The Promise Part Three

The Promise Part 3 is the third and final installment in a trilogy of graphic novels set in the World of Avatar as a bridge between the Avatar: The Last Airbender and the The Legend of Korra storylines. Written by comic author Gene Yang, this third installment was released by Dark Horse Comics in collaboration with Nickelodeon on September 26, 2012 in the United States, and October 9, 2012 in Canada.

Overview
''The Harmony Restoration Movement fails to bring peace, and the nations are plunged back into war. Aang has to somehow mend the rift between himself and Fire Lord Zuko during the midst of the battle, or risk being pressured into killing the apparently renegade Fire Lord. Can war be averted? The fate of Yu Dao and the Fire Nation colonies hangs in the balance.''

Synopsis


Avatar Aang and Zuko stand on a cliff in the midst of a driving rainstorm with the specters of Roku and Ozai standing behind them. Below, on the mud-soaked battlefield, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom troops clash as lightning rends the sky. Zuko shares his doubts about the course of action he has chosen with Aang, saying that while he wants to protect his people, he feels that all he can hear is Ozai's voice, which he blames on Aang's decision to not kill the former Fire Lord. While Ozai's ghost tries to convince Zuko that only the Fire Lord can decide what is "right", Roku tells Aang that Zuko has become too unstable, and that Aang must keep the promise he made to him when he had more clarity of mind. Zuko, overcome with despair, again asks Aang to kill him, and Aang finally agrees and goes into the Avatar State. As he does so, Zuko has a vision of his mother crying. Just as Aang is about to finish off Zuko, both of them awaken, revealing the sequence was just a dream. Aang, on Appa hoping for peace, and Zuko, on a ship prepared to fight, both head toward Yu Dao.

The next day, Aang and Katara reach Yu Dao, where the Avatar tries to warn the civilians of Yu Dao to evacuate the city. They are immediately attacked by both earthbenders, firebenders, and someone throwing axes. Aang chases the axe-thrower into what turns out to be an ax factory, and after knocking him down, he discovers that it is Sneers. Several other resistance fighters break into the room, led by the colonial earthbender Kori Morishita, and try to convince Aang to join them in defending the city against the mob of protesters. However, when Aang tells them that both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom are sending armies to the city, they are somewhat less confident.



At that moment, the Yu Dao branch of the Official Avatar Aang Fan Club, led by Xing Ying, enters. Although initially pleased to see them, Aang is horrified when he finds out that its members have been tattooing themselves with the traditional and sacred Air Nomad arrows. Feeling that his culture was immensely disrespected, Aang storms out of the building and hardens his view that the four nations must remain separate to maintain balance – and thus, that all the Fire Nation citizens must be expelled from the city. He leaves for the city gate to wait for General How, who is leading the Earth Kingdom Army to attack Yu Dao.

Zuko meditates on his ship and has a conversation with a portrait of Uncle Iroh. While he feels that his intentions are good and justified in that he is protecting not only people but their relationships with one another, he is worried that his actions are exactly what his father would do if he returned to power, and more specifically questions if his call to battle is justified or not. He wonders if it matters that his reasons are different if from the outside it looks the same. He touches the scroll painting, saying how he wishes Iroh were with him, and how much he misses him. A soldier enters to announce that the ship has arrived at the Earth Kingdom, and Zuko puts on his helmet and leaves the room.

Katara leaves the fan club to search for Aang, and finds him meditating on the roof of the city's front gate. Aang tells Katara that he has figured out why the four nations have to remain separate; the power imbalance means that the stronger nation will always hurt the weaker one, whether by conquest, like the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom, or by simply making the culture a joke, like the Air Nomad Fan Club. Katara reminds Aang that Guru Pathik and Huu told him that separation is an illusion, and that the four nations are really all the same, but Aang responds that he does not want them to be the same. He explains that he loves the culture of his people, as everything about it makes the Air Nomads different from everyone else, and as the last Air Nomad, he has to preserve it. He has to restore the separation of the nations to prevent their corruption, even if it means going against his Air Nomad principles and killing Zuko.



Meanwhile, at the Beifong Metalbending Academy, Sokka waits with Toph for Aang and Katara to pick him up. However, Suki arrives first, in a Fire Nation war balloon. She explains that she knew where to find them because Master Kunyo had lodged an official complaint about a "dirt girl" and a "snow savage" taking over his school. She says that she needs them both, and they go with her, leaving Toph's students behind.

