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Action Force(comic strip)

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"Action Force"
Eagle ofAction Force's SAS Force battling Red Shadows on the cover ofBattle Action Force,dated 7 July 1984. Art byRon Turner.
PublisherIPC Magazines
Publication date4 June1983– 29 November1986
Genre
Title(s)Battle/Battle Action Force
4 to 25 June 1983
8 October 1983 to 29 November 1986
Main character(s)Action Force
Red Shadows
Cobra
Creative team
Writer(s)Gerry Finley-Day
Frank Noble
Ken Noble
Scott Goodall
James Nicholas
P. Rudge
Peter Milligan
Alan McKenzie
Artist(s)Jim Watson
Vanyo
Geoff Campion
Ron Turner
Cam Kennedy
James Bleach
John Cooper
Josep Gual
Tony Coleman
Manuel Carmona
Enrique Badía Romero
Editor(s)Terry Magee
Richard Burton

Action Forceis aBritish comicwarstory published in the weekly anthologyBattlefrom 8 October 1983 to 29 November 1986 byIPC Magazines;for most of the period the comic was retitledBattle Action Force.The story is based on thetoyline of the same nameproduced byPalitoy,and portrayed multinational Europe-based anti-terrorist military organisation Action Force's attempts to thwart the ambitions of the Red Shadows and – later –Cobra."Action Force" ended when the toyline's new ownersHasbrodiscontinued the licence with IPC in favour of a dedicated title produced byMarvel UK.

Creation

[edit]

WhileBattlewas still among IPC's best-selling comics in the early 1980s, sales of weekly titles on the whole were sliding. In response, editor Terry Magee and group editorBarrie Tomlinsonrelaxed the title's all-war format in favour of allowing stories less anchored in realism. However, this was only a partial success and from 1981 the comic's budget was such that it had to begin reprinting older stories.[1]

MeanwhileCoalville-based toy companyPalitoyhad been producingAction Mansince 1966, initially as a licensed version of American companyHasbro'sG.I. Joe.Action Manhad gone on to become something of a cultural icon in Britain,[2]but like boys' comics the market was in decline due to the relatively high price of the 12 "1⁄6-scale figure and its accessories.[3]Since 1977, the 3¾ "toys based on theStar Warshad been a smash success, and showed the size of the market for vast numbers of cheap action figures based on a franchise.[4][5]As British distributor ofStar Warsfigures, Palitoy had first-hand experience and createdAction Forcein 1982 – effectively a range of 3¾ "Action Manfigures, albeit with non-removable sculpted uniforms. Priced at £1.50 – closer to the pocket money of the average British child – sales were strong.[6]

The initial batch of figures had largely been modelled on real-life soldiers, much like the uniforms ofAction Man.However, for the second year of the line Palitoy decided to push the series in a more fantastical direction, devising the idea of Action Force being a European taskforce facing off on the conquest-hungry Baron Ironblood and his Red Shadows minions as a unifying fiction.[3][7]As part of the line's promotional push they contacted IPC, paying them for a four-week strip inBattle,written byGerry Finley-Daywith art fromJim Watsonand based on the toyline's background information. The result was viewed as a success, and Palitoy asked IPC to produce a series of five promotional mini-comics, which were given away as a free gift with the publisher's boys comics (Tiger,BattleandEagle) weekly between 16 July and 10 September 1983.[1][3]

Publishing history

[edit]

Again the experiment was well-received and Palitoy offered to underwrite a regular "Action Force" strip inBattle.From the 8 October 1983 edition the comic was retitledBattle Action Forceand featured three "Action Force" strips. Due to the toyline splitting up the Action Force organisation into four branches – Z-Force, SAS Force, Q-Force and Space Force – the comic was able to rotate the focus of the strips, allowing the creative teams for each concurrent serial to not worry overly about what others were doing. The third strip in each episode would focus on a particular member of Action Force; another device was flashbackorigin storiesfor the characters. Palitoy underwrote the costs of the "Action Force" material, effectively halvingBattle's production costs, while also opening it up to a younger audience.[1]

