Patrolman X
| Patrolman X | |
| |
| Start date: | December 29th, 2014 |
|---|---|
| End date: | May 9th, 2015 |
| # of strips: | 114 (19 weeks) |
| Writer: | Tony DePaul |
| Artist: | Paul Ryan |
| Original colorist: | KFS staff |
| Preceded by: | "John X" |
| Followed by: | "The Challenge" |
"Patrolman X" is the 241th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Paul Ryan.
Plot Summary
The amnesia stricken Phantom under the name of John X, serves in the Jungle Patrol as a Patrolman, although he has not yet been accepted into the Patrol by the unknown commander.
When a mission comes, he volunteers to help. It is a hostage situation and without any orders, he captures the hostage takers before they could kill any in the hostage
Colonel Worubu tries to tell John X that he cannot interfere on missions as he is not a Patrolman, but a missing person, when another mission comes and John X goes off again. The colonel realizes the futile effort in keeping him from it and gives his reluctant support for the action.
This time it is a mountaineer that is injured on a rock shelf. The helicopter cannot reach close enough to the ground, but John X manages to swing to the rock wall in a rope and then have the rope cut at the helicopter. He uses the rope to climb to the woman trapped at the shelf. He sets her leg and then carries her up to the top with help of the rope.
Meanwhile, the tracking party finds the Phantom's campsite where he treated his snakebite. They are very worried when they finds his suit and rings. They also finds tracks of the Jungle Patrol.
At Jungle Patrol Headquarters, Patrolwomen Hawa Aguda and Kay Molloy detects eccentric behavior in John X as he is keeping a journal in the utilities building, writing in candlelight. John X claims that he feels at home doing it.
Colonel Worubu puts John X to another test by handing reports to him that he claims to be cold cases for evaluation. John X makes perfect notes totally in line of the unknown commander's take on them as they actually were old cases. Worubu is so excited about John X that he finally accepts him into the Patrol without waiting for the permission of the unknown commander.
Feeling the call of duty, John X wants his son to continue in his path. To have a son, a mother is needed so he starts contemplating Kay and Hawa, listing Kay as confident, high-spirited, and optimistic and Hawa as intelligent, courageous, and kind-hearted.
Meanwhile, the Bandars have realized that Devil is at the Jungle Patrol Headquarters and then recognizes the Phantom in his Patrolman uniform, they talk to him, but he has forgotten them and their language (although it seems familiar).
Guran then arrives on Joomba to confirm that it really is the Phantom, however, he does not reveal John X's identity.
For the swearing in ceremony, captain Weeks manages to get his grandfather, the great retired colonel Weeks to come, although he is very reluctant as he is using a walker. Weeks finds John X outstanding in all areas, except his sunglasses, but decides to make an exception. When colonel Weeks enters the ceremony using his walker, it starts a murmur of "walker", that finally makes John X realizes that his real name is Kit Walker and he remembers everything of who he is. He then swears the Oath as John X and becomes Patrolman X, and then quickly disappears through the well and collects all the reports that has been stacking up, leaving a note that due to Patrolman X's great potential, he has been assigned to special duty. Worubu shows the reports to captain Weeks and Patrolwomen Aguda and Molloy, deducing that it tells a lie and that Patrolman X must have been the unknown commander. As captain Weeks has met him before, he asks him to tell that it was the same person. Captain Weeks, thinking that if it really was the unknown commander, it would be his duty to protect the secret, lies and says that John X was not even close.
The Phantom arrives happily in the Skull Cave and everything is fine, although the Phantom confides in Guran that he, forgetting that he already was married, started looking for a wife, making notes of it in his journal. He asks Guran to burn the journal.
Appearances
Recurring characters
- The 21st Phantom
- Devil
- Hero
- Colonel Worubu
- Captain Weeks
- Patrolwoman Hawa Aguda
- Patrolwoman Kay Molloy
- Diana Palmer-Walker
- Kit and Heloise
- Guran
- Babudan
- Lee Falk
- Colonel Weeks
One-time characters
Behind the scenes
- The title "Patrolman X" was provided by Tony DePaul himself. This story also was mentioned as a reference in the story "The Phantom is Everywhere".
Related stories
Referenced in
- "Then Came Towns Ellerbee" by Tony De Paul and Mike Manley
- "The Commander Will See You Now" by Tony DePaul and Jeff Weigel
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Australia
- The Cairns Post December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- The Courier-Mail December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- Shepparton News December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- Townsville Bulletin December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- The Chronicle January 29, 2015 – May 9, 2015 (missing daily strips from December 29, 2014 to January 28, 2015)
- Daily Mercury March 2, 2015 – May 9, 2015 (first three strips missing)
- The Northern Star February 9, 2015 – June 20, 2015
- Fraser Coast Chronicle February 18, 2015 – June 27, 2015 (first three strips missing)
- Big Rigs ? – March 24, 2017 (incomplete)
- "John X", The Phantom #1744 (2015; edited together with "John X")
The Bahamas
- The Freeport News December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
Finland
- Karjalainen ? – ?
India
- The New Indian Express (Chennai edition) April 3, 2015 – August 13, 2015
- The New Indian Express (Bangalore edition) April 6, 2015 – August 15, 2015
- Anandabazar Patrika November 10, 2015 – March 23, 2016
- "Patrolman X", The Phantom #23 (2022)
Jamaica
- The Daily Gleaner December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
Mexico
- El Informador February 25, 2015 – July 2, 2015
Norway
- Nordlys March 23, 2016 – August 10, 2016
- Agderposten May 27, 2016 – October 5, 2016
- Fædrelandsvennen May 31, 2016 – October 8, 2016
- Lofotposten June 1, 2016 – October 11, 2016
- Romsdals Budstikke July 2, 2016 – November 10, 2016
- Grimstad Adressetidene July 14, 2016 – December 20, 2016
- Østlendingen August 11, 2016 – October 26, 2016 - without the first eight weeks
- Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen September 2, 2016 – January 13, 2017
- "John X", Fantomet 12/2016 (edited together with "John X")
- Varden October 15, 2016 – February 25, 2017
- Aftenposten February 21, 2017 – June 12, 2017
The Philippines
- The Philippine Star March 9, 2016 – July 21, 2016
El Salvador
- La Prensa Gráfica July 27, 2015 – December 5, 2015 and July 25, 2016 – November 26, 2016 (reprint)
Sweden
- Svenska Dagbladet October 10, 2015 – February 5, 2016
- "John X", Fantomen 22-23/2016 (edited together with "John X")
- Jönköpings-Posten January 19, 2018 – June 4, 2018
- Bohusläningen August 14, 2018 – December 24, 2018
- Hallandsposten August 14, 2018 – December 24, 2018
USA
- Boston Herald December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- The Citizens' Voice December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- Delaware County Daily Times December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- Houston Chronicle December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- The News Item December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
- Reading Eagle December 29, 2014 – May 9, 2015
Awards
