It's been two weeks since the Entity's suicide, and Linkara has taken the time to finish some new projects he's been working on. One of said projects is the construction of a new body for Pollo that Linkara is shown working on over the course of the All-Star Comics #8 review. That night, after the review, Linkara sets Pollo's new body next to one of his shelves, mentioning that he'll install the new voice module the next day. However, after Linkara leaves, a bolt of energy flows from Mechakara's disembodied hand and into Pollo's body, turning it on.
After the The Fantastic Four #1 review, Pollo and Linkara are investigating the area where Pollo's new body was supposed to be. After establishing that the intruder alarms haven't gone off (indicating someone had broken into the apartment to steal the body), Linkara is able to determine with his Tricorder that the body left of its own accord. Linkara is also able to determine that there's a residual energy trail not unlike the Entity's, emanating from the same spot.
After tracing the signal back to Mechakara's hand, Linkara theorizes the Magic Coin that Mechakara grabbed in their last fight may have enabled him to survive his supposed death. Linkara advises Pollo to get ready to fight, sure they can take care of Mechakara when he is in a limited body easily. Watching from the shadows is the new Pollo body, disappearing after the conversation is over.
One week later, after the All-American Comics #16 review, Dr. Linksano returns with his newest invention of world conquest: a prototype Cybermat! When Linkara arrives, he sends the Cybermat to Linkara to kill him. However, Linkara's love of machines shines through and it doesn't harm him.
Linksano's presence is fortuitous for Linkara as he has an offer for the mad scientist; work for Linkara as his new scientific adviser. When Linksano points out that he wants to rule the world, Linkara drops a Logic Bomb on him by pointing out all of the tedious things he would have to contend with if he actually did rule the world. Linkara further posits that all Linksano actually wants is to bum around, have a good time, and have hot women fawn over him, all of which can be provided using the Holodeck on Comicron 1. Linksano accepts these terms, but Linkara makes sure to tell him that, should Linksano betray him, NIMUE is programed to beam Linksano to the same planet as Lord Vyce. As the two hash out ideas for the Cybermats, the new Pollo watches their conversation before departing.
One week later, the new Pollo confronts NIMUE and hacks into her systems in order to teleport itself to Comicron 1.
Linkara begins to review the Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan comic as a early Christmas present for himself, but NIMUE attempts to inform him about the intruder. Linkara tells her to wait until after the review is over before dealing with it. After said review, NIMUE tells Linkara about the intruder and that it has gained control over Comicron 1's propulsion systems.
Linkara and Pollo beam onto Comicron 1- however only Iron Liz is able to join them. To Linkara's shock, he's not on the bridge due to Mechakara locking it down. Mechakara begins locking down the rest of the ship, separating Liz from Linkara and Pollo. While Linkara and Pollo attempt to unlock the doors to get to the bridge, Liz is send out to secure engineering. Linkara tells her that if they can't stop Mechakara from gaining control of the ship, they blow it to pieces.
Linkara and Pollo have a chat about Mechakara. Linkara asks his trusty robot if he ever resents him like the killer android does and if he would ever come to hate humanity. While Pollo states he never wonders about that kind of thing, Linkara admits that it is always a worry at the back of his mind. Pollo assures Linkara that he's never once felt any resentment towards Linkara- "I have been, and always shall be, your friend." Whilst Pollo attempts to override the security doors to the ship Linkara continues his review of Star Trek II.
Once the review is over, Pollo admits that he was unable to unlock the security override. NIMUE then comes online and informs Linkara the intruder is attempting to make contact with him. Through NIMUE, the intruder tells Linkara that if he doesn't give him full access to Comicron 1's systems, it will vent the atmosphere and kill him. However, Pollo counters he doesn't need oxygen to function. Linkara follows up with his own ultimatum to the intruder; leave now or the self destruct sequence will activate.
Suddenly Comicron 1 starts shaking as Mechakara begins fluctuating the power in various systems, keeping Linkara trapped on the ship. There's also a radiation leak in the engine, preventing Comicron 1 from self destructing. Fortunately, help arrives in the form of one of the Cybermats to unlock the door keeping Linkara and Pollo trapped. The two separate to confront the intruder and fix the radiation leak respectively.
Linkara and the Cybermat sneak onto the bridge where Mechakara is working on the controls. While Linkara engages the android in battle, the Cybermat sneaks up behind it and attacks its exposed circuitry. Mechakara is forced to retreat. Linkara accesses NIMUE's systems and tries to regain communications for engineering, but is unable to get through due to power fluctuations. NIMUE tells Linkara that Comicron 1's flight pattern is decaying rapidly and will crash into the Earth's surface if power isn't restored soon. At the moment, the only viable way to restore Comicron 1's power is through manual overwrite, which will kill anyone due to the intense radiation. Hearing this, Linkara requests for her to consider more options as he reviews the final Star Trek II issue.
