Ro-Busters: Death On The Orient Express!, Part One

NAME
Ro-Busters: Death On The Orient Express!, Part One

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 86

DATELINE
14 Oct 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
Ro-Busters Book 1, The Best Of 2000AD 17, Cyber Crush 01, Halo Jones 09, Sam Slade Robo-Hunter (Volume 2) 01, Judge Dredd Megazine 4.01, 2000AD Yearbook 1994 and The Complete Ro-Busters.

SYNOPSIS
Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein attempt to rescue ten trapped train passengers, but there's only enough air for nine of them.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First Ro-Busters in 2000 A.D., first Ro-Busters work by Dave Gibbons and first appearance of invoice logo.

INFORMATION
(This strip takes place in 2080 A.D.)

A new super monorail line has been built between Istanbul and Paris. An avalanche traps survivors beneath tonnes of rock.

RO-JAWS
He is programmed for cleaning sewers, unblocking drains and garbage disposal. He met Hammer-Stein at Flash Harry's Robo-Mart. He and Hammer-Stein attempt a rescue of train passengers trapped by an avalanche. He is appointed judge of which of the humans should die.

HAMMER-STEIN
He has a very distinguished war record and rose to the rank of sergeant. After the war he was discharged as army surplus. He met Ro-Jaws at Flash Harry's Robo-Mart. He and Ro-Jaws attempt a rescue of train passengers trapped by an avalanche.

OTHER CHARACTERS
REVEREND STRANGEWAYS
Train crash survivor.

ROLF & PRU FOSTER
Husband and wife. They own ten thousand head of cattle in Australia. Train crash survivors.

LORD PETER WYNDIE
Aristocrat and train crash survivor.

MIKE MORGAN
Father to Tim and train crash survivor.

TIM MORGAN
Mike Morgan's son injured in the crash. Raised by Harold the family robot after his mother died.

HAROLD
The Morgan's family robot and train crash survivor. He wears clothes.

CALL-ME-BRUCE
Australian robot and train crash survivor.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Rolf: "Too true, Pru!"

WORST LINES
Ro-Jaws: "Funnneee--the way Harold wears clothes!"

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Hammer-Stein mentions Ro-Jaws dressing up drag in Ro-Busters: The Ritz Space Hotel, Part 3 .

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Lord Peter Wyndie sounds not unlike Lord Peter Wimsey, a fictional character in detective stories by Dorothy L. Sayers beginning with Whose Body? (1923). One of the robots reads Tatler, a British fashion and lifestyle magazine aimed at the wealthy, founded in 1901

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Pat Mills
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Letters: Dave Gibbons

REVIEW
The art is gorgeous throughout, the interaction between Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein is brilliant and with this strip Ro-Busters seems to grow up.

Next Prog: Trial By Robot!