Once again there was a clear choice for the central subject. Outwardly a buffoon, the Mule is the greatest concentration of power in a single individual in the Galaxy, the one variable Seldon overlooked in his massive plan. In this classic Whelan scene, hopeful dawn gives way to the harsh light of midday. The once stately columns are now in broken disarray and perching over the wreckage like a comic vulture is the Mule.