Story One (Unknown Story 1) Issue 1

Story Synopsis:

A UFO lands on Earth after eluding interception by a Moonbase. SHADO, on the other hand, will have to wait. When the UFO just lands for a few seconds before taking off again, mobiles become confused.

The next morning, however, two scientists in the same location are said to have failed to show up for work. Colonel Alec Freeman investigates, only to be attacked by an Alien in Mersham Abbey’s ruins. When Freeman fails to report in, Colonel Paul Foster, who is still in the area in a Mobile, looks for him and is wounded by the Alien.

Straker sets up an ambush for the UFO that will have to arrive to collect the abducted men, realising that the disappearances are all linked. Unbeknownst to the commander, the UFO was spotted and stopped by a Moonferry, causing a delay in its arrival. The helmetless Alien is fading on Earth, allowing Freeman to flee just as the UFO arrives.

Skydiver is alerted, and Sky 1 is able to destroy it despite having little hope of capturing it. The lone saving grace is that Freeman and the two scientists were not abducted despite the presence of a dead Alien and a destroyed UFO.

Issue 1 Cover
  • Magazine Number: 1
  • Artists: Jon Davis
  • Publication Date: February 20, 1971
Unkown Story 1 Page 1
Unkown Story 1 Page 2
Unkown Story 1 Page 3
Unkown Story 1 Page 4
Unkown Story 1 Page 5
    • 6 years ago

    This first story is somewhat ‘thin’ but on the whole the artist did a fair enough job. The machines are drawn with good accuracy, the characters somewhat less. The insertion of some screenshots from the series helps maintain the readers interest, but the story is rushed and there are plot holes that you could drive a mobile through.

    How did the alien capture the scientists? How did Straker manage to work out when the next UFO would arrive? Why did no one go to find out what had happened to Paul Foster when he stopped answering?

    The art work varies between great (the vehicles and explosions) and okay. (well, poor really, but at the time who really cared!) The faces tended to be bland and vague, although there are a couple that are excellent. I would have loved it more if some pages had been in colour. My real !!! moment though was seeing the UFO that was due to pick up Foster, Freeman and the others. What? What sort of UFO was that?

    Would this have made a good episode? Not really. There was little depth in the story and it lacked substance. On the whole the dialogue works, right up to the last scene where Straker seems to be quite forgiving of the mistakes made:

    “Calm down. I know it was just bad luck but it should have been so easy. And we stopped the aliens taking three top men and that’s our job – to defend Earth.”

    Nah.

    Ratings
    Art work 3
    Story 3
    Dialogue 3
    UFO ‘ness’ – as in How like the series was it? 3

    • 6 years ago

    The first ever comic, and without a title for the story, hence “Story One”.

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