Rex King (story)

Rex King
Start date:	May 15th, 1966
End date:	December 11th, 1966
# of strips:	31 pages
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	unknown
Preceded by:	"The Veiled Lady"
Followed by:	"The Golden Sands of Keela-Wee"

"Rex King" is the 68th Phantom Sunday story. It was originally published in American newspapers from May 15th, 1966 to December 11th, 1966.

The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot Summary

An eldery couple, Jeremiah and Maria, one night find a baby boy outside their door. The parents does not show up and they are about to go out into the jungle as missionaries. They therefore takes the baby with them. Unfortunately, they contract a jungle disease and dies, while the baby avoids to get infected. Vultures and a leopard is attracked to the place but the Phantom turns up and scare away the vultures, while the leopard has to be killed.

The Phantom tries to find the parents through the Jungle Patrol but fails. Since the baby boy has something royal over his character, he is named Rex King.

Rex then grows up in the jungle and becomes best friend with Toomytomgano, the son of the Llongo chief who Rex call Tom-Tom.

One day, Rex, Tom-Tom, and the Phantom watches as a female lion attack at too big animal and is killed. It turns out that the lioness had a child in the near vicinity and was trying to feed it. Rex adopts the lion baby and says that he would call him Katon llongo which means big cat, Tom-Tom corrects Rex and says that it is a female. Rex then declare that the lion should be called Kateena llongo which means female cat.

When Kateena has grown up, Rex and Tom-Tom discover that bank robbers are digging down their captured money. They dig the money up as soon as the robbers have leaved. However, it is all paper money and the boys have no idea what kind of thing that is. Unfortunately, one of the robbers forgot his jacket and when he go back, he discover them. Tom-Tom manages to escape, but Rex is caught. Tom-Tom runs to fetch some help.

Meanwhile, Rex manages to overcome the bank robbers and when the Phantom comes, Rex has taken the rifle and put the robbers at Joomba, while he travels at the back of Kateena.

The Phantom sends Rex to the city to deliver the robbers. There, Rex encounter colonel Weeks, who is speechless.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "Rex, el niño de la jungla", Libro de Oro #33 (1967)
• "El hijo de la jungla", Fantasía #144 and "Katina, la leona", #148

Australia

• The Phantom #369 (1968)
• The Phantom #528 (1974)
• The Phantom #709 (1981)
• The Phantom #1094 (1995)
• The Phantom #1591 (2011)

Brazil

• "Rex, o Menino das Selvas", Fantasma #125 and "O Esconderijo na Selva", #126 (1967)
• "Rex, o Menino das Selvas", Fantasma #227 (1975)

Canada

• Le Soleil May 14, 1966 – December 10, 1966
• La Patrie May 15, 1966 – December 11, 1966

Colombia

• El Tiempo August 21, 1966 – March 19, 1967

Denmark

• "Jungledrengen", Fantomet #165 (1981)

Finland

• "Löytölapsi", Mustanaamio Year Album 1976
• "Löytölapsi", Sarjakirja 2/1991
• "Viidakkopoika", Mustanaamio 6 – 9/2001

France

• Le Fantôme: L'Ombre Qui Marche (1974)
• "Jungle romantique" and "Le petit justicier", Le Fantôme Spécial #87 (1971)

India

• Indrajal Comics #49 (1967)
• "Athiradi siruvan", Rani Comics #200
• "The Treasure of the Robbers", Diamond Comics Digest: Phantom #15
• "The Treasure of the Robbers", Diamond Comics Digest: Phantom #64

Ireland

• Sunday Independent September 4, 1966 – April 9, 1967

Italy

• "Giungla romantica", I Giganti #1 and "Il piccolo giustiziere", #7 (1967)

Norway

• Vi menn 5-35/1967
• "Hittebarnet", Fantomet Year Album 1976
• "Hittebarnet", Serie-pocket #163 (1991)
• "Hittebarnet", Fantomet 6 – 9/2001

Portugal

• "A Criança Abandonada", Selecções #89 and "O Dinheiro Enterrado", Mundo de Aventuras #1001 (1968)

Spain

• "Rey Rex", El Hombre Enmascarado #40 (1967, part 1 only)

Sweden

• "Djungelpojken", Fantomen 9/1967
• "Hittebarnet", Fantomen Christmas Album 1976
• "Djungelpojken", Fantomen 6 – 9/2001
• "Djungelpojken", Sy Barry Söndagsäventyr #3 (2003)

Turkey

• "Küçük Kahraman", Kızılmaske #52 – #54 (1974)
• "Küçük Kahraman", Kızılmaske #57 – #58
• "Küçük Kahraman", Kızılmaske Albüm #69
• "Küçük Kahraman", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #75

United Kingdom

• "Jungle Boy", TV Tornado #68 – #78 (1968)

USA

• Anderson Herald May 15, 1966 – December 11, 1966
• Charleston Gazette-Mail May 15, 1966 – December 11, 1966
• Cumberland Sunday Times May 15, 1966 – December 11, 1966
• The Danville Register May 15, 1966 – December 11, 1966
• The News Tribune May 15, 1966 – December 11, 1966
• San Antonio Light May 15, 1966 – December 11, 1966
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune May 15, 1966 – December 11, 1966
• El Diario La Prensa June 12, 1966 – January 8, 1967

West Germany

• "Alarm in der Totenkopfhöhle", Phantom #11 (1974)
• Topix #7 (1976; part 1 only)

Yugoslavia

• "Rex - usvojeni kralj džungle", Plavi Vjesnik #679 – #693 (1967-1968; part 1 only)
• "Priča o Reksu Kingu", Super EKS Almanah #73 (1985)