Dana Sterling
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Dana Sterling is a fictional character from the Robotech anime television series. The character was adapted from the originally unrelated characters Komilia Maria Fallyna Jenius in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Jeanne Francaix in The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross. She is the daughter of Max Sterling and Miriya Sterling, heroes of the First Robotech War, and the sister of Maia Sterling. Dana's mother, Miriya, is a former Zentraedi warrior who, after being micronized in order to inflitrate the SDF-1 and kill Max Sterling, fell in love with him and the two were quickly married. Dana was born in October of 2012 in the aftermath of the First Robotech War which saw most of the Earth's surface reduced to ashes. Dana is the first child born from a Human/Zentraedi union and is considered, like her parents' marriage, a symbol of, and a hope for, peace between the two races.
 Max Sterling lifting Dana out of the cradle pod in her space suit |
 Baby Dana in her space suit in her mother's arms |
 Miriya Sterling holding baby Dana |
 Max Sterling lifting Dana onto his shoulder |
Contents |
[edit] Fictional Character Biography
In the first Robotech Saga, Dana is only seen as a baby in a few brief scenes in episodes 28, 30, and 35. Miriya, a former Zentraedi warrior, never believed that she could feel this way about anyone or anything before giving birth to Dana. Dana is first seen in episode 28 (although her name is not spoken), Recontruction Blues, when Lisa Hayes, while contemplating the love triangle between Lynn Minmay, Rick Hunter and herself, looks across a street and spots Max and Miriya pushing a baby carriage. As Lisa watches Max lift baby Dana out of the carrige and into his arms, Lisa thinks to herself that Max and Miriya look so happy with their daughter and she wishes that Rick could understand how she feels.
Dana plays an important role in episode 30, Viva Miriya, when Max and Miriya bring her along on an important mission into deep space to capture the Zentraedi Satellite factory in June of 2013. As Dana is only eight months old, a specially designed "cradle pod" is fitted to the bottom of Miriya's veritech fighter to safely transport Dana into space. Dana is also fitted with her own tiny white and pink spacesuit, which fits her like Dr. Dentons. After blasting their way into the factory, Max and Miriya proudly display Dana to the enemy Zentraedi. The Zentraedi, who have never seen a baby before, are terrified of Dana, believing that she is a mutation and that she might be contagious. The Zentreadi, filled with terror, abandon their posts, giving the United Earth forces and the Zentraedi that have allied with them under Breetai time to attack and seize the factory. Dana is seen briefly again towards the end of episode 35 as Max lifts her onto his shoulder and subsequently grumbles after Dana starts pulling on his hair. By this time, Dana is approximately 14 months old.
Dana remained on Earth when Max and Mirya joined the Robotech Expeditionary Forces aboard the SDF-3 in 2022. It is not stated in the television series why Max and Miriya left Dana behind, since other families had brought their children with them and many children were born during the mission. However, the decanonized Jack McKinney novel "The Devil's Hand" (book 13 of the Robotech series), states that Dana was left behind because, as the only child of a Human-Zentraedi union (who had been studied, tested, and evaluated since birth), she too valuable to risk going with the Expeditionary Forces. Max and Miriya were reluctant to leave Dana behind but ultimately accepted this decision, and left Dana, along with Bowie Grant (whose parents also joined the expeditionary forces), under the care of their close friends, Major General Rolf Emerson and his wife Laura. Dana and Bowie subsequently grew up as near siblings. Although the Sterlings hoped that the mission would be over quickly, events would keep the SDF-3 away from Earth for the rest of Dana's childhood. On the day before the SDF-3 launches, Dana serves as a flower girl at the wedding of Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes.
It is during the second Robotech Saga that Dana, now an adult (and with blonde hair as opposed to seagreen hair), becomes the main character and the catalyst for much of the action that takes place in the Second Robotech War. In 2029, just before the beginning of the arrival of the Robotech Masters in Earth orbit, Dana, now 17 years old, graduates from the United Earth Forces Military academy along with childhood friend Bowie Grant and is placed with the 15th tactical armored squadron of the Armies of the Southern Cross, an elite military unit. Initially, both are under the command of Sean Phillips. However, after Sean is demoted for flirting with an admiral's daughter, Dana was promoted to Second Lieutenant and takes command of the 15th. Among those under Dana's command are Louie Nichols and Angelo Dante. Nichols proves himself as expert with tech gadgets and computers. Dante views Dana as an overconfident teenager and Dana must repeatedly prove to him that she is a competent leader. Dana clashes with Marie Crystal, a squadron leader within the Tactical Armored Space Corps and Nova Satori, an officer in the military police.
