The Island of Lost Champions - a strip from The Hornet

artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

The crazy Count Prezensky informs the shocked athletics that there is no escape from La Muerte or Death island.


See The Hornet issues 426 (06th Nov. 1971) to 436 (15th Jan. 1972).

Writer:- The Hornet editorial team. Artist:- Josep Marti.

Main cast:- John Baker (British), Jan Nyenhuis (S. African), Arch Golloni (American), Herman Lessing (German), Paavo Hellsters (Finland), Richie Logan (Australian), Count Prezensky.

Time period:- 1970's.

Top athletics have been disappearing, spirited mysteriously away without fuss. John Baker, an English top runner arranges to get himself kidnapped so he can find out what happened to his friend Richie Logan. The athletics find themselves imprisoned on a remote Caribbean island with the best athletic track and running facilities the men have ever seen. Armed guards and an electrified fence tells the athletics that their kidnapping isn’t a joke. Count Prezensky, the owner of La Muerte or Death island, is a crazy, former runner, who was responsible for their kidnapping. He is furious that his record breaking runs have been ignored by the various governing athletic bodies. His revenge? To kidnap six of the top record breaking runners and beat them in a race. Prezensky’s mad mind believes that by beating these six world champions can he prove to the world that he is a world champion runner.

Those that don’t beat the Count run in another race outside of the compound, this time against an armed Prezensky. This “race” is different though, as the Count is hunting the runner(s). And this is a race that the Count has never lost… Truly this is a life and death race. One athletic fails to win his race and also fails to outrun the Count in the hunt. Can the remaining athletics find the courage and morale to survive the crazed plans of the mad Count? Read the exciting story of The Island of Lost Champions below.

The following adventures of the Lost Champions are from issues 427, 429, 433, 435 and 436.

Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Marti. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

© Adrian Banfield, 2011.