Episode 74 of The Trigan Empire
Chase For A Traitor
aka Het verraad van Hipsos (Dutch title)
The Betrayal of Hipsos (Dutch title, translated)
Written by Ken Roscoe
Illustrated by Gerry Wood
Chase For A Traitor was originally published in 6 instalments in issues 860 (8 July 1978) to 865 (12 August 1978) of Look and Learn magazine.
It is reprinted in Volume 6 of The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire (Rebellion).
Plot summary
Air Marshal Hipzon has stolen the plans for a new space cruiser. He leaves Elekton in a spaceship. Trigo orders Colonel Kryp to bring Hipzon back. Kryp sets course for the planet Rhodum, where Hipzon was last sighted. There, he goes to the House of Science and meets its leader. The leader tells him that Hipzon is there as well and is discussing the plans with the head of the technical department. That official has just informed Kryp, who is still on Rhodum, that they do not need the plans for the fighter craft.
Hipzon departs in Kryp’s spaceship. Kryp then pursues him using Hipzon’s spaceship. Hipzon travels to the planet Xenon, but the robots who live there do not want the plans either. They want to kill Hipzon because he is a traitor. Hipzon continues on to the planet Avior, with Kryp close behind.
Kryp lands in a dead volcano and meets the ancient inhabitants there. They are old men. Their queen possesses the secret of eternal youth, while they themselves have only eternal old age. Kryp tells them that he learned from Peric that eternal youth can be obtained by inhaling the vapor of utarium. The old men say that utarium can be found on their planet. They inhale the vapor and become young men again. They help Kryp and take him to their queen.
Hipzon is there, selling the plans for one million thullars. Kryp bursts in and tries to arrest him, but he escapes. He is eventually overpowered by a group of old men. All the old men become young again, and Kryp flies back with Hipzon and the plans.
Links
Comicweb (Dutch)
Downloads
MediaFire via British Comics Compilations