Metroid EX

is a sequel series to Samus & Joey. It ran for 12 issues from May 2004 - April 2005 and was never translated into English. The Metroid Database began their unofficial scan and translation project on April 25th, 2015, and ended it on October 6th the same year. The manga centers around Samus Aran, who lost her Power Suit upgrades to Greed, a creature of the same species as her nemesis Ridley, in the final chapter of the previous manga. EX follows her efforts to recover them in perilous adventures across the Extreme Galaxy, with the help of Joey Apronika and Diesel.
==Plot summary==
===Chapter 1 - Missile Upgrade===
Samus, Joey and Diesel land on the wild west-themed planet Outlaw.
At a saloon in the city of Brigandia, a number of criminals discuss Samus's supposed death at the hands of Greed. Villains across the galaxy have joined forces with Greed to create an army called the Greed Corps. Joey enters the bar, claiming to be Samus (her true identity is unknown to the characters in this manga). He challenges the crooks to a battle, reflecting their bullets with his Field Knuckle. However, they ricochet off and hurtle towards the bartender and waitress. The real Samus shoots them down from outside the bar. The crooks flee in panic.
Outside, Samus and her friends encounter Zameel, a member of Greed's Deadly Six Stars. Zameel has Samus's stolen Missile Launcher. Samus kills all of his henchmen with her Power Beam, though Zameel is impervious to its effects. Enraged, Zameel blasts into the sky and fires a Super Missile. Unable to shoot it down for the destruction it would cause, Samus catches it in her arm and throws it back. Zameel is killed, and Samus recovers her Missile Launcher. After clearing out Greed's henchmen, Outlaw is liberated.
===Chapter 2 - Morph Ball===
Samus, Joey and Diesel venture to planet Maru. Landing in Maru City, Joey is shocked to discover that everything and everyone there is round, and the citizens are quite intolerant of those who are not, namely, Samus and her friends. Joey discovers some of the round figures are actually in disguises, because the planet is ruled by a dictator obsessed with round and intolerant of anything that is not. When government officers catch them and prepare to kill them, Samus quickly covers for them by stating that they are merchants bearing gifts for the emperor.
Taken to the palace, Joey distracts the king while Samus navigates the secret areas of the palace. She discovers the Greed Corps' factory, and the non-round prisoners, who are placed into round biomech suits and forced to work for Greed. Samus battles the ruler, Golon, who reveals that he possesses both her Morph Ball and Screw Attack abilities. Nearly bested, Samus remembers the Screw Attack's weak point: the center of its spin. She kicks Golon in this center, which knocks him out of his ball form and releases the Morph Ball from his body. Samus recovers her Morph Ball and Screw Attack, and liberates the planet. The chapter ends with Samus humorously rolling around in her Ball form in excitement.
===Chapter 3 - Ice Beam===
The chapter begins with Greed and agents of the Dominion bringing in a chunk of ice using a tractor beam.
Samus, Joey and Diesel pick up a distress signal coming from a planet that is completely covered in ice. Upon landing, they are ambushed by two children, a boy named Minoru and his sister who admonish them for landing in a cherished garden created by their parents. They reveal that their planet once had a flourishing agricultural industry and two suns, which assisted with the growing of crops, until one of the suns eclipsed, causing the freezing of the planet. Though many citizens migrated, their parents remained until their deaths. Samus resolves to reverse the solar eclipse.
Taking off back into space, they discover that the eclipsed sun is also frozen solid. They enter a hole in the sun and discover a facility inside. The Solar Core Harvesting Facility is taking apart the core of the sun and freezing it in chunks. An electrical life form, Chrysta, reveals that the sun has been frozen over using Samus's Ice Beam. Chrysta also reveals that its freezing abilities control the temperature of the facility, which will melt if it is destroyed and thus kill Samus and her friends. Taking a risk, Samus Screw Attacks into Chrysta, destroying it and allowing her to recover the Ice Beam. Samus and Joey escape the facility by firing the Ice Beam at Joey's Field Knuckle, which he uses to scatter an ice barrier and cool off the Gunship, which Diesel flies for them. The sun begins to shine again, melting the ice on the planet. The chapter ends with Joey handing Minoru his garden hoe and encouraging him to return to work.
