The Shadow over Innsmouth and Miriya Parina Sterling: Difference between pages
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{{Infobox Book | <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] --> |
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| name |
| name = Miriya Parina Sterling |
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| series = [[Robotech]] |
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| image = [[Image:Millia macross tele.jpg|left|240px|Miriya Parina Sterling]] |
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| image_caption = Dust-jacket from the first edition |
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| caption = |
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| first = Episode 18 - "Farewell, Big Brother" |
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| illustrator = Frank Utpatel |
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| last = |
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| cover_artist = Frank Utpatel |
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| creator = |
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| voiced by = [[Edie Mirman]] |
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| oaux* name = |
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| genre = [[Horror fiction|Horror]] [[novella]] |
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| oaux* = |
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| publisher = [[Visionary Publishing Company]] |
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| nickname = Ace of the Zentraedi Elite Forces |
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| pub_date = April, 1936 |
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| alias = |
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| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]]) |
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| age = Unknown |
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| gender = Female |
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| species = [[Zentradi]] |
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| born = Unknown |
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| death = |
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| nationality = |
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| class = |
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| occupation = Captain of the Quadrano Squadron (until April 2011)/ Veritech Fighter Pilot (United Earth Forces April 2011-2022) ([[Robotech Expeditionary Force]] (REF) 2022-2044) |
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| title = |
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| relatives = [[Max Sterling]] ''(Husband)''<br>[[Dana Sterling]] ''(Daughter)''<br>[[Maia Sterling]] ''(Daughter)'' |
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:''This article is about the character from [[Robotech]]. See ''[[Milia Fallyna Jenius]]'' for the original inspiration for this character in ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross]]''. |
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'''"The Shadow Over Innsmouth"''' is a [[novella]] by [[H. P. Lovecraft]]. Written November-December [[1931 in literature|1931]], the story was first published in April [[1936 in literature|1936]]; this was the only fiction of Lovecraft's published during his lifetime that did not appear in a periodical.<ref>August Derleth, "H. P. Lovecraft—Outsider", p. 18, ''Crypt of Cthulhu #93''.</ref> |
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'''Miriya Parina Sterling''', voiced by [[Edie Mirman]], is one of the [[fictional characters]] in the [[anime]] [[television series]] Robotech. She is the self-styled "finest combat pilot in all the [[Zentraedi]] forces." She is distinguished by her slim figure, green eyes and her long green hair. |
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The story describes of a strange [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] race, half-human and half an unknown creature that resembles a cross between a fish and frog, that dwells in the seaside village of [[Innsmouth]] (formerly a large town, but lately fallen into disrepair). The townspeople worship [[Cthulhu]] and [[Dagon]], a [[Philistine]] deity incorporated into the [[Cthulhu Mythos]]. |
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==First Robotech War== |
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==Inspiration== |
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Miriya enters the [[First Robotech War]] as Commander [[Azonia]]'s first officer and the leader of the Quadrono forces. Miriya is a female warlord and is considered the greatest warrior of all the Zentraedi. She is a fearsome warrior who pilots the [[Zentraedi]] Power Armor and she considered herself to be unbeatable in combat. When the Zentraedi attack the [[SDF-1 Macross|SDF-1]] in 2009, Miriya leads several raids against the human forces, including one in which Ace pilot [[Roy Focker|Roy Fokker]] is killed. Miriya enjoys combat and takes great pride in the fact that she has never once failed to defeat a foe in combat. |
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In April of 2011, upon a challenge from [[Khyron]] that there was a "Micronian" [human] ace aboard the [[SDF-1 Macross|SDF-1]] that even she could not best, who happens to be [[Max Sterling]]. Intrigued, Miriya takes it upon herself to engage him in combat but finds herself frustrated as she cannot defeat him, a situation which she had never faced before nor did she think was possible. Determined to maintain her reputation, Miriya decides to be micronized to human form so she can infiltrate the SDF-1 to find the pilot and kill him. During the micronization process, Miriya's height is reduced from 8.55 metres (28 feet) to 1.78 metres (5.8 feet) and her weight is reduced from 6,250 kilograms (13,779 pounds) to 53 kilograms (117 pounds). After infiltrating the SDF-1, Miriya explores Macross City and marvels at human culture. |
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[[Robert M. Price]] cites two works as literary sources for "The Shadow Over Innsmouth": [[Robert W. Chambers]]' "The Harbor-Master" and [[Irvin S. Cobb]]'s "Fishhead". Chambers' story concerns the discovery of "the remnants of the last race of amphibious human beings", living in a five-mile deep chasm just off the [[Atlantic]] coast. The creature of the title is described as "a man with round, fixed, fishy eyes, and soft, slaty skin. But the horror of the thing were the two gills that swelled and relaxed spasmodically."<ref>Robert W. Chambers, "The Harbor-Master", ''The Innsmouth Cycle'', p. 22.</ref> |
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At a video game arcade (which Miriya believes is a combat training facility), she again finds herself unbeatable at a combat simulation game until she is challenged to a duel by [[Max Sterling]], who is the incredibly skilled pilot whom Miriya had dueled against in real combat. Max, who is attracted to Miriya, challenges her to a video game in the hope of getting to know her better. After a short game, Max defeats her, and Miriya concludes (correctly) that Max must be the ace pilot which she faced in real combat. Miriya is furious that she has been beaten again but as she storms off, Max asks her out on a date. Miriya, still determined to defeat him, accepts, although she secretly plots to kill him. Max, after consulting with his friend [[Rick Hunter]] about what he should wear, arrives at the park where he awaits Miriya's arrival. Hiding in the bushes, Miriya draws a knife and runs toward Max who, proclaiming, in English, a Zentraedi war cry: ''"Maximillian, prepare for your doom!"'' and throws the knife at him. Despite the surprise, Max is able to dodge Miriya's first attack and the knife buries itself in a tree. Miriya reveals that she is a Zentraedi warrior and that her mission is revenge against him, promoting Max to say ''"There goes out first