Chatu's Fate

Chatu's Fate

Start date:	December 13th, 2010
End date:	May 7th, 2011
# of strips:	126 (21 weeks)
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	Paul Ryan
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"The Trail to Gravelines Prison"
Followed by:	"The College Kid"

"Chatu's Fate" is the 231st Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Paul Ryan. It is the fifth and final part of a longer storyline.

Plot Summary

Lee Falk starts with telling the readers what has happened previously; the Phantom has freed Diana, but now he must bring the man behind it to justice.

The Phantom brings Diana to Keela-Wee for a second honeymoon. The Phantom also brings Diana new Wambesi clothing.

Diana tells the Phantom what she remembers about the kidnappers (who are also the bombers) and the female prison warden. She also remembers the name of Chatu's Boomsby prison spy and the Phantom goes after him, leaving Diana safe at Keela-Wee.

Meanwhile, Old man Mozz dresses up in a nice suit and visits president Luaga to tell him and Kit and Heloise that the Phantom is currently in Mawitaan fighting evil. When the twins have left for bed, Mozz continues and tells the Luagas that the Phantom has also saved Diana, but they agree that the twins are not ready to hear that.

Meanwhile, the Phantom has left the Boomsby spy for the police to find and the Boomsby prison warden contacts Luaga. The spy is telling them everything while the Phantom departs for Rhodia.

At Boomsby, Chatu begins to wonder what has happened to his spy, while he is planning new schemes. From the blind seer, he learns that the Phantom has taken the spy and that he will go after them now.

Meanwhile, the Phantom breaks in at Gravelines Maximum Security Prison and kidnaps the prison warden. He then bursts out of the prison driving a van which he drives to pick up the two men who did the bombing of the UN building and knocks them out. Then he drives the van back to Bangalla and to the Presidential Palace in Mawitaan, where a slight panic is caused since they suspect another terrorist attack in progress at first. When the van is examined, however, they find the two terrorists and the prison warden tied up with accusations pinned at them, all signed by a Skull mark.

Devil and Hero, sensing the vicinity of their master go wild in the palace grounds. Hero is let out of the stable and together, he and Devil greet the Phantom in the Palace garden. The twins follow and finally, there is a family reunion in which the Luagas also join. Back in the Palace, the Phantom begins telling Luaga about what the prisoners that he has brought has done. He also tells Kit and Heloise that Diana is alive.

Afterwhile, the Phantom and the twins travel to Keela-Wee where Diana greets them. After some talking, Diana and the children start the journey home, while the Phantom goes after the Python.

At Boomsby Prison, the Blind seer dies, leaving Chatu alone in the cellblock. Chatu knows that the Phantom is after him and eagerly awaits him, because he has killed the Phantom before and he could do it again.

There is slightly smokey in the cellblock, where Chatu now is alone. Suddenly, Chatu awakes and finds the cell door open, also a pistol is lying at the floor. He immedtiately realizes that the Phantom is there and cautiously walks out with the pistol, calling out that he is going to kill the Ghost Who Walks. When the Phantom finally appears, Chatu tells him that they both know that he can die and indicates with the pistol that he will kill him on the spot. The Phantom responds that this is Chatu's last night in Boomsby, maybe even his final on Earth. He informs Chatu that he has two choices and cautions him to take his time. As Chatu hesitates, the Phantom remembers some events at Keela-Wee where Kit didn't want him to go to Boomsby because the Python could still win, the Phantom had responded that althugh Chatu still could win, he "wouldn't bet on it!"

At Boomsby Chatu begins to hesitate as he concludes that the Phantom wants him to fire on him and he therefore suspect some kind of trap and puts the gun down. Chatu starts to recount to the Phantom that at all their other encounters, the Phantom has never dared Chatu to harm him. Chatu continues to recount that although the Phantom has had many opportunities to kill him, he has never done so. But the Phantom would have had this night if Chatu had pulled the trigger. The Phantom calmly replies that the choice was Chatu's and then a the Phantom starts a fistfight with Chatu. During the fight, Chatu acknowledges that his plan was for the Phantom to grieve for Diana forever while only Chatu would know the truth. When Chatu realizes that the Phantom is going to beat him, he dives for the gun, but he has already had his one-free shot so the Phantom knocks him out and removes him from Boomsby. When the prison guards misses Chatu, the prison warden realizes what has happened when he sees the Skull Mark at the wall.

