Super Metroid (Nintendo Power comic)


 * This article is aboout the Nintendo Power comic series. For the game, see Super Metroid. For the manga, Super Metroid (manga).

Super Metroid was a 5-issue comic series that ran in the Nintendo Power magazine. The comic was featured in volumes 57 to 61, each volume having a different issue. The comic introduces several characters and plot points that would find their way into later manga and games.

Characters

 * Samus Aran
 * Ridley
 * Armstrong Houston
 * Chairman Keaton
 * Chief Hardy
 * Space Pirates
 * Old Bird
 * Mother Brain
 * Baby

Plot
Samus awakes from a nightmare, introducing herself to the reader and narrating the events of Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus. Revealing that she had returned the Baby over to the scientists at Ceres Space Colony, she then discovers that it has been attacked. She flies there in her gunship.

Upon landing, she discovers that the lab is going up in smoke. She encounters Ridley stealing the hatchling and attempts to stop him, but it is soon revealed by Ridley that he has programmed the main computer to self destruct. Samus races to the computer to try and stop the countdown, but fails, and is given 100 seconds to escape.

Along the way, she encounters Armstrong Houston. Both flee the destruction and are attacked by Space Pirate ships. After dispatching them, they return to Galactic Federation Headquarters to explain to Chairman Keaton and Chief Hardy what happened. Samus concludes the discussion saying that Hardy and his "clowns" won't find anything, and that she will continue to fight the Space Pirates as long as they are around, because she defeated them before. Houston attempts to go with her, only for Samus to discover why he is coming: he wants to collect the bounty.

As she approaches Zebes, she is called by Keaton once again, who tells her that the Pirates are indeed back on the planet. She is angered by the fact, saying that they could have stopped the destruction of Ceres. After finding out she is being stalked by Houston, she lands in Crateria, and discovers that the area is in ruin. As she progresses on, she is attacked by several pirates and fights them. Houston throws her an Energy Capsule, which super-powers her suit and destroys the pirates attacking. Samus then notices him collecting Pirate claws.

Samus states that she understands if Houston left. They are then attacked by several Skrees, which are soon dispatched by Samus. Not concentrating, she runs straight into a Pirate trap - a spear rips right through her shoulder pad. She initially refuses help from Houston, though he states that he knows how to work a trap and pulls the spear out of her suit. They return to their ships, where Samus tells him to go to the location at coordinates 33600 by 12568 rather than Federation headquarters.

They arrive, and meet an elderly Old Bird, who tells Houston that he is a Chozo, and that he created Samus' Power Suit. Meanwhile, Ridley invades Federation Headquarters and captures Hardy and Keaton, taking them back to Tourian. Back on the unknown planet, Old Bird explains Samus' past to Houston while she heals, as well as how her suit works and suggests that she was not concentrating on her mission at the time she was caught in the trap.

Meanwhile, Mother Brain awakens and attempts to convince the grown Baby (in a failed manner) that she is its mother. Ridley tells her about a plan he has, revealing that he has captured Hardy and Keaton. She orders him to put the plan to work at once.

Meanwhile, Samus senses that they have both been captured and pleads with Old Bird to let her use the healing power of the Power Bombs. He refuses, though she continues to plead, until he finally agrees. They go out into a field and let Samus perform the technique.

Old Bird then warns her to concentrate on her surroundings and not get distracted by thoughts of the Baby. Back on Zebes, Ridley is seen speaking to the Pirates. He learns that Samus has fallen for the trap and is on her way into Tourian. He then states that Hardy and Keaton will have the privilege of witnessing Samus' complete destruction. Keaton then devises a plan to escape using one of Hardy's sandwiches. Holding it out to a Pirate, he allows it to be taken, and their containment is destroyed. Keaton then remarks that "the Mother Brain must not feed her family very well, for him to be so desperate for one of your sandwiches." The intruder alarm is then heard, signaling Samus' arrival.

Ridley, having sensed that Samus' power has increased, decides to make a tactical retreat, and flees. Samus reaches Mother Brain and seemingly destroys her. Meanwhile, Hardy and Keaton find the Baby and, mistaking it for a clone Metroid, shoots at it. Mother Brain's body then forms and the fight ensues. Hardy and Keaton find Houston and then see Samus fighting Mother Brain. Samus overhears them and discovers the Baby. As she mourns its death, she suspects that Mother Brain killed it, and, avenging the baby, defeats Mother Brain. They successfully escape Zebes, the comic concluding with Houston attempting to become Samus' partner.

Trivia

 * Nintendo Power Issue #58 states that what they came up with for Samus's appearance in this comic (because there was little to base it off of in-game) was "something between Princess Leia and Ripley from the Alien series."
 * Interestingly, despite Samus' hair being blonde in the game, her hair is purple in the comic.