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Steed and Ms. King in TV Comic: Story One

Detail...

Issues: 877 to 883, October 5th to November 16th 1968

Part One - Issue 877 - October 5th 1968:

LATE one afternoon, an R.A.F. plane of Transport Command rushes John Steed and Tara King to Renfrew Airport, Glasgow.

Written by ?, drawn by Tom Kerr.

Steed and Tara make their first appearance in TV Comic.  Art by Tom KerrSteed and Ms. King have been flown to Renfrew Airport, Glasgow. They are en route to Glen Leven, a Ministry of Defence Research Centre, to investigate a threatened security leak. They find themselves lost in the Highlands and ask a passing cart-driver, Dougal Kincaid, if they are on the right road. He tells them they are, but it is likely to flood when the storm breaks. At that point, the skies open. Steed suggests that they could perhaps shelter at the castle he can see in the distance. Dougal Kincaid warns them against this. He tells them that it is the home of Angus McQuayle, Laird Of Tannockburn, and a great hater of the English, so they had better stay clear.

They decide to press on, and eventually they reach Glen Leven. Steed has his credentials checked at the gate, and is told that Professor Braithwaite is waiting for him. The professor tells Steed that he is nearly out of his mind with worry.


Part Two - Issue 878 - October 12th 1968:
STEED and Tara King have rushed to the Ministry of Defence Research Centre at Glen Leven, to investigate the threat of a top security leak.  As they drive through the remote Scottish countryside, a dour highlander, Dougal Kincaid, warns them to keep away from the sinister castle of the Laird of Tannockburn.  When they reach the Government Centre they find the director, Professor Braithwaite is desperately worried....

Written by unknown, drawn by Tom Kerr.

Steed asks the Professor what is going on.  Professor Braithwaite tells him that his son did not return from school two days ago, and that he has been kidnapped.  Steed asks whether the boy could not have just wandered off and got lost in the mountains.  Braithwaite explains that this is the case because he has received a ransom note demanding the plans and formula of the Omega Missile Project in return for the safety of his son.

There is a photograph with the ransom note which shows Wee Bobby being held by an out of shot hand in what looks like a dungeon.

Steed notices that the hand holding Bobby has a finger missing, just like Kincaid, who they had met on their way to the Centre.  Steed is rapidly putting two and two together - the stone walls, Kincaid's warning to keep away and the missing finger are all strong clues.

Steed asks Tara to fake an accident outside Tannockburn Castle so that she can ask to use the phone and thus have a look around inside.  She does so, but is intercepted on her way towards the castle by an angry Kincaid.

Part Three - Issue 879 - October 19th 1968:
THE young son of Professor Braithwaite, director of a Government Research Centre in Scotland, has been kidnapped, and the professor has been warned that unless he reveals top secret information he will never see his son again.  Steed believes the boy may be held within the grim walls of Tannockburn Castle.  Tara follows his lead, but is attacked by a wild highlander, Dougal Kincaid...

Written by ?, drawn by Tom Kerr.

Tara slams the door of the car on the hand of Dougal Kincaid. She then uses the handle of her bag, which handily doubles as a cosh, to knock him out. Out of sight, a mysterious pair see what has occurred and plan a special welcome for Ms. King. Tara enters the castle and pretends that she needs help as she had had an accident with her car. She is welcomed in the main hall by a man with a gun.

Meanwhile, Steed has been making inquiries at the village of Glen Leven. He speaks to the vicar, who tells him that he has seen no strangers recently. Steed is distracted by a gravestone nearby. It reads ‘Angus McQuayle. Last Laird of Tannockburn. 1732 – 1806. R.I.P.’. The vicar tells him that the castle has been empty ever since. Steed ‘borrows’ the vicar’s bicycle and heads off to the castle. At the castle the man with the gun is leading Tara into the cobweb-filled basement. He tells her that he is giving her a conducted tour – starting in the torture chamber.

Steed tackles Dougal Kincaid in TV Comic #881Part Four - Issue 880 - October 26th 1968:
THE young son of Professor Braithwaite, director of a Government Research Centre in Scotland, has been kidnapped to force the professor to reveal top secret information.   Steed believes the boy may be held within the sinister walls of Tannockburn Castle.   Tara King checks on this lead, but is herself taken prisoner...

Written by ?, drawn by Tom Kerr.

Tara is lowered into the dungeon of the castle. An hour later, the mysterious man is watching from the battlements with Kincaid. He realises that Steed is the companion of Tara, and has Kincaid lift the drawbridge when Steed gets to the middle. He falls down and is knocked unconscious. The man with the gun orders his sidekick, identified as Kemmel, to arrange accommodation for Steed. Steed is lowered into the dungeon, and the man with the gun tells Tara that they will never see the light of day again.

Ten minutes later, Steed regains consciousness. With Tara is Professor Braithwaite’s son, Bobby, who had been kidnapped by the villains. They are trapped below the castle, and there seems to be no way out.

Part Five - Issue 881 - November 2nd 1968:
THE young son of Professor Braithwaite, director of a Government Research Centre, has been kidnapped in an attempt to force the professor to reveal top secret information.   Steed and Tara King follow a lead and find the missing boy, Bobby, but are trapped in a dungeon below Tannockburn Castle, from which there seems no hope of escape...

Written by ?, drawn by Tom Kerr.

Steed thinks he may have a solution. He asks Ms. King to move some balks of timber, and builds a large lever, with which he levers up the large slab which is keeping them in. He climbs out behind Kincaid, and helps out Bobby and Ms. King. Kincaid sees them escaping and raises the alarm. As they run for it, Kincaid pursues them with a claymore. Steed entangles him in a piece of rope. In the meantime, the man with the gun has the portcullis lowered. There is no escape.

Part Six - Issue 882 - November 9th 1968:
An attempt to force Professor Braithwaite, director of a Government Research Centre, to divulge top secret information has been made by kidnapping his young son, Bobby ...Steed and Tara King find the missing lad, but are trapped in the sinister confines of Tannockburn Castle.

Written by unknown, drawn by Tom Kerr.

Steed shows off his legs in TV Comic 883 Part Seven - Issue 883 - November 16th 1968:
SAID GHABUL, an international spy, has kidnapped the young son of Professor Braithwaite in an attempt to force the professor to reveal top secret information... Steed and Tara King rescue the youngster from the grim dungeon of Tannockburn Castle - but now, Steed faces the last round with Ghabul.

Written by ?, drawn by Tom Kerr.

Said Ghabul has Steed in the sights of his rifle. He gets ready to fire, but unknown to him Tara has aimed with a crossbow at the candelabra above his head. It crashes down, pinning his arms. to his sides. Steed lunges at Said Ghabul’s sidekick, dragging him down, and Tara finishes him off by donging him on the head with the butt of the crossbow.

Ten minutes later, Bobby Braithwaite returns with help. All that is left is the sweeping up and the congratulations to Steed and Tara for clearing things up.


Back to Tara King era TV Comic Index (1-10) on to story number two