The Helltrekkers

The Helltrekkers was a strip by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Jose Ortiz (episode 1) and Horacio Lalia (episodes 2-29) which was first published in 2000 AD progs 387 to 415. It told the story of 111 citizens from Mega-City One trekking across 2000 km of Cursed Earth in 28 rad-wagons to look for a new life in the New Territories. When a judge warned them that "your chances of reaching the New Territories are minimal" their response was, "Better to die in hell than live in Mega-City One."

The trek got off to a bad start when the criminal Nebbs (on the run for stealing kneepads) shot a dinosaur, wanting to eat it, and started a stampede. This was on the very first day. Lanny Kelsey was killed by a swipe of a dinosaur tail. The trekkers held a service for him that night, singing 'Rock of Ages'. Chuck Kelsey, his brother, spoke movingly of how "He'd been saving for this trip for years" and "All he'd ever talk about was findin' a place where a man could feel free — alive." That night, a second trekker died — the child Wayne Scargille, eaten by a tyrannosaur. Lucas Rudd, an ex-leisure counsellor with six months' survival club training, began to doubt his fitness to lead the expedition.

On the second day wagon 9 was destroyed in a landslip caused by acid rain.

The Helltrekkers were (divided into rad-wagons):


 * Rudd-1: Lucas Rudd (trekmaster); Amber Rudd; Bud Rudd and Banjo Quint (guide)
 * Diefenbaker-2: Pancho Diefenbaker and Hermeseta Diefenbaker
 * Ho Chi Minh-3: block co-op — the Boysons, the Puces, the Spillones and the Knees
 * Turtle-4: Hymie Turtle, Ami Turtle, Grandma Turtle, Elijah Turtle and Ruth Turtle
 * Lovejoy-5: Joy Lovejoy and Joey Lovejoy
 * Bugner-6: Joey Bugner, Happy Bugner, Plug Bugner, Dulce Bugner, Uncle Spug and Cousin Simp Bugner
 * Scargille-7: Krystal Scargille, Wayne Scargille (eaten by tyrannosaur), Lena Scargille, Bonny Scargille and Weena Scargille
 * Jumby-8: Mahatma Jumby and John Jumby
 * Tosh-9: The Toshes and the Grahams (all killed in landslip, apart from Gritchen Tosh, who was melted by acid rain)
 * Doing-10: Esme Doing and Burt Doing
 * Mountbatten-11: Chick Mountbatten, Shick Mountbatten and Rocky Mountbatten
 * Hemmingway-12: Bub Hemmingway, Tulip Hemmingway, Ernesto Hemmingway, Dad Hemmingway and Dad Ferd
 * Guppy-13: Guppy commune — Derv Paton, Shuggy Milak, Greg Gross, Adolf Turbo, 'X', Sally Bob Baird and Styrene de Palma
 * Clampett-14: Earl Clampett, Ivy Clampett, Jett Clampett and Rock Clampett
 * Zapotek-15: Zolten Zapotek, Koko Zapotek and Albert Zapotek
 * Golightly-16: Stephan Golightly, Yogi Golightly, Marv Golightly and Sprightly Golightly
 * Glemp-17: Bish Glemp, Futura Glemp and Crustacia Glemp (mutant baby who looks a bit like a humanoid crab)
 * Hubble-18: Hannibal Hubble, Hilary Hubble, Hal Hubble and Robespierre Hubble
 * Ewings-19: Family of four
 * Nebb-20: Pop Nebb, Mom Nebb, Otis Nebb, Titus Nebb and Judas Nebb
 * Wilson-21: Family of six
 * Kelsey-22: Chuck Kelsey, Senga Kelsey, Dex Kelsey, Dot Kelsey, Spot Kelsey and Uncle Lanny Kelsey (the first to die, he was killed by a dinosaur)
 * Koosh-23: Li Ho Koosh, Wan Tun Koosh, Hin Du Koosh, Dave Lee and Yung Dung Koosh
 * Gee-24: Aunt Jemima Gee, Levi Gee and his fiancée Adriane
 * Dyke-25: Ike Van Dyke and Mike Van Dyke
 * Ruben-26: Hebismund Ruben, Edee Ruben and two children
 * Burger-27: Amos Burger and Maybelline Burger
 * Mo-Pad-28: Rollo Peterson