This chapter features previews of Metroid: Zero Mission and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes at the end.
===Chapter 4 - Bomb===
Samus's ship crashlands onto Jatsuk, still damaged from the Harvesting Facility escape. As the crew exits the ship, they are swarmed by craftsmen, Diesel's race, who begin to take Samus's ship apart. Diesel admonishes them for dismantling it without permission and explains that he left them when they stopped creating machinery, which they did because their technology was used in warfare, and they did not wish to create weapons.
A ship descends onto the planet carrying Blast, the fourth of the Deadly Six Stars, who threatens to destroy the planet. He sets off a bomb to explode in twenty minutes, but after noticing Samus, decides to just destroy the planet. Blast refuses to fight, instead choosing to watch her die from space. Diesel attempts to disarm the bomb. His clan refuses to help him as they have locked away their power. Diesel tries to reason with them in saying that their power can be used for good, citing his eyepatch that was created for him after he lost his eye in an accident. Unable to dismantle the bomb, Diesel decides instead to craft it into a new mechanism. This causes his mentor Papa Lightning and the rest of the clan to assist him.
Samus returns to find the clan taking parts from her ship to use in the mechanism, and although displeased, accepts it. Papa Lightning then decides Samus will be the energy source. They create a rocket out of the bomb and ship, and use it to shoot down Blast's ship. Blast lands back on Jatsuk, and Samus recovers her Bombs, which she uses to kill Blast.
===Chapter 5 - Speed Booster===
Samus, Joey and Diesel, as "Aran DJ", enter Death Race Firecracker, a grand prix racing event that sees many galactic criminals competing for glory. Samus saw her Speed Booster in Data Capsule form on a promotional poster for the event, held in the hands of champion racer Rockets. The race is an opportunity for the Greed Corps to recruit criminals and is taking place on a difficult circuit course through hazardous areas.
The first of these areas, a "zone of volcanic death", claims the life of one racer, Galom. The second area places the racers into an asteroid belt, which Samus soon discovers is a minefield. The third and final area is a ruined canyon city. Samus's ship takes damage from Rockets' continuous attacks, which are bolstered by her stolen Speed Booster. Using a red emergency lever that Papa Lightning installed when the Craftsmen repaired her Gunship, Samus activates extremely powerful boosters in her ship, allowing her to blast away from Rockets at a much faster speed than him. Angered, Rockets Shinesparks at the ship to get closer. Samus exits her ship and gives Rockets a "push" by destroying his ship, killing him. She then crosses the finish line and wins the race. Joey recovers the Speed Booster Data Capsule from the rubble of Rockets' ship.
===Chapter 6 - Varia Suit===
Samus, Joey and Diesel land on an ocean world. The trio discover that the water is composed of concentrated sulfuric acid. Moving into town, Samus learns of the existence of a "Sea Demon" that is responsible for the pollution. Realizing this was a decoy, Samus rushes back to the beach, where she discovers Joey and Diesel being loaded into a submarine by Defen, the final boss of the Deadly Six Stars. Samus assumes him to be the monster. The submarine is dropped into the ocean. Defen states that it cannot resurface, and will only withstand the acidity of the water for five minutes. Risking her own life, Samus dives in after them.
Samus is ambushed by Defen and Rastodon, the true demon. Samus tries to attack them, but is told her attacks will have no effect in the acid or on him, because he possesses her Varia Suit, which protects the user from acid damage. The acid is so strong that it even melts her fired Super Missile and renders her too heavy to Screw Attack. Samus falls to the bottom of the ocean and discovers a volcano under the sea floor and causes it to erupt. The debris from below strikes Rastodon and Defen, killing them both. However, in the explosion, the Varia Suit Data Capsule is lost.
===Chapter 7 - Duel with Knight===
The chapter opens with a Dominion Agent informing Greed that they have located a planet of interest, containing a "treasure of the gods". Greed summons forth his henchmen, Bishop and Knight, and tasks them with inviting Samus to a "banquet of death".
