The Gandor Sect (story)

The Gandor Sect
Produced for:	Fantomen 3-4/2009
# of pgs:	32
Writer:	Claes Reimerthi
Artist:	Heiner Bade
Original colorist:	Reprostugan
Producer:	Egmont Kärnan

"The Gandor Sect" is a 2009 Team Fantomen story, written by Claes Reimerthi, with art by Heiner Bade.

Plot summary

Hat' Onga, a man with severe burns to his face, has gathered a small congregation in the suburb of Bengete in Morristown to worship Gandor, a huge and ferocious raptor bird that will bring fire to its enemies. He orders his followers to purify Bengete with fire.

In Bengete, Sarah Cartwright is a nurse at her deceased father's clinic. She is awaken one night by two men who try to set fire to the building. The men manages to get away but Dr. Lamanda Luaga is badly burned in the fire. The next day The Phantom visits the charred remains of the clinic and speaks with Sarah Cartwright. The criminal investigator Guinevere Brandon has questions for her and tells her that this is the seventh mysterious fire in a short while.

The same night the Phantom is nearby when two men on a motorcycle set fire to a church. The Phantom manages to stop one of them and discover that the man is wearing a necklace with a golden bird, the symbol of Gandor. The man refuses to say anything and when he has been arrested and locked up in a cell, he dies from what appears to be spontaneous combustion. The Phantom speaks with Guinevere Brandon about the Gandor Sect. She calls the secret police to see if they have any information about the sect. Agent Mauler of the secret police call President Singh to tell her that the criminal investigation is asking questions about the Gandor sect. President Singh asks her bodyguard Belim to keep an eye on Guinevere Brandon.

The Phantom visits the old Gandor temple in the jungle where only a small group of men are still worshipping Gandor, an object of mockery for the rest of the jungle. Their priest denies that they are involved with recent events in Bengete but they still lock him up, intending to have Gandor defeat The Phantom in front of the tribal chiefs of the jungle. The Phantom is tied to a large planelike construction made of wood which is launched off the top of the volcano. Although tied to the construction the Phantom manages to steer the construction into a lake. Returning to the old temple, the Phantom manages to destroy it and the cult in a large explosion.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Dr Aron Cartwright (mentioned only)
• Sarah Cartwright
• Lamanda Luaga
• Sandal Singh
• Belim
• Hat' Onga
• Guran
• Hero
• Father Joseph
• Guinevere Brandon

One-time characters

• Louisa, telephone operator
• Agent Mauler
• The Gandor High Priest (unnamed)
• Tomo, Gandor sect guard
• Dix, Gandor follower

Locations

• Bengali
  • Morristown
    • Bengete
      • Cartwright Clinic
  • Old Gandor temple
  • The Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave

Organizations

• The Gandor Sect
• The Singh Brotherhood

Old Jungle Sayings

• You never find the Phantom, he finds you.

Related stories

Refers to

• "The Giant Bird of Gandor" by Lee Falk and Sy Barry
• "Gandor's Revenge" by Norman Worker and Jaime Vallvé

Followed by

• "Wipe out Bengete" by Claes Reimerthi and Heiner Bade

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Gandor Sect", The Phantom #1531 (2009)

Finland

• "Tulimyrsky! osa 1: Gandor-lahko", Mustanaamio 3-4/2009

Norway

• "Ildstorm! Del 1: Gandorsekten", Fantomet 2-3/2009

Sweden

• "Eldstorm! Del 1: Gandorsekten", Fantomen 3-4/2009