Terrahawks strip guide

Story One
Writer: Angus P. Allan. Artist: Jim Baikie. 2 pages, colour.

Part 1 - Issue 49, 03 December 1983
During a relaxation period, Kate Kestrel and Hawkeye are enjoying the old-fashioned game of bowling. Kate comments on the balls reminding her of the zeroids, and Zero demonstrates by hurling himself down the alley into the pins! The noise brings Ninestein in - it's all quiet in space and he'd like it kept that way in Hawknest! Even the latest contact simply seems to be old space-junk that burns up. Or so the Terrahawks think. Unknown to them this is another of Zelda's plans, one she calls the Challenge of Destruction...

Part 2 - Issue 50, 10 December 1983
A Poser For The Terrahawks!

The 'junk' that is burnt up reassembles - under Zelda's control over matter - into one of her cubes, landing in desert some twenty miles away from Hawknest. The 'crash' is detected, and Ninestein and Mary Falconer launch in Battlehawk to investigate and find the cube - but it is a giant version as big as a house. Zero warns that the cubes are dangerous enough at normal size, and Mary believes it is a trap but Ninestein recognises that Zelda wants them to investigate. He leaves Battlehawk and confronts it...

Part 3 - Issue 51, 17 December 1983
Zelda Sets Her Challenge!
As Mary watches Ninestein approach the cube, Zero is all for dropping the Battletank to give covering fire. Suddenly in a haze of green light, a manifestation of Zelda appears and bids Ninestein to enter. Despite the other Terrahawks doubts and warnings, he does and finds a vast arcade of games. Zelda has recognised Ninestein's liking of these, and the doctor is surprised to win a small fortune on his first one-armed bandit. The challenge - win all the games and she will leave Earth alone. Lose - and he must reveal the location of Hawknest. Supremely confident of his skill, Ninestein accepts...

Part 4 - Issue 52, 24 December 1983
Nienstein Accepts The Challenge!
Zelda gives her universal promise she will honour the challenge if she loses, and Ninestein accepts. Despite feeling some of the games are loaded against him, Ninestein continues to win on machine after machine. Believing that Zelda may 'do a runner' with Ninestein aboard, Zero persuades Mary Falconer to let him position the Battletank at the rear of the giant cube in readiness. As Kate and Hawkeye debate Ninestein's chances while overflying in Hawkwing, their commander is still doing well but Zelda is confident even he will not beat the final game...

Part 5 - Issue 01, 31 December 1983
Zelda Plays Her Ace!

Having beat all the video games, Ninestein asks if there is any point in continuing - Zelda has underestimated him. But now he is brought to the final challenge - a bowling alley. The catch is, one pin is the key to all the others and Ninestein must hit that one to win. The pins stand firm against his first strike and Zelda believes victory is nearly hers. Zero thinks the game is a trick and leaves Battlehawk, increasing his mass as he rolls into the giant cube. He hurtles down the alley and knocks all the pins flying, as well as smashing out the far side of the cube. Ninestein dives through the hole as Hawkwing attacks, and the cube destroyed. Back on her base on Mars, the real Zelda can only curse and swear there will be another time, and very very soon...

Mineral Diet:
• Cyrilllium Crunch in part 1.
• While munching on a studded ring doughnit, Yung-Star refers to Felspar Fritters and Tungsten Chips.
• In part 4, Yung-Star is spooning a black liquid out of a large mug.

Notes:
• Angus Allan uses the characters and format to good effect in this opening story.
• Jim Baikie seems to exhibit slight unease with the look of the series but he makes the puppet characters quite human and his style is as dynamic as ever.
• Issue 1 of the 1984 volume (but dated 31 December 1983! - right) features Zelda on the front cover.
• You can read the entire strip at the Look-In Picture Strip Archive.


Story Two
Writer: Angus P. Allan.
Artist: Jim Baikie. 2 pages, colour.

