Comic:Red Zone

From CGWiki

Red Zone
Artist:	A. Cassel
Writer:	N. Jungemann(P. Steinke and T. Farmer, contributors)
Characters:
Updates:	Mondays and Wednesdays
Began:	Dec. 1, 2003
Ended:
Art style:	Manga
Rating:	Web-MA
Website	Red Zone Website

Red Zone is a comic created and drawn by A. Cassel and currently written by N. Jungemann. As of its return from hiatus, the rating has been changed to MA to reflect content in upcoming chapters.

Contents 1 Plot 1.1 Chapters 2 Characters 2.1 Major characters 2.2 Minor characters 3 Locations 3.1 The Station 3.1.1 White Zone 3.1.2 Yellow Zone 3.1.3 Red Zone 3.2 Dream World 3.3 Republic of Carthosia 4 Organizations 4.1 Strathmore-Aldebaran 4.2 Special Assassination Squad 4.3 Genomic Faction 5 Alien Races 5.1 Alvegrian 5.2 Carthosian 5.3 Cthulian 5.4 Eltz 5.5 Katzefrau 5.6 Redborn 6 Technology 6.1 Barcode Scans 6.2 Bioscanning Droids 6.3 Environmental Generators 6.4 Genetic Engineering 6.5 Holographic Projectors 6.6 Nanomites 6.7 Security Orbs 6.8 Terithas Generator 6.9 Vehicles 7 Omake 7.1 Random Chocolate 7.2 Red Zone Gaiden 7.3 Trivia 8 Links

Plot

On the space station Eri-Aku, a unknown war is about escalate between the corporation Strathmore-Aldebaran and its residents. Only one man has the power to stop this war, and he's already dead.

Chapters

Prologue (Ch. 0): 1 - 8
A brief background to the setting is given with a short history of the space station Eri-Aku and the zone structure within. Also introduced is the character Tsuki, seen in a low-quality photograph and mentioned only as a rumor.
Director's Cut information: The prologue will be included with Chapter 1 when printed.

Ch. 1: "The Ghost Man" 0 - 30
Cor and Remy are introduced, and some of their history together is explained, as well as the reasons Remy is imprisoned in the Yellow Zone and currently mute. Cor takes Remy to the Red Zone in order to find "The Ghost Man," the only one she believes can help her friend.
Director's Cut information: Will first be available for purchase March 23, 2007 at Anime Detour, and will include the prologue pages and Cor's bio.

Ch. 2: "Deal With the Dead" 0 - 27
Kikuko and Tsuki are introduced, and Cor attempts to enlist his aid. When he accepts with the condition of a very high monetary price, Cor leaves angrily, taking Remy with her. Gayle and Madison are also introduced, as well as their connection to SA and their orders to eliminate Tsuki.
Director's Cut information: Will first be available for purchase March 23, 2007 at Anime Detour, and will include extensively retouched artwork and Remy's bio.

Ch. 3: "A Shadow so Dark" 0 - 28
Tsuki reads Remy's mind in an attempt to gather information on how to help her. Kikuko escorts Cor and Remy out of the Red Zone, showing them how to get in and out without encountering the sniper Sevik. She also explains more of the history of the Red Zone on the way. On Cor's return home, she is collected by a group of SA soldiers and taken to see Gayle...
Director's Cut information: Will first be available for purchase March 23, 2007 at Anime Detour, and will include color pages and Tsuki's bio.

Ch. 4: "Bullets and Blade" 0 - 29
Madison challenges Tsuki to a deathmatch on the Revas Bridge, while Gayle and Cor look on from a safe distance. As the fight intensifies, Cor finds herself learning a little more about both the combatants. But she isn't the only one watching the fight; at SA headquarters, two more spectators look on as the fight escalates. Director's Cut information: Work is in progress.

Ch. 5: "Fractured Conscience" 0 - 28
Cor awakes in SA's hospital facility, with Kikuko watching over her. Tsuki emerges from the force that claimed him to face his Master's ire. And on both the station and the surface, new players begin to join the game...