Despite this steady source of funding, the strips were not entirely popular with the IPC staff. Tomlinson would later bemoan the slow process of getting Palitoy – who he described "weren't really comic people" to approve the art and scripts while keeping to the rigid weekly schedule. Finley-Day felt there was some flexibility, but artistJohn Cooperwas less than impressed after being taken off "Johnny Red"to draw some of the strips, later recalling" I thought it was rubbish... I thought then, 'It's going downhill, this comic' "and particularly disliking Ironblood.[1]

The strips did at least allow the title's falling sales to level out, and in addition to paying for the strips Palitoy would fund a number of circulation-boosting free gifts based on the toyline – arguably reaching its apex when the 14 July 1984 edition featured a cover-mountedAction Forcefigure, sold in shops for £1.50, with the 24p comic.[8]

However, in 1985 Palitoy took the cheaper route of simply importing figures from Hasbro's own 3¾ "toyline,G.I. Joe: A Real American Heroand simply altering some elements of their toy biographies to make them fit in with the European-themedAction Force.This not only meant an influx of characters for the comic but also the outright replacement of the Red Shadows as villains by Cobra. Finley-Day was left with the unenviable job of trying to cope with the overnight change in the strip, coming up with the concept of Ironblood betraying the Red Shadows and taking on the identity ofCobra Commanderto raise a new army. While older characters would continue to appear in strips, they were generally only featured in secondary roles.[9]

A more serious blow came when Palitoy's ownersGeneral Millsdecided to sell its interests in the toy industry. Hasbro purchased the company, and while Action Force continued as an imported version ofG.I. Joethey moved to swiftly end the agreement with IPC. The American company had experienced considerable success producing a comic based on theTransformerstoyline withMarvel UK,and were keen to see if the process could be repeated withAction Force.[1]The final episodes of "Action Force" were printed inBattle Action Forcein November 1986, after which Marvel would reboot the series with a premise much closer to the AmericanG.I. Joemythos.[9]

ForBattleitself, the loss of "Action Force" was a serious body-blow. Not only did the comic lose half its funding but it suddenly had to fill the gap with new content. As such, Tomlinson and editorRichard Burtonhurriedly came up with the copycat concept ofStorm Force,which became one of the few new stories produced alongside an increasing number of reprints. A second attempt at a licensed strip, based on Acamas'X-Changersline, was unsuccessful and in January 1988Battle Storm Forcewas merged withEagle.[1]

Plot summary

[edit]

The small volcanic island nation of Ascendancy is suddenly invaded by Baron Ironblood and the Red Shadows, who brutally take control. The Baron then contacts the United Nations, threatening to use a super-bomb to destroy the island unless he is given $400m in gold bars. Action Force are activated, and naval arm Q-Force are sent in to scout Ascendancy's coastline. Space Force then drops members of the covert SAS Force onto the island, who pave the way for a landing by infantry unit Z-Force. Ironblood attempts to use an android Muton to activate the bomb before it is frozen by Q-Force, and Ascendancy is freed. However, the Baron and his chief lieutenant the Black Major slip away on a hidden submarine.[10]Ironblood is able to raise a new army at a base in theAndesand attempted revenge by targeting all the leaders of all four branches of Action Force for assassination. The attacks are unsuccessful, and convince Action Force to begin an offensive campaign to bring the Red Shadows down.[11]

SAS Force led the effort, initiating Operation Bloodhound to locate Baron Ironblood's base. Despite several ambushes whittling down the unit, Eagle and his men were ultimately able to thwart an invasion of the Pacific seaboard, though the major Red Shadows once again eluded them.[12]Z-Force meanwhile find themselves trapped in the middle of a coup in the central African state of Duna, but under the command of Slip help stop Major Maddi and his Gibli insurgents from overrunning the country.[13]Baron Ironblood launched a counter-strike by attempting to incinerate SAS Force units searching thePampasfor his base, framing them as saboteurs causingwildfires.[14]The Red Shadows also targeted a Z-Force training exercise inNorway,hoping to capture a new experimental tank, but Steeler was able to prevent the theft.[15]