Later, the Phantom returns to the Deep Woods and the Skull Cave. At the ensuing feast during the night, when asked, the Phantom merely states that Chatu cannot hurt anyone anymore. The next day, he reveals that Chatu is now a prisoner of the Wambesi, which is far more secure than Boomsby since they've simply caged him.

Diana next tells her mother over the videophone, rendering her unconscious. Dave is reminded about when she agreed to let them marry, since it was the same reaction. They also call Captain Savarna, who is busy fighting pirates.

Later, Diana confesses that her wedding ring was taken from her in prison. The Phantom, however, explains that he already had noticed at Keela-Wee that it was gone and, having a good idea of where it was, he brought it back for her from the Rhodian prison. Diana is offered to get it back by saying that she would marry the Phantom all over again, to which she responds with a big kiss.

The End

Appearances

Recurring characters

One-time characters

Python's Boomsby spy

Real-life characters

Lee Falk

Locations

Boats

India Voyager II

Tribes

Trivia

Lee Falk in the original and the corrected version of a panel from the December 13 strip.

Lee Falk was colored with dark skin, but this mistake was later corrected in the digital version supplied by King Features Syndicate.
The Sunday story "The Nomad", which started while this story was still running, refers to events in this story as they are happening. Thus the two stories appear to take place at the same time.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

Shepparton News December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011
Townsville Bulletin December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011
The Courier-Mail January 5, 2011 – June 1, 2011
The Advertiser January 18, 2011 – June 13, 2011
The Cairns Post January 28, 2011 – June 24, 2011
"The Python Strikes Back, Part 5", The Phantom #1602 (2011)

The Bahamas

The Freeport News December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011

Colombia

"El Destino de Chatu", El Colombiano January 8, 2011 – June 3, 2011

Finland

Aamulehti June 18, 2012 – November 13, 2012
Kaleva September ?, 2012 – ?
Kymen Sanomat ?, 2013 – ?, 2013
Ilkka May ?, 2013 – ?, 2013
Satakunnan Kansa May ?, 2013 – ?, 2013
Karjalainen ? – May 25, 2013
Keskipohjanmaa ? – June 11, 2013
"Dianan jäljillä, osa 2", Mustanaamio Spesiaali 3/2013 (2013; edited together with the second half of "The Trail to Gravelines Prison" and some new panels by Hans Lindahl)
Demokraatti July 24, 2015 – December 30, 2015 (first two strips missing)

India

Hitavada ? – July 16, 2011
Nava Bharat April 18, 2011 – ?
Anandabazar Patrika September 21, 2011 – February 16, 2012
"Chatu's Fate", Terror of the Python (2022)

Jamaica

The Daily Gleaner December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011

Norway

"På sporet av Sala, del 2", Fantomet 19/2011 (edited together with the second half of "The Trail to Gravelines Prison" and some new panels by Hans Lindahl)
Bergensavisen July 26, 2011 – November 28, 2011
Nordlys February 27, 2012 – April 13, 2012 (the first strip from December 23, 2010, some daily strips missing)
Sandefjords Blad February 28, 2012 – August 2, 2012
Østlendingen March 16, 2012 – August 17, 2012
Agderposten March 24, 2012 – August 24, 2012
Tønsbergs Blad April 17, 2012 – September 13, 2012
Lindesnes ?, 2012 – October 5, 2012
Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen May 16, 2012 – October 13, 2012
Østlandsposten June 9, 2012 – November 2, 2012
Lofotposten June 22, 2012 – November 15, 2012
Fædrelandsvennen June 30, 2012 – November 23, 2012
Romsdals Budstikke July 10, 2012 – December 1, 2012
Grimstad Adressetidene July 17, 2012 – December 11, 2012
Varden December 19, 2012 – May 27, 2013
Aftenposten October 7, 2013 – February 12, 2014
Oppland Arbeiderblad August 29, 2017 – January 23, 2018

The Philippines

The Philippine Star February 13, 2012 – July 10, 2012

Sweden

"I Dianas spår, del 2", Fantomen 20/2011 (edited together with the second half of "The Trail to Gravelines Prison" and some new panels by Hans Lindahl)
Svenska Dagbladet November 22, 2011 – March 30, 2012

Turkey

"Chatu'nun Kaderi", Kızılmaske #42 (2017)

USA

Boston Herald December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011
The Citizens' Voice December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011
Delaware County Daily Times December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011
Houston Chronicle December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011
The News Item December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011
Reading Eagle December 13, 2010 – May 7, 2011

Chatu's Fate

Contents