Characters

Major characters

Character	Age	Appearance	Bio/description
Cor Alexandria	24		"The last of a species few know or even remember," Cor is the only Katzefrau seen in the comic. She is somewhat feline in appearance, though not covered in fur. Her coloring suggests albinism, aside from the dark stripes on her face, arms and legs. She has no family, and was raised at St. Alustria's Orphanage with her best friend Remy. She fights using an acrobatic, empty-hand style that appears to be largely self-taught. Cor first appears in the Prologue.
Remeria Traumfalke (Remy)	25		A former reporter for The Aurora, Eri-Aku's main newspaper, Remy was imprisoned in the Yellow Zone after breaking in to SA's labs in search of a story. Cor believes she is innocent, however, she is unable to reveal anything about what happened to her due to a procedure performed upon her that left her mute, with her mind scrambled. She has no living family, her father having died on her sixth birthday. Remy first appears in Chapter 1.
Tsuki	Unknown/Deceased		"The infamous escapee of Red Zone, the friend or enemy of all prisoners, the supposed "savior" of the station," little truth is actually known about Tsuki. According to most stories, he is the ghost of the first prisoner sent to the Red Zone, able to help anyone with anything they need, for a price. In person, he is very short and not particularly imposing, however, he has demonstrated more than once his abilities in battle. He fights using an unusually engraved katana, and dresses in a fairly Japanese style, however, he appears somewhat elven and his actual race is unknown. He has been called "X-1" by several higher-ranking members of S-A. Tsuki first appears in Chapter 1.
Kikuko Watanabe	29		A former employee of SA, Kikuko now works as a doctor for a clinic in the White Zone, and is one of few who will go into the Red Zone to help the people there. She is usually seen near Tsuki, though their relationship is unclear. She is of Japanese descent. Kikuko first appears in Chapter 2.
Gayle Malcolm	Unknown		A high-ranking employee of SA with a particularly vicious streak, Gayle has a large number of people and resources at her command. She also appears to share a history with Tsuki, and refers to him as X-1. She first appears in Chapter 2.
Madison Yates	Unknown (over 100)		A high-ranking employee of SA, Madison's actual position is currently unknown. He is a master of firearms, and as a Carthosian is unusually strong, demonstrated by his choice of a modified hand-held M61 Vulcan as a weapon. His dialogue has implied that he and Tsuki have met and fought on more than one occasion, but no details of these encounters are known. In Chapter 4 he reveals to Tsuki that he was the inventor of the Terithas Generator. He first appears in Chapter 1.
"Master" (Name unknown)	Unknown		A creature apparently existing only in the place Tsuki describes as "Hell." He commands the Ghost Man from the shadows, and is attempting to turn him against Cor and Remy. He first appears in Chapter 5.

Minor characters

Character	Bio/description
Atsuko	Secretary to Gayle Malcolm, possibly with other duties.
Dr. Krin	A top researcher at SA's labs, specializing in robotics and weaponry.
Lief, Dr. Reagan	A geneticist working for SA, who has recently joined a mysterious project surrounding Cor.
Jim 3	A skinny thug currently imprisoned in the Yellow Zone.
Maldarius, Neeva	A young Katzefrau currently residing in Tokyo, Japan. Nine appears to be her pet.
Mr. N	One of the head "Shadows" of Strathmore-Aldebaran. Like the others, he is not seen.
Mr. Q	One of the head "Shadows" of SA. Like the others, he is not clearly visible.
Mr. X	Another of the head "Shadows." Like the others, he is seen only in shadow.
Mr. Z	A head "Shadow" of SA, who is seen only in darkness.
Nine	A strange creature who normally takes the form of a black dog, but is able to transform itself into an amorphous blob and devour organic material by surrounding it.
Rhoms, Dr. Earnest	The geneticist who perfected the manipulations of human DNA which resulted in the creation of the Carthosian race.
Sevik the Demon Eyes	A sniper who stalks the only major passage in and out of the Red Zone. Little is known about him beyond the fact that he is Redborn.
Tazzo	An opportunistic Eltz who likes to haunt the only safe passage in and out of the Red Zone, charging people for the use of it.
Tromson, Robert	Founder and dictator of the Republic of Carthosia, he was executed during the uprising of the genetically engineered Carthosian race.
X-7	A mysterious individual who specializes in information gathering. X-7 is a high-ranking individual in the SAS, able to coordinate the actions of other members. Neeva refers to him by the name "Kakashi."

Locations

The Station

Red Zone is set on the Space Station Eri-Aku, described in the prologue as "The first permanent residential station, first to seceed from earth, first to join the United Nations, first to feel the impact of crime, first to implement the Red Zone." It was designed, constructed, and currently run and maintained by the Strathmore-Aldebaran corporation. The currency in use on the station is the Cedox. The major newspaper published is The Aurora. The station is divided into three sections.

