Halo: Uprising Issue 1

Halo: Uprising Issue One was released on August 22nd, 2007 and is the first of four in the Halo: Uprising series of comics.

Plot synopsis
The issue opens with John-117 onboard the Forerunner Dreadnought, which is currently passing Jupiter. He is contacted by a UNSC facility on Io, but stays silent and moves on, killing a group of four Grunts, then a pair of Jackals, then another Grunt quartet.

As this happens, the scene cuts to an interrogation of Colonel James Ackerson, captured by the Covenant aboard the CCS-class Battlecruiser Triumphant Declaration. He is about to be killed in celebration of the defeat of Earth before he coaxingly states that if "The Covenant attack Earth...they will never find the key." The Brute Captain interrogating Ackerson is intrigued by this, and uses a large knife to lacerate Ackerson until he reveals more information. Ackerson states that this key, if not found, will force the Halos to malfunction "like they did before". He also said that it is hidden in the city of Cleveland, and that it is called the Key of Osanalan.

Before he can reveal more, he falls unconscious, leaving the Brutes confused and worried. A new, self-doubting character named Ruwan Ackerson is introduced who serves as a concierge for a high-line motel in Cleveland under attack by the Covenant. He meets Myras Tyla, a performer staying there who commandeers several weapons from a dead Marine and manages to escape with Ruwan. They try to flee in vehicles but find the road blocked, and are finally herded together with what seems to be most of the population of the area into a stadium, where the Covenant declare that to live they must find and give to them the Key of Osanalan. Myras is confused, but Ruwan states with certainty that he "knows exactly what that is."

The Master Chief, in the meantime, finds himself faced by an extremely large force of Covenant troops, including at least three Hunter pairs, who fire on him simultaneously. He is hit by several beams and falls to the floor. A Brute Chieftain begins to crush him with his foot, saying that the Master Chief will tell them "where the Key is...after they remove enough parts of his body".

Credits

 * Alex Maleev - Penciling, Inking, and Coloring
 * Chris Eliopoulos - Lettering
 * Brian Micheal Bendis - Author

Trivia

 * Some of the doors inside the Forerunner Dreadnought appear very similar to the sort found in the level, 343 Guilty Spark, and another scene has a room similar to the one which contains a Seraph in the Halo 2 level, The Arbiter.
 * In the comic, it shows Master Chief being hit by Fuel Rod Guns from Hunters. Seeing as how possibly 6 beams hit him, it is highly unlikely that he would have survived. In previous Halo novels, a Spartan (without shielding) got their arm blown off by a Fuel Rod Gun from a Hunter. If six beams hit the Chief, then it should have killed him, despite the fact that he had shields.
 * On 27 August 2007, Marvel announced that they will be reprinting Halo: Uprising Issue 1 on the release date of the second issue with a special black and white version of the cover.

Internal

 * Halo: Uprising
 * Issue #2
 * Issue #3
 * Issue #4
 * Battle of Cleveland
 * Key of Osanalan

External

 * Halo Uprising #1
 * IGN Interview with Halo Uprising writer Brian Bendis