Part 1 - Issue 02, 07 January 1984
Zelda Hatches Another Plot!
Zelda shows Yung-Star and Cystar an Earth bird - a cuckoo - which she has rematerialised on Mars and given special powers. It can transform itself into a fearsome two-headed flesh-eating Gukkian Eagle, and Zelda plans to get it smuggled into Hawknest. Meanwhile in Hawknest itself, Zero is ribbing Ninestein about his video games skills, when Mary brings news Spacehawk has detected a meteor. It is large, and may fall dangerously close to New York if it enters the atmosphere. Hawkwing is launched, and as Kate and Hawkeye approach the huge rock, Hiro determines the meteor may be more trouble than they thought - its trajectory indicates it came from near Mars...

Part 2 - Issue 03, 14 January 1984
Zelda Puts Her Plan Into Action!

As Hawkwing closes on the asteroid, Yung-star quizzes Zelda about why she doesn't just let it destroy New York. Cy-Star realises it has a part in a much better plan - the downfall of the Terrahawks. Time delayed missiles blow apart the asteroid on the edge of the atmosphere but Sergeant Major Zero is suspicious. For once, Ninestein concurs and orders Hiro to check for fragments that may survive re-entry. Only one does, landing out in the desert, and as Ninestein prepares to investigate, the alien cuckoo flies from the fragment...

Part 3 - Issue 04, 21 January 1984
A Feathered Friend... Or Foe?
As the cuckoo settles nearby, as if waiting, Battlehawk lands in the area. Investigating, Ninestein and Zero find the meteor was hollow, and there are feathers inside. Covering her ears in annoyance at the argument that develops between the two, Mary Falconer does not hear the small bird enter Battlehawk. Taking no chances, Ninestein returns and blasts the crater, unaware that Zelda's plan is already well underway...

Part 4 - Issue 05, 28 January 1984
Zero Has His Suspicions!
Ninestein still does not believe Zero's report of feathers in the hollow meteor. But as Zelda rejoices in the success of the cuckoo having smuggled itself aboard Battlehawk, Zero registers the slight increase in weight and reports it. Ninestein orders a search, and goes outside to check the exterior hull. But Zelda will not be beaten, and no sooner than he is, the bird flies after him, transforming itself into the Gukkian Eagle...

Part 5 - Issue 06, 04 February 1984
Zero To The Rescue!
Incredibly strong and powerful, the creature carries Ninestein off in its claws. Zero asks if they should shoot it down but even if Ninestein were not hit the fall would kill him. Hawkwing can only shadow the creature, as Zelda delivers an ultimatum - reveal the location of Hawknest or Ninestein will be dropped to his death! Ninestein orders them to refuse - if he dies he be re-cloned. Zero thinks he should take the chance, to which Mary replies it is okay for the zeroid as he would bounce. Zero suggests Ninestein would do the same - if a trampoline were there to catch him! Using a nylectose sheet stretched taut between them, six zeroids hurtle in formation to catch the doctor as Hawkwing fires on the creature. 'If you think I'm going to thank you, Zero...' the ungrateful Ninestein retorts. But it is Zero who thanks Ninestein - for a magnificent display of 'h'acrobatics'!

Mineral Diet:
• In part 1, when shown the cuckoo, Yung-Star asks, 'Can you eat it?'.
• In part 2, Yung-Star chews on a green stick with chunks of something stuck on it.
• Yung-Star is seen munching on what could be a large sausage, studded with gems, in part 3.

Notes:
• While the story is a little disappointing - a variation of it had already appeared in the first Terrahawks annual the previous year (Ninestein's Big Drop, drawn by World Distributors artist Glenn Rix) - this is better written and features some nice banter between Ninestein and Zero.
• The opening scenes are very reminiscent of the episode 'Gold', and Hawkeye's rhyming makes its strip debut here.
• Bizarrely, Hawkwing is seen to fly in space (contradicting the episodes 'Expect the Unexpected' and 'Midnight Blue', but in line with some early publicity material - left),
• The zeroids, as in a few of the World Distributor annual strips and stories, appear to have the power to hover in this story, when catching Ninestein in the final part.
• You can read the entire strip at the Look-In Picture Strip Archive.


Story Three
Writer: Angus P. Allan. Artist: Jim Baikie. 2 pages, colour.