White Zone

The White Zone is the main residential area of Eri-Aku, and the largest zone. SA's headquarters and laboratories are located in this zone, at the center of the station. The White Zone is largely considered a "safe" area, though it does have some "darker" areas, such as the Red Light district located on Falcon Street.

Yellow Zone

The Yellow Zone is the minor-security prison area constructed as a protective barrier around the Red Zone. Lesser criminals are sent to live here, with their implanted chips coded to keep them from passing the boundaries into the White Zone. It largely functions as its own city, though one fully overrun with crime. Various businesses operate within the Yellow Zone, and it is possible for prisoners to serve out their sentences and earn their freedom from the area.

Red Zone

The Red Zone is the maximum-security prison area surrounded by the Yellow Zone. It is the site of a disaster called "The Great Malfunction," during which a poisonous substance was accidentally released into the atmospherics of the station. The area was sealed to contain the disaster, which drove the residents of the area insane, killing most of them. Those who remained became known as the Red-born. Prisoners sentenced to this area have no hope of earning their freedom, and the lack of internal security does not guarantee they will survive their imprisonment. Some businesses operate within the Zone out of necessity.

Dream World

The "Dream World" is another plane of existence, where the subconscious can be accessed by those able to cross into it. So far, the only characters seen to have this ability are Tsuki and Remy. Within the Dream World, individuals may be slightly different from their real-world selves. For instance, Remy is able to speak, and Tsuki takes on the appearance of an angelic creature. As of Chapter 4, Dream World sequences are presented in color, to emphasize the difference of the place, as well as the hyper-real nature of it. Dream World is also sometimes referred to or described by the characters as "Hell."

Republic of Carthosia

The former Republic of Carthosia was founded in the early 21st century when Robert Tromson led a militant coup of the previous nations occupying the island of Hispaniola. It became best known for the subsequent coup of its genetically "perfect" residents, created through the research of Dr Earnest Rhoms. Following the genetic coup, the nation implemented an isolationist policy, reinforced by the use of the Terithas generator, a variable-volume force field pioneered by their own scientists. The country existed in this way until the late 21st century, when divisions between factions escalated into civil war which left the island uninhabitable. Those Carthosians who remained retain the name of their former home, but the nation itself is no longer recognized as a sovereign entity.

Organizations

Strathmore-Aldebaran

SA is the corporation which funded the construction of the station, and currently operates it. Their corporation is currently based there, and run by the mysterious "Shadows" (Mr. Z, X, Q and N). While most of their operations are still unrevealed, they have been shown to deal in robotics and weaponry, and are working on a secret project known as the "Deus Militaris." They also operate the Special Assassination Squad.

Special Assassination Squad

Little is currently known about the SAS, though they have been referred to as a group of "uncontrollable psychopaths" by Gayle Malcolm. The individual referred to by the Shadows as X-7 is apparently a high-ranking member, able to coordinate the actions of others. Neeva Maldarius may also be a member.

Genomic Faction

Genomic Faction is a militant group of Carthosian nationals who oppose the "pollution" of their bloodline with that of "the imperfect," unmodified humans. They believe that their altered genetics should remain pure and are best known for their crusade to wipe out all those who would interbreed with normal humans, as well as their lovers.

Alien Races

The station Eri-Aku plays host to a variety of alien races who have come to visit the Earth system. Some of them include:

Alvegrian

An amphibious race characterized by their tentacled "hair" and webbed appendages, the Alvegrians are rather small and tend to be highly pacifistic, though there are a few who break that stereotype who have been imprisoned in the various zones.

Carthosian

Not actually an extraterrestrial race, the Carthosians are a unique entity nonetheless. The result of the genetic research of Dr. Earnest Rhoms, they are a heavily altered form of humans, who have developed a number of unusual traits as a result of the modification of their DNA. Readily recognizable by their unusual eyes, they also tend to show traits such as unusual strength and healing abilities, high intelligence, and apparent psychic abilities in most females of the race.

Cthulian

A race of hulking, tentacle-faced amphibious aliens nicknamed by humans for their resemblance to the fictional elder god Cthulhu. Their name for their kind is Graagreshakashega, a name very difficult for humans to pronounce and remember. Their tendancy to try to get what they want through brute force lands many of them in the zones, particularly Red.

Eltz

A rodent-like race of creatures with bluish skin, short horns on their heads and backs, and whip-like tails. The terrain of their world is rather rough, making them a race that functions as both a biped and quadruped to enable them to traverse the rough terrain.

