Sala and the President
| Sala and the President | |
| |
| Produced for: | Fantomen 21/2010 |
|---|---|
| # of pgs: | 32 |
| Writer: | Tony DePaul |
| Artist: | Felmang |
| Original colorist: | Reprostugan |
| Producer: | Egmont Kärnan |
"Sala and the President" is a 2010 Team Fantomen story, written by Tony DePaul, with art by Felmang.
Plot synopsis
At the presidential palace in Morristown, Bengali officers give a report of the crashed cargo plane and how one mysterious man defeated a group of Rodian commando soldiers, before disappearing without a trace. They also have a photo of the pilot, known by the name Salambo. When the officers have left, President Singh speaks with her security advisor and demands to know who the fool was who hired Sala for the job.
At Morristown airport, President Singh has a meeting with the man in charge of the air traffic control. The President's plan is to have Rodia in possession of plutonium, which in turn will alert the international community, who will then attack Rodia, which in turn will increase the relative strength of Bengali.
Sala is locked up at Boomsby Prison. She regrets that she got involved with transporting plutonium to Rodia but at least she got the chance to meet the Phantom again. Her dream of a relationship with the Phantom is interrupted by an unexpected visitor, the President herself in disguise. President Singh has arranged for her to be able to escape from prison the next night, on the condition that Sala leaves Bengali for ever.
The next night Sala find supplies, a rope and an automatic rifle in her prison cell. Unknown to her, the prison guards quietly monitor her climbing down the prison walls. As soon as she hits the ground they start to fire at her. Caught in crossfire, she unexpectedly is helped by the Phantom who has come to the prison to speak with her about the plutonium cargo. Her automatic rifle is only firing blanks but assisted by the Phantom they escape into the jungle.
The next morning, Sala has realized that President Singh arranged for the prison escape in order for her to be killed. The Phantom asks about her role in the plutonium deal with Rodia. Sala, who wants to express her gratitude in a very touchy-feely way, explains that she was in it to help Rodia fight The Singh Brotherhood who rules Bengali and that she once killed Kabai Singh to save the Phantom's life (Dogai - The Road to Power).
The next night, a sleepless President Singh is being chauffeured around Morristown. When the limousine has stopped, her driver is knocked unconscious by the Phantom, dressed like one of her security staff. President Singh, frightened at first, insists that the Phantom puts his hand on her chest. "Did you think I came here to examine your heart?" he asks; she to herself: "Yes, do it! Do it!". The Phantom tells her that he has already figured out that she is behind the plan to transport plutonium to Rodia. She denies this and insists that Sala has made up any presidential involvement in order to spread lies about President Singh (here she thinks back to when she kissed the Phantom in Wipe out Bengete). Standing outside the limousine, she puts her hands around him ask him to fight with her against Rodia and against Sala's treason.
The Phantom returns back to the jungle, where Sala has realized that the plan to provide Rhoda with plutonium was set up by the president and conducted by Bengali agents. She proposes that if she can produce evidence that President Singh is the mastermind then he must help her to finish off President Singh. After parting ways, the Phantom tells Hero and Devil that he believes both Sala and the President are lying.
Appearances
Recurring characters
Locations
Related stories
Preceded by
- "The Plutonium Wreck" by Tony DePaul and Joan Boix
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Australia
- "Sala and the President", The Phantom #1582 (2010)
Finland
- "Sala ja presidentti", Mustanaamio 21/2010
Norway
- "Sala og presidenten", Fantomet 20/2010
Sweden
- "Sala och presidenten", Fantomen 21/2010