The British weekly boys' comic ''

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

'' was published between 1952 and 1974 by the

Amalgamated Press The Amalgamated Press (AP) was a British newspaper and magazine publishing company founded by journalist and entrepreneur Alfred Harmsworth (1865–1922) in 1901, gathering his many publishing ventures together under one banner. At one point the ...

Fleetway Publications Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. History It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies ...

and

IPC IPC may refer to: Businesses and organizations Arts and media * Intellectual Property Committee, a coalition of US corporations with intellectual property interests * International Panorama Council, an international network of specialists in ...

The 10,000 Disasters of Dort

:Published: May 18, 1968, to November 23, 1968 :Writer: Mike Butterworth :Artists: Luis Bermejo, José Ortiz When Ratta, dictator of Dort, finds his planet has fifty years before being destroyed by its sun he identifies the Earth of 2000 as the only suitable home for his people. To force Earth into agreeing, he announces he will be unleashing ten thousand disasters on Earth. Sure enough, New York is destroyed when Ratta's technology renders all of the metal in the city unstable; Paris is made uninhabitable due to an aggressive alien weed; Melbourne is overran by enlarged animals; tea is used to most of the population of London are transformed into violent maniacs; incredible weaponry is given to the savage Jamali tribesmen of central Arabia; all electricity on Earth is temporarily removed; a brief ice age freezes the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

; Germany is overran by a plague of ants; thousands are blinded by an artificial sun; and 90% of the remaining population reduced to a bestial state by tainted wheat. Opposing Ratta is Britain's top scientist Mike Dauntless, aided by French orphan Gaston. * The story was reprinted in ''Lion'' from December 22, 1973, to May 18, 1974; this second run featured a modified conclusion so the story finished before the merger with '' Valiant''. In 2023,

Rebellion Developments Rebellion Developments Limited is a British video game developer based in Oxford. Founded by Jason Kingsley (businessman), Jason and Chris Kingsley in December 1992, the company is best known for ''Sniper Elite'' and multiple games in the ''Lis ...

produced a trade paperback containing the entire serial as part of their

Treasury of British Comics Treasury of British Comics is a line of comic book collections published by Rebellion Developments, collecting British comics stories from the libraries of Amalgamated Press/Fleetway Publications/IPC Magazines. History Rebellion Developments had ...

series of collected editions.

Adam Eterno

:Published: March 20, 1971, to May 18, 1974 After quaffing the Elixir of Life, Adam Eterno is doomed to immortality and drifts through time trying to find a solid gold weapon that can kill him. * Inherited from ''

Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

'' and continued in '' Valiant'' until the latter was merged with ''

Battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...

The Amazing Adventures of Mister X

:Published: March 7, 1953, to October 17, 1959 :Writers: Edward R. Home-Gall A globetrotting hero helps out the helpless with

jujitsu Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...

and expert shooting skills, keeping his identity a secret to ward off reprisals. * Originally an illustrated text story, before a switch to comic strip format from August 23, 1958. The character is no relation to the earlier strip " The Amazing Mr. X" from

DC Thomson DC Thomson is a media company based in Dundee, Scotland. Founded by David Couper Thomson in 1905, it is best known for publishing ''The Courier (Dundee), The Courier'', ''Evening Telegraph (Dundee), The Evening Telegraph'' and ''The Sunday Pos ...

's ''

The Dandy ''The Dandy'' was a Scottish children's comic magazine published by the Dundee based publisher DC Thomson. The first issue was printed in December 1937, making it the world's third-longest running comic, after '' Il Giornalino'' (cover dated 1 Oc ...

''.

The Amazing Jack Wonder

:Published: February 5, 1966, to May 28, 1966 :Artist: Bill Lacey Sailor Captain Jack Wonder gets caught up in a civil war in tropical

banana republic In political science, the term ''banana republic'' describes a politically and economically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the export of natural resource.A banana republic is a country with an economy of state capitalism, where th ...

Losana. Used as a guinea pig by evil scientist Varan, he is accidentally given the ability to change into any object. Breaking free, he and his chirpy first mate 'Lofty' Locke overthrow the country's dictator Quantro. Later, the pair signed up to the RAF and fought the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

Andy's Army

:Published: September 28, 1968, to April 26, 1969 Wanting to emulate his father, a Colonel in the British Army, 14-year old Andy springs a trio of prisoners from the brig and heads behind German lines to fight a guerrilla war.

Big Hank – The Soft-Hearted Heavyweight

:Published: February 23, 1952, to June 28, 1952 :Writer: Duncan Matheson Honduran circus strongman Hank tries to launch a career as a

heavyweight boxer Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

with the aid of friend and acrobat Tich Wilson. While Hank has the strength for the sport he is held back by his reluctance to actually hit anyone without provocation.

Billy the Kid

:Published: November 7, 1959, to April 23, 1960 :Artist: Fred Holmes Lone avenger William Bonney and his steed Satan hunt down wrong-doers in the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

. * The only strip continued from ''

Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

'' after the merger. The story was later edited and reprinted as "The Black Avenger" in ''

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...

''.

Black Max

:Published: 20 March 1971 to 21 October 1972 :Writer: Frank S. Pepper :Artist:

Alfonso Font Alfonso Font (born 28 August 1946) is a Spanish comic book artist. Biography Alfonso Font was born in Barcelona, Spain. He began his comics career in the 1960s as apprentice in the local Editorial Bruguera studio, working mostly at western, war, ...

Baron Maximilien Von Klorr is Germany's most fearsome ace pilot of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

– partly due to being helped by a gigantic bats. With his Fokker Dr.I painted black, he soon earns the nickname Black Max. His opposition comes from the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

, particularly plucky Lieutenant Tim Wilson. * Inherited from ''

''. The supporting character of Doktor Gratz would later spin off into " Secrets of the Demon Dwarf".

Boy Kidd

:Published: June 11, 1966, to July 16, 1966 :Writer:

René Goscinny René Goscinny (; ; 14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was a French comic editor and writer, who created the ''Asterix, Astérix'' comic book series with illustrator Albert Uderzo. Born in France to a Jewish family from Poland, he spent his chil ...

:Artist:

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia * St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Man ...

A town at the mercy of juvenile outlaw Boy Kidd is offered salvation by louche travelling gunslinger Buck Bingo. * Modified reprints of "

Lucky Luke ''Lucky Luke'' is a Western (genre), Western bande dessinée, comic album series created by Belgian cartoonist Morris (cartoonist), Morris in 1946. Morris wrote and drew the series single-handedly until 1955, after which he started collaborati ...

" from '' Spirou''; continued from the short-lived '' The Champion'' revival.

Brett Marlowe

:Published: February 23, 1952, to July 24, 1954 :Writer: John Fordice A

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. ...

, Brett Marlowe is an expert in detective work and frequently unravelled cases with only the smallest of clues, before bringing miscreants down in a two-fisted fashion. Marlowe was assisted by his faithful chauffeur Rusty Race. * Only made sporadic appearances. For the majority of the strip, "cases" lasted a single two-page episode, though later some serial stories were created.