date."'' Drawing a second knife, she continues to swing and thrust the knife at Max. Max manages to pull the first knife out of the tree and after a short fight, Max manages to disarm her and points the knife at her face while proudly proclaiming ''"I guess I win again."'' Beaten for a third time, Miriya becomes emotionally despondent and her anger and hatred give way to sadness. She falls to her knees, and asks Max to kill her. Crying, Miriya believes she cannot live with the shame of being defeated and that her only option now to die by his hand. Yet despite everything that has just occurred, Max puts his finger under her chin and says that he could never harm her because she is so beautiful. Max and Miriya look into each other's eyes and Miriya realizes that the feelings she holds toward Max are not of hate but of love. The two, after seemingly floating in air towards each other, passionately kiss. Max wipes a tear from Miriya's cheek and, although he admits is sound crazy, asks her to marry him. Miriya, although she has no idea what marriage is, accepts his proposal. <ref name=Robotech25>[[Robotech]], episode 25: Wedding Bells (summary available at [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/episodes/viewepisode.php?episode=25&seriescode=MAC Episode 25: Wedding Bells] at Robotech.com</ref> |
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Lovecraft was evidently impressed by this tale, writing in a letter to [[Frank Belknap Long]]: "God! The Harbour-Master!!!"<ref>H. P. Lovecraft, letter to Frank Belknap Long, October 17, 1930; cited in Robert M. Price, ''The Innsmouth Cycle'', p. 3.</ref> |
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Wedding preparations begin the same day and the two are married in a historic wedding aboard the SDF-1. Max and Miriya are the first union of a human and a Zentraedi, which becomes an unlikely symbol of peace between the two races as their wedding raises hopes throughout the SDF-1 that peace with the Zentraedi is possible.<ref name=Robotech25/> |
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"Fishhead" is the story of a "human monstrosity" with an uncanny resemblance to a fish: |
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The wedding proves to be such a significant event that the Zentraedi also observe the wedding (which was broadcast on television). [[Breetai]], who is watching the event on his monitor, asks [[Exedore]] what Miriya is doing. Exedore explains that she is ''"getting married,"'' which he explains to Breetai is ''"a condition in which male and female live together."'' Breetai, despite his view that marriage is a ''"strange Micronian custom,"'' nonetheless believes that Miriya is enjoying herself and he wonders aloud what he suspects: that Miriya, like previous Zentraedi defectors, has found the human way of life too enjoyable to resist. Exedore comments that human emotions are something which the Zentraedi seem to have no defense against. Breetai is subsequently ordered by Zentraedi supreme commander [[Dolza]] to launch a full scale assault to destroy the SDF-1, but by now, Breetai, like many of the Zentraedi under him, is having second thoughts. The battle begins after the wedding ceremony and Miriya insists that Max take her with him in his veritech fighter. Holding hands, the two race off to battle. During the fight, Miriya shows Max how to disable Zentraedi power armer without killing the pilots. This new tactic is then utilized by the rest of the SDF-1's forces. This development, combined with the Zentraedi's increased exposure to human emotions and the realization that the human way of life may just be more enjoyable (a feeling that was amplified by watching Miriya, their greatest warrior, get married to a human) causes a wave of mutanies to spread through the Zentraedi fleet as soldiers refuse to fight and turn against their superiors. [[Breetai]], realizing that his forces can no longer fight, is forced to call a truce with the SDF-1, although by now even Breetai has accepted that the humans do not have to be his enemies.<ref name=Robotech25/> |
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:His skull sloped back so abruptly that he could hardly be said to have a forehead at all; his chin slanted off right into nothing. His eyes were small and round with shallow, glazed, pink-yellow pupils, and they were set wide apart on his head, and they were unwinking and staring, like a fish's eyes.<ref>Irvin S. Cobb, "Fishhead", ''The Innsmouth Cycle'', p. 27.</ref> |
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Miriya initially has trouble adopting to life among humans and a culture that she never knew existed only a short time earlier. On their wedding night, her first attempt to cook proves disastrous (and humorous) as she mistakingly uses cooking oil in a coffee pot, which starts a fire in the kitchen. Max, after putting out the fire with an extinguisher, sighs and states that mornings are going to be rough without any coffee.<ref name=Robotech25/> Despite the rocky start to their marriage, the two enjoy their wedding night. In the [[Jack McKinney]] novel Force of Arms (book five of the series) Miriya, who had never even heard of, let alone experienced, physical intimacy before, later reflects on this experience: ''"kissing was still an amazing thing to her; lovemaking left her at a complete loss for words"''. |
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Lovecraft, in "[[Supernatural Horror in Literature]]", called Cobb's story "banefully effective in its portrayal of unnatural affinities between a hybrid idiot and the strange fish of an isolated lake".<ref>H. P. Lovecraft, "Supernatural Horror in Literature", ''Dagon and Other Macabre Tales'', p. 411.</ref> |
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Miriya sticks by Max's side through the rest of the war and helps rebuild Earth from the ashes left by Dolza's fleet. Miriya proves herself an extremely skilled veritech pilot becomes Max's wingmate and pilots a distinctive red veritech fighter alongside Max's blue one. The two settle down in New Macross City, built around the ruins of the SDF-1, and begin a new life together. In October 2012, Miriya gives birth to a daughter, [[Dana Sterling]], the first child born from a Human/Zentraedi union. Max and Miriya happily embrace their new role as parents, and can often be seen walking together holding arms in New Macross City while pushing a baby carriage.<ref name=Robotech28>[[Robotech]], episode 28: Reconstruction Blues (summary available at [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/episodes/viewepisode.php?episode=28&seriescode=MAC Episode 28: Reconstruction Blues] at Robotech.com</ref> Miriya shows as much love for her child as any human mother could; and views it as a miracle that she could create life inside her own body. Like Max, Miriya looks foward to raising her daughter in a new and peaceful world, but when Zentraedi rebellions begin to break out in March of 2013, both are forced back into combat. |
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Price notes that Fishhead, as the "son of a Negro father and a half-breed Indian mother", "embodies unambiguously the basic premise of 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth'.... This, of course, is really what Lovecraft found revolting in the idea of interracial marriage...the subtextual hook of different ethnic races mating and 'polluting' the gene pool."<ref>Robert M. Price, ''The Innsmouth Cycle'', p. 24. The creature in "The Harbor-Master" as well is mistaken for a "demented darky". Chambers, "The Harbor-Master", p. 20.</ref> |
