The Phantom - Man or Myth?

The Phantom - Man or Myth?
Produced for:	Fantomen 11/2005
# of pgs:	32
Writer:	Claes Reimerthi
Artist:	Alex Saviuk
Original colorist:	Reprostugan
Producer:	Egmont Kärnan

"The Phantom - Man or Myth?" is a 2005 Team Fantomen story, written by Claes Reimerthi, with art by Alex Saviuk.

Plot summary

At night at the Etnographical Museum in Morristown, night watchman Otombo discovers a murdered man in a section of the museum before being knocked down by a masked intruder. Museum director Minerva Brooks gets a telephone call from the police and arrives to the museum not long after. She explains to criminal detective Moses Umbata that the section is closed off to the public and was prepared by the former museum director Dr. T'Uande to display Bengali witchcraft and occult sacrifices. The murdered man is Marvin, an assistant at the museum.

Late at night Old Man Mozz visits the Phantom in The Skull Cave and tells him that evil forces involving the name Chumar will cause The Phantom problems in three days. When the Phantom hears of the gruesome murder at the museum the next day, he remembers that Chumar was an evil witch doctor who died long ago. Visiting the museum, The Phantom discovers that the main exhibition "The Phantom - Man or Myth?" is about himself.

The police visit Dr. T'Uande's apartment and discover a decomposing body that may or may not be Dr. T'Uande. Dr. T'Uande's dental records have disappeared from his dentist making it very difficult to make a positive identification. When the Phantom visits the apartment of Dr. T'Uande he is attacked by a very strong man wearing a yellow mask. The next night a policeman is murdered at the museum and Minerva Brooks is kidnapped. Not until the final showdown does The Phantom really learn who the masked murderer is.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil
• Minerva Brooks
• Moses Umbata, criminal detective
• Assistant Beyoto
• Dr. T'Uande
• Guran
• Old man Mozz
• The Monkey Mail
• Otombo, night watchman
• Kenneth Soames, professor
• Chumar, witch doctor

One-time characters

• Marvin, assistant at the museum
• Dr. Bartow, dentist
• Sister Rowland
• Tituyo, criminal assistant

Locations

• Bengali
  • Morristown
    • Ethnographical Museum
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Chronicle Room

Tribes

• Bandar

Newpapers

• Bengali Times

Items

• Replica of an Ogun idol

Related stories

Refers to

• "The Crying Idol" by Michael Tierres and Georges Bess

Referenced in

• "The Bandar Idol" by Tony DePaul and César Spadari

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Phantom - Man or Myth?", The Phantom #1420 (2005)

Finland

• "Tarun ja totuuden rajoilla", Mustanaamio 11/2005

Norway

• "Mellom myte og virkelighet", Fantomet 11/2005

Sweden

• "Fantomen - mellan myt och verklighet", Fantomen 11/2005