The Reign of Thara – The Trigan Empire

The Reign of Thara
aka Battle for Trigan City
A Tale of Treason (Hawk reprint)
De slag om Trigopolis (Dutch title)
The Battle of Trigopolis (Dutch title, translated)

Written by Mike Butterworth
Illustrated by Don Lawrence

The Reign of Thara was originally published in 19 instalments in issues 298 (30 September 1967) to 316 (3 February 1968) of Look and Learn magazine.

It was reprinted in 1975 in 5 issues of Vulcan comic.

It was reprinted in 1978 in The Trigan Empire (Hamlyn/Chartwell).

It was reprinted in 1989 as A Tale of Treason in Tales from the Trigan Empire (Hawk).

It is reprinted in Volume 3 of The Trigan Empire—The Collection (the Don Lawrence Collection).

It is reprinted in Volume 1 of The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire (Rebellion).

Plot summary

Trigo and Brag are lured into a remote ravine by a false message written by the forger Tassig. There, they are captured by black-clad soldiers working for Thara, a niece of Trigo. When Janno and Keren go looking for them, Janno is also captured.

Keren, who was left for dead in the desert, is taken as a slave by a nomadic people. After a long time, Keren escapes and returns to Trigan City, where he discovers that Thara is now empress. In order to save money, she halves the army and removes many weapons from the border. The Gorths, a savage people, now attack and conquer Trigan City.

Peric, Salvia, Keren, and Thara flee, and Thara is overcome with remorse. She reveals that Trigo, Brag, and Janno are still alive and are working as slaves on a pirate ship on the Sea of Azov. Keren and Salvia set out to find them. However, they are captured by the Tamaz, a tribe of female warriors. Their leader, Almara, is ill, and Salvia heals her. In gratitude, they are brought to the Sea of Azov.

Disguised as merchants selling vegetables, they visit ship after ship in search of Trigo. After a long time, they find the pirate ship with Trigo on board. Just as they are about to free him, the ship is destroyed by a sea monster. Keren, however, has disappeared into the sea.

Salvia tells Trigo what has happened. Trigo wants to liberate Trigan City and asks the other galley slaves to help him. Because Trigo once saved the life of the pirate captain Das Kassa, he too agrees to help him.

Janno and Salvia go in search of Keren. They meet Roffa from the town of Ellul. Roffa has built his own flying craft. With this craft, they fly to Ellul, where they find Keren. Meanwhile, Trigo and his men have launched their attack on Trigan City. Janno and Roffa join the battle with the homemade flying machine. Thanks to the this, they defeat the Gorths. Trigo regains power and spares Thara. Roffa stays in Trigan and becomes an officer in the Trigan Air Fleet.