Greetings, Squaxx Dek Thargo! If you’re reading this, chances are you either share a deep passion for 2000AD, or you’ve stumbled upon this post looking to understand the hype behind Britain’s legendary anthology comic. Whichever the case, I welcome you with open arms and other robotic appendages to my very own thrill-powered odyssey, as we journey together through the vast expanse of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic – 2000AD, one prog at a time!

Remember the anticipation of peeling back the cover of a fresh prog, not knowing what zarjaz thrills awaited inside? Well, it’s time to channel that exhilaration as we kick things off with where it all began: Prog #1 from way back in February/March of 1977. Ah, the inception of tales so epic and iconic, they’ve reverberated through the annals of comic history. We’ll be diving deep into the initial five thrills that graced this issue, introducing you to new worlds, unforgettable characters, and narratives that would eventually shape the future of British comics.

So, whether you’re a seasoned reader looking to take a nostalgic trip back to the Mega-City One of yesteryears, or a newbie ready to immerse yourself in the rich tapestry that 2000AD has to offer, buckle up! It’s going to be a thrill ride of comic book goodness from here on out.

Prog #1: Volgs, Dinos, Malevolent Planets, Rocket Pack Sports, and The Six Million Quid Man

The Cover

Though I’m not 100% sure who is responsible for the layout of the very first cover of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, I know that the legendary Kevin O’Neill (RIP Kevin, we miss you) had something to do with it. I’m pretty sure Doug Church, the unofficial art director at IPC at the time, designed the logo, and I know for a fact (based on 2000AD creator Pat Mills’ own recollections) that he was pivotal in the layout of the interiors, at least for the first six progs. The cover as a whole is nothing special, but it gets the job done, which is to sell comics to teen boys who can’t resist a futuristic frisbee (a ‘Space Spinner’) that is included with the magazine. All five of the ‘thrills,’ which is the alien editor Tharg’s name for stories, are also teased on the cover, either with blurbs or with actual images, as is the case with Dan Dare. The inclusion of Dan by writer (and unofficial editor Pat Mills was a masterstroke because it definitely helped to drive sales of the first prog early on. After all, Dan is the UK’s version of Flash Gordon and has been a part of children’s entertainment culture in Britain since the 1950s.

Thrill #1: Invasion!

Script: Pat Mills

Art: Jesus Blasco

Much like the Volgan paratroopers that assailed London on the very first page, the comic really hit the ground running with this thrill. Invasion! remains one of my favorite 2000AD stories to this day. It’s unrepentantly bloody and murderously funny, but not without controversy. After all, it does feature the prime minister, Lady Shirley Brown (a stand-in for Margaret Thatcher) being executed by firing squad on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. This drew widespread criticism at the time, especially from newspapers like The Guardian and even renowned authors like Michael Moorcock. But the kids loved it!

The Premise:

1999: The Invasion of Britain by the Volgans (a cross between communist Russians and Chinese) commences, and the British forces are quickly devastated in what is called ‘the 8-hour war’ due to overwhelming numbers and superior military might. This places all of Europe firmly under the Volgan yoke.

Synopsis

Enter tough-as-nails lorry driver Bill Savage, who returns home to find that his wife and kids were killed when a stray Volgan shell blew his house to smithereens. Suffused by rage and a blinding need for vengeance, he scours the wreckage and happens upon an old friend – “Me shotgun!” – a gigantic double-barreled killing machine.

As a truck full of Volgans roll down the street, Savage comes out blasting, killing half a dozen invaders with two shells. The truck crashes spectacularly, and Savage executes the lone survivor, brutally, mercilessly.

Admonished by an erstwhile mate, and told that “the war is over,” Bill Savage ends the prog with a chilling announcement: “I’m opening it again. My war’s just begun!”

Pity these poor Volgans, readers.

Thrill #2: Flesh!

Script: Pat Mills

Art: Boix

The Premise

All animal life has become extinct by the 23rd century, and people are starving, craving meat! Enter Earl Reagan of the Trans Time Base and his Dinosaur wrangling posse! That’s right readers. Humans have employed time-travel technology to go millions of years into the past to hunt Dinosaurs for meat! However, even their futuristic laser blasters prove problematic against the carnivores of the past, who don’t take kindly to having their prey meekly herded to the trans-time slaughterhouse, where the smell of giant freshly butchered herbivores drives a pack of Tyrannosaurs wild!

Synopsis:

Earl Reagan, cowboy of the future, and his group of Dinosaur herders struggle to keep a large herd of Styracosaurs in line as they march them across the dangerous lands of the prehistoric past. Followed relentlessly by a wary pack of hungry Tyrannosaurs, who know to avoid the explosive laser pistols of the humans, the men are beset with all kinds of peril.

Stopping when night falls, one of Reagan’s sentries strays too near a river bank, causing him to become the meal of a monstrous crocodile, a ‘Phobosuchus.’ The smell of blood hits the air, and the Tyrannosaurs go into frenzy mode. Mad with hunger, they attack, causing a stampede among the Styracosaurs. This results in one T-Rex having his head blown off in a spectacular spray of blood and brains, par for the course for a 2000AD prog.

Earl shows off his daring skills as he leaps upon the head of the herd leader, using an electro whip to turn the herb away from a precipitous cliff. He manages to save the day but broods over the staggering losses the stampede has caused among his men.

Thoughts: Flesh! is a fantastic concept, and filled with wild Dino VS Cowboy action. Kudos to Pat Mills for coming up with such an insane premise. And things get even crazier next prog when we meet… the FLESHDOZERS!

