The Trigan Empire

With an animal-like howl of fury, Roffa threw himself at his friend.

Gnnnnnnghh!

Janno ducked and fired his rifle from the hip.

The drugged dart contained in the harmless projectile swiftly did its work. But as Janno stooped to gather up his unconscious comrade, he heard a sudden series of frenzied screams.

The party of old people, maddened by the fall-out, came bounding towards their intended victim.

Gaaaaaah!

Ngaaaaaah!

At the last moment, the pilot from the heli-jet descended.

Grab hold of your friend and let’s go!

Kill! Kill!

Yaaaaagh!























Later in Trigan City, Peric, Elekton’s most famous scientist, carried out a series of tests on Roffa.

He’s coming round. Stand well back. With that uncanny strength, he may burst his bonds!

Janno, old friend. What . . . what happened?

This is astounding!

Master Peric, all the old people have been rendered unconscious and harmless with the drugged darts. Where do you want them?

Bring them into the laboratory, Lieutenant. Somehow, somewhere, I must find the answer to this strange phenomenon!

All that night, Peric laboured. Testing—theorising—testing again. And when dawn came . . .

I have it. The only hypothesis that fits the facts!

And, however improbable, it has to be—the truth!

That morning, Elekton’s greatest scientist explained how by a curious freak of fate, the scourge had been defeated by a simple chemical compound.

The drug that quietened the victims also reversed the process of mutation that caused the affliction. We have an antidote!

I also discovered that potential victims are all of the same blood group. This simplifies matters, for people of this blood group, only, need to be careful about not eating freshly-grown vegetation.

So was the plague overcome. People were free to partake of the zamberries without any of the dreaded after-effects . . .

 . . . Thanks to Peric’s infallible remedy, the dreadful scourge of Elekton was gone forever. Now, the fearful, red-eyed monsters who had terrorised the planet were nothing more than an unpleasant memory.

This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 752 on 12 June 1976.

To a patrolling trio of fighting-craft high above Trigan City, there came a message.

Calling green leader. Lieutenants Janno, Roffa and Keren to return to base immediately! This is a special emergency.

In the lead craft, Janno’s nerves tautened. He communicated with his wingers.

I bet there’s been another victim—or victims—of the fall-out!

Let’s go, Janno!

The three pilots reported to the top secret headquarters where the great scientist Peric was awaiting them.

We’ve got about twelve of them on our hands now! It’s like having a dozen prehistoric monsters on the rampage.

Who are they, Peric?

A party of old people on a day’s outing to the sea!

“Something happened to them this morning, and now they’re terrorising a small holiday resort down on the coast.”

Gaaaaaaah!

Naaaaaagh!

 “A police patrol tried to deal with them,” continued Peric. “And came off badly.”

Eeeeeeeh!























News of this happening must not leak out, or we shall be faced with a world-wide panic!

Those victims must be captured and brought in for examination.

This is the weapon you will use—the gun that fires a drugged dart!

Shortly after midday, the three volunteers were dropped into the holiday resort.

Not a sign of anyone!

They landed, took cover and had a brief council-of-war.

Roffa and I will circle the town and come back this way down the main street. You keep us covered, Keren.

Right, Janno!

Slowly, carefully, the two crept forward.

See anything, Roffa?

Roffa, I said can you . . . Aaah!

Roffa’s eyes were as red as fire and gleaming with animal frenzy.

Gnaaaaaggh!

Naaaaagh!

The scourge from space had struck again!

This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 751 on 5 June 1976.

Gaaaaahhh!

The eyes that burned out at the young air fleet pilot were those of a maddened beast.

Nnngaaaaaahh!!

Janno ducked for cover, but still the “creature” pursued him.

Desperately, Janno rasped a message into his throat microphone.

Calling the heli-jet! Come in low with your hook trailing! This is an emergency!

As the red-eyed killer swung his makeshift club, Janno saw the heli-jet coming in low.

Now for it!

Janno ducked the first wild swipe, and snatched at the trailing hook which he attached to Sollum’s belt.

Ugh!























Take him up!

Bang on time! Thanks a lot!

Nngaaaaaaahhh!!

Later that day, Janno visited the secret laboratory where the great scientist Peric had secured the killer.

So the result of the fall-out from that radioactive waste is—this!

The strength of ten wild Zargots and the killer instinct of a venomous Nobra!

The radioactive material has caused a complex mutation in his cells, producing this effect. I am afraid that we are looking at what a very large proportion of our planet’s inhabitants could become . . .

Perhaps—all of us!

What I find the most awful part is—the red eyes!

At that moment, a party of old people from Trigan City were on a day’s outing to the sea. They disembarked from their coach.

Look there! A fine crop of wild zamberries.

I love a nice zamberry.

The old people ate their fill. And he who had seen them first was the first to be—affected.

Gnaaaaaah!

This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 750 on 29 May 1976.