The treadmill's official name is the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, but it's known to most as COLBERT. The device was named for America's favorite fake pundit after a long, hard-fought battle. And it all started with an online contest.

Earlier in the year, NASA had an online vote to decide the name of their new space station module. Colbert's giant fan-base did their work, and Colbert took the top spot. In an affront to the comedian (who considers pretty much anything an affront), NASA chose to name the module Tranquility, in honor of the anniversary of landing on the Moon's Sea of Tranquility.

As a peace offering, NASA instead chose to name this treadmill after Stephen Colbert. They even commissioned one of their sometimes wacky mission patches for the treadmill. Colbert seems pleased; he said through his publicist that he was glad his treadmill will "help trim down those famously fat astronauts."

Not yet, though. The treadmill was delivered this week, so it's in space and ready to be set up. But it won't get set up until later this month. Right now it's in over a hundred pieces. But it's there. And that means Colbert has joined ranks with Richard Nixon, as his name will be on our space junk even after humanity has moved on. Congrats, Mr. Colbert.

Comedian's Treadmill Installed at Space Station [Discovery News]

(Images from Nasa)

The pop cultural meeting of minds comes courtesy of Jane Espenson and artist Karl Moline in the latest issue of the webcomic anthology MySpace Dark Horse Presents; not only does it advance the current storyline running in the monthly Buffy Season 8 comic, but it also gives us a chance to discover just what Harmony's "Colbert Bumps" actually are. Sadly, it's not as dirty as it sounds.

Harmony Comes To The Nation [MySpace]

There's an embarrassment of riches for you at your local comic book store this week. In the midst of their grim Blackest Night event (the second issue of which is released this week, alongside the first issue of Blackest Night: Batman), DC Comics launches what may be its most upbeat superhero series: Adventure Comics, about the recently-revived Superboy as well as the Legion of Super-Heroes, courtesy of Geoff Johns.

DC is also letting you catch up with what's going on in the Superman series with Superman Secret Files And Origins 2009. And pick up the first issue of new spy comedy Red Herring, with art by the severely underrated Philip Bond — which is reason enough to go and buy it already.

Marvel, meanwhile, is putting its eggs in the basket marked "Ultimate Comics." Well, not entirely — Jeff Parker's final issues of the incredibly enjoyable X-Men First Class are collected in X-Men First Class: Finals (If you've been burned out on mutant drama and angst, consider this a must-read). And there's European space opera to be had in Universal War One: Revelations, which collects the recent mini-series of the same name in smart hardcover format.

But otherwise, Marvel's big news this week is the relaunch of their Ultimate line, with Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man and Ultimate Comics: Avengers, wherein Brian Michael Bendis and (the spectacular) David Lafuente (Spider-Man) and Mark Millar and Carlos Pacheco (Avengers) strip two of the publisher's big franchises down and start building them back up. Having seen previews of Spider-Man, it's the one I'm pushing: Beautiful art, smart writing and a Peter Parker you can't help but feel for.

We're not even done! Dynamite Entertainment collects the first year of its Battlestar Galactica comics in the Battlestar Galactica Omnibus Vol. 1 (Worth reading for the Greg Pak story that takes up the bulk of the book, which deals with concepts that were raised, but never properly dealt with, in the series itself). Meanwhile, Oni Press releases Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen, the series that turns the fake newsman's fake SF character into a terrifying, if hilarious, reality.

IDW Publishing has your back if you enjoyed this cinematic summer, with first issues of both Star Trek: Nero (All the backstory you wanted and didn't get from the movie!) and Transformers: Tales of The Fallen. But the star of IDW's show this week — and definitely one of the comics you owe it to yourself to pick up tomorrow — is the first issue of Starstruck, which is almost indescribable but can be almost summed up by "Sexy, Space Opera-y, and at times Ridiculously Funny." But all of that is almost beside the point; you should want to buy it for the breathtaking Michael Kaluta art alone.

If all of the above isn't enough for you, check the complete list of books shipping from Diamond Distributors to see what else may take your fancy. Just remember to make sure that your wallet is fully charged when going to pick up your haul, though, because you'll probably find more than you anticipated tomorrow.

For those of you that cannot watch Hulu, try the link to the show's webpage: [The Colbert Report]

Update: Found it on youtube!

The Associated Press have reported that astronaut Sunita Williams is scheduled to appear on Tuesday's episode of The Colbert Report to announce the name of NASA's new room in the international space station - which, if NASA haven't vetoed the people's choice as decided in an online vote earlier this year, will be "Colbert". Colbert won the vote after the Comedy Central star demanded that viewers of the Report vote for him as a write-in candidate (The runner-up was on the ballot; "Serenity," proving that NASA has some high-profile Whedonites amongst its number). Commenting on the possibility of NASA not vetoing the winner, Colbert said,

"I certainly hope NASA does the right thing. Just kidding. I hope they name it after me.

