The Prequel

The Prequel (Of Hunan Bondage) is a two part commic book published in 2008 by Moonstone. It shows events in Buckaroo's life prior to events in the movie. It conflicts with the movie and novel in several aspects.

The first book
During night, on the bus, travelling from one gig to another, Peggy cannot sleep and sits next to Buckaroo. Buckaroo had already slept, since it is already five in the morning and he is going through grosses – the revenue from The Hong Kong Cavaliers concerts is going down since he had had run-in with Xan's boys and karate chop to his throat. Peggy suggests that he should take a few days off, however, Buckaroo cannot disappoint fans and the institute needs revenue. Peggy suggests that Buckaroo tie a bandana around his thigh during concert, since it would look real cool, then says good night to Buckaroo. Buckaroo looks through bus window, but seing only his reflection, he starts thinking of his childhood.

In the flashback, we see Buckaroo's childhood. The death of his father in jet car explosion, his going to saloons and absorbing country music, his mother's disaproval of his desire to be a country singer. Buckaroo is sent to the Apaches to learn about nature and hunting, but one day his horse returns without him and without his guitar. Fourteen-year-old Buckaroo takes a bus to Nashville and starts playing in clubs. One day when Buckaroo is at the recording studio, he is heard by Audio Murphy, a producer who loves Buckaroo's music (but suggests that Buckaroo uses a different name). After learning that Buckaroo is only fifteen and that his mother would not sign a contract for him, Buckaroo is sent back home to get some education, while the contract would stay in Audio's drawer until Buckaroo is eighteen.

We see Buckaroo graduating from Harvard and then from Columbia P&S. Audio is always reminding Buckaroo of the contract. After graduating from P&S Buckaroo introduces Audio to his mother, and two start seeing each other.

Buckaroo, along with some fellow graduates from the Boston area, forms "The Hong Kong Cavaliers," consisting of Perfect Tommy Abbott (guitar), Reno Salazar (sax), Rawhide Tanner (keyboards) and "Illinois Mongoose" Kawolski (drums).

At the age of 28, Buckaroo wins a Nobel prize for his work on the OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER, and performs at the ceremony with The Hong Kong Cavaliers.

We return back to present-day where, at a Wyoming state fair, a Buckaroo Banzai impersonation contest is being held. The Hong Kong Cavaliers are judges and are speechless when Wilbur Turnbull, who is the spitting image of Buckaroo and is as good as Buckaroo with guitar and singing, performs. Buckaroo meets with Wilbur and invites him to the Banzai Institute.

At the institute, Buckaroo asks Wilbur to act as Buckaroo at concerts, so that Buckaroo can continue his research at the Institute. Wilbur accepts.

Six months later in Hunan, China, Wilbur is still acting as Buckaroo, but other band members start to protest. Wilbur is getting too fat, and has to wear one of Mrs. Johnson's girdles on stage. He also tied a bandana around his leg onstage the previous day (something that Peggy does not think was that a bad idea). Wilbur is also “chasing skirts,” which can become a problem for the Institute; and then Wilbur threatens to reveal their scheme if they try to get rid of him. Buckaroo says he will look at the matter and will move up the experiment so that he can play with band soon.

Later Buckaroo, Peggy and Cavaliers go out of town to look at Chinese workers preparing the experiment site for Buckaroo, thinking they are building an amusement park (which it will be later, after experiment), but actually building a tunnel accelerator. Buckaroo cannot afford to build it in the USA, so he has to use Chinese labor. Later that evening, Buckaroo and locals celebrate the construction project with drinks from fermented mare's milk. After celebrating, Buckaroo and Peggy take a romantic midnight ride on horses outside of town where they are captured by Hanoi Xan's Deathheads.

The second book
The Hong Kong Cavaliers get to the site of the ambush and start tracking Buckaroo's and Peggy's kidnappers. Meanwhile, Buckaroo is tortured by “Splinter-Pusher,” one of Hanoi Xan's minions, while Peggy is tortured somewhere else but her voice is transferred to a speaker next to Buckaroo so that he can hear her. He first tries to convince his captor that he is in fact Wilbur, but later admits he is in fact Buckaroo and agrees to help building the OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER.

Buckaroo works continuously, while his captor becomes impatient. Later, Buckaroo falls asleep and has a vision where he talks to Newton, Galileo and Einstein, where Newton gives cryptic advice about banging a head against the wall.

