(April 1984 - June 1987; 20 issues)
by Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, Frank Cirocco, Terry Austin, Jim Novak, Bob Sharen, and others
* issue #1: "Survival of the Fittest" (April 1984) - A Legion battlecruiser is ambushed while in orbit around Wedifact IV, but two squads (Vector and Nomad) escape to the planet's surface. After Vector squad is wiped out, Nomad discovers that pirates have set up a secret and lucrative mining operation. Under armed and outnumbered, the Legionnaires must hold out until help can arrive, but both external and internal pressures threaten their survival. First appearance of Major Sarigar, Lt. Torie Montroc, Meico, Jugger Grimrod, Durge, Torqa Dun, Badj, Skathe Mescad, and the Bospor.
* issue #2: "Blind Trust" (June 1984) - The pirate leader in orbit sends some men down to retrieve a data orb which Nomad Squad is unwittingly guarding. Meanwhile, we learn what happened to Legionnaire Badj. Sarigar violates his orders to save his troops, while Torie learns that not all of his troops share his integrity and sense of duty. First appearance of Zeerod, Vesper. A backup story gives us a glimpse of Sarigar's youth.
* issue #3: "Last Gamble" (August 1984) - On the planet Kol, a peace treaty has finally been
negotiated, ending a long and bloody civil war. Some Legion squads are in place to protect the arriving Union ambassador against potential terrorism, but even they aren't prepared for the
ambassador's kidnaping by...pacifists! Torie, Meico, Torqa Dun, and Skathe must rescue the
ambassador - despite stiff resistance from the local government. Meanwhile, Sarigar goes on military trial for his recent orders violation. A backup story, Last Chance, retells parts of this
issue from a distinctly different point of view, that of Gribitz, an extremely unlucky gambler
who happened to be on Kol at the time.
* issue #4: "The Killing Zone" (October 1984) - A military coup on Bokunh Island has resulted in the executive mansion being taken over. The Legion is assigned to take it back without destroying it. In the fighting, Torie is wounded and left for dead as Legionnaire Skob takes his rank-bars, hoping that he'll be spared if the enemy thinks he's an officer. After Torie is reported "presumed dead", Zeerod disobeys Sarigar's orders and goes out looking for him. Meanwhile, the feverish Torie has visions of his past and possible future (and death.) Skob, captured by the militants, escapes and goes to look for his commander. Zeerod finds Skob, and they in turn find Torie. In the back-up story, Conscience, we learn why Zeerod refused to leave a teammate behind.
* issue #5: "Chain of Command" (December 1984) - Captain Sarigar is preoccupied with the nuclear material that was retrieved from Wedifact IV. This prevents him from noticing problems among the troops - particularly Skob, whom the other Legionnaires are angry with because he left Torie behind. Corporal Skilene attempts to warn Sarigar, to no avail. The Captain has his own problems, as his superior, Major Nordrad, refuses to listen to his suspicions out of fear of damaging his career. Meanwhile, in a brawl among the troops, Skob is badly wounded. Sarigar goes to Nordrad's office to get the data he needs, but is turned back. Elsewhere, the Harkilons gather their forces and prepare to mount their attack. Finally, a weary Meico returns to the barracks to announce that Skob has died from his head injury. Instead of a backup story, this issue had personnel files on Mescad, Vesper, E-Thar, Takatak, Skilene, the Bospor, and Zeerod.
* issue #6: "Operation Nerve Center" (February 1985) - While one Legionnaire suffers from the beginnings of a narcotic addiction, another risks his career on a hunch. Captain Sarigar has succeeded in getting his troops sent to patrol the sector where the Harkilons will most likely strike with their nuclear ore-weapon. Eventually, the Harkilon ship collides with the Legion ship, and a pitched man-to-man battle breaks out. Eventually, the bomb is defused, thanks to Grimrod's unique information-gathering methods. Torqa Dun convinces Durge that he doesn't need to be fast, and thus doesn't need the drugs he's been taking. The backup story provides the details of Major Nordrad's attempt of revenge on Sarigar, for ruining his career.
