While technically set in the same universe, there is an obvious disconnect between the current era of Mad Max canon, and the original Mel Gibson era. Not only is the titular character played by a different actor entirely (Tom Hardy), but the world itself feels different. Mad Max: Fury Road presented fans with a settled post-apocalyptic society with established rulers and even newfound religions, which is in stark contrast to the original Mad Max films where people were still clamoring for power in the wasteland. But now, these two worlds are colliding with one major link.

In Mad Max: Fury Road – Max #1 by George Miller, Mark Sexton, and Nico Lathouris, Max is in Gastown in search of a new engine for his car, the V8 Interceptor. Fans know Gastown as the territory from which Immortan Joe gets his ‘guzzoline’, trading fuel for water. Similarly, Gastown trades ‘guzzoline’ for ammunition with Bullet Town, as these are the three main societies in the Mad Max universe, circa ‘Fury Road’ era. However, while a pillar of modern Mad Max society, Gastown still holds on to one particular remnant of the past: Thunderdome.

Max goes to Gastown to partake in a tradition/spectacle called Amnesty, where anyone who wishes can enter the Thunderdome in a battle royale-style tournament, and fight to the death against everyone else for the chance to win the grand prize. During this Amnesty, the prize was a new engine, so Max had no choice but to partake in this grisly affair – and it wasn’t his first time.

Mad Max: Fury Road’s Gastown Gives New Life to Bartertown’s Thunderdome

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

The first time Max ever experienced a ‘Thunderdome’ was in the 1985 film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. In it, Max travels to Bartertown, which was a more barbaric version of the type of post-apocalyptic societies fans see in Mad Max: Fury Road. Thunderdome was essentially Bartertown’s judicial system. If there was a problem between two people, it would be settled in a fight to the death within the Thunderdome.

In the ‘Fury Road’ era of Mad Max canon, the Thunderdome isn’t as intrinsic to the way society functions in Gastown the way it was in Bartertown, and is instead a spectacle meant for entertainment. In this way, the ‘Fury Road’ era breathes new life into Batertown’s Thunderdome in a much more civilized way (relatively speaking), and acts as a fascinating evolution of this once utterly barbaric form of law and order.

Gastown’s Thunderdome Perfectly Connects the Original Mad Max Trilogy with the Sequels

Not only does the Thunderdome itself experience its own form of evolution as the world of Mad Max progresses, but this entire story perfectly connects the original Mad Max trilogy to the sequels. By the end of Mel Gibson’s run as Max, his V8 Interceptor is destroyed, and he is left to wander the wasteland, totally vulnerable. Then, at the start of Mad Max: Fury Road, he suddenly has his car back. And now, fans know exactly how: through his victory in the Thunderdome.

While it’s true that the Mad Max films aren’t meant to be a linear story, but rather standalone exploits of the legendary Road Warrior, this comic still manages to connect the original movies with the sequels seamlessly. However, the real standout in this storyline is the return of the Thunderdome, and how its continued existence in the new age of Mad Max canon perfectly links the sequels to the Mel Gibson era.