Strip dates given are those of their original appearance in the British newspaper the Daily Mirror, first compiled by Geoffrey Wren and Ann Holmes and updated by Ant Jones and Philip Harbottle
Published: 15th September 1994 – 23rd November 1994 (C221 – C280)
Number of Episodes: 60
In remote futurity, the sun is dying, the Earth freezing. To solve the problem scientists construct the Arbiter, a super computer incorporating human brains. It telepathically forces its creators to encase their brains in cybernetic units—machine men, impervious to the cold. Humanity is culled, and only a few hundred retained as servitors in the City of Machines.
One scientist, Gofal, remains free of the Arbiter’s control. He transports his ancestor, Garth, across time to help save humanity. Immune to the Arbiter’s telepathic control, Garth is able to remove one of its brains encased in a super metal, urillium. Duplicating this metal, Gofal encases a spaceship in it, enabling Garth to fly close enough to the sun to drop a super bomb that will restore the sun.
The sun melts the ice on Earth and the resultant floods destroy the City of Machines. Gofal then restores Garth to his own time.
Synopsis by Philip Harbottle
PH
MA
15/9/94 – 23/11/94
C221 – C280
60
153
Stag Night
MA
MA
24/11/94 – 18/1/95
C281 – D15
48
154
Devil Woman
Writer: Philip Harbottle
Artist: Martin Asbury
Published: 19th January 1995 – 29th March 1995 (D16 – D75)
Number of Episodes: 60
Garth and Professor Lumiere witness an experiment to transmute metals, conducted by physicist Jeff Barclay. But alongside transmuted metal, there appears the almost nude body of a beautiful woman, who speaks an unknown language. Barclay is suspended pending a scientific inquiry. Lumiere assumes care of the mysterious girl, Iana, and with the besotted Barclay, teaches her English.
At the inquiry, Lumiere asserts that Iana is an alien who died in space, but whose body atoms miraculously reassembled in the laboratory. He is not believed, and Barclay is dismissed. Garth’s reservations about Iana are justified when she murders Lumiere’s housekeeper and paralyzes Barclay with the power of her mind. She seeks to destroy humanity as revenge for the destruction of her planet (now the Asteroid Belt) and begins murdering leading scientists, including Garth’s old girlfriend Dr. Carol Highton. A vengeful Garth succeeds in utterly destroying Iana by atomic bombardment with her transmutation machine.
Synopsis by Philip Harbottle
PH
MA
19/1/95 – 29/3/95
D16 – D75
60
155
Home Run
AA
MA
30/3/95 – 7/6/95
D76 – D135
60
156
Sub mission
MA
MA
8/6/95 – 16/8/95
D136 – D195
60
157
Bigfoot
JT
MA
17/8/95 – 25/10/95
D196 – D255
60
158
Railhead
AA
MA
26/10/95 – 5/1/96
D256 – E4
60
159
Room 202
MA
MA
6/1/96 – 14/3/96
E5 – E64
60
160
Mistress Orange
MA
MA
15/3/96 – 23/5/96
E65 – E124
60
161
Nasuanna
MA
MA
24/5/96 – 8/8/96
E125 – E190
66
162
Sal’s Island
PT
MA
9/8/96 – 17/10/96
E191 – E250
60
163
The Picture
MA
MA
18/10/96 – 28/12/96
E251 – E310
60
164
Dam Drivers
MA
MA
31/12/96 – 8/2/97
E311 – F34
36
165
Z File
MA
MA
10/2/97- 22/3/97
F35 – F70
36
(166)
Garth in Space
KR
SD/JA
Daily Mirror Book for Boys 1970
24
(167)
Double Diamonds
KR
JA
Daily Mirror Book for Boys 1971
24
Writer / Artist abbreviations:
AA = Angus Allan • DF = Don Freeman • DH = Dick Hailstone • FB = Frank Bellamy • HM = Hugh McClelland • JA = John Allard • JE = Jim Edgar • JT = James Tomlinson • KR = Ken Roscoe • MA = Martin Asbury | PH = Philip Harbottle • PO = Peter O’Donnell | PT = Peter Tranter • SD = Steve Dowling • TQ = Tim Quinn • MB = Martin Baines
Note on strip codes / serial numbers, etc:
Each code letter (running A to Z, excluding the letter I) represents a year’s worth of Mondays to Saturdays, the days on which The (Daily) Mirror newspaper of London is published Thus in any given year there will be a maximum of 314 numbers assigned to a serial code Figures in brackets denote number of days the newspaper appeared that year.Before 1982, the Mirror was not published Sunday, Good Friday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. From 1982 it was published every day except Sunday and Christmas Day. The later stories, “The Picture” (1996), “Dam Drivers” (1997) and “Z File” (1997) only appeared in the Mirror‘s Northern Ireland edition.