Part 1 - Issue 07, 11 February 1984
Routine duties on Spacehawk are interrupted when one of Zelda's craft is identified closing in. Zeroids on exterior antennae maintenance are recalled but one, 89, malfunctions and spins off into space. After a futile attack the craft retreats, and on Mars, Zelda detects the drifting zeroid, ordering one of her craft to retrieve it. At Hawknest, Zero is somewhat distressed to report the loss but then 101 picks up a signal. 89 has been found again, though unknown to the Terrahawks, Zelda has reprogrammed it to obey her...

Part 2 - Issue 08, 18 February 1984
89 Moves In To Do Zelda's Bidding!

A magnetursor beam brings zeroid 89 back to Spacehawk where 101 questions it. It continually pleads malfunction so Hawkeye is despatched in Treehawk to bring it back for further analysis. But on the return, 89 whips a steel coil around Hawkeye's neck, forcing him into unconsciousness and bringing Treehawk into a crash landing in the Magare Desert. There, 89 escapes to await the other Terrahawks...

Part 3 - Issue 09, 25 February 1984
Zeroid 89 Is Causing Lots Of Trouble!
Ninestein calls Treehawk as Hawkeye struggles back to consciousness. Overhead in Hawkwing, Kate is relieved her 'gun-guy' is still alive, well and rhyming. Battlehawk lands close by and Ninestein receives a challenge for Zelda that he will die if he attempts to capture the rogue zeroid. Zero volunteers as it is one of his men but Ninestein refuses and starts to search. But Zelda has deceived everyone - the real zeroid 89 is her cryogenic store. The zeroid Ninestein hunts is actually MOID, the Master Of Infinite Disguise...

Part 4 - Issue 10, 03 March 1984
Ninestein Takes A Chance!
Zelda's plan is for the Terrahawks to take MOID back to Hawknest - with the location revealed, she can destroy it. In a cave, Ninestein confronts 89, who puts up a fight, but as the other Terrahawks voice their concerns to each other there is an explosion from the cave. Ninestein calls Battlehawk to tell them that 89 has self destructed rather than be captured and he is returning. But this is not Ninestein but MOID, in his form, who emerges...

Part 5 - Issue 11, 10 March 1984
Hawkeye Learns The Truth!
None of the Terrahawks suspect the switch and Battlehawk lifts off. Kate and a recovered Hawkeye are given the task of making a recovery report on the crashed Treehawk. Curious to see if there is any wreckage of 89 in the cave, Hawkeye is shocked to find Ninestein's body! A message to Battlehawk warns Mary and MOID reveals himself. Zero changes his mass and pounces on the alien but overdoes it with both crashing through the hull. Zelda reclaims MOID, chastising him for his failure. Sometime later, at Hawknest, a re-cloned Ninestein celebrates their victory with the other Terrahawks.

Mineral Diet:
• Berrylium (sic) Sausages in part 1. Yung-Star is also seen eating what looks like green olives out of a large glass jar. Maybe he was going to tip them out and eat the jar itself...
• Yung-Star is seen munching on another of those large sausages, studded with gems, in part 2.
• In part 3, Yung-Star refers to Ninestein's bones crackling 'like Copper-Crunch', and asks if Zelda will make 'Crunchy-Carbon' out of him.
• Yung-Star munches on a Carbon-Crunch in part 4... but presumably not one made out of Ninestein.
• In part 5, to celebrate the 'death' of Ninestein, Yung-Star asks if he can celebrate with a double ration of Ironstone Fritters.

Notes:
• Probably the best story in the run, even if the premise seems to shift a little from a reprogrammed Zeroid to a somehow transformed Moid.
• A dramatic and gripping tale, having Ninestein die and use one of his clones gives the ending a nice touch too.
• The first use of Hiro's mixing of his 'l's and 'r's is seen in part 1, referring to his 'prants' fine 'reaves'.
• You can read the entire strip at the Look-In Picture Strip Archive.


Story Four
Writer: Angus P. Allan. Artist: Steve Kyte. 2 pages, colour.

