Vector 13 facts for kids
Vector 13 was a cool comic strip that appeared in the British magazine 2000 AD. It was all about a secret agency called Vector 13. Their job was to look into strange events and conspiracy theories – you know, those ideas about secret plots!
The comic was really popular because it was inspired by the TV show The X-Files, which was huge at the time. It also took ideas from other real-life events, like the "alien autopsy film" that came out in 1995. As people became less interested in paranormal stuff, the series ended. It was replaced by Pulp Sci-Fi, which also told short, self-contained stories. Vector 13 actually helped inspire other comics later on, like Caballistics, Inc. and the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, which also dealt with similar mysterious agencies.
The idea for Vector 13 was created by Alan McKenzie, who used to be an editor for 2000 AD.
What's the Story About?
Each story in Vector 13 was presented as a real case file from the Men in Black (MiB). These mysterious agents would share their investigations into all sorts of strange and unexplained things.
They looked into everything from creatures like the Mothman and the Chupacabras to bigger conspiracy theories like Project MKULTRA. These are all examples of "Forteana," which is a word for unusual phenomena that science can't easily explain.
At one point, when interest in these topics was super high, the MiB even "took over" the 2000 AD magazine! They appeared as part of the magazine's logo, pretending that Tharg (the magazine's alien editor) was away dealing with a crisis. This happened around the same time that The X-Files trading cards were being promoted.
The series had many different cases, each exploring a new mystery. Some of the stories included:
- "Who Was the Mothman?"
- "Marion"
- "Spear of Destiny"
- "Blackout"
- "The Sad Child"
- "MK-Ultra"
- "Chupacabras"
- "Houdini"