Leviathan's Q-Force investigated a number of disappearing warships in the South Atlantic, eventually defeating the Red Shadows behind it.[16]Disturbances in equatorial Africa saw Z-Force called in to investigate, leading to a confrontation with the Ironblood-backed Mamba cult.[17]SAS Force again clashed with the Baron when a section training in theAlpsstumbled across one of his bases at Castle Arlberg and were captured. The survivors were able to keep the Red Shadows busy until Z-Force reinforcements arrived.[18]The Red Laser then framed a detachment of Q-Force in the experimental Sea Lion submarine for a terrorist attack on Singapore, but they were able to avoid their pursuers long enough to clear their names.[19]The Red Shadows gained a victory when Action Force driver Anton Nobokov was severely injured, and agreed to undergo radical surgery at the hands of Ironblood to save his life. Renamed the Red Jackal, the highly enhanced driver worked with a cell of Turkish terrorists to wipe out diplomats at a conference in Istanbul in the Red Shadows' new Hyena tank.[20]

Ironblood made another attempt to wipe out SAS Force by sending a force to kill them while on an exercise in theScottish Highlands,taking over nearby towns under the guise of a historical re-enactment to cut them off. Despite heavy casualties the SAS Force team were eventually able to survive the manhunt and drive the Red Shadows off.[21]The Red Shadows were reinforced when they recovered an ancient sea creature called the Kraken, frozen at the North Pole. A section of the recovery team attempted to mutiny but were put down by the Black Major, and the creature was cloned to provide the Baron with an underwater army, which caused heavy SAS Force casualties.[22]After learning the Red Shadows were targeting a strategic Pacific atoll, Z-Force dug in to prevent its capture. Despite a gruelling siege led by the Black Major and the Red Laser, they were eventually able to drive off the invaders.[23]Baron Ironblood attempted to frame Space Force pilot Moondancer for the deaths of two cadets, forcing the pilot to go on the run. He and his team-mate Kiwi were able to uncover a plot to take over aNASAmission to theMoonas a bridgehead; they were able to defeat Red Shadow space pilot Red Wolf and restore Moondancer's reputation.[24]

After the Red Shadows undertook a coordinated campaign of terrorist actions, the United Nations passed a special resolution giving Action Force command of the world's military for a concerted campaign to wipe out Ironblood and his forces once and for all. Sensing defeat, Ironblood transmitted the location of numerous Red Shadow bases to the authorities and headed for a secret hideout unknown to his forces, which he left to be wiped out by Action Force. Instead he reinvented himself asCobra Commander,and began to set up a new network of terrorist forces. The vengeful Red Jackal pursues him but is captured, and further surgeries see him turned intoDestroand recruited to the newCobraorganisation. They recruit a new army of fanatics, including the ninja swordsmanStorm Shadow,Australian army deserterMajor Bluddand expert saboteurFirefly.In response to the increased activity of Cobra, American intelligence officer Major Flagg is charged with recruiting a new Action Force team to deal with the threat.[25]

Led in the field byTop sergeantDuke,new units underwent rapid training, though Cobra agents such asZartanattempted to disrupt the process.[26]Other Cobra recruits included Austrian aristocrat and anarchistBaroness[27]while the organisation also captured the plans for Action Force's Hawk helicopter, with Destro making a superior version called the F.A.N.G.[28]Despite these disruptions, the new Action Force team reached operational status, headquartered under theUnited Nations Secretariat Building,and began planning a trap for Cobra. However their plans were complicated by the return of the Red Shadows, with the Black Major having escaped and freed a large number of prisoners to gain revenge on both Action Force and Cobra, leading to a three-way conflict.[29]

Cobra attempted to steal a large quantity of gold bullion, flying it to a secret location inEgypt,and the new team were sent in to recover it. They were eventually able to recover it after a long battle with heavy casualties on both sides.[30]Action Force were next dispatched to theYangtzeat the request of the Chinese government in response to Cobra activity.Cutterand his unit were ultimately able to foil their attempts to poison the river.[31] The SAS Force meanwhile were called in to battle Cobra-backed insurgents in an Arabian state.[32]Action Force team-memberMuttmeanwhile prevented a Cobra assassination attempt against a deposed president under guard in Mexico.[33]

