The Death of Diana Palmer Walker

The Death of Diana Palmer Walker

Start date:	August 24, 2009
End date:	December 19, 2009
# of strips:	102 strips (17 weeks)
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	Paul Ryan
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"The Hunt for the Unknown Commander"
Followed by:	"The Phantom at Sea"

"The Death of Diana Palmer Walker" is the 227th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Paul Ryan. It is the first part of a longer storyline, consisting of five stories in total.

Plot Summary

Chatu, alias "The Python", is in Boomsby prison. One of the other inmates is a blind man that has been sitting there for ages. The man has, however, some unusual powers; he can "see" outside the prison walls and recreates the persons that he sees as sculptures. He has seen Diana at the Phantom's side and created a bust of her. Chatu, having contact with the outside world through a mole, makes his men go searching after her.

The search is successful and Diana is identified as working for the UN. Chatu then organizes an attack at the UN building, warning the Boomsby prison warden only minutes before it is about to take place.

Meanwhile, the Phantom and Diana has been warned by old man Mozz that Diana is in danger. They, however, choose to ingore the warnings. After seeing Diana off at the UN building, the Phantom goes to the Presidential Palace to meet his friend Lamanda Luaga. While they are talking, they get a call from the Boomsby Prison warden. Luaga immediately begins to give orders to evacuate the building when an explosion suddenly shakes Mawitaan.

The UN building has exploded and the Phantom immediately starts searching for Diana without any result. She is not in any hospital, nor any morgue. Depressed, the Phantom leaves for the Deep Woods. Upon arrival, he informs Guran and Kit and Heloise about what has happened.

In a last desperate hope, he travels to old man Mozz to see ask about her fate. Mozz, however, cannot tell anything certain, she is just in darkness.

The Phantom blames himself for the explosion as he had earlier saved Chatu's life. Justice for the Python Fearing that any confrontation with Chatu now only will end in murder, something he is determined not to commit. He begins to isolate himself and sends Kit and Heloise to safety with Lamanda and Taru Luaga.

Meanwhile, it turns out that Diana was kidnapped before the explosion and is now taken to the Rhodian border, where Rhodian prison guards take care of her.

She is taken to a Rhodian prison, where a female prison warden with a bun hairdo greets her as prison inmate Miss Cole, and that she must try to run farther than Mawitaan on her next escape. While protesting, claiming they've got the wrong woman, her head gets shaved and she is placed in a prison cell. While there, the female prison warden turns up and, speaking candidly, explain that she know who she is and that the Python wants her to stay in prison as murderess Adela Cole for the rest of her life. The real Miss Cole is dead, though not officially, and no one will search for Diana as she is believed to have died in the terror bombing.

The Python has got his revenge as Diana now will, like him, rot in prison.

Meanwhile, the Phantom takes hire as a sailor on a ship. During the night the Phantom is wondering why Diana had to die, while Diana is trying to convince herself that he is searching for her.

To be continued

Appearances

Recurring characters

One-time characters

Boomsby Prison guard
Infiltrating Python man
Thomas
Python terrorists
Rhodian Prison guards
Rhodian Prison warden
The Skipper

Locations

Bengali
- Boomsby Prison
- Mawitaan
  - UN building
  - The Presidential Palace
- Mozz' home
- The Deep Woods
  - The Skull Cave
    - The Skull Throne
  - Bandar Village
Rhodia
- Gravelines Maximum Security Prison

Tribes

Bandar

Trivia

In the September 16 strip, "Lignante's Ristora---" is seen, probably a reference to Bill Lignante.

Scandinavian publication

In Sweden and Norway, where the Team Fantomen are making an overall background plot of the stories, the Singh pirate Sandal Singh has become president instead of Lamanda Luaga, who is currently working as a doctor in the poor part of Morristown (Mawitaan) known as Bengete. In order for this to work, editor Ulf Granberg rewrote parts of the story to make Sandal Singh president and Luaga living in Bengete, the new art for this was supplied by Hans Lindahl.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

"Revenge of The Python", The Phantom #1566 (2010)
"The Python Strikes Back, Part 1", The Phantom #1602 (2011)

The Bahamas

The Freeport News August 24, 2009 – December 19, 2009

Colombia

El Colombiano October 20, 2009 – January 28, 2010

Croatia

Večernji list November 27, 2009 – February 10, 2010 (incomplete story)

Finland

Aamulehti ? – ?
Karjalainen ? – ?, 2011
"...Uhrien joukossa: Diana Palmer-Walker", Mustanaamio Spesiaali 3/2013 (2013; edited together with "The Phantom at Sea" with additional story by Ulf Granberg and art by Hans Lindahl)

India

Anandabazar Patrika May 27, 2010 – September 23, 2010

Jamaica

The Daily Gleaner August 24, 2009 – December 19, 2009

Norway

Bergensavisen June 19, 2010 – October 14, 2010
Nordlys September 30, 2010 – January 29, 2011
Sandefjords Blad October 27, 2010 – February 23, 2011
Østlendingen November 15, 2010 – March 15, 2011
"... blant offrene: Sala Palmer-Walker", Fantomet 1-2/2011 (edited together with "The Phantom at Sea" with additional story by Ulf Granberg and art by Hans Lindahl)
Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen January 11, 2011 – May 10, 2011
Østlandsposten February 1, 2011 – June 6, 2011
Lofotposten February 15, 2011 – June 21, 2011
Agderposten February 18, 2011 – June 24, 2011
Fædrelandsvennen February 22, 2011 – June 27, 2011
Romsdals Budstikke March 4, 2011 – July 7, 2011
Grimstad Adressetidene March 10, 2011 – July 14, 2011
Varden August 23, 2011 – December 19, 2011

Spain

Las Provincias ? – ?

Sweden

Tidningen Ångermanland September 3, 2010 – ?
Örnsköldsviks Allehanda September 3, 2010 – ?
Svenska Dagbladet September 27, 2010 – January 10, 2011
"... bland offren: Diana Palmer-Walker", Fantomen 2-3/2011 (edited together with "The Phantom at Sea", with additional story by Ulf Granberg and art by Hans Lindahl)
Bohusläningen November 4, 2013 – March 6, 2014

Turkey

"Diana Palmer Walker'ın Ölümü", Kızılmaske #41 (2017)

USA

The Citizens' Voice August 24, 2009 – December 19, 2009
Delaware County Daily Times August 24, 2009 – December 19, 2009
Houston Chronicle August 24, 2009 – December 19, 2009
The News Item August 24, 2009 – December 19, 2009
The Plattsburgh Press-Republican August 24, 2009 – December 19, 2009
Reading Eagle August 24, 2009 – December 19, 2009

Venezuela

El Nacional October 20, 2009 – January 28, 2010

The Death of Diana Palmer Walker

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