2000 AD #216
2000 AD Prog 216 occupies a precise hinge point in the comic's early 1980s expansion: its back cover carries the first public teaser for Rogue Trooper — a Dave Gibbons house-ad poster previewing the blue-skinned genetic infantryman before his full debut twelve issues later in Prog 228. The issue simultaneously continues the 'Portrait of a Mutant' origin epic for Johnny Alpha and Middenface McNulty, a multi-part story that gave Strontium Dog its deepest roots in the social allegory of mutant persecution. Together, these elements make Prog 216 a tangible marker of the moment 2000 AD was consciously building toward one of its most enduring line-ups.
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Prog 216 was published on 13 June 1981 by Fleetway, the IPC comics subsidiary responsible for distributing 2000 AD at the time, under editor Steve MacManus. The Rogue Trooper teaser on the back cover was drawn by Dave Gibbons, who had co-developed the character alongside writer Gerry Finley-Day and MacManus himself after a reader poll showed strong appetite for future-war stories — making the poster both a creative announcement and an editorial signal that a major new strip was imminent. The 'Portrait of a Mutant' story running inside was written by Alan Grant with art by Carlos Ezquerra, deepening the Strontium Dog mythology in a way that would anchor the series for decades.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published 13 June 1981 by Fleetway/IPC, priced 15p in the UK.
- The back cover features the first public preview of Rogue Trooper: a promotional poster drawn by Dave Gibbons announcing the strip as 'coming soon' — a full twelve progs before Rogue Trooper's first story appearance in Prog 228.
- Contains 'Strontium Dog: Portrait of a Mutant' Part 14 — written by Alan Grant with art by Carlos Ezquerra — part of the 1981 origin arc (Progs 200–221) that introduced Johnny Alpha's backstory and Middenface McNulty to the series.
- Middenface McNulty (Archibald McNulty), the Scottish mutant rebel and future Johnny Alpha ally, appears in this issue as part of the ongoing 'Portrait of a Mutant' arc in which he serves as a general of the mutant uprising against Nelson Bunker Kreelman's forces.
- The Judge Dredd strip in this issue is 'The Mega-Rackets Crime File: 5 – The Psycos!' written by John Wagner with art by Barrie Mitchell.
- Also contains 'Meltdown Man' by Alan Hebden and Massimo Belardinelli, 'Return to Armageddon' by Malcolm Shaw and Jesús Redondo, and a Tharg's Future Shocks short by Peter Milligan and Brett Ewins.
- The cover is by Brian Bolland, who was one of the defining artists of Judge Dredd's early years.
- Rogue Trooper was devised by writer Gerry Finley-Day, artist Dave Gibbons, and editor Steve MacManus following a readers' poll that identified future-war stories as a popular topic; it would go on to become one of 2000 AD's longest-running series.
Cast · 4 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Promo for upcoming Rogue Trooper stories.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).