Mystery in Rome

Mystery in Rome
Produced for:	Fantomen 25/1977
# of pgs:	32
Writer:	Ulf Granberg
Artist:	Jaime Vallvé
Original colorist:	N/A
Producer:	Semic Press

"Mystery in Rome" is a 1977 Team Fantomen story, written by Ulf Granberg, with art by Jaime Vallvé.

Plot synopsis

After having told Rex and Tom-Tom of how the Phantom got hold of the skull ring, they ask to see the box that kept the ring that the 1st Phantom received with the ring. Hidden in the lining, the Phantom finds additional notes of what happened after.

After having left Salzburg, the 1st Phantom rides to Venice to find a ship to continue to Bengali. But in Venice he is attacked by two men who strike him down and the unconscious Phantom is taken to a ship. As it turns out the two men have followed the Phantom and Paracelsus from London in order to get their hands on the mysterious skull ring. The ship sails to Ostia on Italy's west coast and the Phantom is then taken blindfolded to Rome and the Castel Sant'Angelo where he is kept prisoner.

The two men have been acting on order of His Excellency Cesare who intends to find out more about the ring, only knowing that the secret is hidden in the catacombs of Rome. One of his servants is a spy to Cesare's uncle, cardinal Giulio. The cardinal is well aware of the secret of the ring and that it is the secret to finding one of Rom's most precious treasures.

After having been imprisoned for a day, the Phantom is taken to a torture chamber and tied to a rack, told to tell the secret of the ring. The torture begins, led by Cesare himself, but the Phantom is unable to divulge the secret since Paracelsus did not tell him anything about the ring. The Phantom is taken back to his cell. He manages to escape his prison and get away from the guards that chase him on the streets of Rome. A beggar shows him the way to Cesare's palace which he enters during the night. In Cesare's chambers he learns that there is a connection between the ring and the catacombs. He retrieves the skull ring and a map of the catacombs.

The next night he enters the catacomb. In a dark underground passage he is attacked by Cesare. The Phantom fights him off and rescues him from falling down from a ledge. At that moment they are interrupted by Cesare's uncle Giulio and the servant Ambrosio. The ring is used to unlock a panel that reveals a secret chamber containing a box. When Giulio opens the box, Cesare attacks him. In the scuffle the underground chamber start to collapse. In the end the Phantom is the only survivor, taking with him the box that contains a very large emerald that once belonged to emperor Nero.

The Phantom leaves the box and the emerald, instead leaving Rome and returning to Bengali. In the Deep Woods, his Bandar friends greet him welcome.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• The 1st Phantom
• Rex
• Tom-Tom
• Captain Vidao, Portuguese sea captain

One-time characters

• His Excellency Cesare L'Estigeze
• Cardinale Giulio
• Ambrosio, servant
• Benito the beggar

Real-life characters

• Paracelsus (mentioned)
• Nero (mentioned)

Locations

• Bengali
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Chronicle Room
• Austria
  • Salzburg (mentioned)
• Italy
  • Venice
    • Canal Grande
  • Ostia
  • Rome
    • The Catacombs of Rome
• The Red Sea

Tribes

• Bandar

Objects

• The Apple of Nero's Eye

Related stories

Preceded by

• "The Ring" by Ulf Granberg and Jaime Vallvé

Followed by

• "The Mask of Death" by Ulf Granberg and Jaime Vallvé

Referenced in

• "Sir Thomas' Revenge" by Ulf Granberg and Jaime Vallvé
• "The First Phantom" by Michael Tierres and Kari Leppänen
• "The Ring of Death, Part 1" by Ulf Granberg and Kari Leppänen
• "The Elixir of Life" by Terrence Longstreet and Dick Giordano
• "The Heart of Darkness IV - Part 7: The Key of Solomon" by Claes Reimerthi and Joan Boix
• "The Immortal" by Janne Lundström and Felmang

Behind the scenes

• No year is given in the story, but according to Fantomen Krönika 3/1993 the story is set in 1542.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "Mystery in Rome", The Phantom #1342 (2002)

Finland

• "Rooman arvoitus", Mustanaamio 8/1978
• "Rooman arvoitus", Mustanaamion kronikka 1/1996

Denmark

• "Mysteriet i Rom", Fantomet #100 (1979)

Norway

• "Mysteriet i Roma", Fantomet 9/1978
• "Mysteriet i Roma", Fantomets Krøniker (1984)
• "Mysteriet i Roma", Fantomets Krønike 2/1997

Sweden

• "Mysteriet i Rom", Fantomen 25/1977
• "Mysteriet i Rom", Fantomen Krönika 2/1993
• "Mysteriet i Rom", Fantomen Krönika Band 1 (1999)

West Germany

• "Die verbotene Festung", Phantom #130 (1979)
• "Die verbotene Festung", Phantom Super-band #23