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Gregarious and outgoing, Dana proved to be a brilliant tactical leader during the Second Robotech War against the Robotech Masters but she is troubled, because she is half alien, over the fact that the enemy she is killing could be her own relatives. Because of this, she has several clashes with supreme commander Anatole Leonard over his bigoted treatment of captured bioroid pilots. Leonard seems to tolerate her because of her relationship to Chief of Staff Rolf Emerson.
Dana is attracted to Zor Prime (a captured Bioroid pilot and a clone of Zor, the Tirolian who discovered Protoculture) who was attached to the 15th squadron and helped him regain his memory. During the final battle with the Robotech Masters, Dana accidentally touches the terminals of a protoculture chamber and the surge awakens racial memories inside her. Through a waking dream, she meets a young girl, the younger sister she had yet to meet but had been born in deep space during the SDF-3's mission. (This sister was named Aurora in the decanonized Jack McKinney novels. Maia Sterling appears to replace Aurora in the retconned timeline and is a major character in the Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles movie). Zor, sacrifices himself by piloting the Masters' command ship in a suicide run to destroy the Earth mounds where the ruins of the SDF-1's protoculture matrix were located as they had mutated and began to attract the Invid Sensor Nebula. Unfortunately, the explosion he creates only spread the spores throughout the planet causing Earth to become a fertile greenhouse for the Invid flower of life. The arrival of the Invid was a certainty now and their chances of winning were non-existent as the United Earth Forces and the Robotech Masters had exhausted themselves.
Zor's death takes a heavy emotional toll on Dana as she had fallen in love with him. In addition, Rolf Emerson, Dana's godfather who had cared for her since she her parent left with the SDF-3, is also killed in the final battle against the Robotech Masters. This, combined with the massive devastation caused by the Second Robotech War, to be followed by only more devastation when the Invid invade less than a year later, causes Dana to become somber and pessimistic and a pale shadow of her former cheerful self. It is believed that she and other survivors of the 15th squadron joined in the hopeless fight against the Invid invasion in 2031. Subsequently, it is believed that Dana joined the underground resistance against the Invid occupation. In the decanonized Jack McKinney novel "Rubicon" (book 17 of the Robotech series), Dana, along with Louie Nichols, Bowie Grant, Angelo Dante, Sean Phillips, Marie Crystal, Musica and Allegra acquire Jonathan Wolfe's ship, travel to Tirol, and meet up with the Robotech Expeditionary Forces in 2033. In the Wildstorm comic, Prelude to Shadow Chronicles, at least Dana and Louie Nichols reach Space Station Liberty.
During her brief appearance in the Prelude comic, a still subdued Dana reacts strangely when she meets Tirolian Scientist (and Sentinels member) Rem. Her mostly non-verbal behavior indicated that she recognized him, but this is only due to the fact that, like Zor Prime, Rem is another clone of Zor. it is also apparent, again through non-verbal behavior, that there is friction between Dana and Maia Sterling, the nature of which is unknown. However, one explanation that has been proposed is that Miriya died during the Maia's birth (this explanation would also explain why there is no mention of Miriya in the Prelude comic.) Another explanation offered is that Dana felt, after being left behind on Earth, that her parents had "replaced" her with Maia. Dana is not seen in Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles and her fate is presently unknown.
[edit] Secondary Continuity
In the decanonized book "End of the Circle" (book 18 of the series) by Jack McKinney, Dana, as the offspring of the Max and Miriya Sterling, is considered one of the most dangerous and powerful Robotech warriors of all time. In the book, Dana's skills are directly compared to Robotech warriors of other generations when she is deceived by the Invid Regis and initiates personal combat with her father. The book seems to suggest that if Kazianna Hesh had not intervened Dana might even have bested him.
[edit] Difference Between Baby Dana and Adult Dana
Many fans[who?] have criticized or spoofed the apparent discrepancy between the green haired baby Dana of the Macross Saga (Komilia Jenius), and the blonde haired adult Dana in Robotech Masters (Jeanne Francaix). Though this was partially reconciled with the short-lived Sentinels series showing a very young, but very blonde girl whom Miriya refers to as her daughter; some fans have joked that either the original baby was a natural blonde and had its hair dyed to match her parents (This explanation is given in the novels), or that Max and Miriya's infant was switched at birth with the illegitimate daughter of Lynn Minmay. The real child of Max and Miriya then apparently grew up to become Lana Isavia (Nova Satori). [1]
However, the explanation that Dana is the illegitimate daughter of Lynn Minway is problematic in that in episode 60 (entitled "Catastrophe") of the series, Dana experiences memories that emerge from her "Zentraedi cell structure." Therefore, the only way the above explanation is possible is if Minmay's affair had been with a Zentraedi. Another explanation that has been given is that Dana is actually the child of an affair that Miriya had with another human who was blonde.
