The Lightning Egg
| The Lightning Egg | |
| |
| Produced for: | Serie Cronologica #53 (1973) |
|---|---|
| # of pgs: | 16 |
| Writer: | Germano Ferri |
| Artist: | Germano Ferri |
| Original colorist: | unknown |
| Producer: | Fratelli Spada |
"The Lightning Egg" is a 1973 Fratelli Spada story by Germano Ferri.
It was the last Phantom story made by Ferri for Fratelli Spada, as well as the last Phantom story ever produced by Fratelli Spada.
Plot synopsis
The explorer Sir Henry Aldrey has become famous after his latest expedition to Bengali, where he found "The Shining Egg" – a glowing, egg-shaped diamond with a scorpion inside it. When the diamond disappears from its display, Sir Henry becomes unconscious. The news of Sir Henry's critical condition reaches the Phantom, as well as reports that the diamond had been replaced with a good mark amulet.
Sir Henry's daughter learns about the good mark and the Phantom legend, and travels to Bengali. When trying to reach the Deep Woods, she is robbed by her guide and abandoned in the jungle. Just as a tiger is about to attack her, she is rescued by the Phantom and Devil. She tells her story to the Phantom. Meanwhile, the robber meets a mysterious, masked native with a shining light in his hand. The Phantom later finds the robber, dead.
The Phantom and Sir Henry's daughter go to the Skull Cave, where the Phantom finds a passage in the Chronicles of the 18th Phantom about the Bugai tribe that attacked the Wambesi with the help of a shining light. When the 18th Phantom tried to stop them, he became sick and unconscious from the shining light. The 18th Phantom was cured by an old man named Zomba, and travelled to the valley of the Bugai where he used explosives to trap the tribe in their valley.
After reading the chronicle, the Phantom understands that "The Shining Egg" is radioactive. He decides to take Sir Henry's daughter to Zomba's descendant Zombala, hoping that the cure which saved the 18th Phantom will save Sir Henry as well.
Appearances
Recurring characters
One-time characters
- Sir Henry Aldrey
- Sir Henry's daughter
- Zomba
- Zombala
- Jackson
Locations
Tribes
Organizations
Vehicles
Items
Behind the scenes
- The story ends with a cliffhanger, without confirming that the Phantom could find a cure, or showing how the Bugai escaped from their valley, how the diamond was taken from Sir Henry or the connection with Phantom's good mark. It appears that a sequel to this story was planned, but apparently never published.
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Australia
- "The Lightning Egg", The Phantom #1729 (2015)
Brazil
- "O Diamante Luminoso", Fantasma #221 (1974)
Finland
- "Loistava muna", Mustanaamio 14/2006
France
- "L'oeuf de lumière", Le Fantôme #439 (1973)
- "L'oeuf de lumière", Le Fantôme Album #48
Italy
- "L'uovo di luce", Serie Cronologica #53 (1973)
Norway
- "Det lysende egget", Fantomet 13/2006
Sweden
- "Det lysande ägget", Fantomen 14/2006