Colonel Zodiac Disappears (comic story)

Colonel Zodiac Disappears was a Fireball XL5 comic printed in TV Century 21 in 1965. It was the fourth instalment of a multi-series crossover "Space War" story arc in the pages of TV21, which focused on a war between 2060s humanity and the inhabitants of the planet Astra, first mentioned in The Rescue. Colonel Zodiac Disappears was the first story to have Astra as its primary setting, introducing Kapland, the Astran Empire's capital city.

Summary
Having located the Fireball XL5 heading towards Astra, the Kapt of the Astran space fleet orders that Chasers 1 and 3 be fired. Realising that any attempt to escape the fleet is doomed, Zodiac tells Robert to cut the engines and then sends our a surrender signal.

Taken aboard the Astran flagship, Zodiac is told by the Kapt that the Kapt would be within their right to put him to death for crossing Astran territory in a time of war. Zodiac acknowledges his fault but tells him that he has vital information which, if he is allowed to bring to the Kaplan, may put an end to the war. The Kapt agrees to let the Kaplan decide Zodiac's fate, and the fleet returns to Kapland, the capital city of Astra.

Under "heavy escort," Zodiac is taken directly to the centre of the huge building in the middle of the city, where he is told that the Kaplan Minus is already waiting for him. Ushered into a huge throne room, Zodiac meets the Kaplan Minus, a green Astran whose hover-disc is thrice as large as normal Astrans' and covered with a huge golden ruff. The Minus dismisses the two guards and then asks Zodiac if he has come bringing peace terms. When he confirms the Minus's suspicion, they decry him as "a fool" and blast him with a painful green ray they are apparently ever to produce at will.

However, the Minus's summary execution of Zodiac is interrupted by the actual Kaplan, an orange Astran on a purple disc adorned with golden patterns. Zodiac is taken to the Kaplan's room, where he quickly recovers and explains his mission to the Kaplan. The Astran leader soon accepts the President's invitation to come meet him to discuss and sign a peace treaty.

At the same time as the news of the Kaplan's impending visit reach Earth, however, an unseen voice over a videophone declares that "…the Kaplan must die!".

Characters

 * Steve Zodiac
 * Robert the Robot
 * Kapt
 * Kaplan Minus
 * Kaplan

Worldbuilding

 * The Kapt says they will let their Kaplan decide Zodiac's fate because they are "an astronaut, not a politician".
 * The hovering discs used by Astrans for transportation are shown to also be usable by humans.
 * The imminent state visit of the Kaplan to Earth is reported upon in an issue of Unity City News.

Story notes
to be added

Continuity

 * Steve Zodiac has been sent to Astra on a diplomatic mission. (COMIC: President Offers Peace...)