Warning: SPOILERS for The Orville: Launch Day #1.

The crew of The Orville is back in comic book form, with the heroes of the FOX series reuniting for The Orville: Launch Day. And in just this first issue, it seems they may have stumbled upon their own version of a Star Wars superweapon. That's right: in the Orville universe, there is another Death Star.

When discovering a giant grey ball-like structure floating through space, comparisons to the Empire's Death Star are unavoidable. After all, Star Wars is a worldwide phenomenon, casting so large a shadow over science fiction one would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't make the connection. Now thanks to The Orville the comparison arrives in a franchise more inspired by what many consider Star Wars' greatest rival. Though Star Trek's influence on The Orville is anything but subtle, the show has grown a cult following, taking a light-hearted spin on the original Trek formula. With the show hailed as the best modern Star Trek show (without actually being, well, Star Trek), the series is using its comic book to pay tribute to the other great interplanetary adventure that is Star Wars.

Related: The Orville Returns For 'Season 2.5' From Dark Horse Comics

The issue sets up what seems to be the ongoing plot for this new comic spinoff, following the crew as they investigate a potential superweapon. When the Krill show up in Union Space, it is brought to the crew's attention that an outlying planet may be hiding something. In an effort to stop the Krill from destroying a possibly innocent civilization, the crew of the Orville seeks a strange energy signal coming from Alibar, a world that broke away from the Union twenty years prior with no explanation. While Captain Mercer and First Officer Kelly Grayson head down to check out the surface, the Orville's Helmsman Lieutenant Gordon Malloy and navigator Lieutenant Commander John LaMarr are left to float in orbit... and make the real discovery.

The Orville Comic Version of Death Star

The two Lieutenants stumble upon a massive, ominous looking, floating orb, stocked with a strange red center lens, rightly identified as looking "like a giant weapon." With how much the comic presses the idea onto the reader that this planet is up to no good, ending on a space station so reminiscent of the Death Star is no coincidence. However, it's possible this is all one massive bait and switch for readers. While it could very well be some device to destroy others, it seems too straightforward and obvious to take that route. There's a chance the story will still team the Krill and the Union up, since the Captain's gut is usually right, and he's determined to prove Alibar's innocence.

Launch Day does a fantastic job of capturing the show's energy and spirit, with equal parts humor and The Orville's solid sci-fi focus. The series, much like Star Trek, uses wild space adventures to explore social issues, and this comic is no exception. The series is poised to examine both war and a totalitarian regime, and how citizens can fall in line behind leaders (so using the most iconic weapon of Star Wars' rigid Empire makes perfect sense). It's still too early to tell exactly where the book will lead, but one thing is for sure: that's no moon.

The Orville: Launch Day #1 is available now from Dark Horse.

Next: What To Expect From The Orville Season 3