Britain AD2170

:Published: July 25, 1970, to March 13, 1971 :Artist: Solano López After a five-year mission in space, the probe ship ''Explorer'' – crewed by astronauts Captain Vic Lacey, Doc Keelson and 'Technical Twins' Harvey and Tragg – crash on landing. Due to Earth Time and Space Time running at different speeds, they discover 200 years have passed, and the Britain of 2170 has regressed to a primitive state. The group uses the remnants of technology that still work to survive warring groups of savages – particularly the barbaric Snakemen – and strange monsters as they try to rebuild civilisation.

Bruce Kent Invites You To Spot The Clue

:Published: June 22, 1957, to May 2, 1964 Detective Bruce Kent and feckless sidekick Jim solve crimes, encouraging readers to use the same clues available to them to guess the result of the case first. * From 1962 the strip's title was modified to the more competitive "Bruce Kent Challenges You to Spot the Clue". The interactive "spot the clue" format was later adapted for Zip Nolan.

The Can-Do Kids

:Published: October 16, 1971, to April 22, 1972 :Writers:

Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfath ...

John Wagner John Wagner (born 1949) is an American-born British comics writer. Alongside Pat Mills, he helped revitalise British comics in the 1970s, and continues to be active in the British comics industry, occasionally also working in American comics. ...

:Artist: Carlos Cruz,

Tom Kerr Tom Kerr was a British comic strip artist whose work has appeared in comics such as ''Look-in'', the ''Eagle'', '' Valiant'', and '' TV21''. He has also drawn for many annuals of the 1960s and 1970s, including the ''Monkees'' annuals, ''Look-i ...

Upon leaving school four friends set their hearts on travelling around the world and begin a number of unconventional fundraising activities – much to the ire of a retired Brigadier turned local busybody.

Captain Condor

:Published: February 23, 1952, to February 26, 1966 :Writer: Frank S. Pepper :Artist: Keith Watson,

Geoff Campion Arthur Geoffrey Campion (19 November 1916 — 18 December 1997)Norman Wright and David Ashford, ''Masters of Fun and Thrills: The British Comic Artists Vol. 1'', Norman Wright (pub.), 2008, pp. 7-21 was a British comics artist who drew adventur ...

, Brian Lewis Ace pilot of the year 3000, Condor spearheaded the Space Patrol's victory over the megalomaniac Dictator after being banished to Titan. He was aided by the moon's natives, the unintelligent but amiable Geeks. This achieved, Condor led further Space Patrol missions with his customary derring-do. * Captain Condor was created by Frank S. Pepper as a competitor to ''Eagles

Dan Dare Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories. Dare appeared in the ''Eagle'' comic series ''Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future'' from 1950 to 1967 (and subsequently in ...

. The strip was on the front and back covers (initially the only pages featuring colour) until being ousted by " Paddy Payne" in 1957. New adventures continued until 1964, when Captain Condor switched to reprinting old adventures until ending entirely in 1966.

Carson's Cubs

:Published: September 10, 1966, to July 21, 1973 :Artists:

, Fred Holmes Retiring after a glittering playing career, football legend Joe Carson takes up the management reigns of old club Newton Town, who are languished in the third division with no funds thanks to penny-pinching, asset-stripping director Arthur Braggart. Despite this Carson strives to improve the club, building a competitive side around young players like teen hotshots Andy Streak, Rocky Stone and Tiddler Smith. * Shortly after the merger with ''

Eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

'' the strip guest-starred the Circus Wanderers as opposition.

Code Name – Barracuda

:Published: September 10, 1966, to February 24, 1968 :Artist: Antonio Sciotti Superhumanly strong United Nations special agent Barracuda and his similarly enhanced partner Rollo use an array of high-tech gadgetry to keep the world safe from American supervillain King Cobra and his criminal organisation W.A.M. (War Against Mankind). * Barracuda and Rollo also appeared in Fleetway's ''Secret Agent'' Super Library digest series, alternating with Johnny Nero

Dan Dare

:Published: May 3, 1969, to October 24, 1970 The pilot from the future fends off the threat of Treen leader the Mekon. * Inherited from ''

''. Budget cuts had already seen the strip switch to reprints in 1967, and these continued in ''Lion''. The repeats aborted the end of the "Rogue Planet" storyline which had been running in the last ''Eagle'' to start the stint in ''Lion'' from the beginning of "Reign of the Robots". In contrast to its original colour format, the art was rendered in greyscale. After a reprint of "The Phantom Fleet" with a compressed conclusion, "Dan Dare" disappeared from Lion after October 24, 1970.

Danger Man

:Published: June 11, 1966, to September 3, 1966 :Artist:

Jesús Blasco Jesús Blasco (3 November 1919 – 21 October 1995) was a Spanish author and artist of comic books, whose career covered most of the conventional history of comic strips. He worked extensively in British comics in the 1960s and 1970s. Career Blas ...

Special agent John Drake carries out numerous hazardous missions against corrupt governments and criminal organisations. * Uniquely among ''Lions oeuvre, "Danger Man" was a licensed strip based on the ATV television series of the same name, with the art using the likeness of star

Patrick McGoohan Patrick Joseph McGoohan (; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor of film, television, and theatre. Born in New York City to Irish parents, he was raised in Ireland and England. He began his career in England during t ...

. Years later it was crudely modified as "Matt Mason – Secret Agent" for ''Bumper Story Book for Boys''.

The Day the World Drowned

:Published: November 30, 1968, to April 26, 1969 :Artist: Ted Kearon A colossal underwater earthquake radically alters Earth's geography. Having survived the quake in a reinforced diving vessel, research scientists Bill Sterling and Don Worth find themselves in the middle of an arid wasteland, while their brothers Jamie and Bobby have to deal with a suddenly flooded London. Reunited, the quartet search the radically changed planet for other survivors while avoiding the insane Ark-building Drage family.

Dr. Mesmer's Revenge

:Published: October 16, 1971, to October 21, 1972 :Writer: Donne Avenell :Artist: Carlos Cruz When thieves raid the collection of hypnotist Dr. Mesmer, he uses magical cat statue Bulbul to control 5,000-year-old mummy to punish them. His brutal methods soon see him become a feared villain. * The strip was originally announced to be part of ''

s line-up but debuted in ''Lion'' after the titles were merged. Both Dr. Mesmer and Angor would reappear as villains in

' '' The Vigilant''.

Drive For Your life

:Published: December 6, 1969, to January 31, 1970 :Artist: Barrie Mitchell Balkan aristocrat and racing driver Count von Dracca is exposed as a coward and drummed out of motorsport. He spends the next five years devising a series of brutal traps and kidnaps his six old rivals – German Urich Krutz, British Roland Howard-Price, Italian Alberto Guilo and Americans 'Porkchop' Porter, 'Big Mike' Murphy and Rev Ryder – and forces them to take part in a series of racing challenges as revenge, with only one to survive.

