To the Victors the Spoils - Revision history

Saix at 16:16, 13 July 2025

2025-07-13T16:16:53Z

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	\|date=[[May 7]], [[2016]]		\|date=[[May 7]], [[2016]]
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	\|date=[[May 7]], [[2016]]		\|date=[[May 7]], [[2016]]
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2025-07-13T14:18:20Z

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	\|date=[[May 7]], [[2016]]		\|date=[[May 7]], [[2016]]
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Saix: Created page with "{{comicstory |seriesissue=''Action Man Prologue'' |next=Absolute Beginners |image=ActionManPrologue regcvr.jpg |caption= |title="To the Victors the Spoi..."

2024-07-26T17:44:56Z

Created page with "{{comicstory |seriesissue=''Action Man Prologue'' |next=Absolute Beginners |image=ActionManPrologue regcvr.jpg |caption= |title="To the Victors the Spoi..."

New page

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Action Man (comic)|Action Man]] Prologue''
|next=Absolute Beginners
|image=ActionManPrologue regcvr.jpg
|caption=
|title="To the Victors the Spoils"
|published in=[[Earthfall: Prelude|''ROM'' #0]]
|date=[[May 7]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Chris Evenhuis]]
|colors by=[[John-Paul Bove]]
|letters by=[[Shawn Lee]]
|edits by=[[Carlos Guzman]]
}}

'''Action Man makes the ultimate sacrifice.'''

==Synopsis==
In [[SIS Headquarters]], the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] panics about [[Mercy Gale|Doctor X]] having activated a doomsday device that threatens to destroy [[Earth|the world]], but [[Pauline Bestley]], director of the [[Action Man Programme]], assures her superior that [[Mike Brogan|Action Man]] has the situation under control, having broken into the villain's lair.

In Doctor X's lair under the [[Thames]], Action Man picks up [[Ian Noble]], one of his support crew who infiltrated the evil doctor's organization. They make their way to the doomsday device, a [[Antimatter generator|reactor]] housed in a rocket. While Ian is distracted with explaining the danger of the reactor overloading, Action Man locks himself into the rocket to get the impeding explosion away from Earth. Despite Ian's protestations, Action Man takes off, but not before passing the mantle on to the young man. The rocket explodes safely away from the [[United Kingdom]], and Ian climbs out of the missile silo to an adoring crowd.

Action Man is dead. Long live Action Man.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Action Man Programme]]|c1=
*[[Pauline Bestley]] (2)
*[[Mike Brogan|Action Man]] (3)
*[[Ian Noble]] (4)

|h2=Other|c2=
*[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"Thank '''God.''' Who's in there — S.A.S.? M.I.5? S.F.S.G.? How many men are in the '''squad?'''"<br>
"Squad? I'm '''sorry''', Prime Minister... but who said anything about a '''squad?'''"
:—The '''Prime Minister''' has his expectations corrected by '''Bestley'''.

"Ian, it's a good way to '''go out.''' And a '''good world''' to stand on guard for. I'm happy. Hope '''you're''' happy, too."
:—'''Action Man's''' last words

==Notes==
*This prologue story was originally printed as a backup strip in the Free Comic Book Day 2016 [[Earthfall: Prelude|''ROM'' #0]] issue, and was subsequently reprinted in [[Absolute Beginners|''Action Man'' #1]].

===Action Man references===
*The mooks that Action Man fights on the way to reaching Ian are based on the [http://www.actionmanhq.co.uk/actionman2/xbot.html X-Bots] from the 1990s ''Action Man'' toyline.
*Ian calls Mike "Eagle Eyes", named for the gimmick on ''Action Man'' toys that allowed their eyes to be moved.

===Real world references===
*The prologue is named after {{w|To the Victors the Spoils|the 1950 debut novel of the same name}} by {{w|Colin MacInnes}}; subsequent ''Action Man'' issues would continue this trend.
*The Prime Minister spits out a number of special forces organizations ([[S.A.S.]], [[M.I.5]], and [[S.F.S.G.]]), which are all real portions of the British government and military.
*Action Man is mentioned to be a member of [[Mensa]], a real organization for high-IQ people.
*Let's just get it out there—Action Man's last words are a homage to [[David Bowie]]'s "{{w|Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)|Ashes to Ashes}}", a song in which "I'm happy, hope you're happy too" is described as "a message from the Action Man".

===Covers (1)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Action Man poses with guns, by [[Chris Evenhuis]].
<gallery>
File:ActionManPrologue regcvr.jpg|And I'll form... the head!
</gallery>

[[Category:Action Man issues]]