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In June 2013, Max and Miriya take part in an important mission under [[Breetai]] into deep space to capture the last remaining Zentraedi factory satellite. The mission proves highly unorthodox when Admiral [[Bruno J. Global|Henry J. Gloval]] asks them to bring their baby daughter Dana (who is only eight months old) along to serve as a diversion. After Breetai's ship defolds near the factory, Max and Miriya blast into the enemy Zentraedi command ship's control area in their veritech fighters. Miriya then proudly displays baby Dana, cradled in her arms and wearing a tiny pink and white Dr. Dentons spacesuit, to the hostile Zentraedi onboard. The hostile Zentraedi, who have had no exposure to human culture and have never seen a baby before, recoil in shock as one soldier shouts ''"That thing is deformed!"'' Dana cooes as she brings her hands to the faceshield of her helmet in an effort to rub her eyes, prompting another Zentraedi soldier to shout ''"It moves!"'' Miriya smilies and explains that ''"in the micronian [human] language, this is what is called an infant; actually created inside my own body. But by both of us,"'' indicating towards Max. Miriya then declares that Dana is a symbol of protoculture and love and lifts Dana above her head in full view of all the Zentraedi in the area while declaring ''"Observe the power of protoculture! the power of love!"'' The Zentraedi become filled with terror as they conclude Dana is a mutation who is contagious and flee in fear. The resulting chaos aboard the enemy command ship causes disorder throughout the enemy fleet, allowing the United Earth Forces and their Zentraedi allies under [[Breetai]] to seize the factory.<ref name=Robotech30>[[Robotech]], episode 30: Viva Miriya (summary available at [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/episodes/viewepisode.php?episode=30&seriescode=MAC Episode 30: Viva Miriya] at Robotech.com</ref> |
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Price points out the resemblance in names between the Deep One city of Y'ha-nthlei and Yoharneth-Lahai, a fictional deity in [[Lord Dunsany]]'s ''[[The Gods of Pegana]]'' who "sendeth little dreams out of Pegana to please the people of Earth"--a precursor to Lovecraft's fictional deity [[Cthulhu]], who sends less pleasant dreams from [[R'lyeh]].<ref>Lord Dunsany, "Of Yoharneth-Lahai", ''The Innsmouth Cycle'', p. 2.</ref> |
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Miriya's happy marriage and her baby daughter are the envy of [[Lisa Hayes]], who struggles with her feelings for [[Rick Hunter]] throughout the first Robotech Saga. [[Claudia Grant]], whose lover [[Roy Focker|Roy Fokker]] was killed in the [[First Robotech War]], also envies Miriya and her family, as she was never able to have a child of her own with Roy. |
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The description of the Deep Ones also has some similarities with the sea creature mentioned in [[H.G. Wells]]' short story [http://www.horrormasters.com/Text/a1047.pdf In the Abyss] (1896); "Two large and protruding eyes projected from sockets in chameleon fashion, and it had a broad reptilian mouth with horny lips beneath its little nostrils. In the position of the ears were two huge gill-covers, and out of these floated a branching tree of coralline filaments, almost like the. tree-like gills that very young rays and sharks possess. But the humanity of the face was not the most extraordinary thing about the creature. It was a biped; its almost globular body was poised on a tripod of two frog-like legs and a long, thick tail, and its fore limbs, which grotesquely caricatured the human hand, much as a frog’s do, carried a long shaft of bone, tipped with copper. The colour of the creature was variegated; its head, hands, and legs were purple; but its skin, which hung loosely upon it, even as clothes might do, was a phosphorescent grey." |
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==Secondary Continuity== |
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For Miriya, the emotional changes she experiences during the series are profound. At the beginning of the series, Miriya is a ruthless Zentraedi warrior who has known nothing but war her entire life. In only two years, she becomes not only a loving wife but also a mother. This incredible transformation is expressed in the following passage from the decanonized Jack McKinney novel "Doomsday" (book six of the series): |
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[[Image:Shadow over innsmouth.JPG|left|thumb|230px|1994 cover to a Hardcover Collection Edited by [[Stephen Jones (author)]] that contains the story [[the Shadow Over Innsmouth]] and stories inspired by it. Contributors are [[Neil Gaiman]], [[Ramsey Campbell]], [[David Sutton]], [[Jack Yeovil]] and thirteen more terrifying tales.]] |
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The story is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter, the narrator begins by telling the reader that a secret investigation has recently been undertaken by the government at the ruined town of [[Innsmouth]], Massachusetts, and that the story told to them by the narrator himself is the reason for this investigation. He proceeds to describe in detail the events surrounding his initial interest in the town (antiquarian and architectural). While he waits for the bus that will take him to Innsmouth, he busies himself in the neighboring town of Newburyport by gathering information from local townsfolk; all of it with superstitious overtones. |
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<blockquote> |
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The second chapter details his ride into Innsmouth, described in great detail as a crumbling, mostly deserted town full of dilapidated structures and people who look just a bit odd and who tend to walk with a distinct shambling gait. All of this is offputting to the narrator, who describes the people as having the "Innsmouth look", "queer narrow heads with flat noses and bulgy, stary eyes". Only one person in town appears normal, a young clerk at the local First National grocery store who comes from neighbouring [[Arkham]]. The narrator gathers much information from the clerk, including a map of the town and the name of a local who might be a good source of information; a man named [[#Allen, Zadok|Zadok Allen]], known to open up about the town when plied with drink. |
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''The baby was peacefully asleep on her breast, and just looking at her, it was all Miriya could do to keep from weeping for joy. A miracle, she told herself ten times a day: that she and Max could produce such innocent loveliness; that she, a former warrior, could feel this way about anyone or anything. Such unknown contentment and pure rapture.''</blockquote> |
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In the same novel, [[Rick Hunter]] writes, in reference to the operation against the factory satellite, that: "''Love, like size, had lost all meaning - love was a battle maneuver ... The only one among us who seemed to know anything about that elusive emotion was Miriya, wedded to the infant she'd given birth to as much as she was Max''." As Max and Miriya join in the subsequent battle against the now disorganized enemy Zentraedi fleet, Miriya pilots her fighter while holding Dana in her lap. As the battle rages, Miriya clutches Dana more tightly to herself, while Dana waves her arms joyously at the explosions going on all around her. The book states that Miriya fought with more fury than she even had before "''as though the small life she held in her arms was a treasure more precious than any the universe could offer, a life worth preserving at all costs.''" |
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The majority of the third chapter is composed of the conversation between Zadok and the narrator. Zadok, who is very old, has seen much in the town and goes on at length, telling a tale of fish-frog men known as [[Deep One]]s who live beneath the sea. It seems they bring prosperity in the form of fish as well as fantastically wrought gold [[jewelry]] to those who offer them human sacrifice. These fish-frog men are amphibious and willing to come to land to mate with humans, creating deformed offspring which can live forever. These fish-frog men were first discovered in the Indies by a native island tribe, which was itself found by a resident of Innsmouth named [[#Marsh, Obed|Obed Marsh]]. When hard times befell Innsmouth, Obed and some followers did what they could to call up the fish-frog men in their New England town. When the story is over, the narrator is unnerved but thinks it a product of a fertile imagination. |