* issue #7: "Planetfall" (April 1985) - A Legion transport is carrying magistrate Kog-Nar2 and his wife following the investigation of recent Harkilon activity. Takatak's celebration of his promotion to sargeant is curtailed as the ship is attacked. After a space battle and a boarding attempt - resulting in the death of Takatak - the Legionnaires are forced to evacuate ship, and take shuttles to a nearby unknown planet. Unknown to them, the Harkilons' survivors have also made it to the planet. Unknown to both groups, a sinister symbiotic life-form on the planet intends to make meals out of them all. Worse yet, a strange fungus is eating all non-organic matter, imposing a time limit on top of the other problems. Death of Takatak.
* issue #8: "Hostages" (June 1985) - Jugger goes after the foolishly-wandering Kog-Nar2, determined to keep the magistrate from revealing Jugger's old murder conviction. However, they are captured and tortured by the Harkilons, and must work together to escape and survive. Meanwhile, Torie continues to develop an interest in Lora-Nar2, Kog-Nar2's wife. The Legionnaires learn of the deadly hypnotic plant/animal symbiotes that inhabit this planet. Nearby, the Harkilons, having tracked Jugger back to the base, prepare to attack.
* issue #9: "Rude Awakening" (August 1985) - The Harkilons sneak toward the Legion base, in the process badly wounding the Bospor as he slacks off in his guard duty. Grimrod and Mescad happen to find him, and get into a firefight with the Harkilons. They try to bring the wounded Bospor with them but can't; as they flee back to base, the Bospor stands back up somehow, and gets wasted by laser fire. Meico's mental powers go berserk for a short time. The battle rages on, as the Harkilons pour all their forces into their attempt to overwhelm the soldiers. Mescad keeps busy despite his feelings of guilt over Takatak and the Bospor's deaths, and eventually rescues Grimrod, averting his guilt for now. Torqa Dun manages to get the shields up, and a standoff begins. Sarigar goes out to try and work a truce, which makes Grimrod rather angry. Death of the Bospor.
* issue #10: "Desperate Measures" (October 1985) - A truce is formed, and a small squad of Legionnaires and Harkilons goes to get the transmitter from the Harkilon ship, to facilitate escape. The strange creatures that live on the planet attack this party, killing most of them, and Meico is badly injured. Mescad stays behind with him while the others continue on. Meanwhile, at the main Legion base, more of the creatures are preparing to attack, having hypnotized the soldiers. Though wounded, Meico uses his mental powers to snap his comrades out of it from afar, and they quickly engage the charging foes. Thanks to Meico, the combined Legion-Harkilon force turns back the aliens. Mescad then operates on Meico, guided by the medic via ESP, and amputates his poisoned arm. All survivors return to the camp, and proceed with the repairs, but many of the Legionnaires wonder how long the peace will last. Elsewhere, the Harkilon leader plots and schemes, thinking of the best way to kill Sarigar and his men.
* issue #11: "Deadly Deception" (December 1985) - Answering the distress signal, a Legion shuttle arrives on the planet - but there isn't room for both the Legionnaires and the Harkilons. Sarigar chooses his own men first, and the Harkilons retreat in anger. However, the planet's carnivorous aliens attack soon afterward, and at this point the Harkilons attack from a different flank. Despite all this, the Legionnaires hold out and are able to launch; unknown to them, the Harkilon leader has assumed the form of a scientist and stowed away. His true mission: to kill the magistrate and his wife. After doing this, he assumes Sarigar's form, but thanks to Grimrod's keen nose, the real Sarigar is alerted. A short and bloody fight ensues, and Sarigar wins.
