The 10,000 Disasters of Dort
- Science fiction
Gaston
Ratta
José Ortiz
"The 10,000 Disasters of Dort" is a British comic strip published in the weekly anthology Lion from 18 May to 23 November 23 1968, published by Fleetway Publications. Written by Mike Butterworth and drawn by Spanish artists Luis Bermejo and José Ortiz, it concerns a terror campaign against Earth by aliens from the fictional doomed planet Dort, who hope to force humanity into sharing their home.
Publication history
The story was originally serialised in 28 two-page weekly black-and-white episodes in Lion from 18 May to 23 November 23 1968; during this run "The 10,000 Disasters of Dort" was featured three times on the comic's front cover. The following year, an additional strip featured in the 1970 edition of Lion Annual.[a] The story was reprinted in Lion itself between 22 December 1973 and 18 May 1974 (twice being featured on the cover), appearing in the title's final issue before it was merged with Valiant.[1] As a result, the final two episodes were redrawn substantially to allow the story to conclude; those behind the new material have yet to be identified.[2]
In May 2023, the serial was selected for collection in Rebellion Developments' Treasury of British Comics series of trade paperbacks. The original serial, the two annual stories and the modified conclusion of the reprint were all included in the book,[3] which featured a brand new cover by artist Staz Johnson, as well as a factual article from the 1971 Lion Annual and a preview of the upcoming The Spider's Syndicate of Crime versus the Crook from Outer Space collection.[4] To promote the book an eight-page preview - comprising the first four episodes - was printed in Judge Dredd Megazine #456.[5]
Plot summary
On 18 March 2000 the liner RMS Royalty arrives in New York City only to find the city completely destroyed; half an hour later the ship itself is lost when it simply collapses. Samples taken from the city are transported to the Cambridge laboratory of Professor Mike Dauntless; three days of study later, he finds the atomic structure of all metal within fifty miles of New York has been altered to the consistency of rubber by an unknown technology. The following day a huge hexagonal structure appears on a holl near Moscow, and projects the giant form of Ratta, dictator of the planet Dort. Scientists from Dory have discovered that by 2050 their planet will collide with its sun. As a result, Ratta has targeted Earth as a new home for his people and plans to unleash ten thousand disasters to hammer the human race into submission, of which the New York attack was just the first.
While the Council of World Governments gathers 48 hours later, few take Ratta's threats seriously - much to Dauntless' irritation. As a result, Ratta unleashes giant weeds that destroy most of Paris. Dauntless investigates by helicopter and rescues a young orphan called Gaston. The pair crash and have to fight their way out of Paris, where law has broken down among the survivors. Ratta announces a third disaster, and Melbourne is overran when he enlarges the city's population of zoo animals. Dauntless flies to Australia on Concorde to investigate, with Gaston stowing away too. Despite a huge eagle destroying their plane, the pair land and Dauntless has a super-sized housefly captured for study. While they work, the relentless Ratta unleashes a fourth disaster, chemically altering all the tea in England so it induces rage in those who drink it, reducing the country to anarchy. Dauntless is able to come up with a serum to return the animals threatening Australia to their normal size but is caught up in the chaos returning to London, and quickly realising the victims need to be anaesthetised while Britain's tea stock is destroyed.