The Colbert Report airs 11:30pm Tuesday night.

NASA to announce module name on `Colbert Report' [AP/Yahoo!]

NASA held an online contest to determine the name of their new international space station room. After urging his audience to write in, Stephen Colbert swept the nominations, even with a Firefly reference on the ballot.

All I have to say is, well done, Colbert — you've just outwitted NASA, and I can't think of a better punchline than getting your own personalized room on the international space station. I can't wait to see how NASA will explain this name to other countries. Sadly, there is a chance NASA will change the name as they have final veto approval. The new room will be launched later this year.

What would be the most ridiculous Hallowe'en tie-in book of the week? It's a tough one, I have to admit. I'm actually cautiously looking forward to IDW's Ghostbusters: The Other Side (the first issue comes out tomorrow). The spooky goings-on in their Grant Morrison's Doctor Who are even more tempting: It's the first of two collections of Morrison's short run on the Marvel comic version of the series from the late '80s, with Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy versions of the character. Image's kid-friendly Dear Dracula also has plenty of potential to be charming, and who can resist something called Hulk Monster-Size Special?

Luckily, DC come through with a truly goofy-sounding series called, I shit you not, Superman and Batman Vs. Vampires and Werewolves - and tomorrow's first issue is just the first of six issues of the crazy.

But if the ooky and the spooky aren't for you, don't worry. DC also has James Robinson's Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen oneshot, while Marvel wants you to try paperback versions of the revamped Spider-Man (in Spider-Man: Brand New Day volume 1) and their latest space saga (in Annihilation: Conquest volume 1), as well as the first issue of their "Will Storm get a divorce from the Black Panther?" series X-Men: Worlds Apart. For our money, Storm's best appearance is in this week's hilarious issue of Marvel Adventures: Avengers. If Jeff Parker was going to write the Avengers movie, we'd be in line for tickets right now.

The star of the week isn't a monster, unless you happen to have fallen for his faux right-wing pundit schtick. Yes, Stephen Colbert doesn't just get to guest-star in this week's Amazing Spider-Man, he also has the long-delayed third issue of his very own Tek Jansen series materialize in stores as well. Get them both and compare which version captures the coy cheesiness most appropriately.

All the Colbert you can stomach and more can be found in the complete list of this week's new comic releases here, which is only a gateway drug to the Comic Shop Locator Service's cruel helpfulness to find where to spend all your money. We're claiming no responsibility for any of this, of course.

Colbert is reportedly delighted by the prospect of his off-world immortality:

I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to my lifelong dream of being the baby at the end of 2001.

But he won’t be alone. Garriott seeks to preserve certain portions of humanity in the event that the Space Station becomes mankind’s final legacy:

The Immortality Drive is a digital archive of mankind's greatest achievements and a snapshot of humanity itself. This archive will be stored on the International Space Station to serve as a remote "offsite backup" of humanity, should we suffer a disastrous fate.

Garriott has enabled players on his newest MMORPG, Tabula Rasa, to upload their characters and personal messages to the Immortality Drive, and has chosen a select few whose DNA, like Colbert’s, will be digitized and preserved. So what does it take to have your genome sent to space? Below are the current Immortality Drive inductees:

Entrepreneurs:
• Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, Pownce, and Revision3
• Tim Draper, venture capitalist and viral marketing innovator
• Robert Scoble, technology evangelist and business blogger

Athletes:
• Scott Johnson, Olympic gold medal gymnast
• Matt Morgan, American Gladiator and professional wrestler

Musicians:
• Joe Ely, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
• Stephen Bruton, producer and blues guitarist
• Eric Johnson, guitarist and instrumental composer
• Patrice Pike, singer, songwriter, and reality show participant

Writers:
• Tracy Hickman, novelist and game designer (Dragonlance, The Darksword Trilogy, The Death Gate Cycle)
• Scott Murphy, television and screenwriter (Angel, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Flash Gordon)
• Clifford Green, screenwriter (Spacecamp, The Seventh Sign)
• Christiana Miller, television writer (General Hospital, Star Trek: Voyager)
• Daniel Fiorella, television and radio writer, magazine contributor (Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, A Prairie Home Companion, Mad Magazine, Cracked)
• Doug Molitor, television writer (Sliders, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men: Evolution)
• Ian Abrams, television writer and producer, director of the screenwriting and playwriting program at Drexel University.
• Melvyn B. Sherer, television writer and Andy Kaufman collaborator (Married with Children, Happy Days, Small Wonder)
• Steven Melching, television and screenwriter (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Men in Black: The Series, X-Men: The Animated Series)
• Heather E. Ash, television writer (Stargate SG-1)

The post-human future, it seems, will be ruled by the television writers.

Image by Todd Lockwood.

Stephen Colbert to have his DNA sent into space [AP]
Operation Immortality