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In the decanonized book "Force of Arms" (book 5 of the series) by [[Jack McKinney]], Miriya's giving birth to Dana is all the more extraordinary because nobody could figure out how Max and Miriya had been able to conceive a child since no Zentraedi male-female reproduction had ever been recorded. Explanations that were provided by scientists are that Miriya's consumption of human-style food (as opposed to antiseptic rations of the Zentraedi) and her exposure to emotions had caused subtle biochemical changes. Some even wondered if Dana was actually Max and Miriya's child at all but, as proved by exhaustive tests, Dana was indisputably their child. To [[Lisa Hayes]], the only explanation that made sense (or mattered) was that Dana was the result of the love that Max and Miriya had for one another. |
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Chapter four tells of the night that the narrator was forced to spend in town, after being told that the bus in which he came to town is experiencing engine trouble. The narrator has no choice but to spend the night in a musty hotel. While attempting to sleep, he hears noises at his door like someone trying to enter. Wasting no time, he attempts to escape out a window and through the streets, at times imitating the peculiar walk of the Innsmouth locals. Eventually he makes his way to some train tracks where he hears a great many creatures passing in the road before him. He hides and resolves to close his eyes, having at this point come to accept the idea that Zadok's story is true. He cannot keep them closed however, and upon seeing the fish-frog creatures in full light for the first time, faints in his hiding spot. |
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==Robotech Expeditionary Force== |
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In the final chapter, we hear of how the narrator wakes up unharmed and quickly walks to the next town (Rowley MA). Over the years that pass, he begins doing research into his family tree, discovering some disturbing information along the way. Eventually it becomes clear that he is a descendant of Obed Marsh himself and nightmares accompany the narrator's realization that he is changing into one of the creatures. As the story ends, the narrator tells us that his horror at the idea is changing into acceptance, and that he will be quite happy living forever in the city [[Deep One#Y'ha-nthlei|Y'ha-nthlei]], deep beneath the sea. He also has a cousin who is even further transformed than he is being held in a [[mental hospital]] whom he plans to break free and take with him. |
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In 2022, The [[Robotech Expeditionary Force]]s (REF), led by the newly completed [[SDF-3]], departed from Earth on a mission into deep space to find the [[Robotech Masters]]' homeworld. Max and Miriya, along with [[Rick Hunter|Rick]], [[Lisa Hayes|Lisa Hayes-Hunter]], [[Vince Grant]] and Jean Grant are among those who left on the mission in hopes of preventing another war on Earth. Max and Miriya reluctantly leave Dana, now 10 years old, behind with Major General [[Rolf Emerson]], a close family friend. Dana would eventually follow in her parents footsteps and becomes one of the first graduates of the United Earth Military academy. Dana, who has her parents' military skills and instincts, becomes the leading character of the [[Second Robotech War]] when the [[Robotech Masters]], having left their homeworld 15 years earlier, reach Earth to reclaim the protoculture in the ruins of the SDF-1 in 2029. |
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Max and Miriya hoped that the mission would be over quickly but events would keep the SDF-3 away from Earth for the rest of Dana's childhood. The mission would last 22 years, during which time Max and Miriya would have a second daughter, [[Maia Sterling]], who would become the leader of Skull Squadron during the [[Reflex Point]] assault towards the end of the [[Third Robotech War]]. |
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==Characters== |
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===Robert Olmstead=== |
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The narrator of the story, he discovers [[Innsmouth]] on a tour of New England seeking [[genealogy|genealogical]] information, and finds more than he bargains for. The character, unnamed in "A Shadow Over Innsmouth", is called "Robert Olmstead" in Lovecraft's notes for the story, published in [[Arkham House]]'s ''Something About Cats and Other Pieces'' (1949).<ref>S. T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, "Olmstead, Robert", ''An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'', p. 194.</ref> |
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In order to avoid infringing on the original designs for Macross characters designed by Haruhiko Mikimoto, Miriya, like other Macross characters was redesigned for later Robotech productions, including [[Robotech II: The Sentinels]]. In contrast to her long bright green hair in the original series, Miriya now sports a much shorter hairstyle with a darker green colour. |
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''[[An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia]]'' points out that Olmstead's travel habits parallel Lovecraft's own--Lovecraft too would "seek |
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the cheapest route", and Olmstead's dinner of "vegetable soup with crackers" is typical of Lovecraft's low-budget diet.<ref>S. T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", ''An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'', pp. 239-240.</ref> |
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==Current Status== |
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Miriya's status and location in the new ''[[Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles]]'' saga is unknown. Unlike the rest of Robotech's surviving first generation characters, there is no mention of Miriya in the comic series ''[[Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles]]''. Many fans consider this and the fact that all of the other Zentraedi characters of note are already deceased as evidence that Miriya herself has already passed away. Maia mentions (in Shadow Chronicles) that "Most of my family was aboard the SDF-3." Which family members is left unstated, though the use of a plural form seems to indicate multiple family members. One explanation that has been proposed is that Miriya died giving birth to [[Maia Sterling]], which would also explain the tension between Maia and [[Dana Sterling]] in the comic series. However, an alternate explanation for the tension between Dana and Maia is that Dana is angry that, after being left behind on Earth, her parents had another daughter and that she had, in her mind, been "replaced" by Maia. However, there is no evidence to support either of these explanations, although it is possible that Miriya's fate will be revealed in a future Robotech installment. |
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A sea captain and the founder of the Esoteric Order of Dagon. He was referred to by [[#Zadok Allen|Zadok Allen]] as being the man who first summoned the [[Deep One]]s to Innsmouth. In [[1846]], he was jailed after the towns bordering Innsmouth became suspicious of his crew. He died in 1878. |
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According to Lovecraft's story notes, Marsh's daughter Alice is Robert Olmstead's great-grandmother.<ref>Joshi and Schultz, "Olmstead, Robert", p. 194.</ref> |