Part 1 - Issue 12, 17 March 1984

At the studios of Anderburr Records, Kate Kestrel is busy laying down tracks for her latest album when her wrist alarm indicates a ten-thirty. She leaves, much to the upset of her producers, and is briefed by Hudson and Zeroid 55. At Hawknest, Ninestein is receiving details from Hiro of the contact. It is cargo freighter Anselm, lost presumed missing five years previously, and transmitting a continuous mayday. Reluctant to shoot it down, Hiro advises Ninestein to let Hawkwing handle it. With no deviation in path, the Anselm is to be diverted by Kate and Hawkeye to Landing Zone Delta, but Ninestein fears if Zelda has had a hand in this, their troubles may just be beginning...

Part 2 - Issue 13, 24 March 1984
Zero Boards The Mystery Ship!
Using a missile, Hawkeye 'nudges' the Anselm to a controlled crash in the desert. Meeting them at Zone Delta in Battlehawk, Ninestein and Mary Falconer send Zero to investigate. Crashing through the hull, the zeroid finds nothing. Suspecting a trap, Ninestein orders Zero back out as he is going to destroy the freighter...

Part 3 - Issue 14, 31 March 1984
Affected By A Brilliant Glow...

Zero has barely cleared the Anselm when there is a blinding flash. Returning to Battlehawk, Zero chides Ninestein for not giving him much of a chance. Ninestein was not responsible - Mary Falconer notices it was some kind of alteration of matter. As the glow fades, they see the freighter has become some vast kind of crab-monster. Fire from Hawkwing does not affect it, and it burrows into the earth. From Spacehawk, Hiro and 101 monitor it going even through rock strata like butter. Kate theorises that if it explodes near the Earth's core it could tear the world apart...

Part 4 - Issue 15, 07 April 1984
Zelda Prepares The Second Phase Of Her Plan!
Ninestein takes a burrowing machine of his own out of Battlehawk to confront the creature and destroy it. Despite his protests, Mary Falconer joins him, leaving Zero behind. In a lava filled underground cavern, Ninestein finds the creature and opens fire. On Mars, a watching Zelda informs Yung-Star and Cy-Star that the trap is not to destroy the Earth but Ninestein and Mary Falconer. Ninestein can re-clone himself but with Mary dead, Zelda thinks his will shall fail. Both Ninestein and Hiro on Spacehawk realise the only way to destroy the creature is to freeze it, but a malfunction in the 'mole' makes it look like Zelda may win at last - unless Zero can help...

Part 5 - Issue 16, 14 April 1984
Major Zero Zooms Into Action!
Zero dives in the hole but Zelda could give the order to detonate the creature at any moment. At 101's suggestion, Hiro jams Zelda by using one of Kate Kestrel's demo tapes! Bought the extra time, Zero joins the 'mole' and relays Hiro's instructions on how to bypass systems to use the heat-exchanger. The creature freezes and crackles into fragments, ending the threat. On the surface, Zero is put out at the lack of gratitude from Ninestein for 'busting his lungs'. But the Terrahawk commander, feeling mischievous, decides to let 101 put the zeroid to rights about not having lungs - that'll be revenge enough!

Mineral Diet:
• In part 3, Yung-Star refers to a Carbon and Cadmium Sandwich, to which Zelda retorts, 'A great pity your brain isn't as active as your digestion... !'

Notes:
• Another good story, elevated by Fanderson artist Steve Kyte's polished artwork, and some nice trivial touches.

• Stew Dapples, though never named, is one of Kate Kestrel's producers (above) and we also get to see the Anderburr records building, Hudson and the space Zeroids.
• This is the only strip in which Kate is seen with different colour hair (yellow to match her outfit, as opposed to the pink to match her flight suit) in part 1.
• The creature is reminiscent, though better realised, of the Space Cyclops from the episode of the same name.
• The burrowing 'mole' is an updated homage to the Mole from Thunderbirds - as Steve Kyte relates 'The script didn't suggest that the mole like vehicle should be based on the IR vehicle, but the description made it clear that was probably how (Angus Allan) pictured it... '
• In all, a nice ending to the strip's run.
• You can read the entire strip at the Look-In Picture Strip Archive.

