TheAliensfranchise and theArmy of Darknessfranchise are two of the most iconic horror franchises, and they crossed over perfectly in a comic-book tie-in, where the adventures of fan favorites Ash and Ripley have been expanded. The third Evil Dead movie alone warranted an entire franchise of its own, spinning out intoArmy of Darkness-branded comic books.
Horror fans get the best of both worlds in the 2014 tie-in seriesArmy of Darknessby Cullen Bunn and Larry Watts, whereAsh pays tribute toAliensafter receiving the ultimate power upgrade. Some would say that Ash couldn’t get more iconic after donning achainsaw where his hand used to be, but he tops that by handcrafting his own mech suit in the depths of outer space.
To best understand how efficient thisAliens-inspired power upgrade is for Ash, along with how this upgrade speaks to an overlooked skill that Ash harbors, it’s important to first delve into how Ash ended up in space to begin with.
TheArmy of DarknessComics Give Ash the PerfectAliens-Like Power Upgrade
Ash Goes to Space in a Tie-In Comic Story
Ash’s space odyssey begins in the minieriesArmy of Darkness:Ash Gets Hitchedby Steve Niles and Nacho Tenorio andArmy of Darkness#1992.1, a one-shot anthology featuring the story “Prelude to Ash in Space” by Bunn, Watts, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and Marshall Dillon. Following the conclusion ofAsh Gets Hitched,Ash finds himself falling through a space-time vortex right before what would’ve been his honeymoon. He finds his way into the dark ages, where he runs into an astrologer, Artemus Vrill, who’s acquired the all-corruptingNecronomicon book of the dead. They then land in 21st-century Florida during the launch of a space shuttle.
Vrill stows away on said shuttle, with Ash chasing after him, and inexplicably, both men (and the book) are launched into space with the shuttle. Upon falling into orbit,the shuttle’s astronauts are infected, becoming Deadites. As Ash gets to know the surviving astronauts and chops up Deadites, the text from the Necronomicon is being uploaded onto the space shuttle’s supercomputer.The evil of the Necronomiconmanages to infect his robotic hand before detaching itself from Ash.
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The robotic hand manages to get an upgrade of its own, manifesting into the return of a cybernetic version of Bad Ash (a.k.a. Evil Ash,the most powerful Deadite). InArmy of Darkness#3 by Bunn, Watts, Aikau Oliva, and Dillon, Ash and the last surviving crew member (especially once another one gets turned into a Deadite) realize how outmatched they are in this fight. To combat Robo-Ash, Ash takes a look at the junk lying around the ship,crafting a robot battle suit that is highly reminiscent of what Ripley wears inAliens.
Ash Creates a NewAliens-Like Robot Suit, But How Efficient Is It?
How Ash’s Suit Holds Up in Battle
Army of Darkness#4 by the same team immediatelyshowcases the suit in action. The first thing Ash does is cut a hole in an astronaut with his mechanic chainsaw arm, lifting him up in the air and slamming him back down while spouting lyrics from classic rock songs (although Bad Ash mistakes the genre for glam rock, which Ash is quick to criticize him for). He then quickly disposes of two more before moving on to his mirror image self.
While Bad Ash makes for a more formidable opponent, there’s a moment at the start where it seems likenot even the most powerful Deadite can handle what this battle suit is capable of. The fight starts with Bad Ash charging at Ash-the-protagonist, with the latter immediately using his mechanical robot arm to catch Bad Ash by the throat. Bad Ash in his grasp, it looks like the fight is over before it even begins - until Bad Ash tosses his evil hand at Ash. The hand sprouts spider-like limbs and a monstrous mouth onto Ash’s exposed face.
The efficiency of his suit showcases just how skilled Ash is as a crafter and creator.
Ash tosses the spider-hand at Bad Ash, who cuts through it before clashing chainsaws with Ash, basicallypicking up where they left off in theArmy of Darknessmovie via hand-to-hand combat. They reach something of a stalemate before Ash noticesthe Ex-Mortis power of the Necronomiconis attached to Bad Ash’s chest. Once Ash cuts it off, Bad Ash is weakened. Now that the suit has served its purpose, Ash emerges out of the suit, kicking away at Bad Ash’s lifeless body and walking away with the Necronomicon in hand.
Army of Darkness' Ash is the MacGyver of the Horror Genre
Ash Can Make Anything Out of Just About Any Material
Besides just how gnarly Ash’s tribute to Ellen Ripley’s battle suit is, the efficiency of his suit showcases justhow skilled Ash is as a crafter and creator. It’s a skill that has been on display since the start of theEvil Deadfranchise when he made use of not having a hand by using a chainsaw as a tourniquet and a weapon. That was inEvil Dead II: Dead by Dawn;then, inArmy of Darkness, he manages to make an actual metal hand (better known as the Mechanical Gauntlet or the Metal Gauntlet) with help from the local blacksmith.
Keep in mind that, in the latter case, he is using dated technology and resources from 1300 AD, and he still manages to make something useful out of practically nothing. He does the same in this “Ash in Space” story. While the technology he finds on the space shuttle is far more advanced compared to what he found in medieval times, he’s using leftover junk, most of which probably doesn’t even work anymore. Yet,he essentially makes something out of nothingwhen he makes what appears to be a high-tech suit out of low-grade weaponry.
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It’s even more impressive if readers consider the possibility that theAliensnod isn’t just an homage from the creative team. It’s possible that, in-universe, Ash actually attempts to model his suit based on that seen in theAlienssequel. In that case, he was able to model a nearly exact replica out of recycled space trash. Ash has a gift for making great crafts out of unused knick-knacks. There are few examples of horror characters who can do the same, but it’s a MacGyver-esque ability that can’t be overlooked, especially when it gave theArmy of Darknessstar the perfectAlienssuit.
Army of Darkness
Cast
The third film in Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy, Army of Darkness, is a horror comedy film that sees Bruce Campbell return to the role of Ash Williams. Sucked out of his timeline and tossed to 1300 A.D., Ash is found and thrown in a pit after he is believed to be a spy against King Arthur. After proving himself and slaying a supernatural Deadite creature, Ash is freed and told to return home; he must find the Necronomicon and dance with the dead again.
Aliens
Aliens, released in 1986, follows Ripley as she joins a group of Colonial Marines returning to LV-426, site of her previous encounter with the extraterrestrial species. Having been in hypersleep for 57 years, her story of survival is met with doubt, yet she assists in confronting the new threat.