While both on separate training issues in a South American jungle, units of SAS Force and Cobra (led by Major Bludd and Baroness) were captured by hiddenSSholdouts – including the still-livingAdolf Hitler– which had linked up with the Red Shadows. The two groups were forced to work together to escape in a biref truce, and Eagle defeated Hitler in single combat.[34]Duke meanwhile led an expedition to the South Pole after Cobra attacked a survey party, eventually routing their forces.[35]Cobra continued to back insurgents, and an Action Force response team led byRoadblockfound the latest included the expert anti-armour specialistScrap-Iron.[36]Another series of attacks came in India; Z-Force were dispatched to investigate but soon found they had been infiltrated by Cobra agents. Skip and his men were eventually able to flush them out and counter the Cobra forces.[37]Another Cobra operative,Copperhead,attempted to kidnap the Action Force diverTorpedoinRotterdam,without success.[38]

Suspected Cobra meddling with the tribes inNew Guinea,Action Force membersStalkerandRecondowere dispatched to head up the investigation, but were ultimately defeated by an enemy force led by Zartan and Major Bludd.[39]More successful was a mission for polar specialistSnow Jobto recover a crashed SuperTornadojet after a crash in the Arctic by preventing Cobra Commander from reaching the crashed aircraft first.[40]Duke,Scarlettand Torpedo meanwhile were assigned to provide security for a royal visit to Italy. With help fromflamethroweroperativeBlowtorchthey were able to prevent Cobra assassinating their charges.[41]

The Red Shadows resurfaced once again under the command of the Black Major, attacking the South American country of Valdez; while Action Force were able to battle them the Major got away with much of the country's treasury.[42]Cobra meanwhile made a surprise mass assault on London, and were only forced out of the city by Action Force with considerable effort.[43]Less ambitious was Cobra's attempt to disrupt the production ofBattle Action Force,which Action Force soon put down.[44]The Black Major meanwhile reached out to Destro in the hopes of forming an alliance against Cobra Commander but was unable to sway him, though he did destroy a facility full of modified Cobra cadets.[45]

Cobra stepped up their campaign, using Zartan's shape-changing abilities to infiltrate the United Nations, attacking an Action Force investigation of the wreck of theTitanic,unleashing their new Raven fighter on Action Force'sSkystrikerjets, drawing forces in theFlorida swampsinto a trap, and attacking Space Force in orbit. Despite heavy losses, Action Force eventually prevailed against the coordinated assault.[46]

Characters

[edit]

Action Force

[edit]

Z-Force

[edit]

Action Force's main infantry force. Members include: –

  • Grant Campbell, codenamedSkip:a Scots playboy businessman who joined Action Force for thrills and rapidly impressed in training before advancing to commander of Z-Force.
  • Gianni Paulo Brazzi, codenamedBreaker:an obsessive Italian radio expert.
  • Sven Ingleson, codenamedDoc:a veteran Norwegian field medic.
  • Rico Gonzalles, codenamedGaucho:formerly a circus strongman until conscription into the Mexican military saw him discover a talent for engineering.
  • Calvin Mondale, codenamedJammer:UCLAgraduate and electronics warfare specialist.
  • Hedda Pulver, codenamedQuarrel:the daughter of a Swiss diplomat and now a Rapid Fire Motorcycle rider with excellent martial arts skills.
  • Wolfgang Dremmler, codenamedScout:anEast Germanminesweeper with experience in Soviet Tank Command.
  • Andreou Stakis, codenamedSteeler:Greekexpert tank driver.
  • Raoul Santilana, codenamedTracker:highly qualified field engineer fromMadrid.
  • Fritz Van Eyck, codenamedWheels:Dutch mechanical engineer and armoured car driver.

SAS Force

[edit]

Action Force's covert operations team. Members include: –

  • Richard Buckingham, codenamedEagle:son of an Englishearl,trained atSandhurstand commander of SAS Force.
  • Jean-Luc Bouvier, codenamedBarracuda:French champion swimmer and formerForeign Legionsoldier, and SAS Force's premier frogman.
  • Jacques-Peter Smith, codenamedBeaver:trained byCanadian Special Forcesand an expertkayaker.
  • Herbert J. Rotweiler, codenamedBlades:ace pilot from theAmerican mid-west,and lead pilot of the Hawk attack helicopter.
  • Pete Sanderson, codenamedChopper:a former Hollywood stunt flyer fromOklahomaand ace helicopter pilot.
  • Chico Rodrigues, codenamedHunter:a Mexican outlaw granted asylum by Action Force, and highly proficient at driving the Wolverine missile-tank.
  • Hans-Jorg Muller, codenamedQuickfire:a German former member ofGSG 9and expert in hand-to-hand combat, doubles as an instructor.
  • Pieter Van der Burgh, codenamedSparrowhawk:formerly a Belgian parachute display team member turned paratrooper.
  • Albert Jones, codenamedStakeout:a reformedarmed robberfromLiverpoolwho specialises in boat operations, and a loyal adjutant to Eagle, who was responsible for giving him a second chance.
  • Ragnar Ragnarsson, codenamedStalker:a quiet Icelandic rally champion turned SAS Panther driver.

