Hollow World

Hollow World
Series	Dan Dare
Story	Hollow World
Script	Steve Moore
Art	Massimo Belardinelli
Colour	Massimo Belardinelli
Letters	Peter Knight (Parts 1, 3-7, 9-10), John Aldrich (Parts 1, 5, 11-12), Bill Nuttall (Parts 2, 10), Tony Jacob (Part 6), Jack Potter (Parts 8, 9), Tom Frame (Part 8)
First Published	2000AD Prog 12 - Prog 23
Episodes	12
Pages	65
Previous	The Biogs
Next	Legion

Synopsis

Part One

Dan Dare returns to Earth to consider his next move in tracking the source of the Biog invasion. In London he meets Rok, a lupine alien from the planet Wolf-4. Dare agrees to fill the vacant position of navigator on Rok's ship in a voyage to the galactic rim. Meanwhile, at the galactic rim, The Mekon is released from his prison-ship and taken to the planet Verath where he meets the ruler The Two of Verath.

Part Two

The Mekon and The Two of Verath agree to form an alliance, the Mekon telling them of his plan to use space piracy to orchestrate the assassination of the leaders of the Federation. Rok introduces Dan Dare to the captain of his ship, Captain O'Grady. Dare complains about the rundown state of the ship, and as he makes a starjump, the star drive loses control and a crew member starts to rapidly age.

Part Three

Dan Dare prevents the ill-fated crew member from damaging the ship's controls before he dies. The ship comes out of the starjump on course for a giant sun. Unable to avoid the sun, Dare attempts to land on a planet orbiting within the sun itself. The Mekon executes one of his captains who has taken a prisoner and brought him to the secret base.

Part Four

Dan Dare crash lands the ship on the strange planet. Rok cuts Dare and the Captain from the wreckage with his laser sword. They are attacked by aliens on the surface and forced to surrender. It is The Mekon's secret base that they have stumbled upon, and they are taken before him.

Part Five

Dan Dare tries to break free, but he is beaten by The Two of Verath. He is strapped to a chair and forced to undergo interrogation by The Blob, an alien being that displays Dare's memories on its surface. The Mekon discovers that he is the same Dan Dare who was his nemesis in the past, and imprisons him in an orb with flesh-eating maggots.

Part Six

Rok uses his laser sword to free Dan Dare from the orb and they fight their way out of the room. Captain O'Grady is killed by a falling statue. With The Mekon close behind them, they have no choice but to hurl themselves into a vast pit in the floor.

Part Seven

Dan Dare and Rok survive their fall into the pit as the bottom is protected by a force-field. The Two of Verath follow them but Dare & Rok overpower them and take them hostage, using them to get back to the surface. There, they escape in The Mekon's ship.

Part Eight

On board The Mekon's ship, Dan Dare and Rok discover the details of The Mekon's plan. He has implanted a Thermonium Bomb inside The Two of Verath and has hypnotised them to get themselves captured and taken before the Galactic Council. To prevent Dare passing this information along, The Mekon destroys the communication systems of his ship remotely.

Part Nine

Dan Dare manages to successfully make it to the planet where the council are meeting without getting shot down, but there are more defences to get past to make it onto the island where the meeting is taking place.

Part Ten

Dan Dare and Rok make it through to speak to Galactic Chairman Lo-Han. He reveals that they were aware of The Mekon's plan and have made arrangements for The Two of Verath to escape and return to their secret base. The Two of Verath indeed escapes and Dare & Rok board the ship before it leaves.

Part Eleven

Dan Dare overpowers The Two of Verath in hand-to-hand combat and persuades them to go along with a plan to kill The Mekon using himself and Rok as bait. After they land, the Two go after The Mekon themselves.

Part Twelve

The Mekon battles with Dan Dare but escapes and sets the forcefield holding the planet together to self-destruct. Dare and Rok escape on a ship, and The Mekon and The Two of Verath escape in a protected capsule.

Recurring Characters

Dan Dare

Dan Dare is a veteran space pilot who takes on the role of navigator in a voyage to the galactic rim.

The Mekon

The Mekon is Dare's nemesis. He is supremely intelligent but physically atrophied, dependant on a flying chair to get around.

Other Characters

Rok

Rok is a crewman aboard the Titan I.C. space-freighter and a native of the planet Wolf-4. He is a friend and ally of Dan Dare. His race have many strange customs such as eating their dead, licking each other's wounds and scratching each other behind the ear as a greeting. He uses the Lazer sword of his ancestors which can slice through anything with ease.

The Two of Verath

The Two of Verath is a two-headed ruler who discovers The Mekon in a prison ship.

Captain O'Grady

O'Grady is the captain of the Titan I.C. ship.

The Polyp

The Polyp is a single-celled creature which perches on the shoulder of Captain O'Grady.

The Blob

The Blob is a creature from outside of Earth's galaxy which has been exiled for an alien crime. It has the ability to ooze over a victim, swallowing them and reading their memories, which are then displayed on its surface.

Arnold

Arnold is holidaying on the starliner 'Merino' with his family when they are attacked by pirates

Commander Tremayne

Tremayne is the base commander on the Planet Congress. He helps Dare get through to Inheritance Island.

Lo-Han

Galactic Chairman Lo-Han is a being of pure thought.

Locations

• Wolf-4 (mentioned)
• Boran IV (mentioned)
• Verath
• Congress
  • Inheritance Island

Technology

Transport

• Titan I.C.
• Skash Battle Cruisers
• flying chair
• Doric-5

Weaponry

• Skash Anti-Matter Projector
• Lazer sword
• Mole-Pistol
• Big Brother Killer Robots

Species

• Skash
• Andromedans
• Pack Tribe of Bgu
• Margoz

Arts and Culture

• Morse code