Event Horizon: Inferno #5 hits stores this week, closing out a run of comic issues that serve as a sequel to the 1997 movie. IDW Publishing’s work has been one of the busiest seasons yet for readers of Event Horizon, and it isn’t over.
A 30th Anniversary Setup
Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Event Horizon’s first appearance in cinemas. Ahead of that, IDW gave readers two new stories: Event Horizon: Dark Descent, a prequel telling the full history of the doomed spacecraft, and Inferno, a sequel set 200 years later. In Inferno, another attempt to reach the ship’s remains turns into horror.
Inferno’s Aliens Comparison
Inferno is built to work the way Aliens worked for the Alien franchise: bigger scale, more action, same dread. The comic gives equal weight to both the sci-fi and horror sides of the story.
| Story | Place In The Story | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Event Horizon (1997) | Original film | The ship disappears, and those on the Lewis and Clark meet its fate |
| Dark Descent | Prequel | Tells the full history of the Event Horizon spacecraft |
| Inferno | Sequel, 200 years later | An attempt to reach the ship’s remains turns into a nightmare |
Starck Returns
Inferno connects directly to the original film through Lieutenant M. L. Starck, the Lewis and Clark officer played by Joely Richardson in the movie. Centuries after the events of Event Horizon, Starck is still alive. How that happened is answered in the comic, though not every detail is given away. Starck stands in this series much as Ellen Ripley does in Aliens.
Whether Starck lives through Inferno #5 is TBD.
Whether anyone lives through Inferno #5 is also TBD.
Looking Ahead
Inferno closes its run with this week’s issue. A collected book edition is planned for March 2027. The collected edition of Dark Descent is already out. Unless the final issue ends the entire Event Horizon universe, another chapter seems likely, whether or not it picks up the story directly.
By the end of Inferno, the story appears to be turning its attention from a few characters toward threats across the wider galaxy. That opens the door to several directions the Event Horizon universe could take next.
The Bigger Picture
A few years ago, hope for any kind of Event Horizon comeback had mostly faded. IDW’s Dark Descent and Inferno changed that, giving the franchise a base to build an expanded universe on the page. Whether the franchise returns to screens is still an open question.
Event Horizon: Inferno #5 will be available Wednesday, September 9, 2026, from IDW Publishing — the date readers will finally learn how far this new chapter of the story is willing to go.
Source: screenrant.com
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