The Reef

The Reef
Start date:	March 23rd, 1964
End date:	June 27th, 1964
# of strips:	84 strips (14 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"The Drummer of Timpenni"
Followed by:	"The Adventures of Lucy Cary"

"The Reef" is the 88th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot synopsis

Diana is at a Caribbean island with the UN medical team which includes Dr. Kirk. Mister Raye , a businessman who owns half the island is infatuated with Diana and asks her out only to be rejected. He also has Diana's mail intercepted. Diana writes a letter to Phantom detailing her stay. Phantom decides to take a vacation to go see Diana. Meanwhile Dr. Kirk and Diana go scuba diving where Diana discovers an underground cave filled with boxes. The next day Diana goes back alone to check the boxes and finds out that they contain rifles. She is seen by Mister Raye who takes her to his yacht on the pretext of reporting to the coast guard. Meanwhile Mister Raye's henchmen make it appear as if Diana has had an accident. Kirk goes to look for her when she doesn't return and finds only her car and diving gear. The police say nothing can be done. Dr. Kirk is in despair when the Phantom arrives. The Phantom learns about Diana and her discovery and goes to investigate. Meanwhile Diana on the yacht deduces that Raye is an arms smuggler. The Phantom finds the boxes of rifles underwater wrapped in nets and slowly cuts all of them. He rejoins Dr. Kirk on the beach. A freighter then arrives to collect the rifles but they fail as the nets had been cut. In anger they go to Raye to take revenge. The Phantom follows behind having sneaked on to the freighter. Arriving at the yacht, the general orders a firing squad to execute Raye and Diana when the Phantom steps in. He disarms them all and allows Diana to hand them over to the coast guard. Diana then goes on a two-week vacation with the Phantom before resuming work.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Diana Palmer
• Guran
• Hero
• Devil
• Toma
• Dr. Kirk
• Mister Raye
• The General

One-time characters

Locations

• Bengali
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
  • Box 7
• Caribbean Island

Tribes

• Bandar

Organizations

• The Monkey Mail

Old Jungle Sayings

• The Phantom is rough with roughnecks.

Behind the scenes

• A post office box is marked "Dr. Infantino", a possible reference to Carmine Infantino.

Related stories

Referenced in

• "Legacy of the Reef" by Christopher Sequeira, Massimo Gamberi, and Luca Giorgi

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "Contrabando de rifles", Anuario de El Fantasma con un Almanaque 1966 (1965)
• "Caza submarina", Fantasía #152 (1970)

Australia

• "The Reef", The Phantom #274 (1964)
• "The Reef", The Phantom #416 (1970)
• "The Reef", The Phantom #573 (1975)
• "The Reef", The Phantom #762 (1982)
• "The Reef", The Phantom #1170 (1997)
• "The Reef", The Phantom #1820 (2018)

Brazil

• "O Recife da Morte", Fantasma #98 (1965)
• "O Recife da Morte", Fantasma #238 (1975)
• "Os Rifles", Fantasma #275 (1978)
• "O Recife", Homens Perversos e Outras Histórias (2023)

Canada

• Le Nouvelliste March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• "Le récif", L'Action July 23, 1964 – October 15, 1964

Denmark

• Aalborg Stiftstidende July 2, 1965 – October 6, 1965
• Horsens Folkeblad April 5, 1966 – July 18, 1966
• Hejmdal May 25, 1966 – September 1, 1966

Finland

• "Vedenalainen luola", Nastasarjat 19/1965
• "Aseiden salakuljettajat", Sarjakirja 1/1988
• "Riutan salaisuus", Mustanaamio 2/1997
• "Riutan salaisuus", Ilta-Sanomat July 15, 2011 – August 3, 2011

France

• "Dangereuse découverte", Le Fantôme #162 and "La loi contre les hors-la-loi", #163 (1967)
• "Les récifs", Akim #728 and "La grotte sous-marine", #729 (1989)

Germany

• "Das Riff", Phantom #88 (2024)

Greece

• "Λαθρέμποροι όπλων" (romanized as "Lathremporoi oplon"), Fantom #78 (1976)

Iceland

• Tíminn January 6, 1965 – April 14, 1965 - without the first week

India

• "The Money-Mad Maniac", Indrajal Comics #84 (1969)
• "The Deep Conspiracy", Phantom #9 (1990)
• "ஆழ் கடலுக்கு அடியில்" (romanized as "Aalkadulukki adiyil"), Rani Comics #154 (1990)
• "The Reef", Phantom #71

Ireland

• Irish Independent October 15, 1964 – January 21, 1965

Italy

• "Scoperta pericolosa", L'Uomo Mascherato #120 and "Legge contro fuorilegge", #121 (1965)