Flame o' the Forest

:Published: February 7, 1970, to November 7, 1970 :Artist:

Massimo Belardinelli Massimo Belardinelli (5 June 1938 – 31 March 2007)Michael Molcher, "Belardinelli: Loving the Alien", ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' #259, 26 June 2007 was an Italian comic artist best known for his work in the British science fiction comic '' 2000 AD' ...

When his

mummers Mummers were bands of men and women from the medieval to early modern era who (during public festivities) dressed in fantastic clothes and costumes and serenaded people outside their houses, or joined the party inside. Costumes were varied and mi ...

' troupe is massacred by cruel

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

warlord the Raven in 1066,

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

orphan Hal is taught a variety of skills by his mortally wounded uncle Sarl, enabling him to become the Flame o' the Forest, taking vengeance on the Raven and his knights.

Fleetfoot Fights the Redskin Rebels

:Published: January 7, 1956, to September 8, 1956 :Writer: R.G. Thomas Chief Fleetfoot of the Cawlees plans to make a peace treaty with settlers but a brave named Blank Panther vehemently disagrees and starts a civil war within the tribe.

The Flying Fortress

:Published: March 31, 1973, to June 30, 1973 :Artist: Giorgio Trevisan Two boys holidaying in Europe shelter from the rain in a sinister castle, only to find it is the mobile base of villain Doctor Skurge.

Flying Furies

:Published: April 2, 1966, to September 10, 1966 :Writer:

Jean-Michel Charlier Jean-Michel Charlier (; 30 October 1924 – 10 July 1989) was a Belgian comics writer. He was a co-founder of the famed Franco-Belgian comics magazine '' Pilote''. Life Charlier was born in Liège, Belgium, in 1924.De Weyer, Geert (2005) ...

:Artist:

Albert Uderzo Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo (), was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the '' Astérix'' series in collaboration wit ...

Two jet pilots with contrasting personalities move through a training school. * Modified reprints of "

Tanguy et Laverdure ''Les Aventures de Tanguy et Laverdure'' is a Franco-Belgian comics (''bande dessinée'') series created by Jean-Michel Charlier and Albert Uderzo, about the two pilots Michel Tanguy and Ernest Laverdure, and their adventures in the French Air Fo ...

" from ''

Pilote ''Pilote'' (), for a while subtitled ''the magazine of Asterix and Obelix'' (French: ''Le Journal D’Astérix et D’Obélix'' ) was a French comics magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major Franco-Belgian comics, French ...

''.

Flying Saucer Over Africa

:Published: September 3, 1955, to April 21, 1956 :Writer: Cliff Hooper :Artist: W. R. Culver When Professor Synton finds the ruins of a forgotten advanced civilisation in the jungles of Africa, his assistant Buloff imprisons him and uses the technology to build saucer ships, ray guns and robots. Fortunately for the natives,

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

cameraman Danny Malloy and his friend Ted is present to film

white rhinoceros The white rhinoceros, also known as the white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros (''Ceratotherium simum''), is the largest extant species of rhinoceros and the most Sociality, social of all rhino species, characterized by its wide mouth adapted f ...

, and teams up with Mr. Zaka to combat Buloff's plans for world domination.

Frogmen Are Tough!

:Published: August 30, 1952, to June 20, 1953 :Writer: Edward R. Home-Gall Troopers Don Drew and Nobby Pounds are tasked with tracking down a secret Italian naval base wreaking havoc on Allied Mediterranean convoys during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

The Fugitive from the Planet Scror

:Published: February 7, 1970, to July 18, 1970 :Artist: Solano Lopez After changing his mind over a Scror plan to invade Earth, shape-shifting alien Karg takes refuge on the planet, pursued by relentless enemy Groll.

Gadgetman and Gimmick-Kid

:Published: 4 May to 26 October 1968 :Writer:

Jerry Siegel Jerome "Jerry" Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/ Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./ Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He was the co-creator of ...

:Artist: Vicente Alcázar A costumed crimefighting duo who used an arsenal of technological devices to battle the likes of the Trickster and the Taunting Titan.

Gargan

:Published: May 3, 1969, to January 31, 1970 :Artist: Solano Lopez

Cryptid Cryptids are animals or other beings whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science. Cryptozoology, the study of cryptids, is a pseudoscience claiming that such beings may exist somewhere in the wild; it has been widely cri ...

Gargan and superannuated sage Reega the Wise are kidnapped from the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

by cruel American exhibitor Cash Maddack. Their friend, a boy called Rhurki, resolves to free them.

General Johnny

:Published: February 7, 1970, to March 13, 1971 :Creative Team: Ted Kearon After his exceptional skill at wargaming is applied to real-life

battles, schoolboy Johnny Quick is given the rank of General and given tactical control of a chunk of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

The Gladiators

:Published: May 3, 1969, to January 31, 1970 :Artist: Ted Kearon Six renegade gladiators on the run from

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

are transported forward in time by a sorcerer, and fit themselves in the midst of

. * Inherited from ''

''.

Highway Danger!

:Published: February 27, 1965, to January 1, 1966 :Artist: Bert Vandeput Small-time racer Don Dentry wrecks his garage-built car saving the life of champion driver Milton Halder, who rewards Dentry by letting him take his place with the top team while he recuperates. However, Dentry and his loyal mechanic's big break is complicated by ongoing sabotage shenanigans within the team.

Hunters of the Tower of London Traitors

:Published: March 14, 1953, to October 17, 1953 :Writer:

Ted Cowan Ted Cowan, being the best known familiar name of Edward George Cowan, was a British comic book writer. His early career included working as a laboratory assistant prior to World War II when he enlisted firstly in the Royal Air Force and subseque ...

:Artist: Alan Philpott

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

Dirk Selden and apprentice Hal Rudd work to counter the treasonous monarch-toppling scheme of Simon De'ath.

It's Charlie of the Chimps

:Published: May 15, 1965, to September 18, 1965 :Artist:

Joe Colquhoun Joe Colquhoun (7 November 1926 – 13 April 1987) was a British comics artist best known for his work on '' Charley's War'' in ''Battle Picture Weekly''. He was also the first artist to draw ''Roy of the Rovers''. Biography Born in Harrow, Midd ...

As the king of the jungle has headed off for a

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

career, stranded airman Charlie finds himself filling the gap.

Jet Jordan

:Published: June 11, 1966, to September 3, 1966 :Writer:

:Artist: Albert Weinberg

Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Cana ...

pilot Jet Jordan undertakes dangerous test missions. * Modified reprints of " Dan Cooper" from ''

Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...

''; continued from '' The Champion'' revival.

The Jigsaw Journey

:Published: March 20, 1971, to July 17, 1971 :Writer: Frank S. Pepper :Artist:

Explorer Wolfgang Stranger and his young friend Tom Taylor discover they have one-ninth of a treasure map, and set out to find the other eight. * The story was a sequel to ''

'' strip " The Terrible Trail to Tolmec" and was originally planned for that title before it was merged into ''Lion''.