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===Barnabas Marsh=== |
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Barnabas Marsh, known as Old Man Marsh, is the grandson of Obed Marsh and the owner of the Marsh refinery at the time of "The Shadow over Innsmouth". His father, Onesiphorus Marsh, was Obed's son by his first, fully human wife, while his mother, never seen in public, was apparently a [[Deep One|deep one]]. Zadok Allen says of him: "Right naow Barnabas is abaout changed. Can't shet his eyes no more, an' is all aout o' shape. They say he still wears clothes, but he'll take to the water soon." |
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===Zadok Allen=== |
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One of the few completely human residents of [[Innsmouth]]. An alcoholic, his drunken ramblings allow Lovecraft to convey much of the town's secret backstory to the story's protagonist. Born in 1831, Allen disappears and dies in 1927 after being taken and sacrificed by the [[Esoteric Order of Dagon]]. |
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''An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'' notes that Allen resembles--and shares his years of birth and death with--Jonathan E. Hoag, an amateur poet of Lovecraft's acquaintance. A possible literary inspiration is the character of Dr. Humphrey Lathrop in Herbert Gorman's ''The Place Called Dagon'' (1927), who, like Allen, is a drinker who knows the secret history of his town.<ref>S. T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, "Allen, Zadok", ''An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'', pp. 3, 239.</ref> |
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== Cthulhu Mythos == |
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* The creature known as [[Dagon]] is first introduced in Lovecraft's [[1917 in literature|1917]] [[Dagon (short story)|tale of the same name]]. |
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* As related in "[[The Thing on the Doorstep]]" ([[1937 in literature|1937]]), [[The Thing on the Doorstep#Asenath Waite Derby|Asenath Waite]], the possessed victim of her father [[The Thing on the Doorstep#Ephraim Waite|Ephraim Waite]], is by implication one of the human/deep one hybrids, and was a resident of Innsmouth before attending [[Miskatonic University]]. The servants she brings into her marriage to [[The Thing on the Doorstep#Edward Derby|Edward Derby]] are likewise Innsmouth natives. This occurs after "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" and Asenath's father and she escaped the government raid mentioned in the original story. |
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* The Waites, Gilmans, Eliots and Marshes are the "gently bred" families of Innsmouth. Despite his name, the protagonist of "[[The Dreams in the Witch House]]", [[The Dreams in the Witch House#Walter Gilman|Walter Gilman]], is not established as having any links to Innsmouth or the deep ones. |
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* August Derleth also used the deep ones in the short story "Innsmouth Clay", which he completed from Lovecraft's notes. "The Shuttered Room" is another short story started by Lovecraft and finished by Derleth that involves the deep ones. It mentions a connection between the Marsh family of Innsmouth and the Whateley family of Dunwich from "[[The Dunwich Horror]]". |
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==Adaptations== |
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*"The Shadow Over Innsmouth" is the principal storyline in the [[2001 in film|2001]] film ''[[Dagon (2001 movie)|Dagon]]'', which also credits the Lovecraft short story of the same name. |
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*The town of Innsmouth is the backdrop for the [[2005 in games|2005]] [[Xbox]]/[[Personal computer game|PC game]] ''[[Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth]]'', the opening plot of which follows the second, third and fourth chapters of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" with a great degree of accuracy (though the game takes place several years prior to the book and with a different protagonist, and could be considered a prequel). |
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*The [[2007 in film|2007]] film ''[[Cthulhu (2007 film)|Cthulhu]]'' is loosely based on "The Shadow Over Innsmouth." |
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*The [[H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society]] is currently working on ''[[Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: The Shadow Over Innsmouth]]'', a [[Dark Adventure Radio Theatre]] adaptation of the story, similar to their previous adaptations of ''[[Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: At the Mountains of Madness|At the Mountains of Madness]]'' and ''[[Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: The Dunwich Horror|The Dunwich Horror]]''. |
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==Other Appearances== |
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* "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" is the inspiration of the dark electronic band [[God Module]]'s song "Forseen" from the 2005 CD titled "Viscera." |
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* Lovecraft-inspired Canadian punk band [[Darkest of the Hillside Thickets]] humourously references this story in the song "The Innsmouth Look". |
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*The story inspired the song "[[The Thing That Should Not Be]]", released on [[Metallica]]'s third album ''[[Master of Puppets]]'', as well as the song "Endsmouth" by [[Agents of Oblivion]]. There is also a [[Dominican Republic|Dominican]] [[black metal]] band named Innsmouth. |
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*In the [[Call of Cthulhu role-playing game]], the raid on Innsmouth by government agents eventually leads to the creation of [[Delta Green]] and its mission to combat the [[Old Ones]] whenever possible. |
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*The town of Innsmouth is the setting for the [[Germany|German]] [[Ullstein Verlag]] [[role-playing game]] book ''Stadt der Dämonen'' ("City of Demons"). The reader plays the role of a [[museum curator]] who attempts to prevent the resurrection of [[Dagon (short story)|Dagon]], which takes place in the town. Obed and Barnabas Marsh are also referenced, as well as [[Cthulhu]] and the [[Necronomicon]]. |
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* ''Innsmouth no Yakata'' (roughly translated as "Innsmouth Mansion"), released for the Nintendo Virtual Boy in Japan, is loosely based on the book. |
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* In ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'', the quest "The Shadow over Hackdirt" entails rescuing a girl captive from the cultist village of Hackdirt, in tribute to "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". The MMORPG ''[[RuneScape]]'' also has a quest inspired by this story, featuring a character named Lovecraft. |
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*The two short story collections ''[[Shadows Over Innsmouth]]'' followed by ''[[Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth]]'' edited by [[Stephen Jones (author)|Stephen Jones]] are collections of sequels to the story by other hands, including [[Ramsey Campbell]] and [[Neil Gaiman]]. |
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* The Shadow Over Innsmouth was used as a base for the 1992 Japanese TV drama series, ''Innsmouth wo Oou Kage'' (インスマスを覆う影, lit. "The Shadow over Innsmouth"). The setting was moved to Japan, but most of the names of locations were left intact, though changed slightly; For example Arkham became Akamu (赤牟) and Dunwich became Danui-shi (壇宇市, lit. "Danui city"). |
