The Devil Road

The Devil Road
Start date:	December 1st, 1947
End date:	May 22nd, 1948
# of strips:	150 (25 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Wilson McCoy
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"Romance"
Followed by:	"The Girls"

"The Devil Road" is the 31st Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Wilson McCoy.

Plot synopsis

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Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil
• Guran
• Hero
• Hero's keeper

One-time characters

• Bull
• Shorty
• Mr. Dove
• Connie Dove
• Prince Kali of Nepa
• Duka
• The Raj of Nepa
• Luka

Locations

• Bengali
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
  • Morristown
  • Bengali Bay
• Devil Road
• Nepa
  • Nepa River

Tribes

• Bandar

Organizations

• Traders, Inc.

Behind the scenes

• Once again, the Phantom's costume is said to be gray.
• The Phantom gives Connie Dove the Mark of the Skull, otherwise given to bad guys, in her palm as a way for her to travel safe through the jungle. Years later Lee Falk would create the Good Mark for that purpose. The Phantom states that it eventually will come off.
• Connie Dove is one of several characters named Connie, named after Lee Falk's second wife Constance.

Related stories

Referenced in

• "Shadows on Devil Road" by Fred Fredericks

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "El camino diabolico", Tit-Bits #2111 – #2138 (1949-50)
• "El camino del diablo", La Sombra #6 (1958)
• "La ruta del diablo", Libro de Oro #25 (1966)

Australia

• The Phantom #71 – #73 (1954)
• The Phantom #161 – #162 (1960)
• The Phantom #265 – #266 (1964)
• The Phantom #406 – #407 (1969)
• The Phantom #574 – #575 (1976)
• The Phantom #767 – #768 (1983)
• The Phantom #1156 (1997)
• The Phantom #1796 (2017)

Brazil

• "A Rodovia da Floresta", O Globo Juvenil #1714 – #1787 (1948)
• "A Estrada do Diabo", O Fantasma #43 (1974)
• "A Estrada do Diabo", Fantasma - Edição Histórica #39 (1997)
• "O Caminho do Diabo", O Caminho do Diabo e Outras Histórias (2025)

Canada

• The Moncton Transcript December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• La Patrie December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• L'Action catholique December 30, 1947 – June 23, 1948

Denmark

• Aalborg Stiftstidende October 21, 1948 – April 16, 1949
• Horsens Folkeblad July 30, 1949 – January 21, 1950
• Hejmdal September 7, 1949 – March 1, 1950
• "Djævlevognene", Fantomet pocket #3 (1984)

Finland

• "Naamio ja “Paholaisen tie”", Kippari Kalle 7/1955
• "Paholaisautot", Sarjakirja #93 (1984)
• "Paholaisen valtatie", Ilta-Sanomat May 15, 2018 – June 26, 2018

France

• "La route du diable", Aventures-Paris Jeunes 40/1949 – 12/1950
• "La route du diable", Le Fantôme #166 and "Le poing de fer", #167 (1967; redrawn by Enzo Carretti)

India

• "The Smuggler's Ring", Indrajal Comics #390 – #391 (1981)

Italy

• "La strada del diavolo", L'Uomo Mascherato #50 and "Il pugno chiodato", #51 (1963; redrawn by Enzo Carretti)
• "La strada del diavolo", I Classici dell'Avventura #102 and "Il pugno chiodato", #104 (1965; redrawn by Enzo Carretti)
• "La strada del diavolo", L'Uomo Mascherato #202 – #205 (1971)
• "La strada del diavolo", Phantom #405

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner June 29, 1948 – January 20?, 1949 (incomplete story) (?)

Mexico

• El Informador April 5, 1948 – August 1, 1948

New Zealand

• The Phantom #18 – #22
• The Phantom #223 – #229
• The Phantom #510 – #513

Norway

• Aftenposten April 9, 1949 – October 7, 1949
• Skippern 50/1954 – 22/1955
• "Djevelvognene", Serie-pocket #91 (1984)
• "Djevelvognene", Fantomet 7-8/2013

Spain

• "La carretera del diablo", El Hombre Enmascarado #12 – #13 (1979)
• "La ruta del diablo", El Hombre Enmascarado #71 – #72 (1991-1992)
• "La ruta del diablo", Phantom, El Hombre Enmascarado #68 (1999)
• "La carretera del diablo", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #18 (2025)

Sweden

• "Djävulsvägen", Svenska Dagbladet January 14, 1949 – July 1, 1949
• "Djävulsvägen", Katrineholmskuriren July 26, 1949 – January 7, 1950
• "Djävulsvägen", Nerikes Allehanda December 24, 1949 – June 15, 1950
• Fantomen 15 – 22/1952
• "Djävulsvägen", Tierps-Posten December 13, 1956 – November 28, 1957
• "Djävulsvägen", Östhammars Tidning December 13, 1956 – November 28, 1957
• "Dödens väg", Fantomen 4/1960
• "Djävulsvagnarna", Fantomen 8/1967
• "Djävulsvagnarna", Serie-pocket 136 (1984)
• Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1952, Del 2 – Del 3
• "Dödens väg", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1960, Del 1 (2011)
• "Djävulsvagnarna", Fantomen 6-7/2013
• "Djävulsvagnarna", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1967, Del 2 (2017)

United Kingdom

• "The Devil Road", The Phantom Illustrated Comic #7 – #8 (1959-60)

USA

• The Daily Standard December 1, 1947 – May 21, 1948
• The Alabama Journal December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Bradford Era December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Birmingham News December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Carthage Evening Press December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Charleston Daily Mail December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Chester Times December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Daily Item December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Daily Record December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Decatur Daily December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Dziennik dla Wszystkich December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Evening News December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Gloucester County Times December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Greensboro Record December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Hanford Morning Journal December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Hanford Sentinel December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Herald News December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Johnson City Press December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Ledger-Enquirer December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Morristown Gazette Mail December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Morning Press December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Nassau Daily Review-Star December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Oxnard Press-Courier December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Progress December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Richmond Times-Dispatch December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Rome Daily Sentinel December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• San Antonio Light December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Sandusky Register Star News December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Syracuse Herald Journal December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Times Herald December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• The Winchester Sun December 1, 1947 – May 22, 1948
• Bangor Daily News December 6, 1947 – May 22, 1948 (5th-10th week missing)
• The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume Eight 1947–1949 (2015)

West Germany

• Buntes Allerlei 1 – 3/1953 - the last fifteen strips only
• "Der Teufelsweg", Phantom-Heft 1/1955