The Ultimate Collection

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Episode 55 of The Trigan Empire

The Ultimate Collection
aka The Millionaire
De verzameling van Lipka (Dutch title)
Lipka’s Collection (Dutch title, translated)

Written by Mike Butterworth
Illustrated by Don Lawrence

The Ultimate Collection was originally published in 8 instalments in issues 724 (29 November 1975) to 731 (17 January 1976) of Look and Learn magazine.

It is reprinted in Volume 12 of The Trigan Empire—The Collection (the Don Lawrence Collection).

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

Plot summary

Keren breaks the speed record with a plane designed by Peric. But the vibrations from the plane cause significant damage to buildings. When the plane is brought to Peric’s laboratory, the truck transporting it is ambushed. With the help of a helicopter, the plane is stolen. The skeleton of the monster of Vorg is stolen from the museum. It too is taken away by helicopter.

The Imperial Games are underway, and Janno is declared champion. While he is making his victory lap, he is kidnapped and taken away by helicopter. The great green diadem from the Temple of the Jewel is also stolen. A submarine stops the passenger ship The Emperor Trigo, and the famous composer Chorpinal is kidnapped.

Peric investigates what is going on and believes he knows the solution. He has himself appointed by Trigo as the official chief scientist of Elekton. Not long after, Peric is also kidnapped from his villa. He is taken to an estate just outside the city. The owner is Lipka. Lipka was kidnapped forty lunar years ago by a group of barbarians who massacred his village. He was forced into slave labor, mining the yellow metal everyone is so obsessed with from the rocks. Later, he escaped and returned to the metal’s discovery site. That’s how he became a multimillionaire.

Because he had no friends or possessions in the past, he has now gathered a collection of very rare and unique objects. He shows Peric his collection, but Chorpinal refuses to conduct his orchestra. Peric convinces Chorpinal to do it anyway and notices that Lipka is moved during the performance. He suspects that Lipka is not a bad person. He also convinces him that he cannot take away people’s freedom and manages to convert Lipka.

Lipka wants to give everything back and release everyone, hoping the emperor will forgive him. But his soldiers rebel and want the glowing stone to sell it. Janno, who is now free, attacks the soldiers and a firefight breaks out. As a result, the skeleton of the monster of Vorg collapses on top of the soldiers.

Because of Lipka’s difficult childhood, Trigo forgives him completely and appoints him curator of the Imperial museums.