Q-Force

[edit]

Action Force's naval component. Members include: –

  • Jamie Maclaren, codenamedLeviathan:formerly aRoyal Navycaptain fromGlasgow,an expert driver and commander of Q-Force.
  • Gareth Morgan, codenamedDolphin:a young naval submarine commander fromWales,and pilot of the Sealion.
  • Patrick O'Flaherty, codenamedPhones:Irish sonar expert and skilled survivalist who maintains a friendly rivalry with Z-Force's Breaker.
  • Jean-Paul Rives, codenamedShark:French former treasure hunter and current torpedo expert with a wilful streak.
  • Hoxworth Whipple, codenamedSurfer:a Hawaiian surfing champion turned Sea Skimmer pilot.

Space Force

[edit]

Action Force's orbital space unit. Members include: –

  • Chuck Connors, codenamedSkyraider:an American former astronaut who transferred to be an instructor at theEuropean Space Agencybefore becoming commander of Space Force.
  • Greg Taggart, codenamedBlast Off:formerRoyal Australian Air Forcepilot turned Space Force pilot viaNASA.
  • Lars Elsund, codenamedHawkwind:a Swedish NATO special operations soldier turned combat pilot.
  • Yuri Asimov, codenamedHot Jets:Cosmonaut with experience from an exchange with NASA, and considered Space Force's best pilot.
  • Scott Walters, codenamedKiwi:New Zealander fitted with a robotic hand after an accident on a rescue mission and an expert computer engineer.
  • Tariq El Shafig, codenamedMoondancer:Middle Eastern ex-jet pilot who flies Space Force's Triad Fighter.

Action Force

[edit]

A central multi-discipline team created by Major Flagg to meet the threat of Cobra.

Red Shadows

[edit]
  • Baron Ironblood:a revolutionary of uncertain South American origins, hellbent on world conquest.
  • Black Major:John Shepherd, formerly a marine commando member of Action Force before brainwashing who now acts as a central command figure for the Red Shadows' operations.
  • Red Vulture:a French getaway driver with impressive mechanical and weaponry skills who leads the Red Shadows' force of Shadowtrak armoured cars.
  • Red Laser:a former Japanese student of Laser Technology atTokyo Universityturned terrorist, who develops the powerful Laser Exterminator cannon for the Red Shadows.
  • Red Jackal:Latvian Anton Nokobov suffers huge injuries in a car crash; medics believed he would be permanently disfigured but Ironblood provided him with mechanical replacements. In return he leads the Red Shadows' Red Jackal heavy tanks.
  • Red Wolf:a former NASA astronaut and friend of Space Force's Moondancer before corruption charges saw him coerced into piloting the sinister Roboskull space-fighter for Ironblood. Later joined Cobra.
  • Red Shadows:huge numbers of drop-outs tempted by promises of riches and power before subsequently being brainwashed by Baron Ironblood, making them fanatics without restraint who will not hesitate to sacrifice themselves on his order.
  • Mutons:strong, near-indestructible robots devised by Ironblood.
  • Kraken:an ancient amphibian biped found frozen at the North Pole, cloned by Ironblood as an army of marines.

Cobra

[edit]
  • Cobra Commander:leader of Cobra and the new identity of Baron Ironblood.
  • Baroness:an Austrian heiress turned terrorist.
  • Copper Head:mercenary boat pilot, widely believed to be a formerspeedboatracing champion.
  • Destro:a high-ranking Cobra officer, and the new identity of the Red Jackal.
  • Firefly:a Cobra-allied mercenary and explosives expert of unknown origins.
  • Major Bludd:a deserter from the Australian armed forces.
  • Scrap Iron:a Peruvian anti-tank specialist.
  • Storm Shadow:aninjaassassin fromOsaka.
  • Zartan:a spy with the ability to change his face instantly.

