What defunct character do you miss the most?

Discuss or comment on Britain's sole surviving boy's comic from the 1970's. The home of Judge Dredd, Slaine, Nikolai Dante, ABC Warriors and Sinister Dexter. Has been running since 1977.

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SID
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What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by SID »

For me, it would be M.A.C.H. 1.

I know it was a Six Million Dollar Man knock off but still loved the strip at the time and was one of the key attractions when I bought Programme (as it was called then) 1.
Reading comics since 1970. My Current Regulars are: 2000 AD (1977-), Judge Dredd Megazine (1990-), Spaceship Away (2003-), Commando (2013-), Monster Fun (2022-), Deadpool and Wolverine (2023-), Quantum (2023-).

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by Billythecat »

SID wrote:For me, it would be M.A.C.H. 1.

I know it was a Six Million Dollar Man knock off but still loved the strip at the time and was one of the key attractions when I bought Programme (as it was called then) 1.
Same here fella. I loved Mach 1-huge buzz around his character.

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by Shiner »

Did the Visible Man ever come back? I remember him from the 1970's and always thought he was worthy of a revisit.

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by colcool007 »

The Visible Man was a one-shot. Brilliantly executed take on The Invisible Man. I would love to see M.A.C.H One make a comeback too, but I wouldn't say No to another slice of Al's Baby either.
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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by Phoenix »

I don't recall ever reading 2000 AD.

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by Lew Stringer »

Phoenix wrote:I don't recall ever reading 2000 AD.
It's never too late to start. :)
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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by alanultron5 »

For myself- and I'd guess for Rab Smith too - it has to be `Sparky` comic character "I. Spy" his adventures circa 1969-71 were just outstanding for me!
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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by alanultron5 »

OOPS! My full apologies! didn't notice it was from 2000 AD. Please wipe the post=sorry!
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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by Lew Stringer »

Shiner wrote:Did the Visible Man ever come back? I remember him from the 1970's and always thought he was worthy of a revisit.
Yes, Pat Mills and Henry Flint brought him back for a complete story in the 35th anniversary issue and again in the 2012 Christmas issue (Prog 2013).
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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by geoff42 »

I miss Nikolai Dante, that was a good series. But then, I have never really been comfortable with the resurrection of Strontium Dog. I haven't been happy with the comebacks of both Rogue Trooper and Robo-Hunter in recent times. Yet, Pat Mills has successfully re-invented Savage (Invasion from the original series) while, at the same time, tainted the original Flesh series. I haven't been too enamoured with Simon Davies take on the recent Slaine. Dredd's a constant - hit and misses all the time. Right now, 2000 Ad does not have a consistent coup of stories as it had in its mid-eighties heydays. Sinister and Dexter is no longer a constant; given that, the story has become more interesting. 2000 ad really needs at least two more perennial heroes to give it an injection - or anti-heroes along the same lines of Dredd. And it should not persevere with Rogue Trooper or Robo-Hunter... they have long gone. Strontium Dog has potential, but the current direction doesn't hold out much hope, its quite mundane. Maybe WulfSternhammer is required for a comeback.

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by geoff42 »

just thinking, SID, Mach Zero was a far more interesting character than MACH 1. He garnered far more empathy from the reader, I believe. In the right hands, he would have proved more popular in the eighties.

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by Phoenix »

geoff42 wrote:Sinister and Dexter is no longer a constant
Purely out of curiosity, given that sinister is the Latin for left, and dexter is the Latin for right, is there anything about these two characters that embodies these concepts? I don't read 2000AD so I actually don't know whether they are two separate characters, as implied by Geoff's question, or just one, as implied by other members who mention Sinister Dexter rather than Sinister and Dexter.

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by tony ingram »

Phoenix wrote:
geoff42 wrote:Sinister and Dexter is no longer a constant
Purely out of curiosity, given that sinister is the Latin for left, and dexter is the Latin for right, is there anything about these two characters that embodies these concepts? I don't read 2000AD so I actually don't know whether they are two separate characters, as implied by Geoff's question, or just one, as implied by other members who mention Sinister Dexter rather than Sinister and Dexter.
Sinister Dexter is the name of the strip, but there are two lead characters, Finnigan Sinister and Ramone Dexter. They are a pair of surprisingly likeable contract killers from the futuristic city of Downlode.

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by tony ingram »

As far as characters I'd like to see make a comeback, I think I have to go with Ernest Patrick "Wolfie" Smith, star of The Mind of Wolfie Smith. A great character sadly abandoned way back in about 1980. I'd also like to finally find out what happened to Friday, the second Rogue Trooper, after he unfortunately fell into a black hole mid story and never returned, though that's more out of a need for closure than any real fondness for the blue berk. Likewise, did Dan Dare ever clear his name after Servant of Evil, or is he still out there somewhere, working childrens parties under a fake name with Eternicus, the Cosmic Claw?

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Re: What defunct character do you miss the most?

Post by starscape »

Finishing the Dan Dare story for me. I did enquire as to the possibility of reprinting the 2000AD DD run, with a conclusion to that story. The DD Corp didn't seem to have any idea that he was even in 2000AD. They then switched to a professional PR company to increasing the licensing of Dan Dare material. Who promptly didn't bother responding to emails.

Flesh and Invasion were the ones that were best for revival but, as they've already been done, I'm not sure where next. MACH Zero was brilliant but I'm unconvinced he could be handled right by todays writers. MACH One was of course 2000ADs most popular character in the early days. I could see that being a little too 'social commentary' if written today.

Actually, how about Inferno, the Harlem Heroes or Mean Team? These future sports stories were great. Pity we couldn't seek out Tom Tully for a return (if the rumours are true).
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