The V.C.s
| The V.C.s | |||
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Cover to the first trade paperback, by Garry Leach
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| Created by | Gerry Finley-Day | ||
| Publication information | |||
| Publisher |
Fleetway Rebellion Developments |
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| Schedule | Weekly | ||
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| Formats | Original material for the series has been published as a strip in the comics anthology(s) 2000 AD. | ||
| Original language | English | ||
| Genre | |||
| Publication date | November 1979 – July 2006 | ||
| Main character(s) | Jupe Steve Smith Hen-Sho Ringer Dwarf Star Loon |
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| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) |
Gerry Finley-Day Steve MacManus Dan Abnett |
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| Artist(s) |
Mike McMahon Garry Leach Cam Kennedy John Richardson Henry Flint Anthony Williams |
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| Creator(s) | Gerry Finley-Day | ||
| Reprints | |||
| Collected editions | |||
| You're Hit, You're Dead! | ISBN | ||
| Back into Action | ISBN | ||
The V.C.s was a future war series that appeared in the science fiction comic 2000 AD No. 140 – 178 (1979–1980). Written by Gerry Finley-Day, the first episode was drawn by Mike McMahon who designed the craft and the main characters. The main series artists were Cam Kennedy, Garry Leach and John Richardson. Dan Abnett has recently finished the series at Book 5 with the help of artist Anthony Williams who has been working with Abnett on this for quite a while.
The original V.C.s were:
They were joined by:
When the team was reformed new members included:
The strip is set in the year 2531. The Solar System is engaged in a war of survival against an alien species known as "Geeks". Steve Smith, a raw , has just completed his training and signed on with the Global Combat Corps as a star-trooper, but is quickly thrown in at the deep end: he is assigned to the hard-bitten crew of a space patrol ship crewed by the "Vacuum Cleaners" or V.C.s for short; so called because of their penchant for clean kills, with little to no debris. The twist is that Smith is the only Earth-born crew member: the rest of the crew are all from colonies on the other planets of the solar system, often being physically adapted to alien environments, and having little love for 'Ma Earth'. A major theme of this series is the antagonism between the crew (often racially motivated), particularly towards the "earthworm" Smith; and Smith's struggle for acceptance by the crew. Like many war stories, there is a high mortality rate amongst the main characters.
The V.C.s are regarded with contempt by the Earth-led high command, but are acknowledged as the best crew in the fleet. Eventually, the Diplomatic Corps (known as 'dishwashers') recalls most of the fleet back to the colonies in an effort to show the Geeks that they mean peace. However, the Geeks take this as an opportunity, and a Geek armada attacks every major colony in the system, including Mars and Earth. After this, a counterattack is launched against the Geek homeworld by the Dishwashers. Following a preliminary attack on what was thought to be the Geeks' home planet, the V.C.s disobey orders by going down to the planet to save a platoon of 'green' soldiers. The 'Dishwasher' in charge perceives this as a slight, and gives the V.C.s punishment by sending them on near-suicidal duties. Much in the style of The Dirty Dozen this results in a high fatality rate and over the course of the series all of the V.C.s save Smith and Jupe are killed off. Ultimately Smith, the sole member of the original V.C.s who remains fighting fit, leads a heroic attack on the Geek homeworld that ends the war.
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