Random Happenstance

The Rogue Trooper movie may have recently finished, but I'm not sure if it has been released yet, especially stateside. I have fairly high hopes for it; I kinda figure it'll be not unlike Shin Kamen Rider, as in, a very well-executed love letter to the source material that the average American has never heard of. While we wait, we might as well hit an issue I'm not sure I'd read before: from 1987, Rogue Trooper #7.

The opener, "The Body Looters" and the issue's closer "The Assassination Run" both feature war-scavengers Mr. Brass and Mr. Bland, who are making a tidy sum pillaging battlefields for weapons and equipment to resell, and both get little dollar-signs for eyes at the thought of Rogue catching a bullet and being able to loot all his stuff. They aren't dumb enough to try that themselves, though; and shouldn't they see little pound signs, or whatever the hell British money is? (Tuppence? Shillings? Half-a-farthing? Completely made-up bul--) But later, Brass and Bland had unauthorized access to the satellite spy cameras surrounding Nu-Earth--all the better to see prizes to be picked up--and see Rogue infiltrate the Norter victory rally at Nu Nuremburg. They try to sell that info to the Norts, but no sale: the Norts say they'll find Rogue themselves, and they'll find those two as well. Despite the interference, Rogue still manages to kill two out of four Nort generals there, getting revenge for Dix-1; but now back to his usual quest to find the traitor that betrayed the Genetic Infantrymen. (Written by Gerry Finley-Day, art by Cam Kennedy.)

Surprisingly, there's an Alan Moore/Brett Ewins story here as well, from the 1983 2000 AD Annual. Rogue and the guys meet a young Souther point man, with "Pray for War" on his helmet. While they work together briefly, Rogue (or rather, Gunnar) has to kill Pray when he wants to take out a truck full of Nort women and children, visiting for Christmas.

"Hats Off to Helm" finds Helm getting the guys in trouble, as his chinstrap had rotted away in the corrosive atmosphere. But, Helm has Rogue throw him on a grenade later (a dud!) and then saves Rogue from some Nort bullets, so he was getting maybe a bit big-headed. Rogue worries that between that, Gunnar's trigger-happiness, and Bagman's unpredictability; how long can he rely on his friends? (Also written by Gerry Finley-Day, art by Cam Kennedy.) 

If you're old enough to remember KB Toys, you may have seen the 2000 AD action figures from Re:Action in 1999--I'm not positive that was the year those come out, but even so, that was a million years ago! Rogue didn't get a figure in that six-figure series, but HIYA Toys has one coming soon. He would be a bit spendy, but comparable to other not-quite-mass-market/semi-fancy 1/12 figures. I am tempted...I also need a replacement Strontium Dog. Ugh, maybe I'm doing more overtime this week...