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Steed and Ms. King in TV Comic: Story Eight

Detail...

Story Eight
Issues: 921 to 927, August 9th to September 20 1969.

Space Hoppers A Go Go!!  TV Comic #921Part One - Issue 921, August 9th 1969:
A HEAVILY guarded nuclear rocket-fuel plant of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is under observation by strange figures.

Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.

A heavily guarded nuclear rocket fuel plant is being watched by strange figures wearing animal masks. One zaps a guard and dog with a ray which renders them unconscious. The pair, identified as Marco and Odel, use rubber space hoppers to vault the electric security fence. They steal a tanker loaded with rocket fuel and crash it through the gates of the plant.

The next day, Steed has persuaded Tara to join him at a sky-diving club he belongs to. He tells her that he has become addicted to the sport. She is less sure. The instructor brings out a parachute and flying suit for Tara. She is to take off in a minute.

Part Two - Issue 922, August 16th 1969:
A NUCLEAR rocket-fuel plant is attacked one morning by strange, alien creatures, who steal a large tanker and escape.  Later, unaware of what has happened, Steed takes Tara King to a sky-diving club where Tara is persuaded to try a jump...

Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.

Tara makes her first jump, but as she and Steed descend through the air a jet fighter zooms in below them. The co-pilot ejects and a banner begins to unfurl from his back – ‘Mother Wants You, Follow Me’ – it reads. The duo obey and land in the grounds of a large stately home. Mother is waiting, but Ms. King’s parachute is tangled in the branches of a tree. When she is freed, and the pair are enjoying a cup of tea, Mother tells them that there is a serious crisis. Possibly caused by creatures from outer space.

Part Three - Issue 923, August 23rd 1969:
STEED and Tara King have been practising parachute jumping with a sky-diving club when Mother warns them that strange, alien creatures have stolen a road-tanker filled with rocket-fuel from an atomic plant.  The tanker has been found abandoned and Steed and Tara drive down to investigate...

Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.

Steed spends the morning in the pub... TV Comic #923Mother has told the pair that there had been reports of unidentified flying objects in the area. They drive down to the seashore where the tanker has been found abandoned. They ponder where a rocket could be hidden. Ms. King thinks that the lighthouse just offshore would be the ideal hiding place. Steed thinks that she is being fanciful. Tara says that she is going to row out there anyway and arranges to meet Steed at the Bull Inn for lunch at one. Steed spends the rest of the morning checking UFO stories with locals. When Ms. King has not shown up by 1.30 Steed decides to row over to the lighthouse himself. The locals have told him that it has not been used for years, but strange lights have been seen shining from it. From inside the lighthouse one of the masked figures from the previous night appears, and commands the one called Marco to deal with Steed.

Part Four - Issue 924, August 30th 1969:
STRANGE alien like creatures have stolen a road-tanker filled with nuclear rocket-fuel.   Later the tanker is found abandoned on a desolate stretch of coast.  While investigating Tara King visits an old disused lighthouse.  When she fails to return, Steed rows out to the lighthouse himself...

Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.

Steed disembarks at the steps of the lighthouse and is greeted by a hippyish looking young man with bright long hair and groovy clothes. Steed tells him that he is looking for Ms. King. Marco tells him that there are no ‘dollies’ there. Steed grabs him by the throat with his brolly handle and suggests that he think again, as Ms. King’s boat is still there. Marco cries out for Odel’s help, and the masked figure appears in the doorway with a gun. Steed is ordered to return to the mainland and tell nobody what he has seen. If anybody sets foot on the lighthouse rock before morning, Tara King will be killed. Steed realises that means something must be about to occur that night. Steed reports back to Mother, and he has already come up with a way of getting onto the lighthouse without being spotted. He will sky dive from an RAF plane.

Part Five - Issue 925, September 6th 1969:
WHILE investigating the mysterious theft of a road-tanker filled with rocket fuel, and reports of Unidentified Flying Objects being sighted, Tara King is taken prisoner in an old off-shore lighthouse.  Steed launches a desperate attempt at rescue by sky-diving on to the lighthouse...

Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.

Steed is sky-diving towards the lighthouse where Tara King is being held captive. He lands plum on top of the structure and quickly finds Tara. She opens a hatch and shows Steed the interior of the lighthouse – there is a rocket built up through its middle. Steed finds the mask warn by Odel and realises what the space aliens really were. As Tara is showing Steed the control room a short bald man walks in, flanked by the two ‘trendies’. He introduces himself as Professor Plantagenent Hogarth and tells them that lift-off will be in exactly thirty minutes, with Steed and Tara on board.

Steed meets The Peace Makers - TV Comic #926Part Six - Issue 926, September 13th 1969:
WHILE investigating a mysterious theft of rocket-fuel, Steed and Tara King are taken prisoner by a weird scientist, Professor Plantagenet Hogarth, and his two strange assistants.  The Professor has assembled a rocket in an old, off-shore lighthouse.   He starts the count-down and warns Steed and Tara that they will be aboard the rocket when it fires...

Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.

With a gun aimed at them, Steed and Tara are ordered up a ladder into the rocket. Steed asks if he can take off his jump suit as he is rather hot. As he does so, he swings at the gun and he and Tara bring the villains under control. Steed asks the Professor what he planned to achieve with the rocket and he tells them that he wants to destroy the United Nations Fleet which is assembled at Spithead for a review. Marco and Odel tell Tara that they are The Peace Makers and that they intend to prevent any further wars by destroying all war weapons. Steed points out that thousands of ordinary sailors will be killed, but the Professor tells him that they must fight fire with fire. The rocket is programmed to take off and nothing can stop it.

Part Seven - Issue 927, September 20th 1969
PROFESSOR Plantagenet Hogarth and his two flower-power assistants call themselves The Peace Makers, and hope to prevent future wars by destroying all weapons.  They have assembled a rocket in an old lighthouse and intend to use it to wipe out the United Nations Fleet, which is assembled at Spithead for a review - Steed and Tara uncover the plot, but the Professor warns that nothing can prevent the rocket from launching...

Written by unknown, drawn by John Canning.

There are only twenty minutes remaining before the rocket is due to launch. Steed tells the Professor to juggle the controls and programme the rocket to fire harmlessly into space. He reiterates that it has been programmed and that cannot now be altered. Steed tells him that he thinks he is bluffing and that they will all stay put on the rocket until he changes his mind. Eventually, Odel cracks and lunges at the controls to the dismay of the Professor. He has set the controls for self-destruction, the only problem is how do they get out of there in time. Steed remembers the space hoppers the villains had used when stealing the rocket fuel and soon all five are riding to safety as the lighthouse explodes. On shore, the police are waiting to arrest Odel, Marco and the Professor.


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