Biggles Encounters a Brainstorm was a comic strip story which was first published in the TV Express Weekly Issues Number 306 to 316 from 10 September 1960 to 19 November 1960. The strip, published in colour, was drawn by Ron Embleton.
A French translation of the story was later carried in 3 issues of the comic magazine Rin Tin Tin published by SAGE from June to August 1962 (some pages in black and white). In 2002, Belgian publisher MIKLO reissued this and other stories as an album as part of its Biggles Heritage series under the title Biggles contre le Dr Zanchu (Biggles vs Dr Zanchu).
The original strips on TV Express did not carry a story title. The French translations in Rin Tin Tin and Biggles Héritage used the title Biggles contre le Dr Zanchu. The Miklo album on its bibliography on the last page rendered the English title as Biggles vs. Dr Zanchu, a direct translation. Between 2007-2010, Express Publications published compilations of various TV Express Biggles stories in three volumes each of a very limited run of only 30 copies. Here the story was given the title Biggles Encounters a Brain Storm. This first available English title is used for this article.[1]
Synopsis[]
Biggles, Ginger and Bertie are diverted in their Sunderland to investigate a war which has mysteriously started up between two hitherto peaceful islands, British dependencies, in the Indian Ocean.
Plot[]
(Click on expand to read)
Biggles, Ginger and Bertie are diverted in their Air Police Sunderland on an urgent mission to the Indian Ocean. A war had mysteriously broken out between two small islands, both British protectorates. Arriving at the larger of the two, the natives who row out to greet them seemed peaceful enough but suddenly open fire at the Sunderland with submachine guns, forcing Biggles to make a hasty takeoff.
They spot a twin engine aircraft taking off from the interior of the island and BIggles decides to follow it. On board the twin is Docter Zanchu and he decides to beat off his pursuer by pointing a ray gun at the Sunderland. Bertie is struck by the ray and suddenly erupts into a fit of violence, seizing the controls and nearly crashing the plane.
Zanchu's aircraft escapes. Biggles now puts down at the neighbouring island. To their relief, the natives here are peaceful. The chief tells Biggles they had always lived in peace butwere then suddenly attacked by the war canoes of the neighbouring tribe led by Murajala and their warriors had firearms. Some men on an aeroplane then turned up offering to supply fire arms for their self defence in exchange for their precious stones.
Biggles flies back to the other island and makes his way alone to Murajala's village to investigate but ends up being captured by his warriors. They get ready to execute Biggles but suddenly Murajala stops them. He says he feels sick and orders Biggles released.
Back on the Sunderland, Biggles tells Ginger it was a strange experience. Murajala was cruel and brutal then suddenly became peaceful as a lamb. He can't remember why he had started the war. In any case, their mission is done--the conflict is over, and they fly off to Karachi.
But no sooner are they at Karachi when they are summoned to police headquarters. There is a report of a war breaking out between two tribes in the Northwest desert region of India. Biggles and co. switch to an Auster and fly there to investigate. While in flight, they spot Zanchu's aircraft and follow it.
Zanchu is on the way to make an arms delivery. After landing in the desert, he loads up a mule train with boxes of weapons and moves off. He orders his pilot, Cunningham, to stay with the aircraft.
Biggles, following, makes a hazardous landing nearby. He and Bertie heads for Zanchu's aircraft to investigate. Bertie steals onboard to check out Zanchu's equipment. Unknown to him, a monkey is also fiddling with Zanchu's box.
Cunningham catches Bertie in the act but Biggles moves in quickly to disarm him. Cunningham spots the monkey turning on Zanchu's box pointed at Bertie and yells that they will all die. Bertie grabs the monkey and the danger is averted. Biggles now points a gun to Cunningham's head and forces him to talk. He tells them Zanchu uses the box to turn people mad. They declare war on each other and then sells arms to them. Biggles wants to take the box away for examination but they are attacked by a group of horseman with Zanch and forced to flee. Biggles, Bertie and Ginger take off just in time,under fire from the pursuing horsemen. Meanwhile Zanchu tells Cunningham he has collected payment for the arms and they are ready to depart.
Some days later, Zanchu and Cunningham find a new opportunity. Sheikh Haroun el Esharid and Sheik Mahmoud Alllabad, rich oil magnates in the Middle East are in conference to settle a border dispute. Zanchu points his beam at Esharid. He goes mad and declares war! Esharid mobilises his troops and Zanchu promises an arms delivery in two days.
Meanwhile Biggles, Ginger and Bertie have found Zanchu's aircraft. Biggles decides that the only way to prevent a war is to kidnap Esharid. Meanwhile Ginger is sent to locate Zanchu.
Hiding near Zanchu's aircraft, Ginger overhears Zanchu and Cunningham talking about their arms shipment. It is on a ship, the Ruritanga which would dock the following day with its delivery. Ginger notifies the navy which despatches the corvette Shark to intercept. But Ginger is then captured by Cunningham and taken on board his aircraft.
Meanwhile, Biggles and Bertie force their way into the Sheikh's palace and kidnap him. Biggles puts the Sheikh into the Auster and tells Bertie to fly him to the nearest Air Police base until the effects of the ray wear off.
Zanchu decides to go and collect his payment from the Sheikh but as he approaches the palace, the guards mistake the red car he is driving for the one Biggles used to kidnap the Sheikh (they both used the same type of red limousine). The guards open fire, forcing Zanchu to beat a hasty retreat under pursuit to his aircraft. He orders Cunningham to take off quickly, but Biggles has arrived and he seizes the moment to prevent them from escaping. He drives his car into the tail of the aircraft, causing it to lose control and crash.
Zanchu and Cunningham try to run from the scene but are captured by the Sheikh's guards. Biggles has managed to free Ginger from the plane. Biggles tells the guards he is an inspector from the Air Police and that he wants to take Zanchu and Cunningham with him, but the guards say they know nothing about the Air Police, and they take Biggles and Ginger prisoner as well.
Fortunately, the effects of the ray have worn off and the Sheikh is back to normal. Bertie flies him back to his palace. The Sheikh orders his guards to release Biggles and Ginger and treats the Air Police officers to a sumptious meal as a mark of his gratitude.
The Sheikh agrees to Biggles' request to take Zanchu and Cunningham back for a proper trial but while Zanchu is being brought out, he seizes a moment to knock down his guards and grab a nearby horse to make an audacious escape. He gallops towards Bertie's Auster and takes off. Biggles thinks they have lost Zanchu but Bertie is not so sure. Moments later, Zanchu crashes. It turns out that after landing the Sheikh, Bertie had wanted to do an overhaul of the aircraft and had drained the tanks! With the case solved, Biggles, Ginger and Bertie decide to go for a holiday in Paris.
Characters[]
The Special Air Police[]
- Air Commodore Raymond
- Biggles
- Ginger Hebblethwaite
- Bertie Lissie
Others[]
- Dr Zanchu
- Cunningham
- Murajala
- Sir Brian
- Sheikh Haroun el Esharid
- Sheik Mahmoud Allabad
Aircraft[]
- Short Sunderland
- Auster J1 Autocrat
- twin engine transport used by Dr Zanchu - looks like a Douglas DC-3
Places[]
Visited[]
Research notes[]
Illustrations[]
Editions[]
References and external links[]
- ↑ This French webpage contains good information about the TV Express Comics. (deadlink - use this Archive URL)