Back in Yu Dao, Katara attempts to tell Aang why she’s changed her mind about the Harmony Restoration Movement, only to be interrupted by Smellerbee and her protesters. Despite Aang’s efforts, Smellerbee initiates a mob to attack Yu Dao with a stone battering ram. When Aang stops her, she reveals that the battering ram was merely distraction in order to prevent Aang from noticing the drill break through their walls, subsequently plummeting the city into war.

Meanwhile, Sokka has Toph sneak the three of them below into one of the Fire Nation’s tanks, and as they attempt to slow down the fleet, Sokka has Toph metalbend the screws on all of the Fire Lord’s tanks while the army drives towards Yu Dao.

By this time, Smellerbee and Longshot have confronted Sneers, and after Smellerbee discovers Sneers' relationship with Kori, it almost appears that the Freedom Fighters are going to change their minds about the attacks; however, a protester interrupts the conversation by wreaking havoc on the town, causing Aang’s efforts to resolve things peacefully to be utterly washed away. Aang attempts to separate the fighting, claiming to be on the side of Smellerbee and Longshot, who want to drive out the Fire Nation, though before anything else can happen, Earth King Kuei’s army arrives.



Soon after the Fire Nation Army arrives, led by Zuko, General How implores Aang to kill Zuko, as it will leave the Fire Nation Army leaderless and utterly disabled. After Aang argues with the general, Sokka’s plan is put into motion, and Toph dismantles all of their tanks, leaving the warriors on foot to charge into war. Enraged by the upcoming violence, Aang drives himself into the Avatar State, yelling at Zuko. However, Katara snaps him out of it and gets him safely away from the chaos. Here, Katara tells Aang her true feelings towards the Harmony Restoration Movement, explaining that when she saw Kori and her multi-cultural family, she also saw her and Aang’s own futures as an Air Nomad and Water Tribe family. She then implores Aang to clear his head somewhere quiet and figure out what to do, even if that means that they cannot be together. They share a kiss, and Aang flies off.

Aang confines himself far away from the battle and instantly contacts Avatar Roku, who confesses his relationship as great-grandfather to Zuko, and insists that Aang fulfill his promise to Zuko for the benefit of the world.

Meanwhile, the battle rages on as Aang’s Yu Dao fan club and the rest of the gaang attempts to calm down the troops. Suki and Toph fight off a team of firebending soldiers when Toph’s metalbending students arrive to save them in the nick of time. All the while, Katara uses waterbending to propel herself up to Earth King Kuei's war balloon, convincing him to enter Yu Dao so he can see the lives he is trying to change with this battle.

As the fighting intensifies, a bright beam of light erupts in the distance. Avatar Aang flies into the city and separates the earth, stopping the feud and causing Fire Lord Zuko to plummet to his doom; however, Aang grabs his hand and saves him from what would be a fatal fall. Aang then shows Kuei that the King is fighting not only the Fire Nation, but also the Earth Kingdom itself, the Water Tribe, and the Air Nomads. Aang explains that there is a whole new world to understand and that this world did not need to be separated. Kuei realizes that Aang is right, and Zuko too realizes his fight was not the work of his father’s hatred, but the right choice all along, causing the Fire Lord to collapse and the fighting to end.



Four days later, Aang confronts Roku's spirit, explaining that he spared Zuko's life against Roku's will because he cares about him and the people he is close to. Roku insists that Aang has put the world in danger by being indecisive, causing Aang to tell him that there is nothing more he can teach him now since the world has changed so much. He subsequently breaks off his Fire Nation amulet and burns it in his grasp, cutting Roku off as his spiritual mentor, causing him to shed tears as he has now lost a good friend. Just after, Iroh alerts Aang that Zuko is awake. The two begin to talk and Zuko says that he was wrong to ask Aang to make that promise with him. He says to Aang that in making the promise he had forced Aang to be the person to decide what right and wrong was for Zuko. However, he says that with this whole experience he's discovered that he has to make decisions for himself now, and he is sorry he ever put the pressure on Aang to do so. He also explains to Aang that he thinks it might help him be better at peace if he connects with his mother's side of the family. He says that he wants to attempt yet again to search for her, and Aang encourages him to do so.

