Episode IV : “No cure for Kansyr”, part one
First print date: June 17 1978
Prog appearance: Starlord Issue 6
Writer(s): John Wagner
Artist(s): Carlos Ezquerra
Total episodes: 2
On a lonely planet called Metastis in the far-flung system of Pol, where criminals believe themselves safe from the law due to the planet's tough reputation, Johnny Alpha and Wulf fear not to tread. They have come here seeking a man called Kansyr, the boss of this lawless planet, and for Johnny, though a
bona fide commission, it's also personal. Seven years ago Kansyr killed Johnny's then-partner, Sniffer Martinez, and the bounty hunter has a score to settle with him. He relates to Wulf, as they wait to take the criminal in, the story of how Kansyr tricked he and his partner with a holographic image created by the technology he had stolen, and was being hunted for, getting the drop on Martinez and shooting him dead.
Just then, Wulf does something very strange: he tells Johnny he does not believe him, that he is the quarry they seek, and begins shooting at him! As Johnny dives for cover, Wulf's form shimmers and in its place is a large alien being...
Quotes
Johnny: “In person, friend: this Strontium Dog's come to call!”
Wulf: “You're pretty good at singing songs about us: now back it up vith action!”
Johnny: “Seven years ago, before Kansyr even had a price on his head, I used to work with another S/D agent: a man called Sniffer Martinez. It was on the planet Laz. Kansyr was a native of the cold western regions, a young west-Laz punk just starting out on the road to crime. He'd stolen a mind weapon from a research lab --- a device called the “Halugin” --- and we'd been hired to get it back.”
Johnny: “I should have known better than to trust the Laz authorities. They didn't reckon killing a Strontium Dog was much of a crime. They let him off with a fine. And now he's one of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy, and one of the most dangerous.”
The Powers that Be
Johnny again uses his uncanny alpha vision to see inside the head of the guy he grabs at the saloon and verify that he does indeed know where Kansyr is, even though he professes to know nothing. He knows then that this man will carry his message to the perp.
Show no mercy?
It seems unlikely that Alpha will be lenient this time as he is personally invested in this job. Of course, he is a professional, and if the warrant specifies that Kansyr be brought back alive, Johnny will forego his own revenge in order to bring the bounty in.
Famous firsts
Sort of. This is the first time we hear Alpha use the phrase “My dok!” so it's likely to get used across the
2000AD universe, not just in Judge Dredd.