I first posted this in 2010. It was a a typical post I did back then in the early days where I focused solely on Century 21's Project SWORD, the inspiration for Moonbase Central.
21 Gun Salute was fun to do and it may interest our new readership now. See what you think.
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We know that the PROJECT SWORD storyline was dark and apocalyptic.
And as befitted such a grim tale for Sixties kids, it was bristling with ray guns! Very un-PC now, back then we patroled the garden with a Johnny Seven One Man Army and Secret Sam Spy Case!
So ray guns in comics were mandatory and SWORD was no different.
Just taking a look at the four SWORD 'books' [TV21 1969 Annual, 2 Make A Model Books and the 1969 SWORD Annual itself], never mind the many comics [not covered here], the arsenal just grew and grew!
So let's have a peek at the guns and rifles of the Project SWORD.
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[some of the weaponry I've named myself to make it easier to identify them]
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In no particular order, first up is what became the standard issue rifle of SWORD guards pictured above [from The Loyal and the Dead in TV21 1969 Annual]
Here we have a sort of harpoon launcher to fend off killer sharks [Make a Model Book]
The arch enemies of SWORD were the Casuals and they were armed to the teeth as well! Here they've acquired a large canon of sorts [source to follow]
But the Casuals really got into the swing of their rebellion in the SWORD Annual, where they were led into a particularly nasty skirmish by an anonymous Barbiesque femme fatale whom I shall name 'Mortars and Lasers'.
Said Mortars brandished a thread-barrelled machine gun, which may have been taken from a SWORD armoury but it's hard to say [Snow Train in 1969 Annual]
Alas, after a blistering gunfight Mortars and Lasers sadly meets her end, which is a shame from a story point of view as she must have lit up the page for pubescent boy and modern girl readers alike.
It's only now with my older eyes that I can see how generally violent the whole strip is and how particularly stark her demise must have seemed in 1969 [Snow Train in 1969 Annual].
Above is a better illustration of the standard SWORD issue weapon, which I'll call the 'speargun' from here on in [Moon Crawler in 1969 Annual]
The Casuals were armed with all manner of custom hardware. I call the above the 'Mal Ramsden' and it's owner, Mal Ramsden, is hell-bent on purloining a Moon Crawler! [Moon Crawler in 1969 Annual]
and here, in an oddly drawn strip about the troublesome Logan, is probably a badly drawn SWORD standard issue [1969 Annual]
The 'Mes Amis' appeared to be a French Casual weapon, but again could be a hastilly-rendered SWORD rifle [1969 Annual]
The 'Lomax', SWORD issue, looks like a drill [1969 Annual]
The 'Jupiter', again a SWORD issue, appears to be a shortened 'speargun'. the vehicle is an ANT [1969 Annual]
The 'speargun' up close [1969 Annual] - checkout the fabulous re-incarnation of this in Paul McCaffrey's brilliant modern illustration [label below].
above - the 'Penetroscope' - yes, that's it's name! [1969 Annual]
'Rush the Gates' is another Casual custom - could be two-handled [1969 Annual]
'Rush the Gates 2' above could be a SWORD rifle but could also be a Casual special [1969 Annual]
The 'Keefer' or 'I've Got No Love for Sword' again could be the SWORD rifle in the wrong hands? [1969 Annual]
'Lomax 2' is a definately a drill - maybe a laser [1969 Annual]
Above is ..well the 'Uugh', a pistol with a phallic head! [1969 Annual]
and finally on our short tour of the Annuals' firepower are these two SWORD weapons seemingly used in unfortunate battles with big game [1969 Annual]
That's it folks.
Tame by today's standards?
It's a wonder there wasn't a SWORD toy rifle or pistol produced like those found in the Thunderbirds, Stingray, Fireball Xl5 and Captain Scarlet toy armouries.
Do you like Project SWORD?
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