Samus, Joey and Diesel land on a graveyard planet in search of intel about the Greed Corps, and are shocked to find tombstones with the names of the Deadly Six Stars on them. Suddenly, each of the Stars rises from their graves as zombies. Bishop enters the scene and reveals that this planet is haunted by the ghosts of villains Samus has killed, all of whom want revenge. The undead Stars combine into one, but the zombie is sliced in half and destroyed by Knight, revealing that they are just animatronics. Joey attacks Knight, but notices a sad expression in his eyes. Knight simply brushes him off and faces Samus.
After managing to avoid his attacks, Knight promises to show Samus his "secret technique", Guillotine Blast. Using it, he knocks Samus down and challenges her to continue fighting him.
===Chapter 8 - Duel with Knight: Round 2===
The battle continues. Bishop, not wanting Knight to gain the glory in Greed's eyes, detonates a massive bomb he had planted as a precaution and escapes with a heavily wounded Samus as his prisoner. Joey, Diesel and Knight survive the explosion. Knight spares them because he was not ordered to kill them, but warns them that he will not do so again, and leaves. Joey continues to notice pain in the soldier's eyes.
The Greed Corps uncover mysterious galactic ruins. Greed is informed of Samus's capture, and rejoices in this success.
Joey and Diesel take off in search of Samus, hoping to save her as she had them many times before.
===Chapter 9 - Rescue Mission===
Samus awakens in the ancient ruins, encased in a block. She is shocked to see Greed, Knight and Bishop, who tell her that Joey and Diesel were killed by the explosion. Greed finally reveals his true goal: to offer Samus as a sacrifice in revenge. He blames her for the obliteration of his race, which had been the leaders of the Space Pirates for generations.
Joey and Diesel enter the ruins in secret by hiding Samus's Gunship behind a meteoroid. They sneak through the base by disguising themselves as hieroglyphs, covered in dust so they can move along the walls. Greed then announces over the intercom the impending execution of Samus in the hall of the gods. Racing to Samus's rescue, Joey and Diesel stumble upon Knight, who initially impedes them until Joey overpowers him. Inspired by Joey's determination to save Samus, Knight allows them to pass. However, they find the room empty, and fall into traps set up by Bishop.
Samus is taken to the gates of judgment, which guard a godly power. They must be opened using a sacrifice, in this case, Samus. Knight, Joey and Diesel are strapped into a cross-shaped spacecraft for an execution by firing squad in space.
===Chapter 10 - Certain Death===
As Joey, Diesel and Knight face certain death, they are unexpectedly saved by the Craftsmen, who followed them in a newly-developed Multidimensional Stealth Warship. They bend the weapons of the firing squad ships with their song, leaving them unable to fire. Excitedly, they begin to dismantle the ships beginning with the Battleships Gargoyle, Gorgon and Wraith. A Galactic Federation fleet also arrives, setting up a war between the Federation and the Greed Corps. Another new invention, the Perfect Drill, is attached to the cross holding Joey, Diesel and Knight, sending them back into the ruins to find Samus. Inside, they are confronted by an army of Integras, the Dominion mechanisms Joey, Diesel and Samus previously battled. They are unexpectedly assisted by Zegan Doh and Bomad, two previously defeated foes that were thought to be dead, who explain they have been employed by the Federation.
Greed manages to open the door in the ruins and enters it. Bishop arrives and we learn that he had been planning to take the power for himself, but before he can enter he is interrupted by Joey and co. Knight attempts to attack Bishop, but is unable to harm him. Bishop reveals Samus's Varia Suit Data Capsule in his hand, believed to have been lost on the ocean world. He had secretly recovered it after she defeated Rastodon and is now using it, as well as her Plasma Beam. Bishop fires a charged shot straight through Knight, severely wounding him.
Knight, empowered by his soul, slices Bishop in half before collapsing. Bishop rises from the ground and attacks Knight again, revealing that the eye in his forehead is his true body. Joey defends Knight from Bishop's Plasma shots.
===Chapter 11 - Honorable Retribution===
Joey struggles to reflect Bishop's attack as he continues to defend Knight. Knight channels his own energy into Joey, allowing him to absorb the power of Bishop's Plasma Beam. He explains that this is "the strongest and the greatest technique of the man who once used these gloves". Joey reflects a massive blast back at Bishop, killing him and releasing the Varia Suit and Plasma Beam capsules. The capsules join with Samus, as a part of her memories and life-force. Samus Aran rises again, her Varia Suit fully restored.