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* Colombian writer [[Andres Caicedo]] adapted ''The Shadow Over Innsmouth'' into a screenplay in 1973. He travelled to Hollywood in 1975 to sell it to [[Roger Corman]], alongside his adaptation of Clark Ashton Smith's ''[[The Nameless Offspring]]'', but failed in his purpose. Both of the screenplays were never shot and remain as part of the Andres Caicedo Collection in the [[Luis Angel Arango Library]] in [[Bogota]]. |
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==Reaction== |
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Lovecraft was quite critical of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", writing to August Derleth that the story "has all the defects I deplore--especially in point of style, where hackneyed phrases & rhythms have crept in despite all precautions.... No--I don't intend to offer 'The Shadow over Innsmouth' for publication, for it would stand no chance of acceptance."<ref>H. P. Lovecraft, letter to August Derleth, December 10, 1931; cited in Joshi and Schultz, p. 238.</ref> |
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Indeed, the story was rejected by ''[[Weird Tales]]'' editor [[Farnsworth Wright]] when Derleth surreptitiously submitted it for publication in 1933. "I have read Lovecraft's story...and must confess that it fascinates me," he wrote to Derleth. "But I don't know just what I can do with it. It is hard to break a story of this kind into two parts, and it is too long to run complete in one part."<ref>Farnsworth Wright, letter to August Derleth, January 17, 1933; cited in Joshi and Schultz, pp. 238-239.</ref> |
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It was eventually published as a slim book published by William L. Crawford's [[Visionary Publishing Company]] with a run of 200 copies--the only book of Lovecraft's fiction distributed during his lifetime.<ref>Lin Carter, ''Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos'', p. 83.</ref> After Lovecraft's death (and Wright's), it appeared in an unauthorized abridged version in the January 1942 issue of ''Weird Tales''.<ref>Price, p. 34.</ref> |
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[[August Derleth]] called "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" "a dark, brooding story, typical of Lovecraft at his best."<ref>Carter, p. 83.</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Wikisourcepar|The Shadow Over Innsmouth}} |
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===Bibliography=== |
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*{{cite book | last=Chalker | first=Jack L. | authorlink=Jack L. Chalker | coauthors=Mark Owings | title=The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998 | location=Westminster, MD and Baltimore | publisher=Mirage Press, Ltd.| pages=705 | date=1998}} |
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*{{cite journal|first=August|last=Derleth|authorlink=August Derleth|origyear=1937|year=Lammas 1996|title=H. P. Lovecraft—Outsider|journal=Crypt of Cthulhu #93: A Pulp Thriller and Theological Journal|volume=Vol. 15|issue=No. 3}} [[Robert M. Price]] (ed.), West Warwick, RI: Necronomicon Press. Original publication: {{cite journal|title=H. P. Lovecraft—Outsider|journal=River|volume=Vol. 1|issue=No. 3|year=1937|month=June}} |
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*{{cite book|chapter=The Shadow Over Innsmouth|first=Howard P. <nowiki>[</nowiki>1936<nowiki>]</nowiki>|last=Lovecraft|year=1984|title=The Dunwich Horror and Others|editor=S. T. Joshi (ed.) |edition=9th corrected printing|publisher=Arkham House|location=Sauk City, WI|id=ISBN 0-87054-037-8}} Definitive version. |
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==Footnotes == |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/characters/viewcharacter.php?id=25&seriescode=MAC Official Character Biography] at Robotech.com |
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* [http://www.mythostomes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=61&Itemid=74 "The Shadow Over Innsmouth,"] [[H. P. Lovecraft]]'s original novella about Innsmouth |
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*[http://www.baharna.com/cmythos/innsmap.htm "Map of Innsmouth and Environs"] and a [http://www.baharna.com/cmythos/innsmth.htm "Tourist's Guide to Innsmouth"], from The Cthulhu Mythos: A Guide |
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*[http://manybooks.net/titles/chambersr1866818668-8.html "The Harbor-Master" in ''In Search of the Unknown''], Robert Chambers; complete text from manybooks.net |
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*[http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/fishhead.htm "Fishhead"], by Irwin S. Cobb; complete text from Gaslight |
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*[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Gods_of_Peg%C4%81na#Of_Yoharneth-Lahai_.28_The_God_of_Little_Dreams_and_Fancies.29 "Of Yoharneth-Lahai" from ''The Gods of Pegana''], Lord Dunsany |
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*[http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/j/stephen-jones/shadows-over-innsmouth.htm Shadow over innsmouth 1994 hardcover edition ] (cover below) |
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{{Robotech Characters}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shadow Over Innsmouth, The}} |
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[[Category:1936 short stories]] |
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[[Category:Short stories by H. P. Lovecraft|Short stories by H. P. Lovecraft]] |
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[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos short stories]] |
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[[Category:Massachusetts in fiction]] |
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[[Category:Robotech characters|Sterling, Miriya]] |
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[[es:La sombra sobre Innsmouth]] |
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[[Category:Fictional aviators]] |
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[[fr:Le Cauchemar d'Innsmouth]] |
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[[Category:Fictional extraterrestrials]] |
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[[it:La maschera di Innsmouth]] |
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[[ru:Тень над Иннсмутом]] |
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Revision as of 01:47, 14 October 2008
| Miriya Parina Sterling | |
|---|---|
| Robotech character | |
| First appearance | Episode 18 - "Farewell, Big Brother" |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | Ace of the Zentraedi Elite Forces |
| Species | Zentradi |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Captain of the Quadrano Squadron (until April 2011)/ Veritech Fighter Pilot (United Earth Forces April 2011-2022) (Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) 2022-2044) |
| Relatives | Max Sterling (Husband) Dana Sterling (Daughter) Maia Sterling (Daughter) |
- This article is about the character from Robotech. See Milia Fallyna Jenius for the original inspiration for this character in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross.
Miriya Parina Sterling, voiced by Edie Mirman, is one of the fictional characters in the anime television series Robotech. She is the self-styled "finest combat pilot in all the Zentraedi forces." She is distinguished by her slim figure, green eyes and her long green hair.
First Robotech War
Miriya enters the First Robotech War as Commander Azonia's first officer and the leader of the Quadrono forces. Miriya is a female warlord and is considered the greatest warrior of all the Zentraedi. She is a fearsome warrior who pilots the Zentraedi Power Armor and she considered herself to be unbeatable in combat. When the Zentraedi attack the SDF-1 in 2009, Miriya leads several raids against the human forces, including one in which Ace pilot Roy Fokker is killed. Miriya enjoys combat and takes great pride in the fact that she has never once failed to defeat a foe in combat.