Later, Aang holds a meeting with the Fan Club girls of both the Yu Dao club and the one in Ba Sing Se. He explains that he wants them to continue the culture of his people and dubs them the first Air Acolytes, as Katara admires from afar.



Zuko then visits a mental institution and asks the only remaining person he can think of who is able to coax the whereabouts of his mother out of the imprisoned Ozai. A mentally unstable Azula is then wheeled in before the young Fire Lord, guarded by two matronly caregivers and bound in a full-length straitjacket. It is apparent that her year's convalescence at the asylum has done nothing to cure Azula of her mental illness. The Fire Nation Princess appears paler and thinner than before with her long black hair in wild disarray and dark circles under both eyes that still glisten with madness. Upon hearing her brother's request, Azula marvels at the task before her, stating that there has not been one day gone by that she has not wondered what had become of their dear mother, Ursa. Ursa's hallucinated reflection appears in a corridor mirror beside her, assuring Azula of her unconditional love for her.

Series continuity

 * This comic occurs immediately following the events of the The Promise Part 2, after Katara and Aang tried to convince the Earth King to talk to Fire Lord Zuko with no success; instead, he sent his army to restore harmony.
 * On page thirteen, the firebenders and earthbenders that Kori trained with in The Promise Part 2 are introduced.
 * On page fifteen, Aang asks Xing Ying if all the club members were presidents, referencing to The Promise Part 2; all the members of the Ba Sing Se Official Avatar Aang Fan Club were co-presidents and co-founders.
 * On page eighteen, Zuko is talking to a picture of Iroh. He talks about how the least he can do to repay Iroh for all he has done for Zuko, is to give Iroh the quiet life after the war, referencing to "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters" when Iroh said that he would "reconquer his tea shop and play Pai Sho every day."
 * On page twenty, Katara says, "You once told me that separation was an illusion. Guru Pathik taught you that. The four nations are really one and the same." referencing "The Guru", when Guru Pathik taught Aang that separation is an illusion.
 * The Dark One has now become a devoted poet, referencing to the end of The Promise Part 2 when he stated that he had "the soul of a poet". Penga and Ho-Tun's comments about how they liked The Dark One when he hated the world is also a reference to The Promise Part 1 and The Promise Part 2 when The Dark One stated that he hated everything and thus made Toph's space bracelet shake.
 * On page twenty-eight, Aang breaks a rock with his head, stating, "Sifu Toph would've been proud", referencing to "Bitter Work" when Toph also broke a rock with her head to demonstrate facing a rock "head on".
 * Aang discovers that Zuko is Roku's great grandson, a fact revealed to Zuko himself in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord".
 * On page fifty-one, the Official Avatar Aang Fan Club says to "Let your grievances flow like a leaves in the wind!" similar to the philosophy that Tenzin tried to teach Avatar Korra in "A Leaf in the Wind" when he told her to "be like the leaf".
 * Aang forms the Air Acolytes from the members of The Official Avatar Aang Fan Club, who eventually play a role in Avatar Korra's life.

Goofs

 * When Zuko wakes up from his dream, the scar he received from Azula in the Comet-Enhanced Agni Kai does not appear.
 * On page fifty one, "Earth Kingdom" is spelled "Earth Kingdem".
 * On page fifty four, Toph remarks that Penga's "spinny helmet trick" was way more impressive up close, yet since Toph is blind, she would not have been able to see the trick.

Trivia

 * Gene Yang has stated that Azula's fate will be addressed in the third installment.
 * He has also stated in an interview with Comics Alliance that the comics will conclude showing a gradual transition between the two animated series.
 * Iroh's new tea that is made of balls of tapioca cooked until they are soft and tender, similar to "boba", or pearls. It is a common ingredient in Asian desserts and drinks.
 * Aang teaching the Air Acolytes from underneath a tree recalls the image of the Gautama Buddha attaining enlightenment underneath the Bodhi tree.
 * On page nine, the cabbage merchant can be seen in the left panel.
 * When the resistance force is trying to break into Yu Dao, they use a drill to try to breach the wall. This drill is smaller than the drill used to breach Ba Sing Se, meaning that the drill has been improved upon from the mechanist's original design of it.