Knight confirms that he knew Joey's father, Rand Apronika, who was the previous owner of his Field Knuckle. He recalls the days where they trained together. Despite Knight's superior strength, Rand always defeated him using the powered move Exodus. As Joey grows excited at this revelation, Knight again challenges Samus to a final duel. Samus destroys his sword using her Plasma Beam, although narrowly. Knight reveals more: it was Greed that nursed him back to health after a near-fatal accident, and he felt indebted to the pirate despite his crimes. Seeking penance for his wrongs, Knight ends his own life.
A giant black hole appears in space, threatening to tear apart the Federation armada.
===Chapter 12 - Birth of a Legend===
Black holes begin to appear throughout the entire universe, seen on Jasdam and near the Medical Space Station, on which Dr. Diana Apronika, Joey's mother, is stationed. These black holes were the ultimate power Greed was seeking. All ships and the galactic ruins begin to enter the black hole.
Samus reveals that while she was being used to open the gate that sealed off this terrible power, she heard the voice of the animus that dwells within the ruins. It told her that whoever accesses this power must make a final choice between the past or the future. Samus instructs Joey and Diesel to leave the ruins so she may face Greed alone, but they refuse. Samus explains that the animus has made her the only being in the entire universe who can challenge Greed, and removes her helmet and armor, revealing her true identity. She tells Joey that he will one day become a fine warrior, before leaving to destroy Greed.
Inside the doors, Samus finds out what Greed's choice was: the future. Since that was the wrong moral choice, he has been consumed by the power. The animus prepares to destroy the universe until Samus points out that she has not made a choice. She chooses the present. The animus accepts her choice and provides her with a white hole, which counteracts the effects of Greed's black hole and restores order to the cosmos.
Ten years later, Joey has become a member of the Federation Police Force. He is seen saving a school of young children during a hostage crisis. One child, Pete, admonishes him, believing he could have taken down the criminal himself. Joey promises him that his turn is yet to come.
==Production==
Samus's identity was concealed until the end of the story to match the ending of the original Metroid game, and for dramatic effect. Her nurturing and supportive characteristics, and being a woman feared by Space Pirates, would earn Joey's admiration. Removing her armor was done to convince Joey to evacuate the ruins as she confronted Greed.Izuki Kouji (moonup777). 出月のメトロイド話vol2その3昔少し語りましたが追加です。サムス&ジョイでサムスの正体を最後まで明かさなかったのには理由があります。１つはゲーム『メトロイド』のクリア時に知るサムスの正体の驚きを漫画でも表現したかった事。もう１つはサムスの内面の設定です。↓サムスはジョイを遠ざける必要があります。自分の側では危険がありすぎ(惑星破壊レベル)ですから。男の様な言葉使いや無愛想さは、この少年に肩入れすまいとするサムスの性格表現でした。加えて女の身で凶悪な宇宙海賊や化け物に恐れられる自分は少年から見たら憧れよりも↓化け物レベルで引かれる存在では？と、心配もする訳です。可愛いでしょ♪ で、正体を明かすべきか戸惑いながら物語の最後に至ります。ジョイに退避を説得する為にアーマー解除をして素のサムスアランがジョイにも読者にもついに対面したのです。↓なかなか良いシーンに描けたと思うので未読の方にいつかは『メトロイドEX』を読んで頂きたいと思っているのですが・・・なかなか難しいですねェ。
メトロイド人気のある海外で英語版のサムス&ジョイとEX刊行されないかなァ。 16 February 2024 9:54 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/moonup777/status/1758505156130590727
===Tankobon version===
Metroid EX was never made available in volumes like Samus & Joey, and it only exists in the original Comic BomBom magazines, making it a much more rare print. In May 2008, the mangaka (artist/author) Idzuki Kouji launched a campaign to re-release the series in a tankobon form via Fukkan, a website where users vote for manga they would like to see be reprinted.Kouji, Idzuki (moonup777). "2004年当時にコミックボンボンで連載された『メトロイド』シリーズを原作とした出月の漫画作品《メトロイドEX》。単行本化されていませんが、復刊を目指し復刊ドットコムさんの元に皆さんからの投票が集まり、ついに先日160票に達しました！まだ復刊には遠いですが皆さんありがとう！( ^ω^ )" 11 Feb 2019 9:05 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/moonup777/status/1094945590364954625Kouji, Idzuki (moonup777). "メトロイドEXの復刊を応援してくださっている皆様。ありがとうございます♪ 応援は励みになります。(*´∀`)♪" 15 Feb 2019 10:00 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/moonup777/status/1096590136295313408https://www.siliconera.com/2019/02/18/metroid-ex-mangaka-pushing-for-volume-release-for-the-rare-manga/https://shinesparkers.net/metroid-ex-manga-could-get-a-volume-release/https://www.fukkan.com/fk/VoteDetail?no=42273 200-300 signatures are needed to make a tankobon release a reality; as of June 26, 2021, there were 252 signatures.Kouji, Idzuki (moonup777). "イャっほー♪ 250超えた。応援してくださる皆様ありがとうございまーす。･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+" 26 June 2021 9:39 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/moonup777/status/1408963246288084995
Kouji did not know why a tankobon of EX was never released, and said it frustrated him. He feels that a surge of interest in the series, such as a live-action film could provide the chance for a tankobon to be realized.
