The Crew Of Starshatter: Awesome ("Madness is the result not of uncertainty but of certainty")

Awesome is probably the most fascinating and mysterious member of the crew. Not necessarily because of what he does, but rather who he is. Although we do not know that much about him, we can make educated guesses about him and hamsters in general.

Hamsters.....are not quite right in the head are they? And I feel I need to explain what I mean by that. Are they insane? Maybe. But not in the way you might think. There is something fundamentally...broken in hamsters. There is a state of mind which every hero enters when he has been brought to his limit, when he has been through hell, facing insurmountable odds, with no chance of survival - he laughs and with laughter he enters into his final battle. I think that is the permanent state of mind for hamsters. This is what's normal  for them. They have embraced that wound, the do not try to heal it but celebrate it. You can imagine why this makes them a terrifying enemy - someone who cannot be intimidated, who does not take you seriously, who jumps into battle with no hesitation or second thought. That is why the only thing you can expect from hamsters is the unpredictable, they cannot think conventionally. Now we realize that the "tiny feet of doom" is a title well earned, a title that understandably strikes terror in the hearts of Terra's enemies.

Can hamsters truly talk to guns? Either answer would be equal parts fascinating and terrifying. If weapons can truly talk...it opens up so many possibilities that I cannot fathom where this revelation would take us. But if hamsters are actually insane....that might pose a threat as well. It is one thing to have a...quirky partner, quite another for them to be unstable.

Awesome is incredibly dedicated. I suspect that even more so than most other hamsters. Unlike his crewmates who have personal reasons to fight, Awesome is fighting for an ideal, a goal that all hamsters share, the continued prosperity and happiness of their Patrons. For him humans are what the Universe is to other people. Think of the way he talks and the way he mentions them in a conversation. Humans are the ones who created him and gave him freedom, something that is truly rare in the galaxy. Awesome realizes that more clearly than Cat or Lilly, not that they are not grateful for the unique chance they have been given, but Awesome's worldview, the constant expectation that every second is his last, gives him a unique perspective on giving and taking a life. The hamster has committed his entire being to his mission. Think about it, as a hamster he has an ability that takes off years of his life, just to make someone else smile. I am curious though  has he realized all this? Or is it just instinct? I cannot be sure but it makes me smile knowing that the smallest crew member has the biggest worldview, so to speak.

Awesome has also taught me a lot about laughter. Every chance he gets he uses laughter to help, to heal. Even though he sees the horrors of the galaxy, he continues to try and make everyone laugh. Not that dangerous, bitter laugh that comes out, when you are pushed into a corner, with little chance to escape(arguably how humans are at the moment), but an honest boisterous laughter. The kind that makes you remember that there is something good left, however small it might seem and that it is worth protecting, that even if you lose everything it is worth continuing the fight, just for another smile, another laugh, shared with someone. Even if facing death, Awesome is prepared to laugh with a laughter that makes the enemy know - he is aware that he will die, but he goes into battle with a smile and a light step, with no regrets, comforted in the knowledge that he will give it his all, that somewhere someone is laughing right now and that is because of him, standing on the battlefield, facing his foe.

Awesome is a complicated hamster. Like every crew member there is more to him than you think. On the surface he is a funny little creature but dig deeper and you will find a creature of determination and dedication. All I can say is that I have a deep respect for anyone that can relate to him.