Unfortunately, the illustrating of the strip became an issue between the editorship of Look-In and Anderson Burr themselves. From issue 12, the vibrant style of Jim Baikie was replaced by Steve Kyte's highly finished work. Still colourful but more subtle and rounded, Kyte had already established himself a top fan illustrator for the official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society Fanderson, and the established Supermarionation Is Go fanzine. His strips for Terrahawks were of a professional standard but with the loving attention of a fan. Unfortunately this early break into the world of Anderson media proved to be less than pleasant...

As Steve Kyte himself relates, 'Anderson Burr weren't happy with the artist Look-In had chosen, and wanted a more TV21 style finish to the strip...' This is something of an irony, considering Jim Baikie had worked on the title. He continues, 'They were also very unhappy with his character likenesses. I'd done a few bits of work for Gerry already, including a (very poor!) painting of Martin Bower's version of the BattleHawk, to help sell the series. Gerry wanted me to do the Terrahawks strip, but the problem was that Look-In's art editor loved Baikie's work and didn't want to change.'

The result was a tug-of-war between Anderson Burr and the Look-In editorship about how the strip should be realised, and to this end Steve Kyte was allowed to do a trial story. Despite long hours working on the strip in an attempt to keep both parties happy, neither Look-In nor Anderson Burr liked the final result. 'Each week I'd take the artwork in, only to be told how awful it was by this editor.' Kyte recalls, 'It was a total no win situation as the styles wanted by the two parties was so disparate: tight and realistic as against loose and cartoony.' An extremely frustrating situation considering how close it comes to capturing the look of the series itself, even if Zelda and her cohorts lose their more hideous appearance and become almost comfortably cuddly looking.

Ultimately the working relationship between Anderson Burr and Look-In deteriorated, and there was no option but to terminate the strip short of a final story which would have completed the 26 week run. This no doubt put an end to the possibility of the strip returning at any point, to coincide with new televised episodes later in 1984, or the second series in 1986.

Despite the severe confidence-sapping experience on Look-In, Steve Kyte would flourish as a professional illustrator but continue his fan-orientated enthusiasm working on the Channel 5 Gerry Anderson video releases in the 1980s, and the Fleetway comics for Thunderbirds, Stingray (his own personal favourite) and Captain Scarlet.

Reactions from fans of previous Anderson series were mixed, and generally less positive, feeling Terrahawks was nowhere near as dramatically satisfying as Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, or even Supercar produced over thirty years previously. But these were people in their twenties, thirties - some even approaching fifty - and not necessarily the audience the series was aimed at. If the readership of Look-In and their letters any indication, then the series was doing okay. With Terrahawks already on TV screens for a couple of months, one of the first letters to Look-In was published in the same issue the strip started. Written by B. Begum of Totterdown, aged 13, he (or she - considering the other four letters alongside were from girls) thought the monster Zelda had created in a recent episode was 'horrible', and smaller children 'might have become quite frightened'. Given the episode order, and lead times of Look-In, this could have been Sram from 'Thunder Roar' but more likely MOID (Master Of Infinite Disguise) from 'Happy Made Day' - literally a body and skull without a face, who uses masks to become others and hide his own hideous appearance. It is all the more interesting that this was the one monster from the series to make a cameo in the strip itself...


Illustration: A rather happy Zelda, by Harish Patel of Leeds, rubs shoulders with Doctor 'Tiger' Ninestein and Sergeant Major Zero, as depicted by Glenn Miller of Sutherland, and an assortment of readers' views.

The letter was countered in issue 3 for 1984 by Peter Ariyo of Manchester (age unknown) who deemed there was 'nothing frightening in it at all' but thought Terrahawks 'a hilarious exciting series' which should 'be on for at least an hour'. In issue 8, Sean Cameron also disagreed with the first letter, thinking the series 'full of mystery and adventure' and had 'never missed an episode. A few weeks after the strip ended, in issue 19 Joanna Brown from Shropshire, aged 9, thought Terrahawks was 'brilliant', liking Zelda and her sister but the son 'best of all... he is greedy and dopey - just like my big brother!'. Looking forward to the next series, Look-In responded it was 'scheduled for the Autumn', and thus seemed to draw a curtain on further mentions, as newer popular shows like Fraggle Rock and Robin Of Sherwood (whose strip adventures replaced Terrahawks from issue 18) caught the readers' attention.

