Prog 2 - MACH 1

We start where we left off last episode with a nice recap.

The art for this installment is by the talented Ian Kennedy. I like Kennedy's artwork but it looks a bit out of place in a comic book like 2000ad. His artwork seems more suitable for romance/war comics (Commando, Victor). But is probably best known for his work on the 80's revamp of Dan Dare. Below is a Ian Kennedy center spread from one of the 80's Eagle issues...
Notice the name of the writers...yep!..that's Pat Mills and John Wagner!

The only other strip I can remember Ian Kenndey drawing for 2000ad was a couple of Dredd strips around the 400's. And again it seemed not to fit. Now, back to MACH 1...

The strip opens up with MACH 1 having hallucinations while he tries to get to grip with controlling a bomber. Then we have a flashback to the events leading up to that moment.

MACH 1 boss, Sharpe, informs Probe that they can't shoot the bomber down because of all the nerve gas on board. Probe offers another solution.

And the solution is...

Take an RAF Nimrod...catch up to the Vulcan...jump out of the Nimrod...land on the Vulcan...tear your way into the plane and kill all the terrorists!

And Probe does just that!

After he rips his way on board...
he smashes open one of the terrorists skulls....
throws another out of the plane...
punches the last terrorist in the face causing instant death whilst...
suffering hallucinations by a leak in one of the nerve gas canisters...he safely makes an emergency landing and gets a debriefing by Sharpe!

See! Nice and easy!