New Readers

So you're new to Zap! but don't know where to get started? Well, the best place is always the beginning, but if you're ready to jump right into the story as fast as possible, here's a few places where you can hop on board.

NOTE: This is a basic story synopsis, and will provide spoilers. If you don't want to be spoiled on plot twists, start at volume one.

Volume One

Start Reading at Volume One. Through a series of unfortunate events, Zap finds himself being chased by some soldiers of the Galactic Earth Federation. He escapes them by stowing away on the Excelsior, a strange ship that has the ability to choose her own captain. Grontar finds him wandering the halls and holds him captive until Reona arrives and gives the order to stow him in the garbage chute until they can dump him off at the next station. Robot reveals that Excelsior has chosen Zap as her next captain, much to the dismay of the crew. While attempting to discern why Excelsior chose Zap, who has no memory of his life before three days ago,, the Excelsior is attacked by the Galactic Earth Federation. In order to save them, Excelsior taps into Zap's hidden psychic abilities and uses his power to jettison them away, but not before the ship is damaged. Unable to pilot the ship properly, Zap crashes them into the jungle planet of Vantoss. At the same time, the president of the Galactic Earth Federation appoints a mysterious figure known as the Serpent to be the leader of the Universal Psychic academy while the President's top generals secretly plot his assassination so that they can take over the GEF.

Marooned on Vantoss and searching for help, the crew is separated and Zap is kidnapped by a group that turns out to be Resistance members. Reona clears up the misunderstanding but not before the GEF closes in on them and attacks the base, demanding they hand over Zap. Justin creates a diversion and the crew narrowly escape, but not before Reona is injured. It is then revealed that Reona is a cyborg, having lost her arm while trying to save their previous captain, Efrem who has gone missing and believed dead. The new crew set course for the Silnari Space station and a mechanic there who can fix Reona's broken arm.

Volume Two

Start reading at Volume Two. While the crew sleeps, Zap wakes from a horrifying dream and discovers that a giant space squid has attached itself to the ship. He fends it off without waking any of the other crew members (this is the source of Zap's distaste for squid). Excelsior docks at Silnari and is greeted by Kasey the Stickle, the head mechanic on the station, obsessive Robot fan girl, and the woman who is going to fix Reona's arm. While Reona and Kasey are gone, Grontar and Robot run standard maintenance on Excelsior and Zap wanders off to explore the station. As if by chance, he encounters Gunner Stryfe, a fellow psychic who claims to have been a close friend to Zap before his memory loss. At the same time, Kasey upgrades Reona's arm with a plasma cannon. When Kasey and Reona return to Excelsior, Grontar expresses fears that Efrem may have betrayed them. Reona vehemently disagrees and Kasey attempts to smooth things over. They exit the ship in search of Zap just as he and Gunner are returning. But before they can leave smoothly, a group of GEF soldiers approaches them. Reona uses her plasma cannon for the first time, and accidentally cracks the station's main power generator. The station is evacuated and the Excelsior blasts away just as Silnari station explodes.

Volume Three

Start reading at Volume Three. After gaining Gunner and Kasey as crew members, the Excelsior intercepts a distress signal from a nearby freighter. When they arrive, they're intercepted by an alien bounty hunter named Grivak, who reveals that something terrible has taken over the ship and killed his comrades, and the ship's original quadrillian crew. Determined to prove he's a good captain, Zap vows to destroy the being that attacked the ship and leads the crew further away. While they search for the creature, Grivak is attacked by the monster (a golden colored blob). The blob takes over Grivak's body, and the new zombie-like Grivak attacks Zap. In desperation Zap's psychic powers overtake him and he manages to free himself from Grivak so that Reona can blast the bounty hunter with her plasma cannon. The blob leaves Grivak's body and makes an exact replica of Zap, and then pounces on the new captain. Unable to tell the difference, the crew watches in horror until a bullet from Gunner rips through the head of the clone and it reforms into a blob. Gunner uses his psychic abilities to de story the blob and save the crew. He jeers at Zap for his inability to control his powers and tells Zap that he will retrain him. When Gunner returns to the ship, Reona follows him and during a conversation Gunner reveals that he recently saw Efrem with the assassin Naveed Catlos.

Back on the ship, Reona confesses her desire to search for Efrem and Naveed. She pleads with Zap to let them seek out a contact of Reona's on the Rings of Luck Casino. Zap relents, hoping to make her happy. Saddened by the thought of being replaced by Efrem, Zap returns to his room and is greeted by Gunner, who begins Zap's re-training in the psychic arts.