Jimmi from Jupiter

:Published: February 13, 1965, to September 4, 1965 :Artist: Mario Capaldi A young boy from

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

gets stranded on Earth, and is taken under the wing the George Gilbert and his kindly family until he can return home. Jimmi's

Gamma Gamma (; uppercase , lowercase ; ) is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 3. In Ancient Greek, the letter gamma represented a voiced velar stop . In Modern Greek, this letter normally repr ...

powers often activate at inopportune moments, placing him in danger of exposure. * Reprinted as "The Boy From Jupiter" from October 31, 1970, to March 13, 1971.

Jingo Jones and His Invisibiliser

:Published: February 23, 1952, to July 4, 1953 :Writer: L.E. Ransome (as Tom Stirling) Young Jingo is given an Invisibiliser by his eccentric uncle Septimus. The device produced a ray that could turn anything invisible until the reverse control was activated. Jones and best friend Bob Day used this as a boon to combat local bullies and spivs. * Text story.

Jinks

:Published: June 25, 1966, to February 15, 1969 :Cartoonist:

André Franquin André Franquin (; 3 January 1924 – 5 January 1997) was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best-known creations are ''Gaston (comics), Gaston'' and ''Marsupilami''. He also produced the ''Spirou et Fantasio'' comic strip from 1946 to ...

Jinks' wish to simply have some peace and quiet at home is constantly undermined by innumerable catastrophes, usually caused by one of his oddball acquaintances. * Only made sporadic appearances. Modified version of '' Modeste et Pompon'' from ''

''; continued from '' The Champion''

Johnny Dynamite

:Published: October 14, 1967, to December 23, 1967 :Artists: D'Ami Studio Johnny embarks on a boxing career to save his family's business. * Reprinted from ''

''.

Jungle Jef

:Published: October 19, 1957, to October 10, 1959 :Writer: Rex King Raised in the jungle by animals, Jef and his 'family' – Cheeko the

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...

, Boko the parrot and Tusker the elephant – try to avoid getting eaten by lion Yellow fang.

Karl the Viking

:Published: October 29, 1960, to September 26, 1964 :Writer: Ted Cowan,

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has wo ...

:Artist: Don Lawrence Viking chieftain Eingar takes a shine to Saxon orphan Karl, taking him back to his village. When Eingar dies Karl takes up leadership of the tribe with cousin Godwulf as his right-hand man, leading them in battles to fend off the Picts, the callous Earl of Eastumbria and legendary monsters. * The strip was initially called "The Sword of Eingar" before being renamed after the protagonist from the second story.

Ken Bulmer Henry Kenneth Bulmer (14 January 1921 – 16 December 2005) was a British writer, primarily of science fiction. Life Born in London, he married Pamela Buckmaster on 7 March 1953. They had one son and two daughters, and they divorced in 1981. B ...

co-created the character with Cowan and Lawrence. The complete series was collection across two volumes by

as part of the

series – ''Karl the Viking Volume 1 – The Sword of Eingar'' compiled the material from October 29, 1960, to December 1, 1962; ''Karl the Viking Volume 2 – The Voyage of the Sea Raiders'' contained the strips from December 8, 1962, to September 26, 1964, as well as material from ''Lion Annual''s.

The King of Keg Island

:Published: November 14, 1970, to March 13, 1971 :Artist:

Peter Cable is an orphan and is stunned when he finds a distant relative has left him the deed to Keg Island. He begins to move in to his new land along with a trio of friends from the orphanage, but former custodian Simon Lashley plans to swindle him out of his windfall.

Knuckles Nixon – The Boxing Trapper

:Published: March 22, 1958, to August 16, 1958 :Writer: Ray Marr Fur trapper Knuckles Nixon uses his pugilistic skills to see off unwelcome visitors to Lone Pines, aided by native American friend Night Owl. * Text story.

Larry West – Cowboy Outlaw

:Published: January 25, 1958, to October 11, 1958 :Writer: Cliff Hooper Cowhand Larry West and Mexican pardner Pedro are forced to go on the run when they are framed for a

stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

robbery by the corrupt Sheriff of Sunset City and the Red Diamond Gang.

The Last of the Harkers

:Published: October 16, 1971, to May 18, 1974 :Artist: John Stokes Jug-eared Joe Harker is the sole surviving member of the Harker sporting dynasty. With help from the ghost of similarly endowed ancestor Sir Stanley Harker and his own stretchy arms, Joe is able to excel at numerous sporting events and refill the family's trophy cabinets, while rag-and-bone men Bert and Arnold Swizzle schemed to stop him so they could take over Harker Hall on the cheap. * The story was not continued when ''Lion'' merged into '' Valiant''.

Law of the Legion

:Published: May 15, 1965, to August 7, 1965 British agent John Law goes undercover to flush out a traitor hiding in the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

Lightning Stormm

:Published: May 3, 1969, to November 29, 1969 :Writer: Ken Mennell :Artists: Barrie Mitchell,

Ian Kennedy Ian Patrick Kennedy (born December 19, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Between 2007 and 2023, he played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Kans ...

After being seriously injured in a crash, top racing driver Dan Stormm is wheelchair-bound and moves into team management. His team, the Slambangers, included his long-term mechanic Cappy Ricks, run young rough diamond drivers Tommy Kidd and the Boyd brothers Pete and Rod. * A continuation of "Lightning Strikes Again" from ''

''. After 12 issues the story was renamed "Tales from the Tracks", switching to a format of Stormm narrating former glories from his racing career.

Lofty Lightyear

:Published: June 11, 1966, to March 2, 1968 Professor Von Nutkaze helps a freakishly tall alien stay out of the clutches of a persistent flying saucer. * Occasional one-page humour strip, previously featured in '' The Champion''.

The Lone Commandos

:Published: February 23, 1952, to July 26, 1952 :Writer: Edward R. Home-Gall In 1943,

Commandos A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opp ...

Sgt. Roy Tempest and Pte. Jack Steel are tasked with a dangerous mission to destroy a German radar station in

occupied France The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

Lost in Limbo Land

:Published: October 13, 1973, to December 8, 1973 Writer: Chris Lowder Artist: José Muñoz A bookish boy is reading up on

Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...

when a bolt of lightning transports him back to Viking times.

Lost Pals of 9 Platoon

:Published: February 6, 1954, to September 18, 1954 :Writer: Cliff Hooper After finding themselves behind Italian lines, British soldiers Joe Dale and Shorty Brown wage a campaign of

asymmetrical warfare Asymmetric warfare (or asymmetric engagement) is a type of war between belligerents whose relative military power, strategy or tactics differ significantly. This type of warfare often, but not necessarily, involves Insurgency, insurgents, terro ...

Lucky Guffy

:Published: June 22, 1957, to September 10, 1960 Juvenile Guffy undertakes a variety of endeavours that initially seems to be going badly but ends up working out in his favour. * A one-page humour strip that resided on the back cover. Later appearances were more spasmodic.

