The Elephant Sect
| The Elephant Sect | |
| |
| Produced for: | Fantomen 13/1987 |
|---|---|
| # of pgs: | 29 |
| Writer: | Michael Tierres |
| Artist: | Bertil Wilhelmsson & Özcan Eralp |
| Original colorist: | N/A |
| Producer: | Semic Press |
"The Elephant Sect" is a 1987 Team Fantomen story, written by Michael Tierres, with art by Bertil Wilhelmsson and Özcan Eralp.
Plot synopsis
Sitting in the chronicle room with Rex and Tom-Tom, the Phantom is reading from a story involving the 16th Phantom in 1858 who had just returned home from India.
At that time Bengali was part of the British colony British East Africa with its neighbouring country Haman. Ruled by a British governor in Morristown, Haman was at that time nominally led by the muslim prince Mophet Al Raschim. Next to the royal palace was the Elephant Temple where the Elephant sect worshipped the elephant god Goonan in the shape of a full scale statue of an elephant. In opposition to the prince cooperating with the British, members of the sect led by Zayet murdered the prince in a coup. Servants loyal to the prince managed to arrange for the two young princes, Omar and Ali, to escape.
While Ali is hiding in a cave, Omar manages to find his way to the jungle where he is taken in by the Tinjefu in their village. Soldiers of Haman track the boy, attack the village and take the boy with them. The Phantom arrives shortly after to discover that the village has been burnt down. He follows the Haman soldiers and manages to free the boy as the soldiers sleep. Leaving the boy in safety, the Phantom goes to Haman to find his brother Ali. The cave is empty and the Phantom enters the city of Haman in disguise.
In a military operation Haman soldiers have captured British settlers who are taken into custody in Haman. The British governor in Morristown gives orders to march against Haman. Meanwhile leader of the coup Zayet has decided that the captured prince Ali will be judged by the elephant god himself in a ceremony. In a daring operation the Phantom manages to free the boy during the ceremony. At that very moment British soldiers with artillery arrive outside the city walls ready to attack. The soldiers hesitate since British civilians are kept as prisoners inside but the British colonel insists on a frontal attack regardless. Using a live elephant the Phantom manages to show the people of Haman that they are being manipulated by the Elephant sect. Zayet and his conspirators surrender to the British.
The present Phantom tells Rex and Tom-Tom how the story ended: the British occupied Haman and took power until the princes grew up. The Elephant temple was completly destroyed.
Appearances
Recurring characters
One-time characters
- Mophet Al Raschim
- Sayda, wife of Al Raschim
- Prince Omar
- Prince Ali, Omar's brother
- Zayet, leader of the coup
- Irzim, Haman soldier
- Achmet, Haman soldier
- G'Watu, chief of Tinjefu
- Unnamed British governor in Morristown
Trivia
- The British East Africa protectorate was not established until 1895.[1]
Related stories
Refers to
- "The Murderer" by Ulf Granberg and Jaime Vallvé
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Australia
- "The Elephant Sect", The Phantom #929 (1989)
Finland
- "Elefanttilahko", Mustanaamio 26/1987
Norway
- "Elefantsekten", Fantomet 25/1987
- "Elefantsekten", Fantomets Krønike 3/1995
Sweden
- "Elefantsekten", Fantomen 13/1987
- "Elefantsekten", Fantomen Krönika 1/1999
Yugoslavia
- "Тајна светог слона" (romanized as "Tajna svetog slona"), Politikin Zabavnik #2475 – #2476 (1999)