It is also important to note that there is no evidence provided in the television series, the novels or the comics that even suggests that Dana is not the child of Max and Miriya.
A more likely explanation for Dana's change in hair colour is that an infant's hair color will often change (lighter or darker) as the child grows older--and that adults often have hair color different then they had in childhood. Dana's younger sister, Aurora/Maia Sterling is also seen to have blue hair as a child, though her hair fades to a pale pink in adulthood. It should also be especially noted that the unusual hair colors depicted in the animation (as with all anime) may not necessarily represent natural coloring.
[edit] Jeanne Fránçaix
Dana Sterling is adapted from the character Jeanne Fránçaix, of the anime The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross. She is voiced by Michie Tomizawa. Down-to-earth and happy-go-lucky, Jeanne, from the native planet of Liberté became the leader of the 15th Squad in the Southern Cross' A Tactics Armored Corps. Her disobedient behaviors often lead her to solitary confinement, often placed there by Lt. Lana Isavia (aka Nova Satori). Fortunately she always manages to be let out when needed. Jeanne develops a romantic interest in Seifriet Weiße (aka Zor Prime), but his reaction is one of puzzlement and disdain. Most of the series revolves around Jeanne's escapades with the 15th Squad, and her almost personal war with the invading Zor.
[edit] Other relatives
In the television episode "Triumvirate", Dana briefly mentions a younger brother that she left behind at home. Given the lack of any siblings other than Aurora (original continuity) and Maia (current continuity), most fans conclude that the writers of Sentinels and other continuing stories simply forgot about this mention and treat it as a script blooper. Other fans speculate that she could have been referring to Bowie with whom she practically grew up with and considered family. In actuality, this line was leftover from the original Japanese script where Jeanne did have a younger brother. Some clarification on this issue was given in an interview with Carl Macek by Chris Meadows on the Space Station Liberty program on 4/14/07. Mr. Macek stated that Dana has both a brother and a sister. This was to be further developed in scripts for "The Sentinels" series. Because all the background details of the rebooted Robotech timeline are still being created, it remains to be seen if a younger brother still exists.
[edit] Deleted Scene featuring Baby Dana
In episode 30 of the original Japanese The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, entitled Viva Maria, (or Viva Miriya in the english Robotech), a scene occurs onboard Breetai's ship in which everyone is sitting for drinks in Maximilian Jenius/Max Sterling and Milia Fallyna Jenius/Miriya Parina Sterling,'s room. As Misa Hayase/Lisa Hayes watches Milia holding baby Komilia/Dana, she asks is she could hold Komilia for a bit. Initially, Milia refuses, tells Misa that "if you want to hold a baby, why not make one of your own? I made this one." After Max tells Milia to let Misa hold Komilia, Milia agrees and, to the shock of everyone, yells "catch" and throws baby Komilla across the table to Misa, who barely manages to catch Komilia in time. Maximilian then calmly states that Komilia has "a strong skeleton," and apparently shows no further concern for Komilia or about what Milia has just done or how close Komilia came to possibly suffering serious injuries. As Misa harsly criticizes Milia for throwing Komilia and taking her along at all on such a dangerous mission, Komilia playfully grabs a lock of Misa's hair, and Misa and Claudia LaSalle/Claudia Grant become enamoured with Komilia, and focus all of their attention on admiring her and making her laugh. Meanwhile, Maximillian whispers to Hikaru Ichijyo/Rick Hunter that Misa seems so happy to be able to hold Komilia and suggests that Misa would be even happier if it was her own baby. He then adds, suggestively, that "Wouldn't you like to see her with a baby of her own, right captain Ichijyo?" to which Ichiyo responds "Don't look at me like that."
By the end of the scene, everyone is laughing and nobody seems to show any further concern about Milia's actions - or any future danger that Komilia could be in due to Milia's severe misconceptions on how to handle a baby and that throwing a baby any distance (not just across a table) is extremely and needlessly dangerous (and is probably a basis for criminal charges).
This scene was almost completely deleted when the series was edited into the Robotech saga, except for a brief shots showing showing Miriya holding a sleeping Dana and Max cleaning up some dishes. Tellingly, the apron which Max is seen wearing reads Max and Milia, as opposed to the english verison names Max and Miriya. In book six of the Jack McKinney Robotech Novels, Doomsday, there is a brief reference to this scene. As Rick, Lisa and Claudia are walking back from the party, Claudia states to Lisa "I don't think Miriya should have thrown Dana to you. She has to learn to be more careful!" Lisa then replies that "it's an adjustment for her. After all, her role model was probably the neighboring test tube" (a reference to the fact that Miriya is a Zentraedi who was artifically grown).
A video of this scene has been posted on Youtube.com at the following link | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBX25XhE9YY&feature=related
