Editing Halo: Rise of Atriox Issue 2

{{Title|''Halo: Rise of Atriox'' Issue 2}}
{{Era|RW}}
{{Comics infobox
|prev=Halo: Rise of Atriox Issue 1
|next=Halo: Rise of Atriox Issue 3
|name=''Halo: Rise of Atriox'' Issue 2
|image=[[File:Halo Rise of Atriox 2 cover.jpg|250px]]
|writer=Jody Houser
|artist=*Josan Gonzalez (artist)
*Jeremy Colwell (colorist)
*Aleksi Briclot (cover artist) 
|publisher=[[Dark Horse Comics]]
|publication=[[2017#September|September 20, 2017]]
|issue=
|length=21 pages
|ISBN= 
}}

'''''Halo: Rise of Atriox'' Issue 2''' was released on [[2017|September 20, 2017]] and is the second of five in the ''[[Halo: Rise of Atriox]]'' series of comics.<ref>[https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/3000-697/Halo-Rise-of-Atriox-2#prettyPhoto '''Dark Horse:''' ''Halo: Rise of Atriox Issue 2'']</ref>

==Official summary==
{{Article quote|Atriox, a valuable asset to the Covenant army, is slowly growing more aggressive and powerful among the Brute ranks—becoming a danger to the Covenant itself. Seeing this, the Executioner must end Atriox before Atriox ends him!

* Ties in to new Halo Wars 2 video game for Xbox.}}

==Plot synopsis==
Issue 2 opens with [[Seth]]'s ongoing research report on the [[Banished]] warmaster [[Atriox]]. Extracting minimal data provided from one particular incident report, Seth is able to confirm an early encounter between Atriox and the UNSC during the Covenant War, in which Atriox had led a Jiralhanae assault against a UNSC military outpost under the final command of First Sergeant [[Jessica Kress]] and the AI [[Beatrix]].

Following the attack at the human outpost, a disillusioned Atriox returns to his Covenant outpost on [[Algolis]]. While the Jiralhanae soldiers at the base praise Atriox for his continual survival in battle, the outpost's commander, a Sangheili known as [[Itho 'Hesiikee]], is irked that he has returned alive once more from yet another suicide mission. The Sangheili converses with the [[High Prophet of Truth]] and expresses his concerns that Atriox's persistent survival and growing reputation among his peers could threaten their influence over the Jiralhanae. Wondering if Atriox can be turned into a valuable asset, the Prophet of Truth asks the Executioner to speak with Atriox and inquire if he is still faithful and loyal to the Covenant. During his talk with Atriox, the Executioner learns that he has become aggressively resentful of the Covenant's orders as a result of losing his clan brothers in battle. Worried that Atriox can spread his heresy to others, Truth then tasks the Executioner to dispose of Atriox without turning him into martyr. The Executioner soon arranges for a loyal Jiralhanae pawn to tail Atriox in order to capture him in an act of open dissidence. 

En route to another assault on a human fortification, Atriox notices that among his eager peers is a silent Jiralhanae watching him. As Atriox and other Jiralhanae battle UNSC marines, the Executioner observes Atriox closely from an [[eye]]'s surveillance. After massacring most of the humans, Atriox trails [[Michael Taylor|a single marine]] while being pursued by the silent Jiralhanae. As Atriox kills the human soldier he voices out his frustrations about the war and the Covenant's lies. The Jiralhanae stalker then confronts Atriox about his blasphemy and attacks him for imperiling the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]]. Atriox defends himself and ends the fight by killing the devoted warrior. Burdened by the betrayal, Atriox returns to his post where he is met and encircled by the Executioner and a group of other Sangheili. Realizing the situation, Atriox surrenders his [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|gravity hammer]] and drops to his knees. When the Executioner pronounces him a [[List of known Covenant heretics|heretic]] for slaying a fellow comrade, Atriox tells him that the murdered Jiralhanae was a merely puppet and a [[Slavery|slave]] to the Covenant. As the Executioner sentences him to death and thrusts his [[Bloodblade]] forward, Atriox rebels and stops the incoming blade with his right hand. Promising to remind his Jiralhanae brothers of their true path, Atriox takes the energy sword and then slays the Executioner. As the remaining Sangheili activate their swords to stop Atriox, the nearby Jiralhanae, inspired by Atriox's defiance, follow in his example and proceed to slaughter the Sangheili.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Halo Rise of Atriox2.png|Full cover art.
File:Hroa2 return.png|Atriox returns alive from battle.
File:Hroa2 Truth.png|The Prophet of Truth 
File:Hroa2 test.png|Truth and the Executioner plan to deal with Atriox.
File:Hroa2 assault.png|The Covenant assault another human fortification on Algolis.
File:Hroa2 battle.png|Atriox battles UNSC forces.
File:Hroa2 blaspheme.png|Atriox blasphemes against the Covenant.
File:HROA2-GravHammertank.png|Atriox defends himself in combat.
File:Hroa2 betrayal.png|Atriox murders a fellow soldier.
File:Hroa2 judgment.png|Atriox knees before his judge and executioner.
File:Hroa2 objection.png|Atriox rebels against his death sentence.
File:HROA2-Ironic.png|Atriox kills the Executioner.
File:Hroa2 reversal.png|Sangheili prepare to attack Atriox together.
File:Hroa new path.png|Atriox and his companions embrace a new path.
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

==See also==
*''[[Halo: Rise of Atriox]]''

{{succession box|before=''[[Halo: Rise of Atriox Issue 1|Issue 1]]''|title=[[Halo: Rise of Atriox]] comic series|years='''''Issue 2'''''|after=''[[Halo: Rise of Atriox Issue 3|Issue 3]]''}}

[[Category:Canon]]
[[Category:Halo: Rise of Atriox]]
{{Comics|ROA}}