Legacy

[edit]

The Red Shadows were used byDevil's Due Publishingfor their licensedG.I. Joecomic book series in 2005, though the organisation was substantially different to that featured inBattle Action Force.In 2010, Action Force and the Red Shadows were used as the theme for afan conventionset of toys.IDW Publishingalso used the group in their ownG.I. Joecomic series from 2013.[47][better source needed]

Since 2016, copyright to the stories printed inBattle Action Forcehas been jointly owned byRebellion Developmentsand Hasbro.[6]

Reception

[edit]

Despite retaining a cult following, retrospective reviews of "Action Force" have been mixed.Pat Mills,co-creator ofBattleand writer of "Charley's War"(which ran alongside" Action Force "for much of its run) felt the stories badly affected the comic's maturity, recalling that"Battlelost its edge... I cringe with embarrassment at some of the later stories ".[1]Steve Earles ofThe Quietuswas even more scathing during an overview ofBattle's history, feeling "it undid all the hard work thus far" and objecting to creators, "some of whom had actually been in the army, trying to breath life into stories based on moulded plastic".[48]

Luke Williams was more sympathetic in a piece for Down The Tubes, feeling it was an important gateway into comics for younger fans and speculated that without it "the title may never have lasted long enough to have published the final Pat Mills 'Charley's War' episodes".[3]Writing forBleeding Cool,Patrick Lennon defended the fiction as being superior toG.I. Joe.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefgBishop, David(18 November 2003). "Apocalypse Now".Judge Dredd Megazine.No. 212.Rebellion Developments.
  2. ^TV Cream: The Ultimate Guide to 70s and 80s Pop Culture.Ebury. 30 August 2023.ISBN9780753510803.
  3. ^abcd"Looking back at Battle Action Force".18 September 2018.
  4. ^Action Figures: From Action Man to Zelda.The Crowood Press. 24 February 2020.ISBN9781785006883.
  5. ^The Star Wars Phenomenon in Britain: The Blockbuster Impact and the Galaxy of Merchandise, 1977-1983.McFarland. 8 March 2018.ISBN9781476628509.
  6. ^abc"Celebrating the Legacy of Action Force on Kickstarter".8 May 2021.
  7. ^"YOJOE.COM | Action Force".yojoe.
  8. ^"Starlogged – Geek Media Again: 1984: Action Force Figure Free Gift (Ipc)".28 February 2013.
  9. ^ab"YOJOE.COM G.I. Joe International Comic Book Section – BAF".yojoe.
  10. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Jim Watson(a). "Action Force"Battle(4 to 25 June 1983).IPC Magazines.
  11. ^Action Force Mini-Comic,no. 1–5 (16 July to 10 September 1983).IPC Magazines.
  12. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Geoff Campion,Cam Kennedy(a). "Operation Bloodhound"Battle Action Force(8 October 1983 to 23 June 1984).IPC Magazines.
  13. ^Frank Noble (w),Vanyo(a). "Desert Strike"Battle Action Force(8 October 1983 to 30 June 1984).IPC Magazines.
  14. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w), Jim Bleach,Geoff Campion(a). "Attack!"Battle Action Force(3 December 1983 to 14 January 1984).IPC Magazines.
  15. ^James Nicholas (w),Jim Watson(a). "Tank Hunt"Battle Action Force(17 December 1983 to 7 January 1984).IPC Magazines.
  16. ^James Nicholas (w),Ron Turner(a). "Sea Fury"Battle Action Force(17 December 1983 to 7 January 1984).IPC Magazines.
  17. ^Frank Noble,Gerry Finley-Day(w),Vanyo(a). "Jungle Terror"Battle Action Force(30 June to 1 September 1984).IPC Magazines.
  18. ^James Nicholas (w),Ron Turner(a). "Death Castle"Battle Action Force(30 June to 4 August 1984).IPC Magazines.
  19. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Geoff Campion(a). "Operation Sealion"Battle Action Force(11 August to 8 September 1984).IPC Magazines.
