Alexander's Diamond Cup

Alexander's Diamond Cup
Start date:	September 20th, 1970
End date:	February 7th, 1971
# of strips:	21 pages
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"The Beach"
Followed by:	"The Tale of the Gooley-Gooley Witch"

"Alexander's Diamond Cup" is the 81st Phantom Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot synopsis

Rex and Tom-Tom ask the Phantom to show them the treasure room. The Phantom shows them artifacts such as Excalibur, the snake that killed Cleopatra, Ceasar's golden laurel and the Diamond Cup of Alexander the Great, made from a single diamond.

In Morristown at the Explorers Club Professor Hodges' stories of his research of the diamond cup attract the attention of of a captain. The professor has evidence that the diamond cup is in the Deep Woods guarded by somebody who calls himself "the Phantom". They form a partnership in order to finance a project to search for and find the diamond cup and bring it to Morristown. The professor and captain call on a number of millionaires to support the project financially.

When the captain has sold half the diamond cup five times over to wealthy backers, professor Hodges realizes that the captain is only after the money with no intention of actually searching for the cup. He takes his car into the jungle and starts to call out for the Phantom. The captain shows up with a gun and insists that the professor return to Morristown to continue the scam. At that moment Bandars warriors show up aiming poisonous arrows at them.

The Bandars take them on a walk through the deep forests, past the Phantom Head Peak, through The Whispering Grove and to the Skull Cave. There they are met by the Phantom who brings them to the Major Treasure Room and shows them the diamond cup. The captain pulls out his gun and demands to have the cup. The Phantom tricks him by asking if he also would like to have the diamand vase, quickly disarming him. While the lioness Kateena is guarding the captain, the Phantom shows the professor the historical artifacts in the treasure room, insisting that he does not own them, only keeping them safe for all humanity.

The professor and captain are taken away by the Bandars and picked up by the Jungle Patrol, to be tried by a court for embezzlement.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Rex
• Tom-Tom
• Kateena
• Emperor Joonkar (mentioned)

One-time characters

• Professor Hodges
• Captain
• Mealy

Locations

• Bengali
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
  • Phantom Head Peak
  • Morristown

Organizations

• The Jungle Patrol
• Explorers' Club‏‎

Tribes

• Bandar

Objects

• Excalibur
• Durandal
• The Diamond Cup of Alexander the Great
• The Tiny Ark
• The Asp of Cleopatra
• Caesar's Golden Laurel
• The Great Ring of Nebuchadnezzar
• The Necklace of Nefertiti
• Homer's Lyre

Behind the scenes

• Although presumably set in contemporary Bengali, the professor drives around in a 1920s car, possibly a 1927 Ford Model A.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "La leyenda de Alejandro", Fantasía #175 (1971)

Australia

• The Phantom #459 (1971)
• The Phantom #638 (1978)
• The Phantom #847 (1986)
• The Phantom #1156 (1997)

Brazil

• "A Taça de Diamante", Fantasma #187 (1972)
• "O Golpe da Taça de Diamante", Fantasma #312 (1981)
• "A Taça de Diamante", Fantasma #368 (1986)

Canada

• Le Soleil September 18, 1970 – February 5, 1971
• La Patrie September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971

Colombia

• El Tiempo December 6, 1970 – March 28, 1971

Denmark

• "Alexanders diamantbæger", Fantomet Solohæfte i farver (1972)
• "Alexanders diamantbæger", Fantomet #116 (1979)

Finland

• Seura 20 – 40/1971
• "Timanttimaljan salaisuus", Mustanaamio Year Album 1972
• "Aleksanterin timanttimalja", Mustanaamio 25/1978
• "Aleksanterin timanttimalja", Mustanaamio Kesäalbumi 1986
• "Aleksanterin timanttipikari", Mustanaamio 19 – 22/2002

France

• "La coupe d’Alexandre", Nouveau Tintin #8 (1975)

Greece

• "Το διαμαντενιο ποτήρι του μεγαλου Αλεξανδρου" (romanized as "To diamantenio potiri tou megalou Alexandrou"), Fantom #26 (1975)

Iceland

• Vikan July 1, 1971 – November 18, 1971

India

• The Illustrated Weekly of India January 31, 1971 – June 20, 1971
• "Alexander's Diamond Cup", Phantom #22
• "மரண குகை" (romanized as "Marana kugai"), Rani Comics #206 (1993)

Italy

• "La coppa di diamante", L'Uomo Mascherato #20 (1971)

Norway

• Vi menn 11 – 31/1971
• "Alexanders diamantbeger", Fantomet Year Album 1972
• "Aleksanders diamantbeger", Fantomet 2/1979
• "Alexanders diamantbeger", Serie-pocket #232 (1999)
• "Alexanders diamantbeger", Fantomet 19 – 22/2002

Portugal

• "O copo de Alexandre Magno", Mundo de Aventuras #1217 (1973)

Spain

• "La copa de Alejandro Magno", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #6 (2019)

Sweden

• "Alexanders diamantbägare", Vecko-Revyn 14 – 34/1971
• "Alexanders diamantbägare", Fantomen Christmas Album 1972
• "Alexanders diamantbägare", Fantomen 17/1978
• "Alexanders diamantbägare", Fantomen 19 – 22/2002
• "Alexanders diamantbägare", Fantomen Christmas Album 2022 - facsimile reprint of 1972 Christmas Album

Turkey

• "Büyük Iskender'in Kadehi", Kızılmaske #103 – #105 (1975)
• "Büyük Iskender'in Kadehi", Kızılmaske Albüm #30 – #31 (197?)
• "Büyük Iskender'in Kadehi", Kızılmaske #33 – #35 (198?)
• "Büyük Iskender'in Kadehi", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #9 – #10
• "Büyük Iskender'in Kadehi", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #76
• "Büyük İskender'in Elmas Kadehi", Kızılmaske #10 – #11 (2014)

USA

• Anderson Herald September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• Cumberland Sunday Times September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The Danville Register September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The Democrat September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The Gadsden Times September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The Huntsville Times September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The Montgomery Advertiser September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The News Tribune September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• La Opinión September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• Orlando Sentinel September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The Robesonian September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• San Antonio Light September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• San Francisco Examiner September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• Spartanburg Herald-Journal September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• St. Petersburg Times September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The Tampa Tribune September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971
• The Tuscaloosa News September 20, 1970 – February 7, 1971

West Germany

• "Der heiße Diamant", Phantom #188 (1981)
• "Der heiße Diamant", Phantom Super-band #47

Yugoslavia

• "Дијамантска чаша" (romanized as "Dijamantska čaša"), Politikin Zabavnik #1247 (1975)