Maroc the Mighty

:Published: May 8, 1965, to June 4, 1966 :Writer:

:Artist:

Don Lawrence Donald Southam Lawrence (17 November 1928 – 29 December 2003) was a British comic book artist and author. Lawrence is best known for his comic strips '' The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire'' in the British weeklies '' Ranger'' and ''Look ...

On his journey home to from the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

in the 13th century, John Maroc discovers the ancient bracelet of Sun Warrior Zar. The Hand of Zar makes him invulnerable and superhumanly strong when the bangle is in sunlight, helping him fight his way back towards his home in

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

. * "Maroc the Mighty" was devised as a replacement for " Karl the Viking", and was initially called "The Hand of Zar". The story was reprinted from October 3, 1970, to March 6, 1971.

Marooned Shipmates of Shark Island

:Published: September 28, 1957, to March 1, 1958 :Writer: Ray Marr After getting shipwrecked on an island surrounded by shark-infested waters, Jerry Morgan and two other survivors – Irish stoker Conner O'Conner and Aborigine Bingo – try to make the deserted landmass habitable as they await rescue. * A text story which incorporated detailed explanations of survival and scouting tips for readers.

Marty Wayne

:Published: July 7, 1973, to May 18, 1974 :Artist: Fred Holmes Wannabe TV star Marty Wayne's

ventriloquist Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) speaks in such a way that it seems like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventrilo ...

skills and uncanny

impressions An impression is the overall effect of something. Impression or impressions may also refer to: Biology * Colic impression, a feature of the gall bladder * Duodenal impression, medial to the renal impression * Gastric impression, a feature of th ...

land him a surprise role as an agent of

MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...

. * The story was not continued after the merger with '' Valiant''.

Masters of Menace

:Published: September 22, 1973, to May 18, 1974 :Artist: John Catchpole After escaping death and being inadvertently rescued by Nick Dexter and Ron Redding, Professor Krait seeks out Ezra Creech and the pair pool their resources in a bid for world conquest. * Featuring a team-up between the villains from " Shadow of the Snake" and "

White Eyes White Eyes, named ''Koquethagechton'' (c. 1730 – 5 November 1778), was Chief Sachem of the Lenape (Delaware) people in the Ohio Country during the era of the American Revolution. Sometimes known as George White Eyes, or Captain Grey Eyes al. Si ...

". The story was not continued after the merger with '' Valiant''.

Max Malone of the Secret Service

:Published: August 24, 1957, to October 10, 1959 :Writer: Trevor Hugh Special agent Max Malone and sidekick Hitch Hall frustrate the machinations of the Japanese in World War II. * A text story.

The Mind Stealers

:Published: December 28, 1968, to April 26, 1969 :Artist:

Schoolboys Steve Smith and Bob Jones investigate a haunted mansion, only to find it full of alien blobs who can control minds. The rest of the village rapidly falls under their control as the lads try to raise the alarm.

Morg of the Mammoths

:Published: October 19, 1963, to January 18, 1964 :Artist: Harry Bishop

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

tribesman Morg is banished from his village after refusing to kill a

mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus.'' They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabi ...

. Once out in the tundra, Morg finds himself adopted by the mammoth, who he names Karga.

Mowser

:Published: February 22, 1964, to May 18, 1974 :Cartoonist: Reg Parlett In Crummy Castle sly, supine housecat Mowser constantly comes out on top in struggles with his nemesis James the Butler. * Humour strip; initially half a page, but up to the full back page by 1966. By the seventies, the strip often absent or using reprints.

Murphy's Magic Mauler

:Published: November 23, 1968, to April 26, 1969 :Artist: Solano López Gullible cowpoke Joe Murphy believes himself to be in possession of a magic belt. He isn't, but a combination of his increased confidence and good luck mean things tend to work out for him anyway, and Murphy is unflinching in his faith in the pants-retainer.

Oddball Oates

:Published: May 3, 1969, to November 7, 1970 :Writer: Donne Avenell :Artist:

Weedy botanist Albert Oates discovers a

formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...

that transforms his body into an athletic marvel. He uses this to win numerous sporting events while keeping his secret formula out of the hands of evil-doers led by Doctor Vulpex.

Operation Fire-Mountain

:Published: February 26, 1955, to August 27, 1955 :Writer: Rex King :Artist: Peter Gallant Max Steel and a group of demobbed

investigate the mysterious Fire-Mountain Island at the behest of the Secret Service.

Paddy Payne

:Published: July 27, 1957, to March 13, 1971 :Writers: Mark Ross, Val Holding :Artists:

, Bill Lacey,

RAF pilot Paddy Payne and his trusty wingman Dick 'Dicko' Smith defend the skies. Payne was a talented aircraft racer before the war, and served in the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...

flying a

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...

. By 1942 Payne was a Squadron Leader and 'troubleshooter', shipped from unit to unit for tricky missions. Later Paddy's number two became the eager but luckless Pete Prendergast. Payne's role serve in many theatres. In Europe, he was involved defending England from

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

bombers and V-1s;

pathfinding Pathfinding or pathing is the search, by a computer application, for the shortest route between two points. It is a more practical variant on Maze-solving algorithm, solving mazes. This field of research is based heavily on Dijkstra's algorith ...

for bombing missions to Germany; protecting the

from

U-Boats U-boats are naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the First and Second World Wars. The term is an anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the German term refers to any submarine. Austro-Hungarian Na ...

before bombing their pens in

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

; sinking the battleship '' Tirnhorst'' in a Norwegian

fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...

; defending

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

; working with

partisans Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Itali ...

to liberate

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

; thwarting crack Luftwaffe hunter-killer unit the Double Eagles; destroying secret German weapons like the Viper rocket-fighter and old racing opponent Von Engel's

dirigible An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat ( lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding ...

-mounted Sun-Gun, aiding the

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

and capturing

Field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

Reichstag. In the Middle East, he supported the Eighth Army from

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

ahead of the Battle of Alamein, while in the Pacific he was responsible for frustrating a Japanese invasion of India from a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

battlegroup centered on

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

HMS ''Swiftsure'', and leading a squadron of raw recruits against Japanese ace Major Kimura over the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down t ...

. While initially seen in a Spitfire (including a fictional float-equipped version that suffered no significant loss of performance), Paddy's missions took in a wide variety of planes – his logbook contained

Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort t ...

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

Mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...

Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

Avenger Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sa ...

Kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

Skua The skuas are a group of predatory seabirds with seven species forming the genus ''Stercorarius'', the only genus in the family Stercorariidae. The three smaller skuas, the Arctic skua, the long-tailed skua, and the pomarine skua, are called ...

, Seamew, Catalina, Kittyhawk,

Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticate ...

, Anson,

Horsa Hengist (, ) and Horsa are legendary Germanic peoples, Germanic brothers who according to later English legends and ethnogenesis theories led the Angles (tribe), Angles, Saxons and Jutes, the progenitor groups of modern English people, in thei ...

Typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

, Helldiver, Tempest,

Lysander Lysander (; ; 454 BC – 395 BC) was a Spartan military and political leader. He destroyed the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC, forcing Athens to capitulate and bringing the Peloponnesian War to an end. He then played ...

, Arsenal-Delanne 10,

Marauder Marauder, marauders, The Marauder, or The Marauders may refer to: * A person engaged in banditry or related activity ** Piracy ** Looting ** Outlaw ** Partisan (military) ** Robbery ** Theft Entertainment * ''Marauder'', the second novel in th ...

, Defiant,

Nieuport 17 The Nieuport 17 C.1 (or Nieuport XVII C.1 in contemporary sources) is a French sesquiplane fighter aircraft, fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during World War I. An improvement over the Nieuport 11, it was a little large ...

and

Gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...

types. Paddy's ability to end up behind enemy lines also saw him try his hand with captured Axis aircraft, including a

Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the Bf 109 formed the backbone of the ...

, a Bf 110, a SM.79, a Fw 190, a

Stuka The Junkers Ju 87, popularly known as the "Stuka", is a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the ...

, a Do 26, a

Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one of ...

and even an experimental German helicopter. * The stories did not always run in chronological order – for example, the first serial took place in 1942, while one set during the

was run years later. From 1957 Paddy Payne took over the colour cover of ''Lion'' until 1964. In 1967 the strip stopped while features from '' The Champion'' were incorporated before returning in 1968 and running for another year.

The Phantom Viking

:Published: 11 June 1966, to 3 August 1968 :Writer: Donne Avenell :Artist: José Ortiz, Nevio Zeccara Nebbish teacher Olaf Larson finds a mystical helmet belonging to one of his Norse antecedents at a Viking burial site. Donning the headgear gave him the ability to turn into the mighty Phantom Viking – a popular hero, in contrast to the awkward teacher mocked as "Loopy Larson" by his Woodburn School pupils. The Phantom Viking's only weakness was that his powers would disappear when the a

south wind The south wind is the wind that originates from the south and blows north. South Wind may also refer to: * ''South Wind'' (film), 2018 Serbian film * ''South Wind'' (TV series), 2020 Serbian TV series * , 2021 Serbian film * , 2022 Serbian TV s ...

blew. Despite his pronounced general air of weakness, Larsen attracted sympathy from beautiful secretary Helen Yates. * The strip was inherited from the short-lived revival of '' The Champion'', where it had debuted on 26 February 1966.

The Plants Of Peril

:Published: May 15, 1965, to July 24, 1965 Hydrapods – living and dangerous plants – stalk the English countryside while Professor Paul Loder and assistant Whittaker attempt to devise a way to stop them. * Reprinted as "Menace of the Killer Plants" in the 1971 ''Lion Annual''.

Rebels of Ancient Rome!

:Published: August 16, 1952, to March 7, 1953 :Writer:

:Artist: Alan Philpott In the reign of

Emperor Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until hi ...

, enslaved brothers Cardoc, Granus and Edric seem set to be freed by their noble owner Mercius until he is tricked by rival Gelda. The three

Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, w ...

are then forced to go on the run.

Return of the Stormtroopers

:Published: July 9, 1966, to August 27, 1966 :Artist:

Eric Bradbury Eric Bradbury (4 January 1921 – May 2001) was a British comic artist who primarily worked for Amalgamated Press/IPC from the late 1940s to the 1990s. He studied at Beckenham Art School from 1936, and served in the RAF as a rear gunner o ...

A forgotten

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

army led by General Von Stern awaken in 2046 after being cryogenically frozen in the last days of World War II. Finding an enlightened society which has long eschewed weapons, the unit swiftly conquers Britain but have to contend with a resistance led by plucky Bill Churchill. * Continued from '' The Champion''.

Robot Archie

:Published: February 23, 1952, to August 9, 1952; February 2, 1957, to May 18, 1974 :Writers:

:Artists: Ted Kearon Pals Ted Ritchie and Ken Dale are given control of a powerful robot created by Ritchie's uncle, which they use to hunt for treasure in the jungles of Africa and South America. * The characters initially appeared in "The Jungle Robot" before returning in "Archie the Robot Explorer" in 1957. Later years saw much use of reprints. The story was not continued in ''Valiant'' after the merger as a regular feature but did make a six-week "guest appearance".

Rod of the Trading Post

:Published: February 23, 1952, to September 13, 1952 :Writer: R. G. Thomas Frontier

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...

owner Rod Fleming helps passers-by in times of trouble. * Text story.

Rory MacDuff

:Published: October 24, 1959, to February 6, 1965 :Artists:

, Fred Holmes,

Reg Bunn Reginald Bunn ( 1905–died 1971) was a British comic book artist, best known for his work on ''The Spider'' in ''Lion'', and work in other British comics during the 1960s. As a young man, Bunn produced commissioned portraits and caricatures to ...

Initially a stuntman and investigator, MacDuff's talents later saw him recruited to join the Allies' efforts in World War II.

Sandy Dean

:Published: February 23, 1952, to February 6, 1965https://comics.bournemouth.ac.uk/category.php?category=Sandy+Dean :Writers: Barry Nelson, George Forrest :Artists: Selby Dennison A smart and honest pupil at boarding school Tollington, Sandy helps out friends like bespectacled best chums Jack Hardy and 'Owl' Watson, swots up on his

prep PowerPC Reference Platform (PReP) was a standard system architecture for PowerPC-based computer systems (as well as a reference implementation) developed at the same time as the PowerPC processor architecture. Published by IBM in 1994, it allow ...

, plays sport and deals with bullies like 'Bossy' Bates and prefect 'Haughty' Hawkins. Further down the line the school was even involved in an espionage plot when Bates was bribed by nefarious foreign Eastern European agents. * The strip was initially called "Sandy Dean's First Term" before being renamed "Sandy Dean's Schooldays" later in 1952. It retained this title until 1961 (throughout which Sandy remained in the fourth form), when it was renamed "Tales of Tollgate School" until 1964. Subsequently, the series switched to smaller storylines – "The Rock That Rocked Tollgate", "Tollgate at Sea!", "The Tollgate Treasure Hunters" and "Sandy Dean and the Ghost Ship" in 1964, and finally "Sandy Dean and the Pirates" in 1965, the last storyline before the strip was dropped.

Sark the Sleeper

:Published: December 15, 1973, to May 18, 1974 :Writer: Frank S. Pepper :Artist: José Muñoz Sole survivor of a deep space mission sent a thousand years before, Sark is awakened in the Badlands of the future by two boys called Val and Greg. * The story was not continued in ''Valiant'' after the merger.

Secret Mission to Norway

:Published: December 10, 1955, to August 18, 1956 :Writer: Frank S. Pepper (credited as Hal Wilton) :Artist: Brian O'Hanlon

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

Lofty Baker and Tub Cook return from a mission in Nazi-occupied Norway only to be sent back again to extract brilliant scientist Larsen.

