spatio-temporal agent from Galaxity, future capital of Earth, in the 28th century Laureline, originally from France in the 11th century, now a spatio-temporal agent of Galaxity in the 28th century Irmgaal, champion of Krahan, planet of the great black warriors Ortzog, champion of industrious Bourgnouf Blumflum, champion of iridescent Malalum The head of the Simlane Great Assembly The Examiner from the Dome of Imaginary Revelations The Supreme Mother of Filene, female progenitor of the Simlane race Setting The planet Simlane. The people of Simlane have no interest in space travel but are happy to welcome tourists to their magnificent city which boasts many fine buildings including the Palace of Truth, where judgments are passed; the Trade Dome, the city's most handsome market and the Great Theater, capable of holding Simlane's entire population. The city is ruled by the Simlane Great Assembly. Across the sea lies Filene, the Island of Children. The people of Simlane send their finest champions there every one hundredth equinox. The children of those who succeed in conquering it return on vessels borne by the last wave of the equinox. At the base of the island lies a harbour with a lighthouse – it is from there that the children of each new generation set sail. At the top of a mighty mountain lies the Dome of Imaginary Revelations, where each champion must undergo a spiritual test, and the Palace of the Supreme Mother of Filene. Inside the palace are apartments for the prospective champions and rooms for the successful ones to live out the rest of their lives there following the production of the children. Notes This album is a parody of American superhero comics – all of the action shots are drawn in the American comic book style with suitable accompanying sound effects. The most explicit reference is in plate 14 when two bystanders comment on the champions departing for Filene. "Those four are fantastic!" says the first (a reference to the Marvel comic The Fantastic Four). "Yes, really super those heroes," replies the second. The story also serves as a parody of different forms of totalitarian regimes - obviously, Irmgaal as a fascist, Ortzog as a communist and Blumflum as a premonition of ecofascism which could be feared on the rise when the story was written. In this context, Valerian unknowingly takes a classical liberal stand when he lets the child be free to