You who condemned me to ten years of solitude aboard this abandoned hulk—are yourselves going to spend the rest of your lives here!

The avenger pointed to Marshal Rossu . . .

I brought you here, one by one! Rossu, I discovered things about you that would have meant your ruin. You were only too glad to do anything I demanded of you . . .

He explained . . . “At my instructions, you wore the yellow overalls of a mechanic on the day of the flypast. When you landed, you slipped off your flying kit and clambered, unseen, out of the craft.”

“You were there, lost among the other yellow-garbed figures, when they made their astonishing discovery.”

The Marshal—he—he’s disappeared!

Nothing here but his flying kit!

Similarly with the rest of you. I played upon your individual  weaknesses and vices, to make you do my bidding.

Janno had been listening, spellbound. One question came to his mind.

But, why the bizarre manner of the disappearances? Surely, the authorities will find the connection between these eight people?

That is my hope. Sooner or later, the link between these eight will be established, and all Elekton will know of my vengeance. But that will take years.























A knife slashed the bonds that held Janno.

And now, I will free you all—to begin what  may well be a life imprisonment in this abandoned hulk!

The young Trigan reacted like a released spring—he leapt!

No life imprisonment for me, my friend!

In that case, fool . . .

There was a report—but not from the weapon that was aimed at Janno . . .

Into the compartment streamed a contingent of Trigan guardsmen, and the scientist Peric.

Janno, my young friend! It seems that we have arrived in the nick of time!

Janno stared in relief and astonishment at Elekton’s top scientist.

How did you solve the mystery, Peric?

In my own head, Janno. I quickly reasoned that the eight must have some connection in the past. But it was your claim to have been fired on from this abandoned weather station that provided the missing clue.

Some time later . . .

That poor fellow’s trial was held today. Happily, I was able to pardon him. After all, his experience has cruelly unbalanced his mind,

Your Imperial Majesty is merciful.

What about Marshal Rossu, Uncle Trigo? It can scarcely be said that he’s come out of this affair with his reputation intact.

The Emperor Trigo smiled grimly.

Following upon a little hint from myself, Marshal Rossu has resigned for reasons of ill-health!

This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 760 on 7 August 1976.

“Alone in the stricken weather station, with all about me dying, I sent my message out across the ether.”  

Help me, please . . . someone . . . help!

“Somewhere out there, a substratosphere passenger cruiser picked up my feeble call.”

Hello, hello, weather station . . . receiving you . . . what is your trouble?

“I can imagine what took place between the captain of the cruiser and his second pilot.”

Sir, they’ve got the virus fever aboard the weather station! Practically everyone is wiped out and the signal operator wants us to land there and bring him off.

There’s only one thing for it.

“Instead of taking the decision himself, as he should have, the captain consulted eight frightened people.”

So there you have it. Do we land on the weather station and take off the survivor, at the risk of ourselves contracting the virus fever?

. . . I put it to the vote!

No!

No!

No!

And I add my own vote . . . No!























“Picture my horror and despair when I received their verdict.”

Cruiser’s Captain speaking. I’m sorry, friend, but we have taken a vote, and we think the risk is too great.

No! No! You can’t do this to me!

You can’t abandon me!

“The sole survivor on an abandoned city in mid-space, with everything I needed to sustain life—food, drink, warmth, purified air—everything but freedom. Nothing but mind-bending solitude.”

Five lunar years have passed. I think another five will drive me insane!

“My sanity was saved by my discovery—in one of the many well-equipped workshops—of a damaged air craft. In the years that followed, I worked on the craft, to repair it.”

One day, I’m going to have this fit to fly. Then it’s back to Elekton . . .

. . . and vengeance!

“Years later . . .”

It is ready!

And now, to find those who condemned me to all those years of terrible solitude . . .

. . . and to pay them back in kind!

His story finished, the speaker regarded his prisoners.

The ten year-old crew and passenger list told me all I needed to know. Further investigation revealed that two of those persons had died in the meantime, but that eight remained, including the captain of the cruiser . . .

. . . Now Marshal Rossu, Chief of the Trigan Air Fleet!

This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 759 on 31 July 1976.

A sudden stunning blow dashed Janno senseless.

Uuuuhh!

Back in Trigan City, Janno’s disappearance had caused the Emperor to summon a special meeting to discuss his nephew’s possible fate.

I think we may take it that Janno can be counted as the ninth person to vanish in this strange manner.

Precisely, Imperial Majesty . . .

 . . . And it is of vital importance that we discover immediately what is the connection between Janno and those other eight unfortunates.

But, Peric, the computer machines have been working on it day and night.

Elekton’s top scientist smiled sagely.

There comes a time, Colonel, when computer machines, however sophisticated, cannot compete with . . . the mind!

I shall apply my mind to the problem!

Out on the edge of space, in the long-abandoned weather station . . .

. . . Janno recovered consciousness.

By all the stars!























Eight people regarded him, and one man’s face was startlingly familiar.

Marshal Rossu! What are you doing here, Excellency?

I might well ask you the same question, Lieutenant.

Suddenly—a newcomer!

You! I demand an explanation as to why we’ve been tricked into coming here.

There are eight of you, plus one intruder who should not be here at all, but who will suffer the same fate as the rest . . .

The time has now come for me to unmask and tell you all!

The concealing mask was ripped away, revealing a countenance that was lined and hardened with great suffering.

Well, do you know me?

I never saw you before!

The stranger began his story.

I take you back ten lunar years. To the day when this weather station was a new project and operating with a crew of a hundred trained personnel, of which I was one.

“One terrible day, a deadly virus fever struck the crew, laying them low in their scores. By the end of that day, I was the only person alive and on my feet. And pleading for help . . .”

Come to our aid . . . come to our aid . . . please . . . please . . .

This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 758 on 24 July 1976.