Jungle Mystery

Jungle Mystery
Start date:	December 30th, 2002
End date:	April 26th, 2003
# of strips:	102 (17 weeks)
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	George Olesen & Keith Williams
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"The Crusader's Treasure"
Followed by:	"The Hit Men"

"Jungle Mystery" is the 207th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by George Olesen and Keith Williams.

Plot Summary

A small plane approaches Mawitaan, for refueling, en route to delivering something to Ivory-Lana. A man claiming to represent the Central Aviation Authority aims to delay the plane, but let it enter Rhodian airspace. Approaching Rhodia, the plane develops a fuel emergency and crash-lands in the Bangalla jungle. Wambesi drums alert the Phantom. He and a Rhodian helicopter approach the area at the same time. The Rhodians are still a ways from the crash site, but the Phantom reaches it quickly. The two men convince the Phantom to lead them to the Rhodian helicopter, not the Wambesi village. Meanwhile, the Rhodian soldiers find two Wambesi and get them to lead the way to the crash site. They encounter the airplane men and all turn back to the crash site. The Phantom, looking on, smells a rat.

The Phantom hustles ahead to the plane, finds contraband, shoots it, and hides again. The Rhodians call in their helicopter, admit to the fliers that their Mawitaan agent sabotaged the plane, then prepare to shoot those two men and their Wambesi guides. The Phantom subdues the Rhodians, then hides again as the helicopter arrives. They start to call in a "skycrane chopper" to lift the plane over the border, but The Phantom shoots out their radio.

After a scuffle, the two men explain that their employer "built this experimental air traffic control platform ... to monitor low-flying civilian aircraft over remote, rugged terrain," and they were to deliver it to Ivory-Lana. The Phantom flies them back to Mawitaan in the Rhodian helicopter, where they are met by President Luaga and the Jungle Patrol commander, "Mr. Walker." The two men note a strong resemblance between Walker's "dog" and The Phantom's mountain wolf, Devil.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil
• Guran
• Hero
• Lamanda Luaga

One-time characters

Locations

• Bangalla
• Ivory-Lana
• Rhodia

Tribes

• Bandar
• Wambesi

Organizations

• The Jungle Patrol

Vehicles

Items

Old jungle sayings

Notes

• This story marks the first appearance of the Team Fantomen creation Rhodia in the newspaper strip.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "Jungle Mystery", The Phantom #1354 (2003)

Denmark

• Horsens Folkeblad May 3, 2008 – September 1, 2008

Finland

• Keskisuomalainen September 10, 2012 – December 21, 2012

India

• Anandabazar Patrika September 3, 2003 – December 31, 2003
• "Jungle Mystery", Jungle Mystery (2011)
• "Jungle Mystery", Valley of the Gorilla Man (2011; excerpt)
• "Jungle Mystery", Predator of Evil (2011)
• "Jungle Mystery", Crime Avenger (2011; excerpt)

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner December 30, 2002 – April 26, 2003

Mexico

• El Informador November 18, 2010 – February 20, 2011 (the first nine strips missing)

Norway

• Haugesunds Avis ?, 2004 – December 22, 2004
• Aftenposten July 23, 2004 – December 27, 2004
• Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen August 31, 2006 – December 28, 2006 (first three strips missing)
• Oppland Arbeiderblad October 10, 2009 – February 8, 2010 (the first strip missing)
• Bergensavisen September 16, 2015 – November 5, 2015 (missing the first strip and strips from January 4 to March 8, 2003)
• Østlandsposten April 7, 2016 – August 4, 2016 (the first strip missing)

Sweden

• Svenska Dagbladet October 2, 2003 – February 7, 2004
• Gefle Dagblad April 12, 2009 – ?
• "Det försvunna planet", Fantomen 24/2022

Turkey

• "Gizemli Orman", Kızılmaske #35 – #36 (2016)

USA

• Bangor Daily News December 30, 2002 – April 26, 2003
• The Daily American December 30, 2002 – April 26, 2003
• The Daily Item December 30, 2002 – April 26, 2003
• Observer-Reporter December 30, 2002 – April 26, 2003
• The Plattsburgh Press-Republican December 30, 2002 – April 26, 2003
• Reading Eagle December 30, 2002 – April 26, 2003
• Republican Herald December 30, 2002 – April 26, 2003