Melissa Flores Talks About NacelleVerse #0 Launching Interconnected Universe

Melissa Flores Talks About NacelleVerse #0 Launching Interconnected Universe

Oni Press has teamed up with The Nacelle Company for an interconnected universe that transcends comics and other mediums of entertainment starting with NacelleVerse #0, the highly-anticipated giant-sized, 48-page comic book that will launch the animated series for RoboForce, Biker Mice from Mars, Sectaurs, Power Lords, The Great Garloo, and more!

This exciting event sets the stage for the interconnected NacelleVerse, defined by thrilling characters, captivating worlds, and intricate plot lines that will unfold over the next 5 years.

The creative team behind NacelleVerse #0 includes talented writer Melissa Flores (known for her work on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and The Dead Lucky), along with the artistic skills of Diogenes Neves and Francis Portela, among others.

This remarkable zero-issue behemoth ties directly into The Nacelle Company‘s ambitious slate of animated series, starting with RoboForce and Biker Mice from Mars. Executive producers such as Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Ryan Reynolds, and others are working to bring these iconic characters to life.

The story of Great Garloo, an alien in search of a new home after his planet’s destruction, will take readers through diverse worlds. From the genetically modified Sectaur warriors to the rebellious Biker Mice from Mars, Garloo’s journey will ultimately lead him to 22nd Century Earth, where the robotic work crew known as RoboForce is poised to reshape their destiny.

Writer Melissa Flores shares her excitement about revisiting these beloved characters as she answers some of our questions about her venture into the universe packed with some of our childhood’s greatest characters.

Check out the interview below:

GN: As a writer, how do you approach the balance of established characters and animations while presenting them to newer audiences and implementing them in a brand-new universe? 

MF: With Issue Zero of the Nacelle-Verse, Nacelle is taking long-loved IPs like RoboForce, Biker Mice From Mars, Power Lords, Sectaurs, and the Great Garloo, and bringing them back to the forefront, having them coexist and interact in ways that were never possible before. It’s really special and unique and I’m just thrilled to be the writer that brings this concept to the comic books.

There’s a large balance of characters, but as long as the core of the character stays true to itself, I think you can get away with changing up some of the bigger details. The goal is to make sure the characters are still recognizable as themselves. If you can manage that, then you can shift the world around them to fit the larger narrative and still have it feel familiar.

Putting them all in the same universe works when you can find a common thread that will link them all together – a focal point for the reader. In Issue Zero, that’s Garloo, who is searching for a new home, and in doing so, crossing paths with all these characters.

And then it’s a matter of focusing on the IP itself. Something like Power Lords or The Great Garloo, which never had an animated series, can be much more flexible in terms of the roles you want them to play, as opposed to a beloved series like Biker Mice From Mars, where the reader has a high expectation based on the episodes and characters they loved from their childhood.

GN: You’ve been credited with revitalizing the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers comic line.  Were you a fan growing up, and do you have a favorite iteration of the Rangers?

MF: I was very much aware of the Power Rangers brand when I was growing up, but I was just a tad bit too old for them. Didn’t mean I wasn’t intrigued! I remember sneaking in an episode or two when I could, but at the time, I was in my pre-teen years and more focused on Zack Morris and Saved by the Bell.

But I was thrown into the deep end of Power Rangers when I joined the brand as an executive, and I very quickly became obsessed with it. I now have way too many Power Rangers toys!

Beyond the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, my favorites continue to be In Space for the way it wrapped up the arc of the first six seasons, and Dino Charge, for the sheer amount of Rangers!

GN: So, first we have The Power Rangers, and now you’re being charged with bringing together some of the most classic animations of the ’80s and ’90s with the new NacelleVerse!  Walk us through how this all came about!

MF: I started my career as a writer a few years back, and in that time I was lucky enough to have met Hunter Gorinson, the President of Oni Press, through some comics work I had done previously for him.

Thankfully, when Oni Press began their collaboration with Nacelle, he thought of me as the writer to take on the project. I won’t lie, I was initially a little intimidated – these are some beloved brands with some outlandish stories behind them, but as I got to dig deeper into the IP and lore, I got really excited. Every IP is so different, and uniquely fun!

You have a huge green monster from the ’60s reimagined as a sweet and loveable loner searching for a home, you have resistance fighting Biker Mice on Mars trying to save their home from being destroyed, a planet full of mutant Insect-Human hybrids on the brink of civil war… as a writer, there’s so much to play with! I was immediately on board!

Then, I got to meet Brian Volk-Weiss and Matt Kravitsky at Nacelle, and jam with them on some ideas on how we would approach bridging the universe they are building in the various tv series with the comic book. I was so impressed with Brian’s passion and Matt’s knowledge, and when they pulled out the toys? I was in love.

Have I mentioned I really love toys?

GN: So many of our childhood animations are being brought together, of the five animations, do you have a favorite?

MF: It’s honestly so hard to pick a favorite. They’re all so different, and there’s things to love about every single IP.  But I do have a really big soft spot for those Biker Mice From Mars. How can you not? Those buffy, rowdy mice with a heart of gold will win anyone over.  And it’s such a great, complex story about freedom fighters losing their own planet to the greed of corporations, and determined not to let that happen to earth.

I’m also very excited about RoboForce and the series that Nacelle is developing. It’s full of action, fun and big bombastic machines, but at the heart of the story are these sweet underdogs just trying to prove to the world that they matter.

GN: You are tasked with laying out the foundation for what is going to be an expansive universe with a multi-year plan. Were there any challenges or favorite moments with bringing the first modern appearance of these iconic animations? 

MF: Anytime I get to be in a room with Brian Volk-Weiss and get to listen to his plans for this universe, and absorb his passion for these characters, I get so fired up with love for these IPs. Some of my favorite moments are literally just sitting with him, Matt, and our amazing editors at Oni Press, and jamming on potential storylines and what kind of message we’re trying to tell. It’s the best kind of writer’s room.

It also really helps me with the direction of these characters. A few of them don’t have an animated series to look back to for reference, just a couple comics or nothing at all, just the toys. So I’m thankful to have Brian as a resource to pitch ideas to, and ask questions about these characters, their voices, their motivations, and what kind of journey we’re taking them.

Our Issue Zero, which is meant to introduce the Nacelle-verse and the different inhabitants within it in comic book form, focuses very closely on The Great Garloo as our main hero. He’s an unassuming hero grieving the loss of his homeworld and meets a brand new character, a pilot named Apel, who offers to help him find a new home. Through that journey, we get introduced to major characters and worlds that exist in the universe.

But when I was writing it, all that existed previously of Garloo was a toy from the 60s. Nothing else, beyond a couple old black-and-white commercials. So I relied on Brian to help me find his voice and his arc, and truly develop him into a lovable hero that would capture the reader’s heart and have them root for him to find a new home.

I had the same challenge with some of the other IPs, like Sectaurs or Power Lords. I needed to make sure these characters came off well-rounded and whole, even when we hadn’t seen much of them before. Thankfully, Brian and Matt have been so helpful and have guided me the entire way!

NacelleVerse #0 will arrive at your favorite local comic shop on March 20th, 2024. Get ready to embark on this thrilling journey through the NacelleVerse.