ERIC (NOEL) HEBDEN
COMMANDO TITLES
Created: March 24th, 2020
Updated: February 24th, 2025
Eric Noel Hebden was born in Keighley, Yorkshire, on 25th December 1910.
He won a scholarship to Keighley Grammar School, before the family moved to Clowne,
Derbyshire, during his teens. He joined the Royal Artillery at the age of 18
and was posted to Hong Kong. After five years there in 1937 or '38, the troop
ship taking him, and his regiment home put in at Gibraltar.
It was in Gibraltar he met Mercedes Andrew,
whom he married in 1940. She was evacuated with the rest of the civilian
population, and gave birth to their first child, Susan, in 1941. Eric gained a
commission and was promoted to Captain, commanding a coastal anti-aircraft
battery using radar. He later served in the far east, including India, Burma
and Indonesia, and after the Japanese surrender, by now a Major, he sat on the
War Crimes Commission in Singapore. Mercedes and Susan joined him there in
1947. The family returned to England in 1949, settling in Bristol, where their
second child, Alan, was born in 1950. Eric was to take up a
posting in Japan, but Alan needed an operation on a club foot, so he stayed in
Bristol.
He retired from the army after 25 years'
service. He had long written as a hobby, including poetry and army revues, and
while working for the Civil Service at an army depot in Shropshire he entered a
competition to write a romance comic strip. He didn't win, but he did get work
out of it, writing for various romance titles, including photo-strips. Later he
found a niche in war comics, writing for Commando, Battle Picture Library and
Lion in the 1960s, and Battle Picture Weekly (for which he also acted as technical
adviser), including “Day of the Eagle”, "The Fortrose Falcon" and
"Iron Cross of Courage", in the 1970s.
Eric wrote over 130 scripts for Commando.
His son Alan followed in his footsteps as a writer for Commando and other
publications.
During the 60s he was appointed Executive
Officer at the National Army Museum and when the Museum moved to London in
1971, he took early retirement.
Eric moved into a retirement home for
ex-servicemen in Bexhill. He died there in 1989.
Vic Whittle March 2020
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ERIC
(NOEL) HEBDEN Author for Commando
Comics 1961 -
1976 |
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#3 A GUY NEED GUTS Eric’s title: A Guy Needs Guts July 1961 |
#1032 ESCAPE – OR DIE! Eric’s title: Escape to Die Late May 1976 |
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SOME OF ERIC’S COMMANDO STORY SCRIPTS |
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68 SPEARHEAD Eric’s title: The Line-Shooter Early May 1963 |
152 SKY BLITZ Eric’s title: The Old Glory Early February 1965 |
300 BORN TO FIGHT Eric’s title: The Cracking Point Early December 1967 |
498 Z SQUAD Eric’s title: The Zodiac Squad Early September 1970 |
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622 OPERATION S.O.L.O. Eric’s title: Lost in Limbo Early February 1972 |
702 VALLEY OF THE LOST Eric’s title: The Camel Gunners Early December 1972 |
840 HARD-LUCK HERO Eric’s title: Johnny Jinx Late May 1974 |
1019 JOHNNY THE JINX Eric’s title: The Luck of the Game Early April 1976 |
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Following is a list of titles attributed to
Eric Hebden. Original titles in blue. Reprinted titles in
yellow. |
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3 A GUY NEEDS GUTS |
848 HONOUR AMONG
HEROES |
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8 RED RUNS THE
RIVER |
856 ALWAYS PAY YOUR
DEBTS |
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11 CLOSER THAN
BROTHERS |
857 THE LUCK OF THE
LOGANS |
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17 THE KNIFER |
859 CODEWORD -
"TORCH" |
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19 THE DEATH
DEALERS |
863 SPACE PILOT |
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23 HILL 13 |
872 PATROL OF THE
LOST |
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25 TAKE NO
PRISONERS! |
884 SECRET MISSION |
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30 ISLAND OF GHOSTS |
888 THE FIGHTING
FOOLS |
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32 GLIDER PILOT |
893 FULL FATHOM
FIVE... |
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39 DIGGERS DIE HARD |
901 A DEBT OF
HONOUR |
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40 LONE WOLF |
909 U-BOAT HERO |
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44 KILLER SHIP |
915 BLOOD OF HEROES |
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45 FOG OF DOOM |
920 PROJECT
"DOOMSDAY" |
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51 DEATH HUNT |
925 REDCAP RAT |
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57 TARGET FOR
TONIGHT |
929 ONE MAN'S WAR |
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58 TATTOOED HERO |
942 THE
KILLING-GROUND |
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67 HOUNDS OF WAR |
956 NEVER SURRENDER |
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68 SPEARHEAD! |
959 McGINTY'S MOB |
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72 SNIPER'S ISLAND |
978 RIDERS OF
TERROR |
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84 HERO FROM
HOLLYWOOD |
990 ROGUE SUB |