The Secret Tunnellers of Calitz Camp

:Published: June 27, 1953, to January 30, 1954 :Writer: Rex King Sergeant Wilson and Andy "The Trickster" Ellis plot to be the first ever escapees from the fearsome

Black Forest The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...

prisoner-of-war camp Calitz.

Secrets of the Demon Dwarf

:Published: October 28, 1972, to March 17, 1973 :Artist:

After helping the Black Max, evil scientific genius Doktor Gratz accidentally places himself in suspended animation and reawakens in the present day, where he plans to avenge Germany's defeat in World War I. Special Agent Bill Wilson plans to stop him. * A spin-off from " Black Max".

Shadow of the Snake

:Published: October 28, 1972, to September 15, 1973 :Writer: Angus Allan :Artist: John Catchpole Evil scientist Professor Krait terrorises the world as supervillain the Snake. Able to wriggle through any gap and hypnotise his prey, the Snake also spoke in a hissing voice. * After his own story ended, the Snake would return to partner Professor Creech in "

Masters of Menace ''Masters of Menace'' is a 1990 comedy film about a motorcycle gang. Plot The Masters of Menace are a motorcycle club. When one of their own dies while testing his top fuel Harley, they decide to cross the country to go bury him. With the coff ...

". The character has no relation to

the Spider The Spider is an American pulp-magazine hero of the 1930s and 1940s. The character was created by publisher Harry Steeger and written by a variety of authors for 118 monthly issues of '' The Spider'' from 1933 to 1943. ''The Spider'' sold well ...

adversary of the same name.

The Silver Colt

:Published: August 1, 1964, to July 17, 1965 :Artist:

The travels of a

Colt pistol Colt's Manufacturing Company, LLC (CMC, formerly Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company) is an American firearms manufacturer, founded in 1855 by Samuel Colt that has become a subsidiary of Czech holding company Colt CZ Group. It is the ...

cast in silver intended for a frontier lawman that ends up passing through various unintended owners. The Colt moved forward in time with each owner until last being glimpsed on a

battlefield.

The Sludge

:Published: February 13, 1965, to June 12, 1965 :Writer:

:Artist: Bill Lacey Emerging from the sea, the monstrous Sludge moves across the world, possessing any machinery it comes into touch with, and reforming after any attempt to destroy it. The focal point of resistance against the substance were Canadian newsmen Bill Hanley and Rick Slade. * Hanley and Slade had been introduced in " The Whirlpool of Weed"; both the intrepid pair and the Sludge would be featured again in sequel "Return of the Sludge" in the 1967 ''Lion Annual''. The Sludge would later emerge a third time to do battle with Robot Archie in 1970, and reappeared in

' '' The Vigilant''.

The Speed Kings

:Published: January 13, 1968, to May 11, 1968; August 10, 1968, to October 5, 1968 :Artist: Barracuda Professional daredevil brothers Sandy and Joe try to earn a job from the mysterious Mr. Kelsey with their reckless bravery and mechanical ingenuity.

Spellbinder

:Published: May 3, 1969, to May 18, 1974 :Writer: Frank S. Pepper :Artist:

Tom Turville inherits crumbling family home Turville Hall. Once inside he is stunned to find his ancestor Sylvester Turville, who had accidentally magically frozen himself in time some 200 years earlier. Upon awakening, he becomes fast friends with Tom, with the pair having to thwart greedy solicitor Mr. Crabtree and his muscle Silas Manson, who thought the house contained treasure, and other parties bent on stealing Sylvester's powerful Philosophers' Stone. * Originally titled "Turville's Touchstone" before being renamed for the second story, "Spellbinder" was briefly continued in the '' Valiant Book of Mystery and Magic''.

The Spider

:Published: June 26, 1965, to April 26, 1969 :Writers:

, Ken Mennell :Artist:

The Spider is a master criminal of hazy origins who uses his genius and his army of crime - including safe cracking idiot savant Roy Ordini and amoral scientist Prof Pelham – to become the 'King of Crooks'. * Several stories were reprinted in ''Lion'' from April 22, 1972, to December 8, 1973.

Square-Deal Dawson

:Published: September 20, 1952, to May 2, 1953 :Writer: R. G. Thomas A

Mountie The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

who patrolled Frozen Hills in North-west Canada, an area plagued by criminal activity despite its sparse population and barren, remote geography. * Text story.

Steel Commando

:Published: March 20, 1971, to May 18, 1974 :Writer: Frank S. Pepper :Artist: Alex Henderson In

, Professor Brayne devises the Mark 1 Indestructible Robot for the British Army. Unfortunately a programming error means the fearsome war machine will only respond to the voice of

Lance corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal. Etymology The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...

Ernest "Excused Boots" Bates, a

Cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...

layabout. Nevertheless, the pair are sent into combat in France with successful results – at least whenever Bates feels like ordering 'Ironsides' into battle. * Continued from ''

''. After the merger with '' Valiant'', the Steel Commando teamed up with Captain Hurricane. The character made an unnamed cameo in ''

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than "Britain" today. The name for Scot ...

'' before returning in '' The Vigilant''.

Stitch in Time

:Published: March 24, 1973, to August 18, 1973 :Artist: José Muñoz Boy menace "Stitch" Cotton is such a neighbourhood menace his behaviour is noticed by intergalactic despot Mister Universe, who plans to train him alongside the similarly bratty Varl of Voltar as his apprentice. However, the pair steal Universe's time machine and irritate people throughout history instead.

Stowaway on the Sea-Hawk

:Published: May 18, 1954, to October 2, 1954 :Writer:

After his father mysteriously disappears serving on the HMS ''Seahawk'', Mark Darrell sneaks aboard to investigate sinister visually-challenged

bosun A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, or the third hand on a fishing vessel, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of ...

Patch-Eye.

Swords of the Sea-Wolves

:Published: January 21, 1967, to June 24, 1967 In ancient

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, a sinister fungus begins taking over the population and putting the control of an entity called Helvid; Rolf the Viking leads the battle against the takeover. * The story was modified reprints of " Karl the Viking".

Stringbean and Hambone

:Published: February 7, 1970, to July 18, 1970 :Artist: Solano López A legacy of Chinese curiosities from his uncle plunges Hamish McBone and his friend Alfie Bean into the middle of a Tong plot when they discover a magic gem which transforms them from inept wrestlers to a winning tag team.

Sweeper Sam

:Published: July 25, 1970, to March 6, 1971 :Artist: Solano Lopez Friendly lug and street-sweeper Sam attempts to become a wrestler.

The Team Terry Kept in a Box

:Published: July 28, 1973, to May 18, 1974 :Writer: Frank S. Pepper :Artist: Mike White

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

fan Terry Turner discovers a box of vintage

stereoscopic Stereoscopy, also called stereoscopics or stereo imaging, is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word ''stereoscopy'' derives . Any stereoscopic image is ...