In April of 2011, upon a challenge from Khyron that there was a "Micronian" [human] ace aboard the SDF-1 that even she could not best, who happens to be Max Sterling. Intrigued, Miriya takes it upon herself to engage him in combat but finds herself frustrated as she cannot defeat him, a situation which she had never faced before nor did she think was possible. Determined to maintain her reputation, Miriya decides to be micronized to human form so she can infiltrate the SDF-1 to find the pilot and kill him. During the micronization process, Miriya's height is reduced from 8.55 metres (28 feet) to 1.78 metres (5.8 feet) and her weight is reduced from 6,250 kilograms (13,779 pounds) to 53 kilograms (117 pounds). After infiltrating the SDF-1, Miriya explores Macross City and marvels at human culture.
At a video game arcade (which Miriya believes is a combat training facility), she again finds herself unbeatable at a combat simulation game until she is challenged to a duel by Max Sterling, who is the incredibly skilled pilot whom Miriya had dueled against in real combat. Max, who is attracted to Miriya, challenges her to a video game in the hope of getting to know her better. After a short game, Max defeats her, and Miriya concludes (correctly) that Max must be the ace pilot which she faced in real combat. Miriya is furious that she has been beaten again but as she storms off, Max asks her out on a date. Miriya, still determined to defeat him, accepts, although she secretly plots to kill him. Max, after consulting with his friend Rick Hunter about what he should wear, arrives at the park where he awaits Miriya's arrival. Hiding in the bushes, Miriya draws a knife and runs toward Max who, proclaiming, in English, a Zentraedi war cry: "Maximillian, prepare for your doom!" and throws the knife at him. Despite the surprise, Max is able to dodge Miriya's first attack and the knife buries itself in a tree. Miriya reveals that she is a Zentraedi warrior and that her mission is revenge against him, promoting Max to say "There goes out first date." Drawing a second knife, she continues to swing and thrust the knife at Max. Max manages to pull the first knife out of the tree and after a short fight, Max manages to disarm her and points the knife at her face while proudly proclaiming "I guess I win again." Beaten for a third time, Miriya becomes emotionally despondent and her anger and hatred give way to sadness. She falls to her knees, and asks Max to kill her. Crying, Miriya believes she cannot live with the shame of being defeated and that her only option now to die by his hand. Yet despite everything that has just occurred, Max puts his finger under her chin and says that he could never harm her because she is so beautiful. Max and Miriya look into each other's eyes and Miriya realizes that the feelings she holds toward Max are not of hate but of love. The two, after seemingly floating in air towards each other, passionately kiss. Max wipes a tear from Miriya's cheek and, although he admits is sound crazy, asks her to marry him. Miriya, although she has no idea what marriage is, accepts his proposal. [1]
Wedding preparations begin the same day and the two are married in a historic wedding aboard the SDF-1. Max and Miriya are the first union of a human and a Zentraedi, which becomes an unlikely symbol of peace between the two races as their wedding raises hopes throughout the SDF-1 that peace with the Zentraedi is possible.[1]
The wedding proves to be such a significant event that the Zentraedi also observe the wedding (which was broadcast on television). Breetai, who is watching the event on his monitor, asks Exedore what Miriya is doing. Exedore explains that she is "getting married," which he explains to Breetai is "a condition in which male and female live together." Breetai, despite his view that marriage is a "strange Micronian custom," nonetheless believes that Miriya is enjoying herself and he wonders aloud what he suspects: that Miriya, like previous Zentraedi defectors, has found the human way of life too enjoyable to resist. Exedore comments that human emotions are something which the Zentraedi seem to have no defense against. Breetai is subsequently ordered by Zentraedi supreme commander Dolza to launch a full scale assault to destroy the SDF-1, but by now, Breetai, like many of the Zentraedi under him, is having second thoughts. The battle begins after the wedding ceremony and Miriya insists that Max take her with him in his veritech fighter. Holding hands, the two race off to battle. During the fight, Miriya shows Max how to disable Zentraedi power armer without killing the pilots. This new tactic is then utilized by the rest of the SDF-1's forces. This development, combined with the Zentraedi's increased exposure to human emotions and the realization that the human way of life may just be more enjoyable (a feeling that was amplified by watching Miriya, their greatest warrior, get married to a human) causes a wave of mutanies to spread through the Zentraedi fleet as soldiers refuse to fight and turn against their superiors. Breetai, realizing that his forces can no longer fight, is forced to call a truce with the SDF-1, although by now even Breetai has accepted that the humans do not have to be his enemies.[1]
Miriya initially has trouble adopting to life among humans and a culture that she never knew existed only a short time earlier. On their wedding night, her first attempt to cook proves disastrous (and humorous) as she mistakingly uses cooking oil in a coffee pot, which starts a fire in the kitchen. Max, after putting out the fire with an extinguisher, sighs and states that mornings are going to be rough without any coffee.[1] Despite the rocky start to their marriage, the two enjoy their wedding night. In the Jack McKinney novel Force of Arms (book five of the series) Miriya, who had never even heard of, let alone experienced, physical intimacy before, later reflects on this experience: "kissing was still an amazing thing to her; lovemaking left her at a complete loss for words".
Miriya sticks by Max's side through the rest of the war and helps rebuild Earth from the ashes left by Dolza's fleet. Miriya proves herself an extremely skilled veritech pilot becomes Max's wingmate and pilots a distinctive red veritech fighter alongside Max's blue one. The two settle down in New Macross City, built around the ruins of the SDF-1, and begin a new life together. In October 2012, Miriya gives birth to a daughter, Dana Sterling, the first child born from a Human/Zentraedi union. Max and Miriya happily embrace their new role as parents, and can often be seen walking together holding arms in New Macross City while pushing a baby carriage.[2] Miriya shows as much love for her child as any human mother could; and views it as a miracle that she could create life inside her own body. Like Max, Miriya looks foward to raising her daughter in a new and peaceful world, but when Zentraedi rebellions begin to break out in March of 2013, both are forced back into combat.