Buckaroo wakes up finding a mongolian man bringing him heavy water and weaponized uranium. The man reveals to Buckaroo that he is a Blue Blaze Irregular (who infiltrated Xan's "army"); however, he cannot help Buckaroo unless Buckaroo can walk through walls. Buckaroo remembers Newton's remark and gets an idea. The mongolian man informs Buckaroo that Xan himself is on his way to Buckaroo, and agrees to help Buckaroo in any way possible.

Outside, The Hong Kong Cavaliers watch the fortress and try to find a way to get inside. They will use a Jet Car to get through walls because, if it can go through mountains, it can go through walls too.

Inside Buckaroo runs against the wall with the OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER in his mouth, repeatedly trying to pass through it; however, he is too slow. With Xan coming, he asks a mongolian man to swing him towards wall by his feet, preferring being smashed to falling into Xan's hands. Buckaroo passes partly through the wall to the seventh dimension (called seventh heaven) where he is greeted by local inhabitants, but is soon pulled back by mongolian man, since Xan is very near. They run out of the cell, away from Xan and his minions, and toward Peggy's cell. The cell is empty, but they find more cells filled with prisoners. They are attacked by Xan's guards and mongolian man is shot. Buckaroo somehow overpowers them using mongolian man's pistol and then, using a machinegun that he took from the guards, opens all cells and releases Xan's prisoners.

Buckaroo (carrying mongolian man) tries to get out of the fortress, but there are too many of Xan's people. Suddenly a jet car appears in the fortress, going through the wall (but not using the overthruster, just making a hole in it). Buckaroo drags mongolian man to the car and wants to return for Peggy, but is stopped by Illinois Mongoose and dragged in the car as it escapes from the fortress. Illinois Mongoose is injured during escape.

Back in the village, Buckaroo tries to save the mongolian man, but is unsuccessful. Rawhide gets a call from Mrs. Johnson about the death of Wilbur, who choked on Mrs. Johnson's meatball sandwiches. She wants to know what to say to reporters who think it is Buckaroo who died. Rawhide tells her to tell the truth. An intern, Ndigo Skyy, goes to reporters and tells them that the dead person is not Buckaroo and everything will be explained soon. Illinois Mongoose's injury is found to be more serious than thought, and he dies also.

The Hong Kong Cavaliers are at the funeral of the Mongolian man (named Mongolian Mongol here). Wilburs silhouette appears in the sky (in the same way as Newton appeared in Buckaroo's vision) and the team remembers all their departed friends. However, when Peggy is mentioned, Buckaroo protests that Peggy is not gone and that they will find her. When they start shooting from their pistols to the sky, Buckaroo tells them to save some lead for Xan and one bullet for themselves.

Inconsistencies and unclear moments

 * According to movie and novel, both Buckaroo's parents died during jet car accident. In this comicbook (same as in Origins) only his father dies and Buckaroo then lives with his mother. In the novel he is raised by Professor Hikita.
 * Buckaroo wins a Nobel Prize for his work on (theory of) OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER. In the film, the OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER is secret before the jet car test.
 * Hong Kong Cavaliers is founded soon after Buckaroo's Graduation, and Reno is a player there. In the novel, Reno is recruited by Buckaroo (and Pecos, Rawhide and Peggy) after he writes to the Banzai Institute.
 * The Banzai Institute is low on money and, therefore, plans to test the jet car in China.
 * It is unclear, how Buckaroo kills Xan's guards who shot the Mongolian man. Probably using Mongolian man's pistol.
 * It is unclear whether the funeral at the end is also for Illinois Mongoose or not. There is a person with bandages on head and on left arm, where Illinois Mongoose was injured, so it could be him.
 * According to Return of the Screw, Illinois Mongoose's name was Jimmy Oh and he died on his honeymoon climbing Himalayas (which means he did not die here). In this comic his name is given as Kawolski.

New information about universe

 * Mrs. Johnson makes meatball sandwiches for the team.
 * The Banzai Institute lawyer is called Jack Matters.
 * One can become an intern by winning a contest.

Authors

 * Earl Mac Rauch – story
 * W. D. Richter – Story consultant
 * W. Chew Chan – art
 * Ken Wolak – Colors
 * Paul Mounts – Letters
 * Joe Gentile – Editor
 * Ken Wheaton and Paul Mounts – Cover
 * Joe Corroney – Incentive cover