  20. ^Gerry Finley-Day,Ken Owen (w), Tony Coleman (a). "Red Jackal"Battle Action Force(15 September to 6 October 1984).IPC Magazines.
  21. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Jim Watson(a). "Operation Claymore"Battle Action Force(13 October 1984 to 12 January 1985).IPC Magazines.
  22. ^Jams Nicholas (w),Jim Watson(a). "Codename Kraken"Battle Action Force(13 October to 1 December 1984).IPC Magazines.
  23. ^Frank Noble (w),Vanyo(a). "Assault on Atoll-Z"Battle Action Force(13 October 1984 to 5 January 1985).IPC Magazines.
  24. ^Scott Goodall(w),Geoff Campion(a). "Codename Moondancer"Battle Action Force(8 December 1984 to 26 January 1985).IPC Magazines.
  25. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Jim Watson(a). "World Enemy No 1"Battle Action Force(19 January to 2 March 1985).IPC Magazines.
  26. ^James Nicholas (w),Jim Watson(a). "Operation Snakebite"Battle Action Force(9 March to 20 April 1985).IPC Magazines.
  27. ^James Nicholas (w),Vanyo(a). "The Baroness"Battle Action Force(9 March to 13 April 1985).IPC Magazines.
  28. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Geoff Campion(a). "Death of the Hawk"Battle Action Force(6 April 1985).IPC Magazines.
  29. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Jim Watson(a). "Revenge of the Red Shadows"Battle Action Force(27 April to 18 May 1985).IPC Magazines.
  30. ^James Nicholas (w),Vanyo(a). "The Great Cobra Robbery"Battle Action Force(25 May to 29 June 1985).IPC Magazines.
  31. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Geoff Campion(a). "River of Serpents"Battle Action Force(1 June to 6 July 1985).IPC Magazines.
  32. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),John Cooper(a). "Operation Stubborn"Battle Action Force(6 July to 10 August 1985).IPC Magazines.
  33. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),John Cooper(a). "The Hacienda Hit"Battle Action Force(13 July to 10 August 1985).IPC Magazines.
  34. ^James Nicholas (w),John Cooper(a). "Death in South America"Battle Action Force(6 July to 10 August 1985).IPC Magazines.
  35. ^P. Rudge (w), James Bleach (a). "The Great Cobra Robbery"Battle Action Force(17 August to 21 September 1985).IPC Magazines.
  36. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Geoff Campion(a). "Codename: The Scrapyard"Battle Action Force(28 September to 26 October 1985).IPC Magazines.
  37. ^James Nicholas (w),John Cooper(a). "Venom of Cobra"Battle Action Force(6 July to 10 August 1985).IPC Magazines.
  38. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),Jim Watson(a). "Target: Torpedo"Battle Action Force(9 November to 7 December 1985).IPC Magazines.
  39. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),John Cooper(a). "Jungle of Doom"Battle Action Force(6 July to 10 August 1985).IPC Magazines.
  40. ^James Nicholas (w),Vanyo(a). "Snow Job"Battle Action Force(14 December 1985 to 18 January 1986).IPC Magazines.
  41. ^Gerry Finley-Day(w),John Cooper(a). "Operation Shield"Battle Action Force(18 January to 15 February 1986).IPC Magazines.
  42. ^James Nicholas (w),Vanyo(a). "The Great Cobra Robbery"Battle Action Force(22 February 1986).IPC Magazines.
  43. ^James Nicholas (w),Vanyo(a). "London in Peril"Battle Action Force(22 February 1986).IPC Magazines.
  44. ^James Nicholas (w), Manuel Carmona (a). "The Ultimate Crime"Battle Action Force(11 to 17 May 1986).IPC Magazines.
  45. ^James Nicholas (w),Vanyo(a). "School for Snakes"Battle Action Force(21 June to 26 July 1986).IPC Magazines.
  46. ^James Nicholas (w),John Cooper(a). "London in Peril"Battle Action Force(21 June to 29 November 1986).IPC Magazines.
  47. ^"The Red Shadows – A Forgotten Enemy".CBSI Comics.27 January 2019.
  48. ^"The Quietus | Features | Tome on the Range | Veterans of the Trenches: A Look Back at Battle Comic".20 January 2013.