For the fifth disaster, Ratta provides advanced weaponry to tribes of Jamali bandits who begin to advance through Egypt, and soon afterwards blots out all electricity on Earth before unleashing a new ice age for the sixth and seventh disasters. Enjoying the terror he has unleashed, Ratta travels to Earth to see the destruction for himself. Dauntless and Gaston meanwhile are trapped in Rome until they get a steam locomotive working, and soon come face to face with Ratta - who they find is human-sized. The alien plans to trap Dauntless in an iron maiden, but the scientist is able to talk Ratta into a game of chess to prove his superior intellect, with the removal of the sixth and seventh disasters as the stakes. Dauntless wins, and while infuriated Ratta keeps his word. Nevertheless the alien continues his campaign, with Germany receiving a plague of ants and then using a mirror to create an ultra-bright heatwave. Dauntless comes up with a way of stopping the radio signals controlling the ants, and he and Gaston pilot a spacecraft to destroy the orbital mirror, but is believed dead. In the meantime Ratta releases the tenth disaster, reducing 90% of the population to the mental state of beasts via tainted wheatgerm. Believing the humans to be all but defeated, Ratta orders the Dortian invasion fleet to launch. They land unopposed but Dauntless and Gaston have returned to Earth but are captured by the invaders. Just then news arrives that Dort's scientists have discovered the planet will not collide with its sun after all, and the attack on Earth is no longer necessary. Furious at his work being wasted, he attacks Dauntless but falls over a cliff to his death. With the dictator dead, the rest of the Dortians swiftly retreat.[6]
Dauntless and Gaston continued to work together, aiding Government Security when an unnamed scientist unleashed a plague of mechanical locusts on London.[7]
Alternate ending
In the reprinted version the story branches after the sixth and seventh disasters and Ratta's journey to Earth, when the latter battles Dauntless in single combat only to succumb to Earth germs, causing the invasion to be curtailed.[8]
Collected edition
Title | ISBN | Publisher | Release date | Contents |
---|---|---|---|---|
The 10,000 Disasters of Dort | 9781786189493 | Rebellion Developments | 3 May 2023 | Material from Lion 18 May to 23 November 1968 & 23 May 1974 and Lion Annual 1970 & 1971. |
Reception
Richard Bruton praised the story's "stunning artwork" and the "usual excellent reproduction" when previewing the collected edition for Comicon.com.[2] While wryly noting that the series only delivered ten disasters before completion, John Freeman praised the series for its pace and spectacular visuals.[4] Frank Plowright was less effusive for Slings and Arrows, feeling the story was more of a "curiosity" and criticising the hurried original ending, noting resolution and the title suggested a much longer run of the serial was planned.[9]
Notes
- ^ Annuals of the time were issued in the autumn of the year before that listed on the cover, in time for the Christmas gift-buying market and dated to make it easier for unsold stock to be sold afterwards
References
- ^ Holland, Steve (2002). The Fleetway Companion. Rotherham: CJ & Publication.
- ^ a b Bruton, Richard (5 April 2023). "Preview: More Classic Brit Comics In 'The 10,000 Disasters Of Dort' – Are You Ready To Face The End Of The World?".
- ^ Molcher, Michael (3 May 2023). "The 10,000 Disasters of Dort – out now!".
- ^ a b Guests, downthetubes (14 July 2023). "In Review: The 10,000 Disasters of Dort". downthetubes.net.
- ^ "The 10,000 Disasters of Dort". Judge Dredd Megazine. No. 456. Rebellion Developments. 20 June 2023.
- ^ Mike Butterworth (w), Luis Bermejo, José Ortiz (a). "The 10,000 Disasters of Dort" Lion (18 May to 23 November 23 1968). Fleetway Publications.
- ^ "Plague of Locusts" Lion Annual (1970). Fleetway Publications.
- ^ "The 10,000 Disasters of Dort" Lion (11 to 18 May 1974). IPC Magazines.
- ^ "Slings & Arrows".
External links
- The 10,000 Disasters of Dort at Treasury of British Comics
- v
- t
- e
- Comic Cuts
- Film Fun
- Funny Wonder
- Illustrated Chips
- Knockout (stories)
- Radio Fun
- Buster
- Cheeky Weekly
- Cor!!
- Jackpot
- Knockout
- Krazy
- Monster Fun
- Nipper
- Oink!
- School Fun
- Shiver and Shake
- Whizzer and Chips
- Whoopee!
- Wow!
- Wham!
- Smash!
- Pow!
- Fantastic
- Terrific
- 2000 AD
- Action (stories)
- Battle Picture Weekly (stories)
- Boys' World
- The Champion
- The Comet (stories)
- Crisis (stories)
- Diceman
- Eagle
- Eagle (1982 version) (stories)
- Hurricane
- Jag
- Jet
- Judge Dredd Megazine
- Lion (stories)
- Look and Learn
- M.A.S.K.
- Ranger
- Revolver
- Roy of the Rovers
- Scorcher
- Scream!
- Sonic the Comic
- Speed
- Starlord
- Sun (stories)
- Supernaturals
- Thriller Comics
- Thunder
- Tiger (stories)
- Tornado
- Valiant (stories)
- Vulcan
- War Picture Library
- Wildcat
- Girl
- Girls' Crystal (stories)
- Jinty
- June (stories)
- Marilyn
- Misty
- Poppet
- Princess (stories)
- Princess Tina (stories)
- Roxy
- Sandie
- School Friend (stories)
- Serenade
- Tammy
- Tina
- Valentine
- Jack and Jill
- Playhour
- The 10,000 Disasters of Dort
- The 12½p Buytonic Boy
- Ace Trucking Co.