In June 2013, Max and Miriya take part in an important mission under Breetai into deep space to capture the last remaining Zentraedi factory satellite. The mission proves highly unorthodox when Admiral Henry J. Gloval asks them to bring their baby daughter Dana (who is only eight months old) along to serve as a diversion. After Breetai's ship defolds near the factory, Max and Miriya blast into the enemy Zentraedi command ship's control area in their veritech fighters. Miriya then proudly displays baby Dana, cradled in her arms and wearing a tiny pink and white Dr. Dentons spacesuit, to the hostile Zentraedi onboard. The hostile Zentraedi, who have had no exposure to human culture and have never seen a baby before, recoil in shock as one soldier shouts "That thing is deformed!" Dana cooes as she brings her hands to the faceshield of her helmet in an effort to rub her eyes, prompting another Zentraedi soldier to shout "It moves!" Miriya smilies and explains that "in the micronian [human] language, this is what is called an infant; actually created inside my own body. But by both of us," indicating towards Max. Miriya then declares that Dana is a symbol of protoculture and love and lifts Dana above her head in full view of all the Zentraedi in the area while declaring "Observe the power of protoculture! the power of love!" The Zentraedi become filled with terror as they conclude Dana is a mutation who is contagious and flee in fear. The resulting chaos aboard the enemy command ship causes disorder throughout the enemy fleet, allowing the United Earth Forces and their Zentraedi allies under Breetai to seize the factory.[3]
Miriya's happy marriage and her baby daughter are the envy of Lisa Hayes, who struggles with her feelings for Rick Hunter throughout the first Robotech Saga. Claudia Grant, whose lover Roy Fokker was killed in the First Robotech War, also envies Miriya and her family, as she was never able to have a child of her own with Roy.
Secondary Continuity
For Miriya, the emotional changes she experiences during the series are profound. At the beginning of the series, Miriya is a ruthless Zentraedi warrior who has known nothing but war her entire life. In only two years, she becomes not only a loving wife but also a mother. This incredible transformation is expressed in the following passage from the decanonized Jack McKinney novel "Doomsday" (book six of the series):
The baby was peacefully asleep on her breast, and just looking at her, it was all Miriya could do to keep from weeping for joy. A miracle, she told herself ten times a day: that she and Max could produce such innocent loveliness; that she, a former warrior, could feel this way about anyone or anything. Such unknown contentment and pure rapture.
In the same novel, Rick Hunter writes, in reference to the operation against the factory satellite, that: "Love, like size, had lost all meaning - love was a battle maneuver ... The only one among us who seemed to know anything about that elusive emotion was Miriya, wedded to the infant she'd given birth to as much as she was Max." As Max and Miriya join in the subsequent battle against the now disorganized enemy Zentraedi fleet, Miriya pilots her fighter while holding Dana in her lap. As the battle rages, Miriya clutches Dana more tightly to herself, while Dana waves her arms joyously at the explosions going on all around her. The book states that Miriya fought with more fury than she even had before "as though the small life she held in her arms was a treasure more precious than any the universe could offer, a life worth preserving at all costs."
In the decanonized book "Force of Arms" (book 5 of the series) by Jack McKinney, Miriya's giving birth to Dana is all the more extraordinary because nobody could figure out how Max and Miriya had been able to conceive a child since no Zentraedi male-female reproduction had ever been recorded. Explanations that were provided by scientists are that Miriya's consumption of human-style food (as opposed to antiseptic rations of the Zentraedi) and her exposure to emotions had caused subtle biochemical changes. Some even wondered if Dana was actually Max and Miriya's child at all but, as proved by exhaustive tests, Dana was indisputably their child. To Lisa Hayes, the only explanation that made sense (or mattered) was that Dana was the result of the love that Max and Miriya had for one another.
Robotech Expeditionary Force
In 2022, The Robotech Expeditionary Forces (REF), led by the newly completed SDF-3, departed from Earth on a mission into deep space to find the Robotech Masters' homeworld. Max and Miriya, along with Rick, Lisa Hayes-Hunter, Vince Grant and Jean Grant are among those who left on the mission in hopes of preventing another war on Earth. Max and Miriya reluctantly leave Dana, now 10 years old, behind with Major General Rolf Emerson, a close family friend. Dana would eventually follow in her parents footsteps and becomes one of the first graduates of the United Earth Military academy. Dana, who has her parents' military skills and instincts, becomes the leading character of the Second Robotech War when the Robotech Masters, having left their homeworld 15 years earlier, reach Earth to reclaim the protoculture in the ruins of the SDF-1 in 2029.
Max and Miriya hoped that the mission would be over quickly but events would keep the SDF-3 away from Earth for the rest of Dana's childhood. The mission would last 22 years, during which time Max and Miriya would have a second daughter, Maia Sterling, who would become the leader of Skull Squadron during the Reflex Point assault towards the end of the Third Robotech War.
In order to avoid infringing on the original designs for Macross characters designed by Haruhiko Mikimoto, Miriya, like other Macross characters was redesigned for later Robotech productions, including Robotech II: The Sentinels. In contrast to her long bright green hair in the original series, Miriya now sports a much shorter hairstyle with a darker green colour.
Current Status
Miriya's status and location in the new Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles saga is unknown. Unlike the rest of Robotech's surviving first generation characters, there is no mention of Miriya in the comic series Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles. Many fans consider this and the fact that all of the other Zentraedi characters of note are already deceased as evidence that Miriya herself has already passed away. Maia mentions (in Shadow Chronicles) that "Most of my family was aboard the SDF-3." Which family members is left unstated, though the use of a plural form seems to indicate multiple family members. One explanation that has been proposed is that Miriya died giving birth to Maia Sterling, which would also explain the tension between Maia and Dana Sterling in the comic series. However, an alternate explanation for the tension between Dana and Maia is that Dana is angry that, after being left behind on Earth, her parents had another daughter and that she had, in her mind, been "replaced" by Maia. However, there is no evidence to support either of these explanations, although it is possible that Miriya's fate will be revealed in a future Robotech installment.
References
- ^ a b c d Robotech, episode 25: Wedding Bells (summary available at Episode 25: Wedding Bells at Robotech.com
- ^ Robotech, episode 28: Reconstruction Blues (summary available at Episode 28: Reconstruction Blues at Robotech.com
- ^ Robotech, episode 30: Viva Miriya (summary available at Episode 30: Viva Miriya at Robotech.com
External links
- Official Character Biography at Robotech.com