Adaptations and Merchandising
In Alan Dean Foster's novelization of the film, as the probe ship crosses the event horizon, all matter ceases to exist. Kate's ESP links the minds of the Palomino's crew and allows them to survive (in a fashion) while the atoms of their bodies diffuse and are scattered throughout the Universe. (In one version of the book, the events depicted in the film start on Christmas Eve).
One comic book adaptation of the film (Whitman comics, published in 1980) bypasses the whole issue of what happens inside the black hole by having the crew enter the black hole on one page and emerge apparently unharmed on the next page into a parallel universe where they encounter alternate versions of Reinhardt, Old B.O.B. and Maximilian. Four issues were published. The first two issues adapted the film and the second two issues continued the story introducing a race of people called Virlights. The rare fourth issue concludes with the promise of a fifth issue which was planned but never published. Other comic adaptations released in Europe have the crew emerging into another galaxy, thus confirming Reinhardt's theories. While wondering if they will ever return to Earth, they decide to explore this new universe.
In the official Disney Read-Along recording and illustrated story book, the crew in the probe ship emerge safely on the other side of the black hole, while the Cygnus is "crushed like an eggshell." The story ends with Captain Holland saying "We've been trained to find new worlds. Let's go find one for ourselves!"
The children's book line, Little Golden Books, released a book entitled The Black Hole: A Spaceship Adventure for Robots. The story involves V.I.N.Cent and Old B.O.B. exploring the Cygnus, visiting its gardens, encountering the "humanoid robots", and escaping detection of Maximillian.
Mego Toys produced a line of 12" and 4" action figures from the movie, released in the fall of 1979.
Jack Kirby drew an adaptation of the film (scripted by Carl Fallberg) for the comic strip Walt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales.
Eight-inch magnetic figures were made of V.I.N.Cent, S.T.A.R. and Maximillian; 12-inch figures were made of Holland, Durant, Reinhardt, Booth, McCrae and Pizer.
In 2005, Medicom released "Kubrick" figures of Maximillian, Vincent and Old Bob that are very close to 3 3/4-inch scale; they are also not in the stylized Lego-ish appearance of many Kubricks.
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