Once the review is finished, NIMUE contacts Linkara to inform him the engine balance has been corrected and that all systems are returning to normal. Linkara contacts engineering and asks how Pollo and Liz did it. Liz tells Linkara that Pollo corrected the imbalance manually. Fearing the worst, Linkara rushes to engineering. Linkara attempts to get to Pollo, but Liz tells him that there is still radiation in the room- Pollo is practically already dead.
Linkara and Pollo talk to each other through the glass separating them, with Pollo's voice modulator breaking down. Pollo tells Linkara he stopped the other him. Linkara assures Pollo that he is nothing like Mechakara and apologizes for ever doubting him. Pollo asks him not to apologize, or to grieve, and that he has to stop talking now to concentrate. With this, the last of his bodies circuits fail him and he collapses.
A short while later, Liz and Linkara discuss the current situation. In the confusion, Mechakara was able to escape, and Pollo doesn't have any backups since he was always against the idea. With Pollo's circuits completely fried, it seems as if Linkara's loyal little robot is dead. Linkara looks over some transmissions that were beamed from the ship. To Linkara's joy, he discovers something wondrous- before his "death", Pollo downloaded his consciousness and transmitted it with his antenna to a location on earth. While the residual signal trace has faded to the point that it can't be properly tracked, Linkara promises to find his friend again.
The day after Christmas, Linkara is shown placing Pollo's old body at the top of one of his shelves and promises to find his friend again. Interestingly enough, when Linkara walks away from the shelf, the Tom Servo robot looks at Linkara.
Two months after Pollo's "death", Mechakara is reactivated. It seems that, after the injuries it sustained in the previous battle, Mechakara was forced to go offline and has only now just reactivated. Due to its circuitry still being damaged, Mechakara goes to one of the Shade containment areas of the ship and activates one.
After finishing his review of Youngblood #4, Linkara walks past the case that usually contains the Tom Servo robot- only to see that it's empty. Before he can properly react to that, however, NIMUE contacts him and informs Linkara that she has located the intruder on the science lab of Comicron 1. NIMUE tells Linkara, Harvey and Linksano that due to Comicron 1's systems being re-calibrated in the wake of the battle, the ship's sensors were not programed with the knowledge to search for the intruder, having never left the ship.
Linkara's friends decide to hunt down Mechakara and one of the Shades while the robot is still vulnerable, before he can take control of the ship once more. However Linkara is uneasy about Mechakara somehow not appearing on Comicron 1's sensors after they were reset, and believes he's missing something important.
Linkara and company prepare to engage Mechakara and the Shade. However, before they can, the ship begins shaking. NIMUE informs the team the propulsion systems have been activated again. Linksano is sure there should be no way that Mechakara would be able to get around his new safeguards. NIMUE reveals that the ship is leaving the solar system which confuses the crew, as Mechakara would no doubt use the ship to destroy a bunch of cities on earth. Linkara commands Linksano to go into engineering and regain control of the ship, whilst he and Harvey confront Mechakara.
Linkara and Harvey invade the science lab, where the Shade is shown fixing the new Pollo body. The two are able to destroy the Shade, but not before it finishes repairs and fixes the voice module for the robot. Linkara tells Mechakara to surrender- but suddenly, a deep familiar voice tells Linkara that is not it's name. Linkara realizes that the intruder was never Mechakara- it was Lord Vyce.
Vyce informs Linkara he had a contingency plan in place in case something like the exile Linkara imposed upon him were to occur- a trans dimensional beacon, meant to signal his Shades to rescue him. While Vyce spend three years waiting for his Shades, he realized an all-too possible reality- due to the time differential between universes, the Shades likely wouldn't arrive until hundreds of years past his suit's power reserves, if they were coming at all. Realizing this, Vyce performed the final sacrifice needed for his crusade; to transform himself into living data, becoming not unlike the Entity that he hates.
Vyce then explains he was able to return by transmitting his data form into Mechakara's hand, which still had the signal running as part of Linkara's gambit from the first time they battled. Using said signal, Vyce transmitted himself into the hand and then afterwards into Pollo's body (explaining why the data particles around the body resembled the Entity).
While Vyce is currently stuck in his new body, unable to transmit himself out into another body, he promises to overcome his limitations and continue his crusade. Linkara tries to explain to Vyce that he managed to kill the Entity, but Vyce is incredulous and promises to regain complete control of the ship.