Far away on the GEF prison planet, Naveed Catlos, who earlier allowed herself to be taken prisoner, breaks free from her cell and releases the Galilean Satellites from their holding tanks. She asks them to join the Serpent's efforts to destroy the GEF and the Satellites accept. A ship then crashes into the prison and Efrem reveals himself to be working with Naveed. Naveed, Efrem, and the Satellites then set out for the Rings of Luck Casino.

Volume Four (part one)

Start reading at volume four. After interrogating Justin and Jason regarding the whereabouts of Zap Vexler, Commander William Haskins gives the order to schedule them for public execution. In the hallway, he is confronted for his actions by the president's oracular advisor, Vitale. William reveals that his orders came from General Verbatim. Vitale reveals that he has swayed the President into appointing William as the new leader of the Universal Psychic Academy. William is shocked and tries to refuse, but returns with Vitale to the Earth's Moon to take up his position.

Meanwhile, Zap and the crew of the Excelsior dock at the Rings of Luck Casino and set out in search for a woman called Demonica who worked as a waitress at the casino before Reona joined the Resistance with Efrem. While searching for Demonica, Robot convinces Zap to use his psychic powers to cheat at gambling, and the two are soon caught and taken to meet with the owner of the casino, who turns out to be Demonica. Demonica tries to seduce Zap, but is interrupted by Reona and Grontar, who barge in attempting to save Zap and Robot. Reona is embarrassed and jealous, and tells Zap off before settling down to ask Demonica what she knows about the location of Naveed Catlos. Unable to provide information, Demonica attempts to make things right and offers the crew a free stay at the casino while she searches for information. Gunner leaves the crew and breaks into the amusement park and it is soon revealed that the Serpent is also there waiting.

Volume Four (part two)

Start reading at volume four part two. William assesses the situation at the Academy and Vitale confesses that he has had a vision of impending destruction and darkness in the GEF. He urges William to protect the psychics at the Academy.

Back at the casino, Zap and the crew enjoy dinner and a dance, but their evening is interrupted when the emergency alarm sounds and they and the rest of the casino's patrons are herded to the lobbies for safety. At Zap's orders the crew sneaks away and Zap reveals to Reona that Gunner taught him how to use his powers and that he suspects that Gunner is the one behind the disturbance. The crew enter the amusement park and are immediately confronted by the Serpent, who separates Zap from the crew. Naveed appears and Reona chases after her, leaving Grontar to deal with the Satellites, who make short work of him and encase him in a suit of rock.

Zap engages the Serpent in psychic combat, though in his current state seems to be no match for the other psychic. The Serpent reveals that he's actually Gunner, and that he and Zap were working to destroy the GEF before Zap lost his memory. Gunner vows to take Zap back with him, and they fight again, leading to a great burst of psychic energy from Zap.

At the same time, Reona confronts Naveed, proving to be a greater challenge now that she's a cyborg and Naveed is forced to lead Reona into a funhouse to keep her close-combat advantage. Reona chases Naveed to the top floor of the funhouse, only to be confronted by Efrem, who has apparently been waiting for her. He chides at Reona for searching for him, admitting to having betrayed them earlier in order to escape his role as captain. He reveals that he is working with Naveed and the Serpent in a plan to destroy the GEF. He then uses his powers to blast her out a window.

Zap gains the upper hand against Gunner and then has an oracular flash of danger. He vows to save Reona and hurries to find her. He arrives just in time to stop Naveed from killing her. Efrem attempts to use his powers against Zap, but Zap, spurred by his desire to protect Reona, proves to be too much. Reona asks Zap to take her away and Zap agrees. Just then, a bullet blasts through Zap's stomach and he falls to the ground. Gunner then tells Reona that he is taking Zap with them and that if she tries to follow them, he'll kill her and torture Zap. He then throws her aside and she faints.

Grontar finally breaks free from the Satellites trap and goes to find Reona. He discovers a band of pirates in the process of kidnapping her and Robot and hurries in pursuit. He loses them in the casino, but is reunited with Kasey. Together they board Excelsior and blast of in pursuit.

Volume Five

Start reading at volume five. Volume five has just begun! Synopsis will come later.

For more information on the plot and characters, check out the cast pages.