Issue 3

Story by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews

Script by Brett Matthews

Pencilled by Will Conrad

Colours by Laura Martin

Mal "You kill me. What then?"
Dobson "I dunno. I imagine I'll get a hobby or something..."

CAST

• Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds

• Zoë Alleyne-Washburne

• Hoban "Wash" Washburne

• Inara Serra

• Jayne Cobb

• Kaywinnit Lee "Kaylee" Frye

• Dr. Simon Tam

• River Tam

• Shepherd Derrial Book

• The Blue-Gloved Men

• Lawrence Dobson

• The Operative

SYNOPSIS

• Mal, Zoë and Jayne explore an abandoned ship at the Battle of Sturges site and are appalled at the level of death. The Blue-Gloved Men, meanwhile, latch onto Serenity, and onboard, River injects herself with anaesthetic in order to not feel whatever it is they're going to do to her. Inara agrees to watch her while Simon investigates.

On the wreck, Mal finds no money where Badger had claimed it was to be. Instead, they find Dobson, armed to the teeth.

On the ship, Kaylee is attacked by one of the Blue-Gloved Men. He's wearing a suit of blue material underneath his clothes. Before he can kill Kaylee, Simon hits him with one of Jayne's weights and orders Kaylee to close the doors.

Dobson has a gun at Mal's head, while Jayne queries how Dobson is alive. Mal orders Zoë to kill them all as soon as Dobson shoots him. As a fight begins, Dobson starts to lose his cool. Mal shoots Dobson and as they prepare to leave Mal shoots him again 'just to make sure.'

On Serenity, the Blue-Gloved Men are attempting to get through the doors, but Kaylee is managing to stay ahead of them. Wash has a plan, and when Simon asks the Shepherd for help, Book tells him not to call him that. Wash scraps the ship away from the Blue-Gloved Men and picks up Mal and his crew. They fly away, evading the Men again.

Later, Inara is dropped off and shares a tearful goodbye with the crew. She can't find the words to say goodbye to Mal, and neither can he.

Afterwards, as Mal recites what he would have said to Inara had he been able to tell her the truth about his feelings, Book tells him that he's leaving the ship. When Mal tells Book that it doesn't matter that he hit him, Book mentions that he has to leave before it doesn't matter to him either.

As Serenity leaves, Mal tells Wash to plot a course forward as always. Elsewhere, the Blue-Gloved Men speak to a man over their communication system. They have tried everything and have an assignment for him. They send him River's picture.

CONTINUITY

• The man the Blue-Gloved Men speak to is clearly the Operative from Serenity.

• Inara leaves the ship in this instalment, and come the movie, she's still gone.

• Book prepares to leave after this issue, and during the story he begs Simon not to call him a Shepherd as it makes everything harder. This appears to be another hint at Book's mysterious past.

Serenity

Those Left Behind (Part 1) | Those Left Behind (Part 2) | Those Left Behind (Part 3)

Synopsis | Continuity, Notes and Trivia