Linkara informs Vyce that he intends to blow up the ship to prevent Vyce from regaining control of it. When Vyce calls his bluff, Linkara, Harvey and Nimue activate Comicron 1's self destruct sequence. Vyce attempts to abort the sequence but is unable to override NIMUE's controls, and instead draws power from the ship to increase his body's power and escape. Vyce heads towards the ships bridge in order to override the self destruct sequence. While Linkara and Harvey attempt to go to the Vigilante and escape from the blast, it is revealed that Vyce has drained power from various vital systems including door controls, preventing them from escaping. While a security drone is send out to open the doors, Linkara decides to review the Star Trek III: The Search for Spock comic book adaptation.
After the review is concluded, Vyce contacts Linkara and demands he abort the ship's self destruct sequence. Vyce assures him that he can do it himself but he will give Linkara a chance to flee. Linkara calls Vyce's bluff. Linkara also slings it at Vyce that the lord's reputation is exaggerated, as apparently Vyce would only conquer a few worlds before leaving to chase the Entitiy. However, Vyce counters his reputation is very much deserved, as he also challenged various other Eldritch Abominations during his travels. While Linkara mocks him by pointing out that he defeated him, Vyce counters that he merely underestimated Linksano's aspirations, and that he won't do it again during his war with the Entity. Despite visual records, Vyce refuses to believe Linkara's claim of defeating the Entity. Getting nowhere with Vyce, Linkara deactivates communications with him.
Fortunately, one of the Cybermat's arrive to open the doors keeping Linkara and Harvey trapped. Freed from imprisonment, the two set out- Harvey to help Linksano with whatever repairs he needs and to get the Vigilant ready, whilst Linkara goes to fight Vyce and prevent him from deactivating the self destruct. Harvey goes to Linksano and tells him to move- though the Doctor points out that, just before they got there, another teleportation sequence had arrived on board Comicron 1.
Linkara invades the bridge to sneak up on Vyce. However Vyce, having learned from their last encounter, quickly fires his enhanced beam at Linkara's chest and attempts to kill him. The self destruct sequence is aborted and Vyce, enraged over being exiled, boasts at Linkara that his reign will continue. Suddenly the Tom Servo robot appears behind Vyce, with Pollo's voice, and shoots him.
Linkara hugs Pollo, happy to be reunited with his trusty robot. Pollo explains that he transferred into the Tom Servo body but the controls were too different from his original body so it took him forever to do anything other then move his head.
During their reunion, Vyce escapes and Linkara chases after him. The two try to kill each other but Linkara's phaser isn't working and Vyce is too damaged by Pollo's surprise attack to activate his weapons. Linkara therefore decides to throw his phaser through a window and, after kicking Vyce's body a few times, tosses the megalomaniac into the depths of space.
A short while later, everyone reconvenes on the bridge. Due to the energy drain on the ship, the external sensors stopped working and the crew couldn't get a visual on Vyce in order to finish him off. Fortunately, due to the ship's shields, Vyce can't get back onto Comicron 1. In addition, because they were on the edge of the solar system and Vyce's body is on limited energy reserves, Vyce won't be able to return to Earth for another few decades at least. In order to celebrate Pollo's return Linkara promises to finish Pollo's new body and allows him to do anything he wants to appease his friend over the lack of functioning arms on his new model. A short while afterwards, Pollo is on the couch reviewing Red Hood and The Outlaws, annoying Linkara much like he did at the end of the Mechakara arc.
Meanwhile, Vyce floats in the depths of space, vowing to return once again.
Tropes
- Bait-and-Switch Boss: Throughout the arc, it seems that Mechakara has returned and taken over Pollo's new body. There certainly is good reason to suspect this, since Mechakara is an alternate version of Pollo and Linkara traced the signal back to Mechakara's severed hand. However, this all turns out to be a Red Herring when it is revealed in the climax that the Big Bad of the arc is actually Lord Vyce. As Vyce himself points out, they only assumed he was Mechakara the whole time.
- Meaningful Background Event: During the "Top 15 Personal Favorite Jokes" episode and all the cameos Linkara filmed during that timeframe, Tom Servo can be seen looking at him because Pollo is trying to get his attention but still hasn't gotten his speech systems working yet.
- Shout-Out: Pollo's "death scene" is just like Spock's from the climactic ending of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This is clearly invoked though, since Linkara was reviewing the Comic-Book Adaptation of the film.
- Wham Line: In the climax of the arc, Linkara and Harvey corner who they believe to be Mechakara in Pollo's body. But with the robot's voice modulator repaired he is finally able to speak, and in a familiar growling voice says "That... is not my name", leading Linkara to realize who he really is.Linkara: Vyce...
