The Hit Men

The Hit Men
Start date:	April 28th, 2003
End date:	August 30th, 2003
# of strips:	108 (18 weeks)
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	George Olesen & Keith Williams
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"Jungle Mystery"
Followed by:	"The Connoisseurs"

"The Hit Men" is the 208th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by George Olesen and Keith Williams.

Plot Summary

Two men (Frankie and Paulie) with hunting rifles block the road with a fallen tree, then kill two Wilderness Adventure guides and steal their pickup truck and identification. They go to Trader Joe's Trading Post and are about to lead a group of customers on a two-week tour. They intend to kill one of them, a young woman named Cici. A pair of Jungle Patrol men ride up, ask for their permit, then take them to Colonel Worubu. He checks their stolen IDs and lets them go, but alerts The Unknown Commander that something feels off. The Phantom follows the group.

The fake guides send Cici into the jungle with a rigged compass, to get her lost. Devil finds her and licks her face. The killers are surprised when she shows up at camp in the morning. Then they set up a zipline "accident" for her. When she gets her turn, they cut the rope and she falls into the river gorge, but she is rescued downstream by the Phantom, Hero, and Devil.

The trekkers reach a native village, where the fake guides learn of a hungry tiger prowling nearby, so they send Cici out that way to get water. The Phantom rescues her from the inevitable tiger attack and starts following the group, letting them think she died. Cici tells him of witnessing a mob killing in New York City, and the Phantom figures that the fake guides are working with that mob. They report her demise to the Jungle Patrol, giving a false location.

As they drive off through the jungle, the Phantom and Hero ride in front of them, causing them to crash. They get out and talk, so the Phantom hears them admit to killing the real guides, before skull-marking their chins. Later, “Mr. Walker” is in the courtroom for Cici’s New York testimony.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil
• Hero
• Colonel Worubu
• Trader Joe

One-time characters

• Paulie
• Frankie
• Cici
• Jen

Locations

• Bangalla
  • Trader Joe's Trading Post
  • The Jungle Patrol Headquarters
  • The Monument to the Unknown Patrolman
• USA
  • New York

Tribes

Organizations

• The Jungle Patrol

Vehicles

Items

Old jungle sayings

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Hit Men", The Phantom #1365 (2003)

Denmark

• Horsens Folkeblad September 2, 2008 – January 9, 2009

India

• Anandabazar Patrika January 1, 2004 – May 6, 2004
• "The Hit Men", The Hit Men (2011)
• "The Hit Men", The Treasure Hunters (2011; excerpt)
• "The Hit Men", Evil's Nemesis (2011)
• "The Hit Men", Enemy of Evil (2011; excerpt)

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner April 28, 2003 – August 30, 2003

Mexico

• El Informador February 21, 2011 – June 14, 2011

Norway

• Østlendingen ? – November 17, 2004
• Lofotposten ? – November 17, 2004
• Østlandsposten ? – November 23, 2004
• Finnmark Dagblad ? – December 23, 2004
• Romsdals Budstikke ? – December 29, 2004
• Sunnmørsposten ? – January 7, 2005
• Nordlys November 3, 2004 – March 11, 2005
• Telen November 5, 2004 – March 11, 2005
• Haugesunds Avis December 23, 2004 – May 4, 2005
• Aftenposten December 28, 2004 – June 3, 2005
• Oppland Arbeiderblad February 9, 2010 – June 23, 2010
• Bergensavisen November 6, 2015 – February 18, 2016

Sweden

• Svenska Dagbladet February 8, 2004 – June 16, 2004

Turkey

• "Suikastçiler", Kızılmaske #36 (2016)

USA

• Bangor Daily News April 28, 2003 – August 30, 2003
• Observer-Reporter April 28, 2003 – August 30, 2003
• The Plattsburgh Press-Republican April 28, 2003 – August 30, 2003
• Reading Eagle April 28, 2003 – August 30, 2003