Ash In Space is a five-issue storyline published in volume four of Dynamite Entertainment's Army of Darkness comics from December, 2014 to April, 2015. It is a direct sequel to the Ash Gets Hitched series and the Prelude To Ash In Space story featured in the Army of Darkness 1992.1 one-shot. It was written by Cullen Bunn and featured artwork by Larry Watts.
Synopsis[]
After chasing the medieval astrologer Artemus Vrill across the time-stream, Ash Williams discovers Vrill has sent them to Cape Canaveral, Florida in the 21st Century, mere moments before a brand-new space shuttle is set to launch. Ash sneaks aboard the shuttle, hiding within the cargo hold as the ship blasts out of Earth's atmosphere. Before venturing out into the shuttle to hunt down Vrill, Ash climbs into an empty spacesuit.
It isn't long until Williams discovers that Vrill has already corrupted the crew of the space shuttle and turned them into Deadites. The zero-gravity battle is slow and bloody as Ash takes on the undead astronauts one-by-one, which eventually concludes with an unexpected spacewalk on his part. Returning to the safety of the shuttle, Ash discovers a highly advanced computer is scanning and digitizing the texts of the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. Before Williams can grab the book, the Deadite Artemus Vrill sneaks up behind him and whacks Ash in the back of the head with a small fire extinguisher. While he's stunned by the surprise blow to his noggin, Ash quickly pops back up and delivers an up-close blast of buckshot to Vrill's head, killing the astrologer for good.
Though Vrill has been stopped, Ash's troubles are only just beginning. The digitized incantations of the Necronomicon have been successfully uploaded and shared with the computers aboard the International Space Station, infecting the electronic brain with a virus composed of pure evil. Shortly thereafter, Ash's metal gauntlet is zapped with an evil-infused bolt of electric, which suddenly gives it a mind of it's own. Before Williams has a chance to destroy his prosthetic creation, the hand scurries off after the arrival of the Kandarian Demon, which chases Ash through the station's corridors. While he manages to escape the demon, Ash is found (and captured) by the crew of space station. Though he tries explaining the situation, two crew members reveal themselves to be Deadites, forcing Ash to break free of his bindings and jump into action.
The Deadites are no match for Ash, and the station's artificial intelligence (infected by the book's incantations) creates a new physical form to battle The Chosen One itself. Using the Necronomicon as it's source of power, Ash's gauntlet begins to grow into a new Evil Ash, who then uses his power to infect more of the station's electronics and animate two empty spacesuits to be his henchmen.
The remaining astronauts (Hoshi and Sophia) show Ash what exactly the Deadites might be after: a large (incomplete) multi-purpose satellite designed for every conceivable broadcasting signal. Ash realizes that if the dead were to take control of this machine, than pure, unfiltered evil would be beamed to every radio, television, and Internet connected device. Before Ash can begin dismantling the multi-million dollar satellite with his chainsaw, Evil Ash arrives with his posse to stop him. When Sophia tries to take on Evil Ash, a single touch from his metal claws causes her to become possessed. Ash and Hoshi retreat, knowing that this battle is lost (for the moment), and time is limited before the newly-turned Sophia aids the Deadites in getting the satellite up and running. In a room full of spare parts and various "junk" machinery, Ash and Hoshi cobble together a large robotic exo-skeleton armor for Ash.
Williams charges back into the room where Evil Ash and Sophia are working on the satellite, quickly deposing of the two possessed spacesuit guards. As Ash battles his evil twin, Hoshi tries to reason with the Deadite Sophia, but ultimately realizes her friend is truly gone, and blasts her with Ash's Boomstick. Meanwhile, Ash's dual against his doppelganger comes to a quick end when he manages to slice the Necronomicon out of the robot's chest, and Evil Ash runs out of "battery". Having banished evil before, Ash knows that the Kandarian Demon must be given a physical form before it can be destroyed, and unfortunately for Williams and Hoshi, the demon has possessed the satellite (now transformed into a robotic scorpion). Not wanting to waste anymore time in fighting Ash, the living satellite jumps through the wall of the station and out into space, preparing to go online and broadcast it's evil-infused signals. Ash and Hoshi give chase in the space shuttle.
Before they can reach the satellite, Ash spots the Necronomicon floating by, and Hoshi uses the shuttle's boom arm to grab it. Unfortunately, some mechanical malfunction prevents the arm from coming back into the ship, forcing Ash to suit up and get it the old fashioned way. As he goes to get the book, a barely functioning Evil Ash returns, slowly chasing his counterpart up the boom arm. Ash grabs the Ex-Mortis and recites the final incantation, creating a vortex which pulls in Evil Ash and the possessed satellite. With the world saved and evil defeated once more, Ash gets back into the shuttle and drifts off to sleep as Hoshi sets the autopilot for home.
A mighty crash awakens Ash from his slumber, and he tells Hoshi that they're finally back home. The two exit the shuttle only to find themselves on an unfamiliar planet, where several large stone statues depicting ghoulish faces of various monstrosities (including one resembling the Necronomicon itself) dot the landscape. Ash comes to the conclusion that perhaps the shuttle had a different definition of "home" than what he and Hoshi had in mind...
Cover Gallery[]
Main Covers[]
Variant Covers[]
Trivia[]
(Above) The original "blonde Sheila" from the preview on Dynamite's website; (Below) Sheila's hair and dress were recolored before the issue's release.
- Early artwork for issue one posted on Dynamite Entertainment's website revealed that Sheila was incorrectly depicted with blonde hair. This coloring error was fixed before the issue's print release.
- In the aforementioned flashback panel featuring Sheila, Ash is seen with his real right hand instead of his prosthetic gauntlet or chainsaw.
- In issue four, Ash mentions his mother made him take piano lessons when he was younger. This is a reference to the opening of the Evil Dead II film, in which Ash is seen playing a piano while Linda dances.
Continuity Notes[]
- The events of this story would later be referenced in the 2016 one-shot Army of Darkness Election Special and the 2021 series Army of Darkness: 1979. However, both of those stories are set in two separate continuities that are slightly different amalgamations between the Ash and the Army of Darkness universe and Earth-818793, meaning nether of those titles should be treated as the true sequel to Ash In Space.
- This story is the first and only mention of The Dark Ones existing in the Ash And The Army of Darkness universe, though in this story they are referred to as "The Old Ones" (their original name from the H.P. Lovecraft mythology).