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86 SOLO SMITH |
1009 TO FREEDOM |
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89 SPY IN
BATTLE-DRESS |
1019 JOHNNY THE JINX |
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92 BIG GUY |
1032 ESCAPE - OR
DIE! |
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97 MOUNTAIN GUN |
1047 CRACKSHOT |
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98 VALLEY OF SECRET
WEAPONS |
1079 HUNT THE KILLER |
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99 MISSION MOST
SECRET |
1131 BLADE OF HONOUR |
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113 FIGHTING BREED |
1287 STRIKE SWIFT -
STRIKE SURE |
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120 PORTRAIT OF
DEATH |
1403 Z SQUAD |
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121 KILLER GUN |
1419 DEAD-EYE
DONOVAN |
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126 DUEL IN THE
JUNGLE |
1459 DESERT FOX |
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137 SILVER BUGLE |
1476 JUNGLE DUEL |
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139 KILLER CREW |
1508 THE KILLING
SKULL |
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143 BLOOD BEACH |
1556 THE DEATH OR
GLORY MOB |
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152 SKY BLITZ |
1620 BLACK KNIGHT'S
OF WAR |
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158 ISLAND OF FEAR |
1627 NOOSE FOR A
HERO |
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161 BORN BRAVE |
1651 THE RIFLEMAN |
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175 SKY WARRIOR |
1676 THE PIRATES
FROM SUB 13 |
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177 THE FIGHTING
McTAGGART |
1747 FLASH-POINT! |
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181 RED BERET |
1764 LYNCH'S MOB |
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185 THE FOUR SCARS |
1771 OPERATION
S.O.L.O. |
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200 DESERT RAT |
1779 COMPANY OF
HEROES |
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204 YANKEE BUDDY |
1827 WHERE THE
ACTION IS! |
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214 ESCAPE TO
DANGER |
1876 VALLEY OF THE
LOST |
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215 DAWN DROP |
1900 THE WINNING
STREAK |
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217 SPACE PILOT |
1923 SON OF A
TRAITOR |
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220 CODEWORD -
"TORCH" |
1931 NO STOPPING
THEM! |
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228 TALONS OF WAR |
1939 THE BIG SNATCH |
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240 CROOKED CROSS |
1948 TRAIL OF THE
TIGER |
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254 MISSION MOST
DANGEROUS |
1956 BATTLE FOR
BURMA |
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259 BLOOD OF HEROES |
1964 WEEK-END
WARRIORS |
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270 RUNAWAY HERO |
2003 THE CIRCUS WENT
TO WAR |
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273 BLACK SCHNEIDER |
2012 PIRATE! |
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277 THE TRAP |
2020 THE MAN WHO
WOULD NOT KILL |
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279 McGINTY'S MOB |
2035 THE MAN WHO
DIED TWICE |
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300 BORN TO FIGHT |
2044 BIG GUN |
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301 JOHNNY THE JINX |
2051 ROAMING IN THE
GLOAMING |
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306 THE DEADLY MEN |
2099 FROM OUT OF THE
SEA... |
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310 HAND OF
VENGEANCE |
2124 SON OF THE
VIKING |
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326 LONE STAND |
2163 THE FIGHTING
FOOLS |
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338 THE WILD ONE |
2179 FULL FATHOM
FIVE... |
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340 CRACKSHOT |
2203 REDCAP RAT |
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341 THE LAST BULLET |
2211 U-BOAT HERO |
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356 HUNT THE KILLER |
2212 PROJECT
"DOOMSDAY" |
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357 TEST OF COURAGE |
2283 THE KILLING GROUND |
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359 TERROR SQUAD |
2308 RIDERS OF
TERROR |
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365 BLADE OF HONOUR |
2363 ESCAPE - OR
DIE! |
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441 STRIKE SWIFT -
STRIKE SURE |
2539 A GUY NEEDS
GUTS! |
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481 DEAD-EYE
DONOVAN |
2579 RED RUNS THE
RIVER |
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498 Z SQUAD |
4359 JOHNNY THE JINX |
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509 RAGS OF GLORY |
4365
CLOSER THAN BROTHERS |
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514 DESERT FOX |
4389 RED RUNS THE
RIVER |
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515 JUNGLE DUEL |
4433 BOSS OF THE
BARBARY APES |
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532 THE KILLING
SKULL |
4434 NEVER GIVE IN! |
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539 SNIPER'S ISLAND |
4437 A GUY NEEDS
GUTS |
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559 HERO FROM
