Did You Know Sliders Had Even More Adventures With a 1990s Spin-off Comic Series?

The Sliders series, a favorite sci-fi franchise from the late ‘90s, continues to captivate fans with its 87 mind-bending journeys across various universes. If you’ve binge-watched all five seasons (and perhaps revisited them) and are eager to delve deeper into the Sliding experience, your local comic book store could be the perfect destination. There, you might stumble upon the Sliders in an entirely different universe and medium.

What happens to Quinn and friends in the Sliders comics?

Back in 1996, during the initial phases of the television show, Acclaim Comics adapted Sliders from the TV screen to comic book shelves, releasing a total of 10 comics based on the series under license. The first two were straightforwardly named Sliders, while the subsequent issues had additional titles appended at the end.

The Sliders comic series debuted with two initial issues in June and July of 1996, then continued with Sliders: Ultimatum from August to September. After that, Sliders: Darkest Hour ran for three consecutive issues from October through December 1996. In addition to these, there were also three special Sliders issues, each featuring a longer 40-page story.

Title Suggestion: Updates on Sliders Revival: Could It Be Back Again? Jerry O’Connell’s Ideas for Change and Explanation of the Original Series Finale

In November 1996, the first “Sliders Special” titled “Narcotica” was penned by Jerry O’Connell (Quinn Mallory) and made its way onto bookshelves. At the same time, issue 2 of “Sliders: Darkest Hour” was also released. The subsequent “Specials,” named “Blood & Splendor” and “Deadly Secrets,” followed in January and March of 1997 respectively.

Sliders

The story begins with a world overrun by colossal ants. Humans and sliders have little chance against these formidable foes. However, luck favors them as they’re about to slide through a portal and land in a less-than-pristine San Francisco.

The city, along with possibly the whole globe, seems to be disintegrating right before people’s very eyes. The culprit: a peculiar extraterrestrial vessel hovering above the urban landscape, draining energy from everything in its path – be it buildings, plants, or even people, transforming them first into weakened reflections of their former selves, and eventually reducing them to dust.

We are meeting the Zercurvians for the first time, these beings belong to a two-dimensional race that managed to enter the third dimension but suffered some cognitive disruption along the way. As a result, they have developed an insatiable appetite for stealing energy from one dimensional world after another in a desperate bid to sustain their newly acquired three-dimensional existence.

In the second installment, readers find themselves facing another exotic alien race, who have their feet firmly on human soil, and a world where Atlantis never submerged. Fortunately, the Atlanteans are eager for combat and ready to assist in the battle against both extraterrestrial and extra-dimensional intruders.

Sliders: Ultimatum

In this world, life is like a perpetual circus, filled with eeriness yet devoid of amusement. Here, existence revolves around a circus sphere, where simply surviving requires navigating the precarious balance between spectacle and brutality, and often, just balancing itself.

In a gaming universe, I found myself transported to a world where religion dominates every aspect of life. Citizens are mysteriously being whisked away by heavenly beams, constitutional changes merge church and state, and reproductive rights are stripped away – all of which seemed like the stuff of science fiction back in 1996. This world appears to be undergoing a rapture, but the sinister truth is far more complex and dangerous for humanity. If we don’t act fast, this entire reality could unravel completely.

Sliders: Darkest Hour

After being presumed vanquished by Quinn Mallory and the Atlanteans, the Zercurvians resurface, barely holding onto existence, trapped in the realm between dimensions. In their final attempt to survive, they gather all remaining energy and lash out at the Sliders as Quinn’s group jumps into the void.

A powerful surge of energy surprises the sliders on their journey towards a new world, implanting a sinister thought in their minds. Quinn resorts to stealing from a young child, Wade assaults someone using a potted plant (later revealed to be a robot), and these are merely the opening acts.

In this world, humans have exchanged their organic existence for the prolonged life offered by machines. They are capable of achieving any goal or assuming any role, with the exception of experiencing true vitality. Rembrandt is on the verge of sacrificing not only his own body but also that of his friends, in pursuit of an eternal life.

Four of them manage to leave the mechanical realm unscathed, landing instead on what appears to be their homeworld. However, their spirits remain tainted, and the healing they need may lie in revisiting the past, like peering through a mirror.

Sliders Specials

In the initial “Sliders Special” titled “Narcotica,” penned by Jerry O’Connell, we delve into a scenario where drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine are not just tolerated but mandatory. These addictive substances are surreptitiously added to our food and water sources, maintaining a sedated populace. The cultivation and distribution of untreated produce is considered illegal, leading to the emergence of powerful cartels who smuggle food into the U.S.

Sliders: Blood & Splendor,” the second “Specials” edition, presents itself as a missing episode. The narrative unfolds in an underground chamber, where our Sliders are escaping from a species of subterranean mutants. They suddenly leap into another cavern and subsequently traverse dimensions. Throughout their journey to the next Earth, they witness alternate versions of themselves being targeted by enigmatic, slug-like creatures. Finally, they reach a world under Aztec rule, where Quinn becomes the focus of a significant ritual sacrifice.

In the last installment of “Sliders Special“, and the final issue to be printed (another issue was halted during production and never made it to stores), we explore a world where Wade’s biological parents are still alive but estranged from each other. A powerful corporation has engineered an extremely invasive plant that has devastated Earth’s environment. Now, they provide a relatively secure haven in space, but at a cost.

How do the Sliders comics connect to the Sliders TV show?

Instead of being separate or reimagined versions, the Sliders comics were intended to complement the TV series and be considered part of the same ongoing story. As series creator Tracy Tormé explained to Earth Prime in 1996, the goal was to keep the comics closely connected when it came to character development and events. “Both the comics and the TV show will share a single reality,” Tormé said, “so that fans can easily recognize characters like Rembrandt whether they first encounter him in the comic or on television.” The comics have the potential to greatly expand the Sliders universe, and Tormé plans to take full advantage of this opportunity without any limitations.

As a dedicated Sliders fan, I’ve noticed that the comic series occasionally delves deeper into specific episodes from the show, offering more detailed insights with helpful footnotes. On the other hand, some issues explore ideas that were just tossed around in the writers’ room for the TV series. The incredible team behind the Sliders comics – D.G. Chichester, Dick Giordano, Mike DeCarlo, Jade Moede, Sam Rarszack, Bernard Chang, Kevin Kobasic, Mike DeCarlo again (yes, two Mike DeCarlos!), Sam De La Rosa, Val Mayerik, Dennis Calero, Barbara Kaalberg, and O’Connell – understood the potential of the comic book medium to tell grander, more spectacular stories than what could be achieved on television.

Tormé expressed his delight at seeing your work adapted across various mediums and pointed out a unique advantage of comic books over television shows: “In comics, there are no constraints on our creativity due to budgetary limitations on special effects or similar factors,” he stated. Essentially, he was saying that the possibilities in comics are virtually endless.

2025-04-15 23:32