Display MoreGreetings WingNuts,
We'll start our look at Forbidden Planet with a gallery of the ship referenced on Wing Commander Academy, the United Planets Cruiser C-57D. It's simplistic compared to the kind of starships we know today but you can see the influence on the original Enterprise right off…
We'd show you a picture of the Krell, a name borrowed by Privateer 2 for a heavy fighter, but they don't actually appear in the film! All we ever see is their enormous underground machine.
Another enduring impact on science fiction is the prevalence of Altair as a location. Altair is a real star but the fact that it played such a major role in Forbidden Planet is the reason it appears constantly in other science fiction… including all over Wing Commander! The Wing Commander III 3DO port names one of the Confederation depots at Kilrah the TCS Altair:
The Wing Commander IV novelization makes Altair the planet Paladin represents in the Assembly:
He was lucky that, unlike the bottom feeders infesting the Assembly, he didn't have to whore himself to take care of the home folks. His own planet, Altair, was a soldiers' colony. Altairians appreciated soldier's talk, the blunter the better. He had promised his people only to try his best. He felt proud to serve them, proud they placed their trust in him.The Tri-System isn't safe, either! "Altairian Rindpests" are a threat to randomly selected planets. This news story denotes a 200% increase in livestock prices on the given planet!
Altairian Rindpest hits $LOCATION
$CLIENT reports
The dreaded Altairian Rindpest, scourge of Livestock farmers everywhere, has struck on $LOCATION. Huge Livestock losses have occurred, as farmers are forced to put down all afflicted animals to prevent the epidemic from spreading. Imports are urgently required.Don't forget Wing Commander Prophecy: Maestro's booze is 'Altairian Brandy' from the Consulate General's private reserve.
CASEY: Altairian Brandy? That's contraband! Where did you get it?
MAESTRO: It's a diplomatic perk. I borrowed it from the Consulate General's private reserve.Privateer 3 would've had one more nod: the Border Worlds' light fighter was intended to be called the Altair-class.
Sully is a bit of an id monster. And kind of a rindpest.
