Ro-Busters: 'The Preying Mantis', Part 3

NAME
Ro-Busters: 'The Preying Mantis', Part 3

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord Issue 3

DATELINE
3 June 78

This issue also featured Strontium Dog, Timequake, Mind Wars and Planet Of The Damned strips, Strontium Dog cover by Carlos Ezquerra and the first part of the Hell Planet game.

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1985 and The Complete Ro-Busters.

SYNOPSIS
Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein save the day.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First Ro-Busters story that has lasted to three parts and the first three parter.

INFORMATION
(The year is 2078)

Robots are employed as doormen. Malfunctioning robots are melted down and turned into new robots.

The Senator was affected by the red mist and jumped from top floor of his mansion, wearing only an American flag and singing 'Swannee River'. The children that were unaffected by the red mist had an antidote in their blood that could be used to immunise others.

RO-JAWS
Marvin allows him Ro-Jaws to drive him.

HAMMER-STEIN
He pushes Marvin out of the swamp. He is equipped with laser guns.

OTHER CHARACTERS
QUARTZ
He decides that Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein are malfunctioning and should be destroyed.

MARVIN
He allows Ro-Jaws to drive him out of the swamp.

DEATHS
One. Mek-Quake crushes a malfunctioning doorman robot. Quartz doesn't state whether the senator survived his ordeal.

BEST LINES
Grieving Child: "Y-you're not going to get into trouble - after all you did for us?"
Ro-Jaws: "Nah! Mek-Quake's a friend of ours! He's going to give us, er...something special!"

WORST LINES
Mek-Quake: "Mek-Quake be seeing you, okay...one day, pals...one day...oh, by crikey, yes!"

CATCHPHRASES
Quartz is "on red", while Mek-Quakes promises "Big jobs" again.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
'Swannee River', also known as 'Old Folks at Home', 'Swanee Ribber' or 'Suwannee River' is an 1851 minstrel song written by Stephen Foster (1826–1864). It is the official state song of Florida.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Pat Mills
Artist: Pino
Letters: Jack Potter

REVIEW
A satisfying conclusion with some nice detail about the senator's, sadly unseen, exploits and Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein lying to make the grieving boy feel better.

Next Week: 'You May Be Only Partly Human - But You'll Fry Too!'