Tyranny Rex - Deus Ex Machina

A montage of the cast of characters featuring in the 2000AD story "Tyranny Rex - Deus Ex Machina" from the early 1990's. Inspired after having re-read the story thanks to it it being published with the November and December volumes of the 'Judge Dredd Megazine', i felt that the covers for the comics didn't really convey anything to do with the story, instead it was a cover art piece of Tyranny in her adventuring days. So i decided to draw a cover that i felt would have suited it more.

The story is about the sauron called Tyranny, the last of her species and a former thief, artist, and adventurer in the distant future. Having retreated to a convent and put aside her wild past for over seven years, she and her fellow sisters are forced to defend their home against the overwhelming force of a vicious order called the Dammamites, who seek to claim the holy 'Godskin' relic by any means necessary.

The characters in the picture on the left include

First Mother Emmenet, one of the elders of the sisterhood who sees the need for Tyranny to return to her old self. Behind First Mother Emmenet is the 'Godskin', not a character but an important part of the story.

High Sister Keera, Tyrannys main superior.

Centre is Tryanny Rex herself, who is forced to walk a path she had no desire to return to.

The characters on the right are the Dammamites

Led by Captain Ortranto, leader of the Dammamite force

Lieutenant Lars Monteign, second in command and consort of Ortranto

One of the Dammamite interrogators ( with the red mask )

Behind all of them is one of their weapons, the gigantic, seemingly indestructible bio weapon called the Termagant ( the black thing with the teeth and ridges ).

Created by writer John Smith and with art by Mark Buckingham and Paul Marshall, the story is perhaps a little tough going and pulls no punches with killing off pretty much anyone. But this story has always stuck in my memory.

Tyranny Rex was created by John Smith and Steve Dillon and is a trademark of Rebellion.