==Trivia==
*"Cupcake", the waitress in the saloon Samus visits in chapter 1 has a ponytail hairstyle with bangs and two locks on either side of her head. Samus has the same hairstyle in Metroid: Zero Mission and subsequent titles.
*Many of the names of the Deadly Six Stars and planets in the manga are puns based on an attribute of theirs. For example, the name of Maru, a planet themed around roundness is a pun on the Morph Ball's original name in Metroid, Maru-Mari. In another example, Defen's name is a truncation of "defense", which is the Varia Suit's signature attribute.
*Samus is overjoyed to regain her Morph Ball, and Diesel accuses her of being obsessed with round things; this is a reference to the Super Metroid 4koma manga, where Samus is overly fixated on round objects.
*The ocean world plot resembles Flaahgra in Metroid Prime. Like Rastodon, Flaahgra was an acidic creature that corrupted the water of the Chozo Ruins, and its destruction purified the spring. However, Flaahgra only poisoned the water of a single region on Tallon IV, and not the entire ocean, as Rastodon did.
*The Varia Suit's ability to protect the wearer from acid precedes Zero Mission, the only title in the series in which the Varia Suit has this attribute.
*The Fleet Admiral in charge of the armada that attacks the Greed Corps is similar in clothing and appearance to Adam Malkovich and Castor Dane, two other Federation commanders in the canon Metroid series.
*On October 8th, 2021, Kouji posted a redrawn version of the Metroid EX cover on his Twitter, featuring Samus in the Metroid Dread Power Suit and the grown-up Joey from the series ending, to commemorate the release of Metroid Dread.
==Gallery==
File:S&J art abilities.png|Textless cover
Idzuki Kouji Dread drawing.png|Reimagined cover drawn by Kouji ahead of Metroid Dread's release.Idzuki Kouji (moonup777). "メトロイドニュータイトル起動！¶ おめでとうメトロイド。¶ ありがとう任天堂。¶ さあ、新たな冒険の始まりだ！･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+ ¶ 17年の時を経てサムス&ジョイの記念ショット。¶ 『幼き日の憧れは今もこの胸に』¶ #メトロイドドレッド" 7 October 2021 11:00 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/moonup777/status/1446128193803460616Idzuki Kouji (moonup777). "Congratulations on the release Metroid. Thank you Nintendo. 17 years have passed since the adventure of Samus & Joy. The boy has grown up. ¶ #MetroidDread" 7 October 2021 6:39 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/moonup777/status/1446243729937887233
Metroid EX final scene redrawn 1.jpg|Sketches Kouji drew of the final scene with Samus and Joey in 2021.Idzuki Kouji (moonup777). "描きたくなって繋げてみました。#メトロイドサムスアラン #メトロイドEX" ("I wanted to draw it and tried to connect it.") 20 November 2021 10:09 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/moonup777/status/1462075546993520644
Metroid EX final scene redrawn 2.jpg
Metroid EX final scene redrawn 3.jpg
Metroid EX final scene redrawn 4.jpg|The page of EX where Samus enters the void.
==References==
Category:Manga