Science in Comics: Vol. 1 & 2 of TV (Century) 21 Reprints

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the reprints of TV (Century) 21 comic strips, specifically volumes 1 and 2. Volume 1 includes notable stories such as "Fireball - The Astran Assassination" and "Thunderbirds - Chain Reaction," while Volume 2 features "FB - The Gian Ant Invasion" and "Capt. Scarlet - Fermicide." The discussion highlights nostalgia for the Zero X strips and the iconic character Lady Penelope, who drives the six-wheeled pink Rolls Royce known as "Fab 1." Additionally, the user references the imaginative elements of the comics, such as the "Freak ringed planets" and the concept of a "Probability field" found in Marvel comics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Familiarity with the TV (Century) 21 comic series
  • Understanding of comic strip storytelling techniques
  • Knowledge of iconic characters like Lady Penelope and Zero X
  • Awareness of science fiction themes in comics
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the history of TV (Century) 21 comics
  • Research the character development of Lady Penelope in various adaptations
  • Investigate the scientific concepts presented in comic strips, such as "Probability fields"
  • Analyze the artistic styles used in the reprints of TV (Century) 21
USEFUL FOR

Comic book enthusiasts, fans of science fiction, and anyone interested in the cultural impact of TV (Century) 21 comics will benefit from this discussion.

EnumaElish
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I've just received vol. 1 and vol. 2 of TV (Century) 21 (comic strips) reprints.

CONTENTS

Volume 1:

Fireball - The Astran Assassination
Thunderbirds - Chain Reaction
Stingray - The haunting of Station 17
Captain Scarlet - The Football King
Lady Penelope - The Luveniam Affair
T'birds - The Devil's Crag
Zero X - Planet of Bones
S'ray - Superjunk
T'birds - Starbust
Capt. Scarlet - Leviathan

Volume 2:

FB - The Gian Ant Invasion
S'ray - Monster Weed Menace
T'birds - Operation Depthprobe
Zero X - Prisoners of the Eye-Leaves
Capt. Scarlet - Fermicide
T'birds - Curse of the Elastos
FB - Planet of Fire
Lady P - The Androids of London Affair
T'birds - Secret of the Iceberg
FB - The Silent Colony
Capt. Scarlet - The Beginning of the End

I remember almost all Zero X strips from childhood. The two episodes reproduced in these volumes are among the best; I wish they had more Zero X's.

Lady Penelope is just fabulous; she is driven in a pink RR with 6 wheels ("Fab 1"), and yachts around in "Fab 2" (which carries Fab 1). [If this were ever to be made into a movie, it would be a perfect role for Paris Hilton to play, IMO.]

Anyone old enough to remember these?

The spacecraft s appear to travel far, to places like "Astro-sector 40" that can display unusual planet formations and life forms.

"Prisoners of the Eye-Leaves" features "Freak ringed planets" -- a pair of identical-looking planets, except (1) each one looks like an onion ring (or a donut, or bagel), and (2) they are intertwined. The intelligent life form on the planets is a plant that looks like a tobacco leaf with a single eye on it. Not only do they capture and enslave humans, strips of film capturing their images come alive and writhe about like snakes, which I find implausible but not impossible.
 
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