Imperial Walkabout

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Episode 64 of The Trigan Empire

Imperial Walkabout
aka Abdication
De troonsafstand (Dutch title)
The Abdication (Dutch title, translated)

Written by Mike Butterworth
Illustrated by Oliver Frey

Imperial Walkabout was originally published in 8 instalments in issues 792 (19 March 1977) to 799 (7 May 1977) of Look and Learn magazine.

It is reprinted in Volume 5 of The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire (Rebellion).

Plot summary

A terrible war with Cato has ended with an empty victory for the Trigans. Trigo rides through the ruins of his city. He also discovers that drought and poverty have taken hold in his empire. Believing he has been a poor leader, he abdicates the throne and heads alone into the desert. There, he is captured by a nomadic tribe led by Zannobopo. They capture men and sell them as slaves. The people of the Hatashi visit the nomad tribe to buy slaves for their games. The slaves see that Trigo is a good leader and choose him as their commander. They come up with a plan to escape. When the Hatashi have purchased the slaves, the slaves refuse to move. They remain seated on the ground and do not go with them. This leads to a quarrel between the Hatashi and the nomads, which escalates into a fight. During the fighting, the slaves overpower the Hatashi guards by the horses and flee on horseback. The slaves ask Trigo to remain their leader, but Trigo realizes he must return to Trigan City because that is where his destiny lies.

In Trigan City, he finds a situation even worse than when he left: poverty is more widespread, and prisoners are being executed. Trigo tries to stop this and is brought before the State Council of the empire. Despite the fact that he is Trigo, they do not listen to him. He is allowed to go to Brag, who succeeded him, but the council sends a man after him to kill him. When he reaches Brag, Brag tells him he has lost his power. He had asked the State Council for help, but they took over control. That night, the assassin tries to kill Trigo, but Trigo overpowers the man and learns that the council wants him dead. Brag and Trigo, now imprisoned in their own palace, attempt to escape but face fierce resistance from their guards. In the city, the people have heard that Trigo has returned, and they march to the palace to free him. At the palace, a helicopter threatens to shoot Trigo and his brother, but the people’s rebels destroy the helicopter. The people restore Trigo to the throne. He forgives Brag but sends him to a remote corner of the empire.