The Luminous Incal

The Luminous Incal is the second issue of The Incal and part of the first volume of The Incal saga. It's divided in five chapters. In this issue John encounters the Black Incal for the first time, and the character of Animah is introduced.

While the previous issue, The Black Incal, mainly took place in City Shaft, this issue showcases its outskirts. Is also interesting to note that although this issue is called The Luminous Incal is mostly about the Black Incal, and viceversa regarding the previous issue, which ties into the themes of the saga.

It was published in 1982 by Les Humanoïdes Associés. It was written by Alejandro Jodorowsky, illustrated by Moebius and colored by Isabelle Beaumenay-Joannet.

Ove Tenebrae
In Techno City, the Techno-pope is about to dissect John to extract the Luminous Incal. The followers of Darkness are chanting “Ove Tenebrae!”, as the Shadow Egg is launched into space. Deepo, who has escaped from an identification robot, watches horrified.

Panic on the Inside/Outside
Deepo saves John by shattering the Techno-pope’s Shadow Crown and momentarily paralyzes him, nullifying his power, and bursting his Pyscho-abdomen into millions of glistening marbles. This allows DiFool to take mental control of the platform, and recover communication with the Luminous Incal. The Techno-pope recovers and releases the Pegaz, but John gets inside the Generator before they can get to him.

Animah!
Inside the exterior sphere there’s an empty inside sphere guarded by a Cardioclaw. With the power of the Luminous Incal the Cardioclaw is destroyed and it morphs into a flower, revealing the Black Incal. As a result of all the liberated energy the Techno City collapses. Meanwhile, in the Floating Palace, Kabos suggest to the Prezident to ask the Emperoress for help with chaotic situation.

In the ruins of Techno City, the Techno-pope is about to kill John with his last gasp, but Animah shoots him down. Animah, mounted on a Psychorat, approaches and faces DiFool him, which prompts him to say that he has waited “ten thousand years for you, I’ve dreamt of you ten thousand times”, John is struck by Animah’s presence, and she peacefully takes the Black Incal from him.

Deprezzive Class Struggle
Back in Shaft City, the riots have evolved into a full-fledged revolution. The Amok warriors, leaded by Kill and supported by other mercenary factions, have begun to attack the Floating Palace, using Techno-techno equipment, and they eventually manage to get inside the Palace. The other side is scrambling, a hunchback gives the Prezident the royal transmitter, further pressuring him to call the Emperoress, but the Prezident strickes down the hunchback with the halo sickness for daring to insult his highness. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the Prezident decides to finally make use of the hyper-transmitter to get in touch with the Emperoress, while a multitude waits outside the dawn door of the imperial alloy, eager to lynch him.

The Emperoress
Meanwhile, the Metabaron has successfully reached the ruins of Techno City (after eliminating a nearby Berg squadron) and has seemingly killed John DiFool and Deepo. He takes the corpses back to the Lair of the Amok, where Tanatah also wants to dissect John to extract the Luminous Incal. In the Floating Palace the Emperoress is telling off the Prezident for various reasons: The riots, the Berg invasion (he/she has sent the imperial fleet), the Shadow Egg disrupting their sun’s corona, and the destruction of Techno City. The megaholiness is also disturbed by the presence of the Incal, and advises him to turn into the Necrodroid and start resolving the situation on the ground. Meanwhile, in the Lair of Amok, Tanatah has betrayed the Metabaron and she plans to kill him and his son because she fears the potential power of Solune. Right when they are about to get killed John resurrects, and Metabaron and Solune outsmart their captor, killing all the Amok guards in the Lair. At that moment, Tanata hears the news of the release of Necrodroid and realizes her rebellion hasn’t succeeded. She decides to join forces with John DiFool and the Metabaron, and tells them that the only chance they have to defeat the Necrodroid is by using both the Luminous and Black Incals, however John no longer has the Black one, and both need to be reunited. Tanatah explains that the Incals come from the Center of the Planet, and that she actually was the guardian of the Black Incal along with her sister Animah, who guarded the Luminous one. Tanatah had stolen the Black Incal, came to the surface and exchanged it for Techno-techno equipment to launch her rebellion.

To get to the Center of the Planet, they pass through Tanatah’s bunker (whose roof caves in, killing her mutant servants) and they use the Metabaron’s metacraft (whose engine is ruined) to reach the other side of the Great Acid Lake, using grippling hooks to pull themselves across the lake.

Other Issues

 * 1) The Black Incal (1981)
 * 2) The Luminous Incal (1982)
 * 3) What Lies Beneath (1984)
 * 4) What is Above (1985)
 * 5) The Fifth Essence: The Dreaming Galaxy (1988)
 * 6) The Fifth Essence: Planet DiFool (1988)