HOLLYWOOD |
4448 THE FOUR SCARS |
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561 THE DEATH OR GLORY MOB |
4456 VALLEY OF
SECRET WEAPONS |
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563 SOLO SMITH |
4473 KILLER SHIP |
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566 BLACK KNIGHT'S
OF WAR |
4481 HILL 13 |
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568 BOSS OF THE
BARBARY APES |
4485 THE DEATH DEALERS |
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576 NOOSE FOR A
HERO |
4493 GLIDER PILOT |
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583 MOUNTAIN GUN |
4505 DIGGERS DIE HARD |
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591 VALLEY OF SECRET
WEAPONS |
4525 ISLAND OF GHOSTS |
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592 THE RIFLEMAN |
4529 TAKE NO PRISONERS! |
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596 THE PIRATES
FROM SUB 13 |
4557 FOG OF DOOM |
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610 COMPANY OF
HEROES |
4562 FROM OUT OF THE SEA... |
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622 OPERATION
S.O.L.O. |
4581 HERO FROM HOLLYWOOD |
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624 FLASH-POINT |
4593 MOUNTAIN GUN |
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630 NONE SO BRAVE |
4605 TARGET FOR TONIGHT |
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636 BIG JAKE |
4609 BIG GUY |
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645 LYNCH'S MOB |
4613 SPY IN BATTLE-DRESS |
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654 NEVER GIVE IN! |
4620 TATTOOED HERO |
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655 PORTRAIT OF
DEATH |
4622 REDCAP RAT |
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656 DESERT JOHNNY |
4644 SPEARHEAD! |
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659 KILLER GUN |
4664 HOUNDS OF WAR |
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665 STONE OF BLOOD |
4680 DUEL IN THE JUNGLE |
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666 WHERE THE
ACTION IS |
4700 SILVER BUGLE |
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671 DUEL IN THE
JUNGLE |
4708 KILLER GUN |
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678 THE BAYONET
FIGHTERS |
4712 BLOOD BEACH |
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681 BEWARE THE WOLF |
4740 PORTRAIT OF DEATH |
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702 VALLEY OF THE
LOST |
4888 CODEWORD - "TORCH" |
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710 BOY HERO |
4924 SPACE PILOT |
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711 SILVER BUGLE |
4960 BLOOD OF HEROES |
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716 BATTLE FOR
BURMA |
4964 YANKEE BUDDY |
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717 THE WINNING
STREAK |
5036 HUNT THE KILLER |
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719 KILLER CREW |
5084 STRIKE SWIFT - STRIKE SURE |
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720 NIGHTMARE
PATROL |
5168 BLACK SCHNEIDER |
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723 BLOOD BEACH |
5200 SKY BLITZ |
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730 SON OF A
TRAITOR |
5212 NONE SO BRAVE |
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733 TRAIL OF THE
TIGER |
5228 BEWARE THE WOLF |
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737 THE BIG SNATCH |
5248 BOY HERO |
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738 NO STOPPING
THEM! |
5256 NIGHTMARE PATROL |
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748 WEEK-END
WARRIORS |
5272 TEN DAYS TO LIVE |
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752 BADGE OF HONOUR |
5296 THE BAYONET FIGHTERS |
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757 PIRATE! |
5328 THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE |
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760 TEN DAYS TO
LIVE |
5336 THE CIRCUS WENT TO WAR |
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766 ROAMING IN THE
GLOAMING |
5364 BORN BRAVE |
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774 THE CIRCUS WENT
TO WAR |
5372 McGINTY’S MOB |
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775 ISLAND OF FEAR |
5420 CRACKSHOT |
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779 BORN BRAVE |
5432 BLADE OF HONOUR |
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780 BIG GUN |
5452 LONE WOLF |
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792 THE MAN WHO
WOULD NOT KILL |
5532 SON OF THE VIKING |
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797 THE MAN WHO
DIED TWICE |
5596 DEAD-EYE DONOVAN |
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825 FROM OUT OF THE
SEA... |
5632 NEVER SURRENDER |
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828 SON OF THE
VIKING |
5735 SNIPER’S ISLAND |
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831 THE FOUR SCARS |
5736 KILLER CREW |
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840 HARD-LUCK HERO |
5760 DESERT FOX |
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842 THUNDER
MOUNTAIN |
5824 PROJECT “DOOMS DAY” |
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© D. C. Thomson & Co Ltd |
Vic Whittle 2020 |
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