is initially by Steve Whitaker, later replaced by Paul Schroeder.
Set in an alternate future of the shared Marvel Universe (the same 31st century setting used for Marvel's original Guardians of the Galaxy), it's a science-fiction adventure story following the crew of colony ship Sol III, which is carrying survivors from the recent wars with the alien Badoon. The first issue begins when the ship is badly damaged by a strange energy field, which also manifests some sort of portal, and the rest of the series follows up on the consequences of that event.
The story centres around a small core cast drawn from Sol III's surviving officers - Captain Jennifer Cabre-Rios, security chief Yan Onanwro and computer systems engineer Shan O'Meara, with ship's doctor S'Rell and sentient shipboard computer Sol also playing major supporting roles. Several of Marvel's existing cosmic characters - including Galactus, the Silver Surfer and Adam Warlock - also appear as antagonists or allies.
The first issue was released May 18, 1993. The series ended with issue 8 (released December 21, 1993) when the whole Marvel UK line abruptly ceased publishing, finishing on a cliffhanger and leaving several storylines unresolved.
Tropes included in Cyberspace 3000:
- Actually a Doombot: Thanos is presented as the Big Bad, as befits his usual Omnicidal Maniac role in the Marvel Universe - but this version is actually a robot serving Gamble.
- Alternate Universe: The Galactus encountered by Sol III is from the alternate universe of the Silver Surfer: Parable miniseries. He and his herald, Dark Angel, have been dragged into Sol III's universe by the energy around the portal.
- Always Chaotic Evil: The insectoid Trilexia are portrayed as a unified, murderous faction, although they appear to have been peaceful residents of Sol III prior to the first issue's disaster.
- Apocalypse Cult: The Clan Cyorse, who are eagerly looking forward to judgment day and the glorious doom that approaches. As they worship [[spoiler:Thanos, that's not so surprising.
- Big Bad: Gamble, the millennia-old dreamscaper who's been manipulating events. Through Sol III and the portal he hopes to access the multiverse and feed off the dreamers of countless worlds and realities.
- The Bridge: Played straight for the first couple of pages - and then the energy field kills some of the bridge staff and severs the section containing the bridge from the rest of Sol III. For the rest of the series there's effectively no bridge.
- The Chosen One: O'Meara is apparently destined to become the 31st century's cosmic messiah.
- Cosmic Chess Game: The ancient alien Gamble illustrates his schemes as a cosmic chess match, with Thanos and Adam Warlock as the two kings,
- Crisis of Faith: Justified. Mailiw, who was The Fundamentalist and a heartfelt believer in Clan Cyorse, discovers that his god was Actually a Doombot serving Gamble. He does not take it well.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Cabre-Rios, Onanwro and O'Meara try to shoot Galactus. With handguns. They do at least get his attention, but he neutralises them all with a gesture.
- After the revelation that the Clan Cyorse have been manipulated all along, Mailiw furiously attacks Gamble. Gamble effortlessly strikes him down, possibly fatally.
- Cut Short: The series ended due to the collapse of Marvel UK. Although it had just resolved the Gamble storyline, the portal and Trilexia arcs are unfinished and the last issue ends on an explosive cliffhanger.
- Dead All Along: Captain Jennifer Cabre-Rios apparently died, along with the rest of the bridge crew, four pages into the first issue. The version we see for the rest of the series is initially a Hard Light Virtual Ghost created by Sol, although she's later downloaded into a cloned body by S'Rell
- Elective Unintelligible: The insectoid Trilexia are initially portrayed as The Unintelligible, but later in the series it's revealed that they both speak and understand human languages. They just haven't been admitting it...
- The Empath: Shan O'Meara has empathic powers. As well as reading emotions, he can apparently influence them or even stun people with a psychic attack. At the start of the series this is accepted in a matter-of-fact way by the rest of the crew, but his powers seem to increase later in the series. Which seems to relate to his role as The Chosen One, the new cosmic messiah.
- Empathy Doll Shot: In the first issue, Apocalypse Cult enforcer Mailiw is sent to deal with a family who's mocked Clan Cyorse. When the consequences are shown, a decapitated and scorched teddy bear is seen on the floor alongside the burnt bodies.
- Foreshadowing: The exact nature of the Clan Cyorse's religion is initially left vague, but the first issue shows a statue of a clenched, gloved fist. And the voice of their 'god' is heard from an unseen source, with an unusual style of speech bubble. It's Thanos, and those who already know the character from other comics may find those hints very familiar.
- Legacy of the Chosen: Implied. The Dark Angel from this series is revealed to be a different person to Dark Angel, but what we see of her origin suggests she was chosen and empowered by the same being. Whether she's a Legacy Character following on from the original, or whether her alternate universe had a different Dark Angel a thousand years ago, is left unclear.
- Never Found the Body: Some of the bridge crew are visibly killed by surges from the energy field, but the section of Sol III containing the bridge then vanishes, seemingly swallowed by the portal. We never see a body for the real Captain Cabre-Rios - or for the original Cyorse leader, Murrab.
- Shout-Out:
- The caption on the first panel of the first issue's first page is a variation on a famous Star Trek line - "Space. Once considered the final frontier..."
- Spoiler Cover: Galactus's arrival is the cliffhanger at the end of the first issue, but he’s also prominently on the cover.
- Spoiler Title: Downplayed, but the series title only really makes sense several issues in, once it's revealed that Captain Cabre-Rios is a Virtual Ghost created by Sol, at which point scenes Inside a Computer System start to appear.
- Taken for Granite: Thanos (or perhaps his patron Gamble, as this Thanos is Actually a Doombot) turns almost all of the Clan Cyorse to granite. Only Mailiw seems to be spared.
- Take That Us: Sol III carries survivors of wars with the Badoon, recurring villains who play a major role in Guardians of the Galaxy and the 31st century setting. However, they never actually appear in this series. In the last issue Gamble briefly comments on them:Gamble: Then I spied your worldship, fleeing the ravenous and, I must say, completely uninteresting Badoon.
- Theme Naming: Gamble's Quirky Miniboss Squad, the Deck, all have names based on card games (Cribb, Gyn and Whyst), but modified in My Nayme Is style.
- The Unintelligible: The insectoid Trilexia are initially portrayed this way, both for the readers and in-universe. Then it turns out that they can speak perfect English when they wish to.
- Would Hurt a Child: When a family on Sol III mocks Gui and the Clan Cyorse, Mailiw is ordered to kill them all, and does. A burnt and decapitated teddy bear is among the bodies.
