Phantom Treasure

Phantom Treasure
Start date:	December 30th, 1973
End date:	June 9th, 1974
# of strips:	24 pages
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"The Golden Wood"
Followed by:	"Tale of Joomba"

"Phantom Treasure" is the 93rd Phantom Sunday story. It was originally published in American newspapers from December 30th, 1973, to June 9th, 1974.

The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot Summary

At the Bengali Explorers Club, Professor Graves likes to tell the story of when he crashed with his plane in the jungle near a large mountain shaped like a man's head (Phantom Head Peak) and was rescued by a strange man in the forest who took him to a skull-shaped cave where he was given proper medical care. In the cave was a large treasure of diamonds and rubies as well as invaluable historical artifacts. Nobody who listens to him believes him until one day captain Eric Simmer listens to the story with great interest, having heard the stories of a Phantom who lives in the Deep Woods.

Captain Simmer meets with the professor at the Explorer's Club, believing that it is possible to find a way to the odd cave with the treasure. With his fiance Lise and two friends they buy supplies and hire a helicopter and fly to the jungle. The plan is to attack the Skull Cave with poison gas to kill anybody who is staying there. Lise puts on a dress and jewellery and goes out into the jungle shouting for the Phantom. When a lion and a leopard show up, Lise is saved by the Phantom. She claims to suffer from amnesia and the Phantom takes her to the Skull cave. In her purse she has brought a transmitter in order for the men to pinpoint her location.

Lise begins to have second thoughts about stealing the treasure when she meets Rex and Tom-Tom. She reveals the plan and that the cave will be attacked shortly. When the men attack the cave, they find the place empty. Standing in the Minor treasure room, the men start arguing about the spoils. At that moment the Phantom shows up with Bandars. The men are disarmed and sentenced to 10 years of hard labour in the Bandar village. Lise is allowed to leave the jungle.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Hero
• Guran
• Rex
• Tom-Tom
• Miss Tagama

One-time characters

• Professor Graves
• Eric Simmer
• Lise
• Smedley

Locations

• Bengali
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Throne Room
      • The Major Treasure Room
      • The Minor Treasure Room
      • The Radio Control Room
      • The Phantom Crypt
  • Phantom Head Peak

Objects

• Homer's Lyre
• The Diamond Cup of Alexander the Great
• Excalibur
• The Horn of Roland
• Shakespeare's Pen
• The Script of Hamlet

Old Jungle Sayings

• In the Phantom's lands a beautiful woman can go through the jungle dressed in jewels without fear.

Related stories

Referenced in

• "The Devil's Library, Part 1" by Claes Reimerthi and Joan Boix

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "La cueva del tesoro", Sandokan #10 (1983)

Australia

• The Phantom #592 (1976)
• The Phantom #795 (1984)
• The Phantom #1209 (1998)

Brazil

• "O Tesouro da Caveira", Fantasma #223 (1974)
• "O Tesouro da Caverna da Caveira", Fantasma #323 (1982)
• "O Tesouro da Caverna", Gibi apresenta: Fantasma #40 (1992)

Canada

• La Patrie December 30, 1973 – April 21, 1974 (incomplete story)

Colombia

• El Tiempo February 3, 1974 – July 14, 1974

Denmark

• "Skatten i grotten", Fantomet #116

Finland

• Seura 42/1974 – 15/975
• "Luola-aarre", Supermustiskirja (1975)
• "Luola-aarre", Mustanaamio 25/1978
• "Luola-aarre", Mustanaamio 4 – 6/2006

France

• "Le trésor du Fantôme", Le Fantôme #461 (1976)

Iceland

• Vikan November 6, 1974 – June 19, 1975

India

• "Skull Cave Attacked", Indrajal Comics #244 (1975)
• "காட்டுக்குள் புதையல்" (romanized as "Kattukkul pudhayal"), Rani Comics #240

Italy

• "Il tesoro dell'ombra", Phantom – L'Uomo Mascherato #75 (1977)

Norway

• Vi menn 25 – 48/1974
• "Skatten i grotten", Stor jubileumsbok (1975)
• "Skatten i grotten", Fantomet 2/1979
• "Skatten i grotten", Fantomet 3 – 6/2006

Portugal

• Mundo de Aventuras #125 (1976)

Spain

• "El Pais del Hombre Enmascarado", El Hombre Enmascarado #1 and "El gran tesoro", #2 (1988; in part 1 edited together with "Rex and the Little People" & "The Golden Wood")
• "El pais del Hombre Enmascarado" and "El gran tesoro", El Hombre Enmascarado - El gran tesoro (2005; in part 1 edited together with "Rex and the Little People" and "The Golden Wood")

Sweden

• Vecko-Revyn 25 – 48/1974
• "Skatten i grottan", Stora jubileumsboken (1975)
• "Skatten i grottan", Fantomen 17/1978
• "Skatten i grottan", Fantomen 4 – 6/2006

Turkey

• "Fantom Hazinesi", Kızılmaske #142 – #144 (1976)
• "Fantom Hazinesi", Kızılmaske Albüm #43 – #44 (197?)
• "Fantom Hazinesi", Kızılmaske #11 (2014)

USA

• Anderson Herald December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• Bluefield Daily Telegraph December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• Chicago Tribune December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• Cumberland Sunday Times December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• The Danville Register December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• The Gadsden Times December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• The Kingsport Times-News December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• The News Tribune December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• La Opinión December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• Orlando Sentinel December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• Rome News-Tribune December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• San Antonio Light December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• Spartanburg Herald-Journal December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• St. Petersburg Times December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974
• The Tuscaloosa News December 30, 1973 – June 9, 1974

West Germany

• "Die Schatzteufel von Bangalla", Phantom #188 (1981)
• "Die Schatzteufel von Bangalla", Phantom Super-band #47

Yugoslavia

• "Истинита прича" (romanized as "Istinita priča"), Politikin Zabavnik #1940 – #1942 (1989)