Posted on July 12, 2025July 15, 2025The Man with a Mission (continued . . .) Instants later, Lukaz Rann was toppling headlong down a steep slope. I’ve got to find something to hang on to . . . before the impact ! As the slope came to an abrupt end, his fingers scrabbled and held. High above him, dawn light showed through a small window. So that’s the fate which Vallu has in store for unwanted visitors ! The rocketeer set off on the most tortuous climb of his life, with freedom as the prize and a hideous fate the reward for failure. Is it possible to climb that far ? Safe in his belief that the intruder had met his end, the scientist Vallu had gone to his laboratory. With him was his assistant. To think, master, that this single bomb could destroy an area ten times the size of Tharv City. When are we going to put it to the test ? There is only one way to test it properly. But, regrettably, we are not at war with anybody at the moment. War will come, soon enough. Meanwhile, we have time to go over our calculations, just in case. Master, you don’t really believe that nonsense of Peric’s . . . That our bomb could destroy the entire planet ? Of course not, you young fool. All the same, there’s no harm in making quite sure. I am going to Tharv City for a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee. While I’m gone, start checking through the calculations again. One day, someone’s going to discover that Vallu’s reputation is founded entirely on my inventions ! Check the calculations again, indeed. My calculations don’t need to be checked ! Vallu’s Daveli driver waited for his master, unaware of a figure emerging from a window behind him. Presently, the scientist set off for the capital, watched over by his airborne body-guard. Suddenly, without warning, the driver swung the vehicle down a narrow turning that led to the cliffs. Hey ! Something’s gone wrong ! Red alert ! This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 704 on 12 July 1975.
Posted on July 5, 2025July 5, 2025The Man with a Mission (continued . . .) The probing finger of light played upon Lukaz Rann. It was immediately followed by a hail of projectiles. The Daveli guard came at him, gun blazing. Lukaz Rann had only one chance of survival— to risk all in a death- defying leap. He connected and hung on ! Roaring out of control, the jet-pack carried the two battling figures up over the edge of the cliff. Lukaz Rann felt his opponent go limp from a lucky blow. He reached and switched off the jet-pack and they fell, locked together. As he rolled clear and picked himself up, the intrepid rocketeer heard more jet-pack engines. They must have heard the shots ! Two more airborne Daveli bodyguards zipped out of the darkness. Do you see anything ? A figure lying over there ! By the time the newcomers had found their stricken comrade, Lukaz Rann had reached the building that housed the evil genius of Tharv. And now to deal with Vallu. The sound of the shots had awakened Vallu, who had leapt from his bed and was scanning the audivision screens that gave him a view of every part of his abode. Is it an intruder ? What are those guards doing ? Are they protecting me properly ? And then, he saw. . . The intruder ! Lukaz Rann trod silently through the building, all unaware that his every move was being watched by his intended quarry. Suddenly . . . Aaaaaaaaagh ! This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 703 on 5 July 1975.
Posted on June 28, 2025July 5, 2025The Man with a Mission (continued . . .) Lukaz Rann’s dossier on the Tharv scientist, VALLU, gave a complete picture of that creature’s evil career. It was Vallu who had invented a plant-killer, which, if sprayed from the air . . . . . . brought swift destruction to plants and crops ! With my compound, we could wipe out an enemy’s plant food supply in the first day of war ! One drop of my X-germ in a city’s water supply will eliminate the entire population of that city ! Currently, he was at work on a sensational new explosive force. My plan is to harness the latent magnetic energy of the planet ! Many times, the clever Trigan scientist, Peric, had warned the Imperial Council of the peril from Tharv. I tell you all that it is theoretically possible that, in testing his new explosive force, Vallu will blow up the whole planet. He must be stopped. Peric ! You know we can do nothing to stop a citizen of another state ! When Vallu was questioned about Peric’s claim, he only scoffed. And what do you say to the allegation that your new force will blow up the planet ? The allegation was made by an old fool ! At his age, he should give up science and take up needlework ! Lukaz Rann read through Vallu’s dossier. I’ll rid Elekton of that unspeakable creature ! This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 702 on 28 June 1975.