Overall, the Terrahawks strip stories were well done, though none could really claim to be classic in the way earlier Gerry Anderson strips from TV21, Countdown and even Look-In's own Space:1999 were. The only other related strips to appear during this period were reprints of Thunderbirds which ran for three consecutive holiday specials from 1982, with the last going on sale as the Terrahawks strip came to a close.

The next hiatus would be even longer, and it would be over seven years before a Gerry Anderson series took a comic form again, with the unexpected success of Thunderbirds - The Comic...

But the Look-In strips were not the only ones produced during this time. Besides the rather short efforts in the two annuals in 1983 and 1884, Purnell - who had the rights to publish storybooks based on the series - also brought out a range of activity books. The Terrahawks Rainy Day Book (right) was a 64 page softback with a variety of puzzles and four strip stories which - some continuity quibbles aside - were quite pleasing to read. The writing bears a marked similarity to Angus Allan's strips in Look-in but the artwork for the strips, possibly by Walt Howarth who illustrated the superior Terrahawks Storybook, is only average fare. This is a pity, as Howarth's colour work for the Storybook remains the best drawn representations of Terrahawks, and he was reputedly called by Gerry Anderson himself to compliment him on his outstanding illustrations.

Terrahawks Rainy Day Book strips

The Mascot
Writer: Angus Allan (?).
Artist: Walt Howarth (?).
8 pages, colour & b/w.
Zero and the Battletank are helped to defeat another of Zelda's monsters by a mouse, which Zero takes on as a mascot. Unknown to the Terrahawks though, the mouse is also one of Zelda's creations...
Notes:
• According to this story, Ninestein cannot stand rodents.
• Oops - when Zero first shows 'Cheesy' to the zeriods, the number and order of them changes from frame to frame, and the moustache on Dix-Huit (18) disappears.
• Hawkeye owns a cat called Brutus - no prizes for guessing the significance of this!
• The two zeroids that discuss the cat are 55 and 21, though neither rhymes/stammers as per the television versions.


Say It With Flowers
Writer: Angus Allan (?).
Artist: Walt Howarth (?).
7 pages, colour & b/w.
Seeds found aboard a piece of space debris cause an emergency on Spacehawk when Hiro plants them...
Notes:
• This story bears a superficial similarity to the unproduced script Number One Seed, which would possibly have been the first of a third series of episodes had Terrahawks continued.
• As with the Look-In strips, it is implied Hawkwing can fly in space to counter-attack Zelda's missiles.


Deep Danger
Writer: Angus Allan (?).
Artist: Walt Howarth (?). 7 pages, colour & b/w.
Zelda's latest monster, a creature called Garrk, crashes to Earth inside the extinct South American volcano Tecatl - causing it to erupt...
Notes:
• The volcanoes that appear in the distant background of Hawknest appear to be the inspiration for this story.
• Garrk resembles the monster seen in the first strip in the book, The Mascot.


Zero The Hero
Writer: Angus Allan (?).
Artist: Walt Howarth (?).
8 pages, colour & b/w.
A drifting spaceship transmitting an S.O.S. brings the alien Markan close to Earth, but when Ninestein investigates he is abducted...
Notes:
• A nice story idea.
• Hiro corrects himself regarding his 'r' and 'l' swapping: "This is no time for sirry - I mean silly rivalry!".
• A nice story idea.
• The alien ship appears to have 'ROD' written on one side.
• Surprisingly, Ninestein is seen to be realistically grateful for Zero saving him.

The Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History would like to thank:
Angus Allan
Steve Kyte
& Colin Shelbourn
- for their help with this feature.

Version 1.2 - 31.07.06


Any comments or notes about any of the strips, please contact technodelic@blueyonder.co.uk.

All text © The Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History, and its respective writers, and may not be reproduced without permission.
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