Halo: Initiation Issue 1

Halo: Initiation #1 is a 2013 comic by Dark Horse.

Plot
The comic opens to UNSC headquarters, HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 in Sydney, Australia in January 2553. HIGHCOM is holding a meeting over the SPARTAN-IIs, who are believed to all be dead or missing by the war's end. This marks a serious problem for the UNSC, as while the Covenant has ceased to exist, many warlords have taken its place which pose a continuing threat to humanity. A further prospect is the Insurrection which, while largely quiet during the war, never died down and, consequently, is also a threat. The officer conducting the meeting reveals he already has replacement Spartans.

Three comic cuts to three months earlier during the war's climax. ODSTs are launched from orbit to reinforce the Marine ground forces on a planet. A convoy of Marine warthogs escorts Admiral Kovalik out of the UNICOM base carrying its AI, the retrieval of which prevented him from evacuating with the rest of UNICOM. As the ODSTs begin landing, the convoy is attacked by a Jiralhanae chieftain armed with a Gravity Hammer. One warthog is destroyed and the Admiral's is overturned. Lance Corporal Palmer's HEV lands near the chieftain and the two fight, with Palmer stabbing the Jiralhanae. As a high-ranking officer, Palmer protects him from halm as the injured chieftain gets ready to attack. Palmer has the Admiral distract it while she throws a grenade to flip the warthog over so they can drive off. As she is about to get in, Palmer is shot by another Covenant soldier. Palmer holds in the pain and out of adrenaline alone gets in the car and rams it into the chieftain and nearby Unggoy. Palmer informs "Bossman" that she has rescued Kovalic; she is given coordinates to a site where a shuttle was waiting for him.

Back in the present, Palmer is recovering at the Lockheart Medical Station. A man walks into meet her, congratulating her on saving the Admiral, which gave her a promotion and kept the AI's classified data out of enemy hands. The man introduces himself as "Jun", and offers to make her a Spartan, having been convinced of her candidacy after the rescue.

Characters

 * Musa
 * Catherine Elizabeth Halsey (mentioned-only)
 * Sarah Palmer
 * Kovalic
 * Jun

Locations

 * Sol system
 * Earth
 * Australia
 * HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6