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964

Mexico

• El Informador July 23, 1964 – October 29, 1964

The Netherlands

• Heintje #27 – #36 (1968) - without the first week

New Zealand

• The Phantom #543 – #546

Norway

• Aftenposten September 13, 1965 – December 18, 1965
• "Det gåtefulle revet", Fantomet 9/1970
• "Våpensmuglerne", Fantomet 4/1973
• "Våpensmuglerne", Serie-pocket #134 (1988)
• "Revets hemmelighet", Fantomet Spesialalbum #5 (1988)
• "Revets hemmelighet", Fantomet 2/1997
• "Det gåtefulle revet", Krønikebok #26 (2006)
• "Det gåtefulle revet", Fantomet Kronologisk #15 (2020)

Portugal

• "O Segredo da Gruta Submarina", Mundo de Aventuras #840 – #841 (1965)

Spain

• El Correo August 2, 1964 – September 19, 1964
• "El arrecife", El Hombre Enmascarado #27A and "Tráfico de armas", #28A (1964)
• "El arrecife" and "Tráfico de armas", Album de El Hombre Enmascarado (1965)
• "El arrecife" and "Tráfico de armas", El Hombre Enmascarado Biblioteca Eterna #6 (1970)
• "Contrabando de rifles", El Hombre Enmascarado #15 (1974; incomplete story)
• "¿Esta muerta Diana Palmer?", El Hombre Enmascarado #17 (1975)
• "¿Esta muerta Diana Palmer?", El Hombre Enmascarado #34 (1980)
• "El arrecife", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #2 (2018)

Sweden

• Svenska Dagbladet October 12, 1966 – January 21, 1966
• Göteborgs-Tidningen March 3, 1966 – June 10, 1966
• "Revets hemlighet", Fantomen 16/1965
• Nerikes Allehanda August 20, 1966 – December 5, 1966
• "Vapensmugglarna", Fantomen 17/1972
• "Revets hemlighet", Samlade Serierariteter: Revets hemlighet/Trumslagaren (1987)
• "Revets hemlighet", Fantomen 2/1997
• "Revets hemlighet", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1965, Del 4 (2016)
• "Revets hemlighet", Fantomen 6-7/2020
• "Vapensmugglarna", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1972, Del 4 (2024)

Turkey

• "Mağaranın Sırrı", Kızılmaske #39 – #41 (1974)
• "Mağaranın Sırrı", Kızılmaske Albüm #10 – #11 (197?)
• "Mağaranın Sırrı", Kızılmaske #19 – #20 (19??)
• "Mağaranın Sırrı", Kızılmaske #32 (1987)
• "Mağaranın Sırrı", Kızılmaske Albüm #59
• "Mağaranın Sırrı", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #68 – #69
• "Silah Kaçakçıları", Yeni Kızılmaske #1 (2011)
• "Mağaranın Sırrı", Kızılmaske #2 (2013)

United Kingdom

• Birmingham Evening Mail and Despatch July 25, 1964 – October 24, 1964
• "The Deadly Catch", The Phantom - World Adventure Library #1 (1967)

USA

• Appleton Post-Crescent‎ March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Beaver County Times March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Beckley Post Herald March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Bradford Era March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Bucks County Courier Times March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Buffalo Courier-Express March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Charleston Daily Mail March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Charlotte News March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Courier-Post March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Daily Item March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Delaware County Daily Times‎ March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Denton Record-Chronicle March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Evening News March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Gadsden Times March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Green Bay Press-Gazette March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Herald News March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Indianapolis News March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Laurel Leader-Call March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Miami News March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Milwaukee Sentinel March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Oneonta Star March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Orlando Sentinel March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Pocono Record March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Plattsburgh Press-Republican March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Reading Eagle March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Red Bank Register March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Rome Daily Sentinel March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Rome News-Tribune March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Sandusky Register Star News March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Syracuse Herald Journal March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• Uniontown Morning Herald March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Washington Reporter March 23, 1964 – June 27, 1964
• The Dispatch April 6, 1964 – June 27, 1964 - without the first two weeks
• La Opinión June 3, 1964 – September 10, 1964
• The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume Eighteen 1962–1964 (2020)

West Germany

• "Die Bestie von Barbados", Phantom #6 (1974)

Yugoslavia

• Večernje novine ?, 1964 – January 7, 1965
• "Дијана-јунак дана" (romanized as "Dijana-junak dana"), Politikin Zabavnik #1199 (1974)
• "Tajna koralnog grebena", Stripoteka #376/377 (1976)
• "Krijumčari", Denis #257 – #258 (1981)