Strontium Dog: 'No Cure For Kansyr', Part 1

NAME
Strontium Dog: 'No Cure For Kansyr', Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord No 6

DATELINE
17 June 78

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
2000AD Annual 1985, The Best Of 2000AD Special Edition 2000, Strontium Dog Book 1 and Strontium Dog: Search/Destroy Agency Files 01.

SYNOPSIS
Johnny and Wulf go in search of Kansyr.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First sign that Johnny Alpha has a higher profile than the average Strontium Dog. First black and white Strontium Dog strip and the first to omit the Strontium 90 explanation.

INFORMATION
Metastis is a planet in the Pol system

Laz is a planet with a cold western region.

Named Search And Destroy Agents: Sniffer Martinez.

JOHNNY ALPHA
Seven Earth years ago, Johnny used to work with Sniffer Martinez. Johnny and Wulf are on Metastis looking for Kansyr. Johnny questions the bartender about Kansyr, uses his eyes' alpha rays to determine that he is lying and sends him to Kansyr with a message. He hallucinates Wulf as a six-limbed insectoid creature.

WULF STERNHAMMER
He and Johnny are on Metastis looking for Kansyr. He hallucinates Johnny as something he feels he must kill.

OTHER CHARACTERS
KANSYR
A native of the cold western region of Laz, a Wes-Laz punk. Seven years ago, he stole the Halugin, a mind weapon from a research lab. Johnny Alpha and Sniffer Martinez were sent after him. He shot and killed Martinez, Alpha shot Kansyr's gun hand. The authorities on Laz let him off with a fine.

SNIFFER MARTINEZ
Strontium Dog. Seven years ago, he and Johnny worked together. They were hired to retrieve the stolen Halugin from Kansyr, who used the machine to project a mirage which fooled Martinez. Kansyr shot and killed him.

DEATHS
A couple. During the barfight Johnny and Wulf fire their blasters pretty indiscriminately, but a not waist deep in bodies later. We see the death of Sniffer Martinez at the hands of Kansyr seven years ago.

BEST LINES
Wulf: "Every vum of dem on der reward tapes, Johnny. But small fish. No sign of der vun ve come for."

WORST LINES
Bar Patron: "Run - while we still have a chance!"

CATCHPHRASES
A Metastis bar patron screams "Aieee!" when shot. A hallucinating Johnny says "My Dok!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Johnny and Wulf arrive in the Pol system, which was mentioned as a planet in Papa Por-Ka, but it could easily be both.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
As Kansyr sounds more than a little like Cancer, then Metastis refers to Metastasis, the spread of the disease from one organ to another.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: T.B. Grover
Artist: Ezquerra
Letters: Steve Potter

REVIEW
This story sees the strip take a not awkward sideways step into the realm of the Western. The obvious highlight is that Johnny's interrogation turns the bartender's hair prematurely white. I'm uncomfortable with the use of names like Kansyr and Metastis, I fail to see what it achieves.

Next Week: 'I Won't Give You The Pleasure Of Killing Me!'