Valerian

Valerian is the novel's hero. He is a strong character, both physically and in terms of determination. He puts himself in danger repeatedly as he fights the villain, Xombul. He is knowledgeable about every situation that comes his way, fighting through any problem to achieve his goals. This is a graphic novel and Valerian is a very typical comic-book hero. He takes action against impossible odds, and is always ahead of his sidekick, Laureline, except in rare cases.

Valerian apparently has no desires, no personal life, and no dreams of being anything other than a Spatio-Temporal Agent. None of his personal thoughts are revealed, and he remains focused only on the tasks at hand.

As the story opens, Valerian is playing chess with Laureline, and she is apparently winning. When they are summoned to headquarters, Valerian immediately jumps up to go. This tells the reader that he is...