It is the 2011 in the dystopian reality of Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons’ Give Me Liberty. The Aryan Thrust is described as a “militant gay racist group” that has sworn retaliation against America’s President Nissen for the accidental incineration of its headquarters in the Appalachian mountains. Its assassination attempt fails, but the Surgeon General cheers the destruction as an example of how to cleanse America, and follows up by dispatching his “Health Police” to “disinfect Appalachia.”
The Aryan Thrust vow even greater retaliatory measures and under the command of Colonel Wilhelm Crotch captures the orbiting laser cannon that destroyed the Aryan Thrust stronghold. Its crew members are shown floating dead in space. In response Peace Force soldier Martha Washington is dispatched to retake the weapon base. She gains admittance under the pretext of negotiation and is met by the Colonel and three other Aryan Thrust members. They’re simultaneously high camp and ultra butch in their leather uniforms, displaying their violent philosophy and stupidity (threatening to use a firearms on essentially a space station in the vacuum of space), and racism when Crotch calls Washington “a darkie”. The situation quickly goes bad when Crotch threatens to kill the government representative sent along with Washington. In turn, she proceeds to wound and slay the quartet, but not before Crotch can start the ignition sequence to destroy the White House. Alerted by the shouting, another group chases after her; one of them fires his weapon, causing a hull breach. The sequence is aborted when Washington accidentally discovers and rescues the mutant telepath who functions as the control system. Instead, the pent up energy destroys the laser cannon after the pair barely escape. Having served the plot, the Aryan Thrust die and that’s that.
The Aryan Thrust and Colonel Crotch appear in Give Me Liberty #2 and the Life & Times of Martha Washington in the 21st Century TPB from Dark Horse. The indicia indicates permission for images must be obtained from Miller & Gibbons. You’ll want to find a copy of the trade at your library or look through one at a bookstore to decide for yourself if their depiction is cringe worthy.
© and ® Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons. All rights reserved.
