Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Special!InRick and Mortycanon, there is no greater cosmic adventurer than Rick, and that’s true in practically every universe in the series’ vast multiverse. While fans are well aware of the adventures Rick has gone on in his life, what they may not know is how his story is destined to end. Not just the main continuity’s Rick, butevery Rick across theRick and Mortymultiverse. And, interestingly enough, it’s not too dissimilar to Jerry’s fate.
InRick and Morty 10th Anniversary Specialby Alex Firer, Fred C. Stresing, and Dean Rankine, Rick is packing up his garage with Summer and Morty, looking through all the keepsakes of his past adventures (many of which were collected with Morty by his side). The reason for this is that Rick has finally decided to move out of the Smith house, and take up residence in a nursing home. However, at the end of the issue, readers realize that the nursing home Rick had in mind is decidedly unique.
As opposed to a regular retirement home, the one Rick was moving into consisted entirely of elderly Ricks from across the multiverse. Apparently, Shady Graves Resort is where every Rick goes to retire once their adventuring days are done. If they don’t die on one of their adventures, every version of Rick ends up here, including theRick ofRick and Morty’s main continuity.
Rick is Destined to the Same Fate as Countless Jerrys in Rick and Morty
Rick and Mortyseason 2, episode 2 “Mortynight Run”
Upon entering Shady Graves Resort and seeing the Rick variants coexisting there in peace, it’s immediately apparent that this retirement home is strikingly similar to the ‘daycare center’ established for Jerrys across the multiverse, Jerryboree. Jerryboree was introduced in the season 2 episode “Mortynight Run”, and is used as a temporary drop-off for Jerrys while Rick and Morty go on adventures. However, as the episode reveals, not every Jerry gets picked up.
A number of Jerrys are trapped at Jerryboree forever, as their Ricks and Mortys dropped them off, and never came back. Whether they died, moved on, or simply forgot, the only thing that impacts the Jerrys that were left behind is the fact that they will stay at Jerryboree until they die. And, in that regard, the fate of many Jerrys across the multiverse is shared with those of many Ricks, as both sets are destined to live in a home designed to house their variants for the rest of their lives.
Rick’s Retirement Confirms Why He’s the “Rickest Rick” in Rick and Morty
When Rick gets dropped off at Shady Graves - after an entire giant-sized comic issue featuring him making peace with his retirement - Rick doesn’t exactly go gentle into that goodnight. Rather than actually retiring (like the rest of the Ricks at Shady Graves), Rick instead uses his Sci-Fi tech to incorporate the bodies of every Rick in Shady Graves into his own, becoming aThing-esque amalgamated monster before transforming the entire retirement home into a spaceship, all the while screaming about how his adventuring days aren’t over after all, shouting maniacally, “Rick and Morty infinity!”.
Just when fans think Rick is on the precipice of conformity, he reminds everyone why he is the “Rickest Rick” in the multiverse. Rick doesn’t retire, even if he wanted to. Rick has to keep the adventure going no matter the cost, even if that means quite literally turning himself into a monster. However, before the Rickest Rick blew the whole thing up, Shady Graves acted as a safe haven for Ricks who survived their glory years and wanted to retire in peace - a place where Rick’s adventures always end in everyRick and Mortyreality.
Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Specialby Oni Press is available now.
Rick and Morty
Cast
Rick and Morty is an animated science fiction series that follows the eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez and his impressionable grandson Morty Smith as they embark on perilous adventures across space and alternate dimensions. The show explores the impact of these exploits on Morty’s tumultuous family life and personal challenges.
