The next action-packed Commando set – Issues 5943-5946, on sale this week – represent four sci-fi war stories from the title’s 1994 G-Tex Collection, originally published at a time when comics were (and, you might argue, still are) chasing the success of computer games. We’ve included a full checklist of back issues.
These vintage stories were written by Mike Knowles and Ian Clark, with explosive interior art from Manuel Benet, Ricardo Garijo, Phil Gascoine, Carlos Pino.
In 2095 war has been rendered obsolete by hyper-realistic virtual reality simulations, known as “simecoms”, where countries can fight each other without any blood being shed in the real world. Outside this legal framework, there’s a shadow world of illegal “simecoms”, where the penalty for failure is death – by electrocution. Maddox, leader of the largest illegal “simecom” organisation called Spartacus, has hatched a plan to free a sociopathic scientist, Brodski, from a mental hospital in order to build a ground-breaking new computer virus, intending to wreak havoc within the legal war games… and a team of British soldiers get caught up in their plans…
Commando Issues 5943-5946 are on sale in all good newsagents, and some run by time travellers, from Thursday 26th March, and digitally via Magzter.
Commando 5943 (Home of Heroes): Gladiator Challenge
Story: Mike Knowles | Internal Art: Phil Gascoine | Cover Art: Ian Kennedy
First published 1994 as No. 2725
Take a chance, open this book! See how tomorrow’s warriors will tackle the clashes of the future. There’s still fear and danger to be faced and it will take nerves of steel to read about these heroes of the future… men like Colonel Wolfe Brady!
Commando 5944 (Gold): Roman Challenge
Story: Mike Knowles | Internal & Cover Art: Manuel Benet
First published 1994 as No. 2738
Follow Colonel Wolfe Brady once more as he tackles the troubles of the late 21st century. And this time, there are even more fears and dangers to be faced when hackers break into the system and cause chaos. It will take all of Wolfe Brady’s skill to cope…
Commando 5945 (For Action and Adventure): Viking Challenge
Story: Ian Clark | Internal and Cover Art: Carlos Pino
First published 1994 as No. 2754
Another challenge to be tackled, another problem defused. For Colonel Wolfe Brady, Britain’s most experienced G-Tex, it was another mission to be treated with respect and handled with all his skill.
For his opponent, it was more than that. Lieutenant Tavis Magee had clashed with Wolfe before and lost. Now here was his best chance to win – and he wasn’t about to mess it up…
Commando 5946 (Silver): Rogue Challenge
Story: Mike Knowles | Internal Art: Garijo | Cover Art: Ian Kennedy
First published 1994 as No. 2746
Warriors battle in time once again, as an evil genius brings a new and horrifying element to the G-Tex’s world of computer war games.
• Commando Comics is online at commandocomics.com | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Commando Comics on AmazonUK | Commando Comics on Magzter
• If there’s a past Commando comic you would like to see reprinted, contact the team via generalenquiries@commandomag.com
Commando Comics 5943 – 5946 Cover Gallery
• Commando Comics is online at commandocomics.com | DC Thomson – Subscriptions | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Commando Comics on AmazonUK | Commando Comics on Magzter
Head downthetubes for…
• downthetubes: In Memoriam: Ricardo Garijo, Commando Artist
• downthetubes: Ricardo Garijo: The Commando List
• downthetubes: In Memoriam: Phil Gascoine
• downthetubes: omics Artist Phil Gascoine: Tributes Pour In
The Commando “G-Tex” Stories
Here’s a quick guide to the G-Tex stories that ran in Commando through 1994 and into 1995…
Commando 2725: Gladiator Challenge
First Published – January 1994
Writer: Mike Knowles | Artist: Phil Gascoine | Cover Artist: Ian Kennedy
See synopsis above
Commando 2738: Roman Challenge
First Published – February 1994
Writer: Mike Knowles | Artist: Manuel Benet | Cover Artist: Manuel Benet
See synopsis above
Commando 2746: Rogue Challenge
First Published – March 1994
Writer: Ian Clark | Artist: Carlos Pino | Cover Artist: Carlos Pino
See synopsis above
Commando 2754: Viking Challenge
First Published – April 1994
Writer: Mike Knowles | Artist: Ricardo Garijo | Cover Artist: Ian Kennedy
See synopsis above
Commando 2759: The Real War
First Published – May 1994
Writer: Ian Clark | Artist: Janek Matysiak | Cover Artist: Ian Kennedy
When the G-Tex Challenges swapped electronic battles for real warfare, everyone was happy – everyone except some of those who lost the games. Now one such bunch of fanatics had decided to go back to the old ways . . .
Commando 2768: Nightmare
First Published – June 1994
Writer: Mike Knowles | Artist: Manuel Benet | Cover Artist: Manuel Benet
As a G-Tex, Andy Rhodes had fought them all, from Union soldiers in the American Civil War to alien monsters on distant planets. Now he was battling with them yet again, but this time it was all in his mind…
Commando 2774: Space War
First Published – July 1994 (reprinted as Commando 4376 in March 2011)
Writer: Ian Clark | Artist: Ricardo Garijo | Cover Artist: Ian Kennedy
A battle in outer space tests G-Tex Wolf Brady to the limit – especially when a ruthless computer hacker makes this latest challenge even more dangerous!
Commando 2777: Terror Challenge
First Published – July 1994
Writer: Ian Clark | Artist: Manuel Benet | Cover Artist: Carlos Pino
When G-Tex John Spiers is forced to fight underground in this latest, daunting challenge, he not only has to overcome his opponents but his own paralysing fear of being buried alive!
Commando 2781: Samurai Challenge
First Published – August 1994
Writer: Mike Knowles | Artist: Carlos Pino | Cover Artist: Carlos Pino
Wolfe Brady steps into the criminal world of illegal challenge games . . . where the price of defeat is death!
Commando 2790: Axel’s Challenge
First Published – September 1994
Writer: Mike Knowles | Artist: Ricardo Garijo | Cover Artist: Ian Kennedy
Wolfe Brady faces his toughest trial yet from a man who has sworn to kill him in real life!
Commando 2797: Gangster Challenge
First Published – October 1994
Writer: Ian Clark | Artist: Carlos Pino | Cover Artist: Carlos Pino
Another challenge, another enemy – but this time Wolfe Brady and the British G-Tex team are up against a mob of vicious gangsters who obey not one of the rules ever written down.
Yes, Wolfe has faced many tough opponents before, but these crooks are in a class of their own – and becoming more dangerous by the second . . .<
Commando 2808: The Satan Challenge
First Published – November 1994
Writer: Mike Knowles | Artist: Ricardo Garijo | Cover Artist: Ian Kennedy
The ultimate villain is generated within the G-Tex training computer system, testing Colonel Wolfe Brady to the full in a simulated combat. But that’s not the end – then comes a real life-or-death battle with a satanic being of pure evil.
Commando 2837: Wolfe’s Challenge
First Published – March 1995
Writer: Information Welcome | Artist: Ricardo Garijo | Cover Artist: Ian Kennedy
Wolfe Brady tackles his greatest challenge against a man who has just beaten him – and handicapped by a partner who has already let him down badly…
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
2000AD extends supermarket distribution to ASDA 
EXCLUSIVE Trigan Empire Sneak Peek: Michael Carroll teases Rebellion’s new graphic novel! 
Mega Thrills from 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine, out now, offering Kung Fu and Dinosaur action! 
Air war rules new Commando comics, out today
Leave a Reply