Katzefrau

Other than Cor Alexandria, few representatives of the feline-looking Katzefrau race have been seen in over a generation.

Redborn

While not technically an alien race, the Redborn are not considered part of humanity anymore as a result of the changes the toxin released during the Great Malfunction caused in them. All of the Redborn are clinically insane, and easily identified by their red eyes. Both those who survived the Malfunction, and those born after it, are considered to be Redborn.

Technology

Barcode Scans

Permanent residents of the station are identified by an infrared barcode tattooed onto the back of their hands. This barcode is connected to a database maintained by SA containing all relevant information on the individual. Those who pass in and out of the restricted zones are scanned and logged into the computers.

Bioscanning Droids

Used in the medical areas of SA headquarters, the bioscanning droids provide invaluble assistance to the medical and research staff. Somewhat humanoid in appearance, they are able to provide basic nursing duties as well as instantly access all medical, research and general-information files available to SA researchers.

Environmental Generators

To minimize the feelings of displacement and create a more planet-like atmosphere, the station was constructed with a system in place to replicate various environmental phenomena, including fog and precipitation.

Genetic Engineering

Pioneered by Dr. Earnest Rhoms in 2026, the practise of Genetic Engineering which gave birth to the Carthosian race is generally frowned upon by most of the world. Due to the events which transpired in Carthosia, genetic engineering is no longer practised.

Holographic Projectors

Holographic projectors used by SA are able to create a realistic reproduction of a subject, able to fool the eye into thinking that subject is actually present. The subject being projected can move and produce sound, but is not able to interact with the environment. The projector can generate some or all of the subject being projected, or can display the subject fully unaltered.

Nanomites

Nanomites are a type of nanorobotics designed to accelerate healing. However, they have various side effects, including an increase in the risk of various cancers. As such, they are primarily used only in the Zones, where other facilities are scarce or unavailable.

Security Orbs

A type of mobile security cameras, security orbs monitor the majority of the White Zone, though there are areas even there where they do not go.

Terithas Generator

The first force field generator, pioneered by Carthosian scientists and used to enforce their isolationist policies, the Terithas Generator is now used in various capacities as a variable-volume protective energy shield. In Chapter 4, Madison Yates revealed to Tsuki that he was the inventor of the generator.

Vehicles

The majority of vehicles used for transportation on the station are designed to hover above the ground at a variable distance, to help limit wear on interior surfaces. Vehicles are uncommon in the private sector, with public transportation being available to all residents of the White Zone.

Omake

Random Chocolate

The Random Chocolate omake are a series of single-page gags, usually drawn in pencil and unshaded, featuring a combination of the main 7 characters in the cast, or representations of the artist ("Sessha", typically shown wearing a coat styled after the anime Fullmetal Alchemist) and author ("Krowe", typically shown wearing a hat styled after the anime Onepiece). Also included are pinups of characters, concept sketches, guest pages, and other pages. Previously interspersed among the pages of the regular comic, they have been removed and set up as a completely different entity, with multi-page arcs and additional contributors. Existing pages of the Random Chocolate omake series are currently located at Random Chocolate hosted by Comic Genesis.

Red Zone Gaiden

Red Zone Gaiden is a set of short, serious stories that take place outside of the main plot. They have been made available in print only, never posted on the websites. Currently, there are two completed short gaiden in print. The first two, "Last Resort" and "Protected," were printed in the Red Zone Fall 07 Mini Book, which is currently no longer available. "Last Resort" tells how Cor came to work for SA. "Protected" reveals a little more of Tsuki and Kikuko's relationship.

Trivia

• Mr N. is named for author N. Jungemann.
• The name of the Strathmore-Aldebaran corporation, as well as the characters Gayle Malcolm and Madison Yates, were originally used in a fanfiction series done by the artist in the mid-90s.
• Cor's first name came from "Corvus," the name of a Mac server in use at the Artist's JHS.
• Kikuko's first name is from a character in the novel "The Sound of the Mountain," by Yasunari Kawabata. Her last name is a very common Japanese surname.
• Sevik's name is "Knives" backwards, with the N removed.
• The robot seen in the bar in Red Zone was created by an artist who works under the names "Otomo" and "Sleepdep," and used with her permission.
• Tsuki is the shortest adult character in the comic, at exactly 60".

Links

Red Zone
The Artist's DeviantART gallery, with various pieces of character art and textless splash pages.