One sends Paperinik to retrieve an old invention of Ducklair in the desert near Duckburg. However, the machine is taken by an alien mercenary who wishes to use it against the Grilks. In order to gain a ride back to Earth, Paperinik has to fight alongside him... which turns out to be a good idea, when he finds out the Evronians are once again involved.
Tropes In This Issue:
- Affectionate Nickname: Neopard calls the sergeant Q'win.
- Affectionate Parody: The movie Donald is watching at the beginning is called "Star Battles". Gee, I wonder where they get it from?
- Aliens Speaking Italian: Notable since this is the first time this is lampshaded and explained: apparently every military school teaches about alien languages.
- Artificial Intelligence: Unlike the rest of the troops of Neopard, Q'wynkennon is this. He even gets a little offended when Neopard doesn't make this clear right away.
- Badass in Distress: Paperinik gets captured after saving Q'wynkennon. Luckily Neopard comes to save him... and then both of them fall under this trope when under siege from the Grilks.
- Big Damn Heroes: Paperinik when he arrives to save Neopard and Q'wynkennon. Then Neopard when he arrives to free Paperinik. Then in the finale One comes and saves everybody from the Evronians.
- Bilingual Bonus: The "alien language" of sergeant Q'wynkennon is actually the dialect of Broni, the town of Alessandro Sisti, the writer of the issue.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Neopard and Q'winkennon shout several alien words during the whole issue. In the end Paperinik asks what they mean. Neopard whispers to him... and Paperinik freaks out.Paperinik:"You can't say those things in a Paperinik's comic!"
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Quick advice for you, Grilks... making an alliance with the Evronians is not a good idea.
- Earth All Along: Paperinik is brought to another universe by accident. Except they're actually in the Sahara desert: Paperinik misunderstood Neopard's explanation on where he came from, and Neopard didn't bother to correct him so he'd help in the battle.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: When he and Paperinik are surrounded by enemy forces, Neopard simply chooses to surrender. He was going to complete his mission anyway.
- Just a Machine: Averted: Neopard clearly doesn't think any less of Q'wynkennon just because he is artificial, and Paperinik risks his life to go back and save him.
- Invisibility Cloak: Neopard has a gadget able to hide him and his troops from every Grilk's alarms. But not from the Evron-eyes, sadly.
- Manipulative Bastard: Neopard. The Evronian supervisor tries to be this.
- Mecha-Mooks: Neopard, the Grilk, and anyone they've met before use them (to the point Neopard believes that the relics of the battles between Rommel and the Eight Army were originally robotic tanks that had been stripped of their control equipment), because, in Neopard's words, "Who's stupid enough to make war in person?" (forgetting that he himself fights alongside his own droids). He finds out a good answer when the Evronians turn on the Grilkians and defeat them with ease by stealing all the energy in the base, including that of their droids.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: By taking away all the energy from the Grilk's weapons, the Evronians actually save Paperinik and Neopard.
- Private Military Contractor: Neopard.
- Shout-Out: Neopard's Mark 9 droids and Power Armour have a more than passing resemblance to Space Marines, while the Mark 12 look like Evangelions with the head of the Mobile Suit Gundam 00.
- You Get What You Pay For: A few examples:
- Early on, Neopard's ship is attacked by the Merchantile Corporation of United Systems because they think he still works for their enemies, the Dluffian Empire. Turns out, the Dluffians cheat everyone on their payments... Hence Neopard ditching them and the Corporation declaring war on them (and abandoning their attack on Neopard once he clears things).
- Downplayed with Neopard: initially he tries to attack the Grilkians with a platoon of Mark 9 droids, aging but still serviceable, and Q'wynkennon, an even older Mark 8, and is outmatched when the Grilkians engage him. Then he comes back with two Mark 12 droids (and augmented ones at that), and carves his way through the Grilkian droids... But had the Evronians not detected him and warned the Grilkians, the Mark 9 would have been more than enough.