- Action Force
- Adam Eterno
- The Amazing Three
- Anderson, Psi-Division
- The Astounding Adventures of Charlie Peace
- The Astounding Jason Hyde
- Baker's Half-Dozen
- The Ballad of Halo Jones
- Battler Britton
- Bessie Bunter
- Bible John - A Forensic Meditation
- Big Dave
- Billy Bunter
- Billy's Boots
- Birdman and Chicken
- The Black Archer
- Black Beth
- Black Max
- Black Hawk
- Bloodfang
- Bobby's Ghoul
- Bookworm
- The Bootneck Boy
- The Bumpkin Billionaires
- Buster Capp
- Captain Condor
- Captain Hurricane
- The Cat Girl
- Chalky
- Charley's War
- Clash of the Guards
- Cliff Hanger
- Computer Warrior
- Cursitor Doom
- D-Day Dawson
- D.R. & Quinch
- Dan Dare
- Danny Doom
- Dare
- Darkie's Mob
- Death Game 1999
- Death Squad
- Death Wish
- Defoe
- Doomlord
- The Dracula File
- Dredger
- Durham Red
- The Dwarf
- End of the Line...
- Ernie
- Faceache
- Fiends of the Eastern Front
- Fight for the Falklands
- Finn
- Fishboy
- For a Few Troubles More
- Gadgetman and Gimmick-Kid
- Goldtiger
- Grimly Feendish
- Harlem Heroes
- Hellman of Hammer Force
- Hook Jaw
- Hot Shot Hamish and Mighty Mouse
- The House of Daemon
- The House of Dolmann
- The Indestructible Man
- Invasion!
- Invasion 1984!
- Ivor Lott and Tony Broke
- Jack o' Justice
- Jane Bond
- Jet-Ace Logan
- Joe Alien
- Johnny Red
- Joker
- Judge Dredd
- Junior Rotter
- Karl the Viking
- Kid Chameleon
- Kids Rule O.K.
- Kitten Magee
- Lazy Bones
- The Leopard from Lime Street
- Loner
- Look Out for Lefty!
- Luck of the Legion
- M.A.C.H. 1
- Major Eazy
- Manix
- Master Mind
- Mazeworld
- Memory Banks
- El Mestizo
- Mind Wars
- Monster
- Mustapha Million
- Mytek the Mighty
- Nemesis the Warlock
- The New Adventures of Hitler
- New Statesmen
- The Nightcomers
- Nikolai Dante
- Odd Ball
- One-Eyed Jack
- The Phantom Viking
- Rat Pack
- Really & Truly
- Richie Wraggs
- Ro-Busters
- Rob Riley
- The Robo Machines
- Robot Archie
- Rogan Gosh
- Rogue Trooper
- Roy of the Rovers
- School Belle
- Sexton Blake
- Sid's Snake
- The Silent Three
- Sinister Dexter
- Skid Kidd
- Skizz
- Sláine
- The Spider
- The Steel Claw
- Steel Commando
- Store Wars
- Strontium Dog
- The Suicide Six
- Sweeny Toddler
- Sweet Tooth
- Terror of the Cats
- Tharg the Mighty
- Tharg's Future Shocks
- Third World War
- The Thirteenth Floor
- Thunderbolt Jaxon
- Time Flies
- Tom Thug
- Tomboy
- The Tower King
- Tricky Dicky
- The Trigan Empire
- Troubled Souls
- True Faith
- Turbo Jones
- The Vigilant
- Watch Out Beagle's About
- Whacky
- Wonder Wellies
- X-Ray Specs
- Zenith
- Leo Baxendale
- Massimo Belardinelli
- Jesús Blasco
- Brian Bolland
- Eric Bradbury
- Kenneth Bulmer
- Sid Burgon
- Reg Bunn
- Mike Butterworth
- Geoff Campion
- Joe Colquhoun
- John Cooper
- Ted Cowan
- Carlos Ezquerra
- Gerry Finley-Day
- Dave Gibbons
- Ian Gibson
- Scott Goodall
- Alan Grant
- Yvonne Hutton
- Ian Kennedy
- Tom Kerr
- Don Lawrence
- Brian Lewis
- Steve MacManus
- Leonard Matthews
- Mike McMahon
- Trevor Metcalfe
- Pat Mills
- Grant Morrison
- Robert Nixon
- Kevin O'Neill
- José Ortiz
- Frank S. Pepper
- Ken Reid
- Jerry Siegel
- Francisco Solano López
- Lew Stringer
- Barrie Tomlinson
- Tom Tully
- John Wagner
- Keith Watson
- Mike Western