* issue #12: "Hollow Harvest" (February 1986) - The squad is sent to the aquatic planet Doragol to enforce environmental laws. However, they must contend with greedy local politicians who'd rather make money than keep the planet healthy. Meanwhile, certain less-than-scrupulous Legionnaires are trying to turn a profit while they're on Doragol. And Torie gets caught up in the environmental efforts, naively, since it's a battle the natives aren't going to be allowed to win.
* issue #13: "Moonlilies for Caracara" (April 1986) - Torie is determined to fulfill Takatak's dying wish, so he takes Durge, Zeerod, and Meico and ventures to planetoid NG8. The only problem is, the planetoid's being kidnaped by a robotic scavenging race! No matter - after the group overcomes various trials and tribulations, Torie delivers the flowers to Caracara. The backup story shows us the true relationship between Takatak and Caracara (romantics beware!)
* issue #14: "Hunt for the Hunter" (June 1986) - Follow-up to the backup story from issue #2. Cordar, the rogue who ran off with Sarigar's sister Sarivil many cycles ago, has become a feared bounty hunter. Unfortunately, he also abuses Sarivil on a regular basis, and in a moment of desperation, she sends a call for help. Meanwhile, a training exercise is taking place, and various squad members are having problems (Zeerod is feeling too old and slow, Mescad is sick of the military life, Durge seems strangely immune to pain and fatigue.) When Sarigar finds out about his sister, he takes Torqa Dun and Grimrod and goes to Space Colony Kelvan. Though he can't see his sister (Legion policy helps prevent that) he is able to deploy his men to track down Cordar. Eventually, they do, and Sarigar beats him to a pulp before turning him over to the authorities. Sarivil, however, doesn't seem to have learned her lesson.
* issue #15: "The Official Death of Jugger Grimrod" (August 1986) - Jugger's violent past catches up with him, as the Guild of Assassins sends three killers to eliminate him. Through various methods, Jugger is driven half-insane, and he begins suspecting his teammates. Sarigar, realizing that this is erratic behavior even for Jugger, helps Jugger draw the assassins out into the open, where they are more easily killed.
* issue #16: "Demons" (October 1986) - Nomad squad gets called to a world where normal troops have been unable to maintain a base, due to hostile alien natives. This story, though, is really about a new member's indoctrination into the squad, her reasons for joining, and the beginnings of her close friendship with Zeerod. First appearance of Tamara. Death of Vesper.
* issue #17: "A Deadly Truth" (December 1986) - A playback issue wherein the four Legionnaires who were present on a mission-gone-bad - Tamara, Durge, Torie Montroc, Torqa Dun - are questioned and cross-examined by Captain Sarigar. Three innocent civilian women were gunned down, and there's no doubt that one of the four Nomad members did it. But which one, and why? The answer will shock everyone.
* issue #18: "Verdict" (February 1987) - Training and other non-mission activities go on, but Torqa Dun has his own agenda: break Durge out of prison before they can sentence him. Tamara and Meico manage to find him and convince him that it's both impossible and a bad idea. Durge gets his verdict: reprogramming in the Mindrobber (essentially a lobotomy.) Dun can only watch as his old friend's mind is erased permanently, in preparation for his serving out the rest of his days as an unthinking automaton.
* issue #19: "Death on Ice" (April 1987) - Both a team of scientists and Velar Squad have gone missing on ice asteroid QMS7, and Nomad ventures out there to find out what happened. Sarigar, Grimrod, and Tamara encounter the sole surviving scientist, as well as a savage snow beast.
* issue #20: "Dead or Alive" (June 1987) - After an exhaustive, half-day battle on an outer moon, Nomad's members are wrung-out and in bad spirits. This holds especially true for Skilene, who takes a bunch of supplies and deserts. Two teams are sent out after him, though the penalty if he's caught is death. Torie and Meico have a different outlook on this situation than Grimrod and Torqa Dun. After Torie finds and spares Skilene, Grimrod tracks him down and shoots him in cold blood. Later, for their outstanding leadership in this campaign, Sarigar and Torie are both promoted. Death of Skilene.