A graphic novel series by Mike Maihack. Exploring an ancient tomb, a young Cleopatra VII finds a stone tablet, touches it, and is thrown millenia into the future, where she learns she must save the Nile Galaxy from the evil conqueror Octavian.
An animated adaptation produced by Dreamworks Animation was released on NBC Universal's streaming platform Peacock in April 2020, though Southeast Asia started airing the series on their DreamWorks channel since November 25, 2019.
So far, there are six books out:
- Target Practice
- The Thief and the Sword
- Secret of the Time Tablets
- The Golden Lion
- Fallen Empires
- Queen of the Nile
Cleopatra in Tropes:
- Action Girl: Cleopatra goes on many adventures throughout the series and gets into a lot of fights.
- Adventurer Archaeologist: Akila's parents, who study history and travel through space.
- Ancient Tomb: The cast regularly finds themselves in these as they look for ancient artifacts.Cleo: Nothing good ever happens to me in tombs.
- Alternate History: Fallen Empires reveals that shortly after Cleo was transported into the future, Egypt was invaded by alien pirates. Queen of the Nile ends with Cleo and Anthony traveling back to Egypt and beating the invaders, with Khensu’s lesson revealing that they ruled Egypt together and defeated the Roman Empire before leading Egypt into being one of the most prosperous civilisations of all time, to the point that their Bloodline still rules the Nyle Galaxy.
- Artificial Limbs: Brian makes one for Akila after she loses her arm on Hykosis. It also functions as an Arm Cannon with blue blasts.
- Bar Brawl: Saving Anthony from the bounty hunters gets him, Cleo, and Akila, in a fight against the whole tavern. At the end, the only ones left standing are the three of them, the bartender, and an alien who wasn't in the fight.
- Bar Full of Aliens: The Deathstalker Tavern is full of creatures of different planets. It also functions as a Bad Guy Bar.
- Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: What if young Cleopatra VII (albeit an obviously fictionalized version of her) was the savior of a galaxy far away?
- Bounty Hunter: Anthony is chased by a group in Time Tablets.
- The Chosen One: Cleopatra, the Savior of the Nile Galaxy, is supposed to defeat Octavian.
- Dangerous 16th Birthday: Subverted: it's Cleo's 15th birthday that finds her transported into the future. Her sixteenth birthday is uneventful and happens in the space between books 3 and 4.
- Destructive Savior: Cleo's fight with Anthony in book 2 causes thousands of credits of propety damage. The trope is also subverted in that Cleo doesn't catch Anthony since Khensu tells her to back off.
- Energy Weapon: All weapons in the universe work like this, with bright colors as the energy.
- Laser Blade: The energy of Cleo's staff works like this.
- Ray Gun: The most popular type of weapon. Cleo is especially gifted with these, being a 'professional slingshot artist.'
- Escape Pod: To escape from Octavian, the crew uses these to escape the school ship.
- Everybody Hates Hades: Anubis is revealed to be a Greater-Scope Villain and an Omnicidal Maniac to boot. He used to be a case of Good Is Not Nice, but after his daugther was killed by a prince who seduced her, he went on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- Evil Former Friend: In book three, it is revealed that Octavian is her old friend Gozi.
- Force and Finesse: Cleo's brand of fighting involves ray guns and melee weapons. Anthony prefers stun knives (a type of throwable Static Stun Gun), saying the others have 'no finesse.'
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Gozi started as a normal boy in Ancient Egypt, and became Octavian, the Big Bad Galactic Conquerer in the future.
- Futuristic Pyramid: Given that the main setting is the Nile Galaxy which takes a lot of visual clues from ancient Egypt, plenty of these feature in the setting.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Brian, who builds weapons, bikes, and computers.
- Galactic Conquerer: Octavian has conquered many planets in his expansion.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Anubis is revealed to be the source of Octavian’s power, having used the Sword of Kebechet to possess him and use him as a vessel to enact his revenge on the universe.
- Gruesome Grandparent: While it’s not truly addressed, Cleopatra being a descendant of Kebechet means Anubis is her distant ancestor. He has no problem trying to have her killed and at the end tries to possess her to continue his plot to destroy the universe.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Zaid throws himself in front of Gozi's energy blast meant for Cleo, disintegrating him.
- Holographic Disguise: To intimidate intruders, small Anna Mae has one of a large alien creature.
- Hover Bike: Cleo's sphinx bike can travel through space.
- It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: Cleo occasionally feels this way, being stolen from her time and learning that to fulfill the prophecy she'll have to die.
- Meaningful Name: The Big Bad is named Octavian, who by coincidence was Cleopatra's major rival in real-life, as well as the first Roman Emperor; fitting for a Galactic Conquerer.
- Oh, My Gods!: Akila often says "Oh my Ra!" Once, her mother admonishes her, saying "Please don't use Ra's name in vain, sweetheart."
- Orphanage of Love: Harkhebi and Anna Mae have one in Hykosis. It’s one of the best in the galaxy, and Anthony was raised there.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Cleo is associated with pink and purple, as are her weapons. Anthony wears blue, and his weapons are have blue energy.
- Retractable Weapon: Cleo's staff with energy ends is one. She can press a button to pull in/out the energy sides.
- Space Cadet Academy: Yasiro Academy, where children learn biology, alien languages, and combat training.
- Space Western: The planet Hykosis, complete with desert showdowns, bar fights, and cool hats.
- Stable Time Loop: Queen of the Nile reveals that the reason for the Nyle Galaxy’s Egyptian aesthetic is because after her return, Cleo led Egypt into beating the Roman Empire and becoming one of the greatest civilisations of all time, with Anthony being her partner and the Nyle royal family their descendants.
- Static Stun Gun: Anthony uses stun knives, which stun whoever gets hit with them.
- Talking Animal: Khensu, a talking cat, and the descendent of Cleo's cat Kosey.
- Virtual Training Simulation: Combat training class. Cleo goes through one with multiple Xerx in book 4.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Gozi kills Harkhebi after learning where the time tablet is.
