The Red Death

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Episode 21 of The Trigan Empire

The Red Death
aka De rode dood (Dutch title)
The Red Death (Dutch title, translated)

Written by Mike Butterworth
Illustrated by Don Lawrence

The Red Death was originally published in 9 instalments in issues 416 (3 January 1970) to 424 (28 February 1970) of Look and Learn magazine.

It was reprinted in 1976 in 3 issues (20 March 1976—3 April 1976) of Vulcan comic.

It is reprinted in Volume 5 of The Trigan Empire—The Collection (the Don Lawrence Collection).

It is reprinted in Volume 2 of The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire (Rebellion).

Plot summary

On Elekton, near the main source of the Pyx, a red cylindrical object lands. The heat from the two suns causes the cylinder to melt, releasing small red particles. As a result, strange red plant growth begins to appear. The plant grows at an incredible speed and blocks the river. When the river dries up, Trigo sends Keren, Roffa, and Janno to investigate. They see the red plant growth and land nearby. Their aircraft is quickly torn apart by the plants. They fight against the growth and are close to being defeated, but as evening falls, the plant becomes inactive without sunlight. They must now walk back to Trigan City.

That night, more red cylinders arrive on Elekton. When they reach Trigan City, the entire place is overrun by the red plant. On top of that, the Lokans have seized power. Even more red cylinders land on Elekton, but this time mysterious figures in red uniforms emerge from them. The Lokans attack them but are completely destroyed. The red men have a weapon against the plant. Janno, Keren, and Roffa hide in the city. They capture one of the red men and interrogate him. Then Janno spots a zargot trapped in the red plant. He wants to rescue it, but during the attempt, the zargot attacks them. Roffa saves the red man from certain death, and he becomes their friend.

They head into the wilderness and eventually find Trigo, who had fled the city. Peric translates the red man’s language and can speak with him. The red men come from another, very harsh planet called Jules. Their leader, Zer Thorus, wanted to bring the entire population to another, better planet. Elekton was his choice. He first wanted the red plant to clear the planet for them. Then he sent a small army to eliminate any survivors. The red man they captured was one of them.

Once again, many cylinders arrive on Elekton, this time with Zer Thorus himself among them. The entire red army now advances toward the survivors to kill them. Trigo is prepared, but the red army gets caught in a sandstorm. Trigo and his men launch an attack, and the Trigans gain the upper hand. To escape the storm, Trigo takes Zer Thorus into the desert on kreedback. The kreed dies, and together they must survive the desert. This leads to a friendship between Trigo and Zer Thorus. The red men are granted their own state on Elekton as full members of the Trigan Empire.