Anstey Albion photos belong to his uncle. When viewed the long-gone legends come to life, and Terry puts them into action to improve the fortunes of the penniless current version of his beloved club. * The story was not continued in ''Valiant'' after the merger.

Tex Radley – The Rancher from the Circus Ring

:Published: October 18, 1958, to September 5, 1959 :Writer: Cliff Hooper After a successful career in a Wild West travelling circus, Tex Radley inherits a ranch and settles down with buddy Jud Clegg – only to find crooked neighbour Spencer Duke is scheming to take their spread for himself. * Text story.

Texas Jack

:Published: April 30, 1966, to November 16, 1968 :Artists:

, Fred Holmes,

A close friend of Wild Bill Hickok, Colonel Jonathan Morningstar leads his United States Cavalry by example from horse Fury. * A redrawn version of "Buffalo Bill" from '' The Comet'', with

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

's fictionalised adventures reworked to be those of a fictionalised version of

Texas Jack Omohundro John Baker Omohundro (July 27, 1846 – June 28, 1880), also known as "Texas Jack", was an American frontier scout, actor, and cowboy. Born in rural Virginia, he served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He late ...

The Toughest Team in the League

:Published: August 23, 1958, to April 25, 1959 :Writer: John Marshall Player-manager of

Division Four The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Following the creation of the Premier L ...

football team Redhaven Rangers, the talented Billy Keen struggles to keep good results coming in while balancing the club's parlous budget. * Text story.

The Treasure-Hunt Twins

:Published: August 25, 1973, to October 6, 1973 Twins flee the orphanage when the strict governor attempts to get rid of their pet

Labrador Labrador () is a geographic and cultural region within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the primarily continental portion of the province and constitutes 71% of the province's area but is home to only 6% of its populatio ...

. Given a ramshackle

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily for regular dwelling. Most houseboats are not motorized, as they are usually moored or kept stationary, fixed at a Berth (moorings), berth, and often tethered to ...

by a sympathetic stranger, the boys discover a treasure map aboard and set out to seek their fortune.

Trelawney of the Guards

:Published: July 9, 1966, to April 20, 1968 :Artists:

Víctor de la Fuente Víctor is a Spanish masculine given name, equivalent to Victor in English and Vítor in Portuguese. Notable people with the given name include: * Víctor Barrio (1987–2016), Spanish bullfighter * Víctor Cabrera (Argentine footballer) * Vícto ...

, José Ortiz, Giorgio Trevisan Doughty Sergeant Trelawney of the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

leads his unit into battle in World War II. * Early strips included fact pages on the history of the British Infantry. Like Paddy Payne, the stories often shifted backwards and forwards chronologically. From July 29, 1967, the story was renamed "Trelawny's Mob".

Vic Gunn

:Published: February 29, 1964, to May 28, 1966 :Artist:

A tough secret agent in an alternate Britain, Vic Gunn and assistant Tubby fight to free the country from the evil Baron Rudolph. Rudolph has devised a sound weapon that paralyses much of the population and runs Britain as a police state. * Gunn debuted in "Britain in Chains" and remained the focus when it was renamed "Public Enemy No. 1" and then "The Battle for Liverpool". Later storylines featured the character's name in the title.

Voyage on the Hoodoo Whaler

:Published: April 16, 1955, to May 19, 1956 :Writer:

Whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

in the

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

on board the ''Polar Fox'', Kirk Branston discovers first mate Matt Judley has sold the crew out to their rivals on the ''Sea Wolf''.

The Waxer

:Published: May 3, 1969, to September 27, 1969 :Writer: Ken Mennell :Artists:

, Septimus Creech was once curator of the now-decaying Palace of Villainy waxworks museum. Able to make wax figures of history's most evil men and send them on criminal rampages. His activity attracts attention from PC Mick Martin but his tales of a highwayman in 20th century Britain see him drummed off the force. Martin resolves to expose Creech's schemes and clear his name. * Inherited from ''

''.

Whacker

:Published: June 11, 1966, to July 23, 1966 Liverpudlians Whacker and Mac move to a tumbledown country house Hardnutt Hall. In the garage they find an old jalopy fitted with a computer brain that takes them on adventures. * The story originally began in '' The Champion'', and was a modified version of " Starter" from '' Spirou''.

What Did You Do in the War, Dad?

:Published: April 24, 1965, to January 1, 1966 :Artist: Bruno Marraffa A boy quizzes his father over his service in World War II. After initially boasting of various heroics, the elder is ultimately revealed to have greatly exaggerated or otherwise fudged some menial or bizarre antic.

The Whirlpool of Weed

:Published: June 19, 1965, to October 9, 1965 :Artist: Bill Lacey Canadian journalists Bill Hanley and Rick Slade discover a huge island of seaweed moving across the Atlantic. It is under the control of Diodin, who plans to use his army of sea creatures to take over America. * Hanley and Slade would subsequently return in " The Sludge".

The White-Eyes

:Published: January 29, 1972, to October 21, 1972 :Artist: John Catchpole A gas turns people into white-eyed, superhumanly powerful aggressors. Later, wheelchair-bound megalomaniac Ezra Creech exposes himself to the gas and targets the island of Doomcrag as the first step towards global domination, but local boys Nick Dexter and Don Redding plan to stop him. * Creech is not shown to be related to Septimus Creech from " The Waxer" but did later team up with The Snake in "

Wiz and Lofty – Speed Specialists

:Published: July 5, 1952, to February 28, 1953 :Writer: L.E. Ransome (as Victor Norman) Wiz Hardy and partner Lawrence "Lofty" Duff are daredevils for hire, testing all manner of experimental vehicles. * Text story.

Zip Nolan

:Published: January 19, 1963, to May 18, 1974 :Writers: Frank S. Pepper,

:Artists: Ted Kearon,

, Fred Holmes, Roberto Diso, Artur Puig,

An American highway patrolman from Pensburgh, equipped with detective skills and a

Harley Davidson Electra Glide Harley-Davidson FL is a model designation used for Harley-Davidson motorcycles since 1941, when F referred to the new large capacity 74 cui (1200cc) variant of the V-2 Overhead valve engine (″ Knucklehead″) that was introduced in 1936 as Mod ...

motorcycle. Nolan often clashed with desk-riding superior Captain Brinker over his hunches, and as such usually ended up taking down the criminal single-handedly after divining his guilt. At one point both Nolan and Brinker were sent to England for six months to study British police techniques. * The character debuted in straightforward detective strip "Zip Nolan – Highway Patrol" before being reconfigured as the 'interactive' "Spot the Clue with Zip Nolan". Nolan would thus spend parts of the strip breaking the forth wall, firstly to directly invite their help and then in a wrap-up explaining the crime after apprehending the villain of the week. The strip continued in '' Valiant'' after the merger, albeit in reprint form. Nolan himself appeared as a major character in ''

''.

References

{{Buster Lists of comic strips