Thrill #3: Dan Dare

Script: Ken Armstrong and Pat Mills

Art: Massimo Belardinelli

Premise:

Dan Dare, the legendary British hero created by Frank Hampson and who first appeared in the UK’s Eagle comic in 1950, was snapped up by 2000AD editorial to boost the prestige of the first issue. Usually depicted as a science-fiction hero and space pilot of the future in the vein of Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon, the 2000AD revamp portrays Dare as even more ‘daring’ and reckless than ever. His adventures at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic usually involve the destruction of whatever ship he manages to command, the agonizing death of his crew, and even the odd bit of planetary genocide every now and then. Though the early stories were not very well plotted, the art by Italian maestro Massimo Belardinelli is nothing short of epic. This alone makes it a worthy read.

Synopsis:

While traveling on a space cruiser past Jupiter, the planet’s Great Red Spot opens like a giant eye, sending strange cloud-like tentacles to snag and crack the vessel like a crustacean. Dare manages to escape with his life, but hundreds of the crew perish in the gravity well of the aptly named ‘Hell Planet.’

When Dare returns to Lunacity, the base of the Interplanetary Space Fleet, he is castigated by his commanding officer and placed on indefinite leave pending a court-martial, apparently for the crime of telling outlandish stories about the crimson Eye of Jupiter. Learning about another vessel leaving for the Hell Planet, Dare stows away aboard the doomed ship, but not before showing off his space-fu skills by knocking two guards unconscious. Fully aware that they now have a stowaway on board, Dare is targeted for termination by the authorities.

Thoughts: This thrill was less than thrilling, but the art was stellar. Belardinelli would remain one of my all-time favorite artists during these early days of 2000AD. I can’t wait to get to his Sláine and ACE Trucking stories. Good times!

Thrill #4: M.A.C.H. 1

Script: Pat Mills

Art: Enio

Premise:

John Probe, the British answer to Steve Austin, is more than a secret agent. He’s a secret weapon! With hyper-powers activated by intense month-long treatments of (get this) electronic ACUPUNCTURE, Probe now wields the strength and speed of fifty men, as well as electronic circuits imprinted on his skull that pairs him with a performance CPU that feeds him constant data.

As the stories play out and the progs stack up, Probe is sent on increasingly difficult (and bizarre) missions for Queen and Country. Eat your heart out, Six Million Dollar Man.

Synopsis:

We witness the origin of John Probe as he completes the treatments that activate his hyperpowers, making him a M.A.C.H. Man! No sooner has he been prepped for a field run, when a real emergency rears its head. Terrorists have captured an R.A.F. base and are holding hostages behind a Nuclear-proof blast door. Predictably, the door isn’t M.A.C.H. proof!

Moving at superspeed and kicking down the titanic door, Probe is stunned by his own hyperpowers as he witnesses the carnage he caused within the bunker. He takes out the rest of the terrorists, and when the leader escapes on a bike, Probe runs him down, kicking him in the spine. Broken and dying, the terrorist reveals that this was all a distraction. While they were brawling with Probe their real objective has been achieved – hijacking a Vulcan Bomber carrying a cargo of deadly nerve gas, which they intend to dump over London. Will Probe’s first mission end in failure?

Thoughts: This was a solid start for M.A.C.H. 1, and though it never became my favorite thrill in the comic, it nevertheless had its moments. Probe would fight some truly memorable and wacky individuals down the line, and it’s going to be a treat discussing them.

Thrill #5: Harlem Heroes

Script: Pat Mills

Art: Dave Gibbons and Trigo

Premise:

The year is 2050, and Aeroball fever has gripped the world! Hailed as the most dangerous sport alive, Aeroball is jetpacks, boxing, kung-fu, and basketball all rolled up into one big package of insanity. Enter the Harlem Heroes, one of the top teams in the Aeroball League. Consisting of six young black men, they are strong and fast, and play without armor, relying on speed to confound their opponents and air-strike their way to victory.

Synopsis:

Our tale starts in the middle of a fierce match between the Harlem Heroes and the Greek City Gladiators. Giant, Slim, Hairy, and Louis are some of the best players on the HH team, and they fly circles around their opponents, who try their best to rocket into, punch, kick, and injure the Heroes as best they can. It’s not enough, and the Heroes win the game.

Celebrating afterward in their massive Hover-Powered Road-Liner, the Heroes are involved in a horrific crash when the hover-units mysterious conk out and they plunge down a skyway.

Later, in the hospital, it is revealed that only four of the seven Heroes survived: Slim, Giant, and Hairy were relatively unscathed, but their pal, the unfortunate Louis Meyer, is now merely a brain in a jar! Via an electronic voice box, Louis urges the Heroes to keep playing, to rebuild the team, and to honor the memories of their fallen brothers.

Thoughts: This thrill was absolutely fantastic, and filled with adrenaline. With shades of Rollerball and Death Race 2000, Aeroball is the roughest, meanest sport you’re likely to come across in comics. Look forward to more death-defying matches in future progs!

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From Progs to Progress: Wrapping up Our First Adventure

Well, there we have it, zarjaz-ones — the end of our first thrilling foray into the universe of 2000AD. What a trip down memory lane, right? As we stare down the barrel of countless more progs to delve into, I can only imagine the excitement, the revelations, and the heated discussions that await. And remember, our next prog will introduce a certain Judge to the thrill equation, so you dare not miss it!

But hey, this isn’t a one-sided conversation! Whether you’re a seasoned 2000AD enthusiast with memories and insights to share or a fresh recruit with burning questions and first impressions, I want to hear from you. Drop a comment below. What did you think of Prog #1? Any favorite thrill? Any character you instantly connected with?

And if you’re eager to continue this thrill-powered journey with me—and trust me, you won’t want to miss what’s coming—hit that ‘Subscribe’ button. Join our community of Squaxx Dek Thargo and never miss an update as we take on each prog with the same gusto and fervor as a Judge chasing down perps in Mega-City One.

Splundig Vur Thrigg!

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