Wednesday 29 January 2014

Invasion!: 'The Prince', Part 3

NAME
Invasion!: 'The Prince', Part 3

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 39

DATELINE
19 Nov 77

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
Invasion!

SYNOPSIS
Savage, Silk and Prince John take refuge at a B & B in Dundee.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
(This part takes place days after Part 2)

Dundee is surrounded by checkpoints manned by Volgan guards.

BILL SAVAGE
His name is William A. Savage. He, Silk and Prince John take refuge at Jean and Janet McDonald's Bed & Breakfast in Dundee. When a patrol of Volgans arrive, Savage kills their N.C.O. and escapes with his two friends and a pile of the McDonald sisters' clothes. When the McDonald sisters are arrested, the trio dress up in drag and attack a Volgan checkpoint in an effort to shift the blame.

OTHER CHARACTERS
JANET & JEAN McDONALD
Sisters that run a bed and breakfast in Dundee. The McDonalds are unmarried monarchists who recognise Prince John immediately. They feed and shelter the prince, Savage and Silk. When a Volgan patrol arrives they accidentally give way the prince's identity, but redeem themselves when they knock out two of the Volgans.

DEATHS
About six. Savage kills the Volgan N.C.O., and at least five other Volgans.

BEST LINES
Prince John: "And I've just realised - when the Volgans hear we were dressed as women they won't have reason to suspect those old ladies!"

You hope.

WORST LINES
Jean McDonald: "Oh your highness!"
Volgan N.C.O.: "The old crone has told us - it's the prince - and Savage!"

CATCHPHRASES
Two dying Volgans give us an "Aieeeee!" and an "Aieeee!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Gerry Finley-Day
Artist: Carlos Pino
Letters: Bill Nuttall

REVIEW
This is nice. It returns Invasion! to one of its strengths, dealing with the huge political ramifications and imperial ambition on a domestic level. The reader is invited to be pleasantly surprised when the McDonald don't turn out to be Volgan informants (at least not on purpose) and the twist at the end is great, but the naïveté with which it is employed is also very revealing. Yes, the attack in drag could provide the Volgans with an alternative to executing the McDonald sisters, but given everything else we've seen should expect them to survive? No. It's far more likely that with two old ladies in custody they could make an example of them and publically blame them for Savage's attack.

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