The Singh Brotherhood (story)
The Singh Brotherhood | |
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Start date: | February 17th, 1936 |
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End date: | November 7th, 1936 |
# of strips: | 228 (38 weeks) |
Writer: | Lee Falk |
Artist: | Lee Falk, Ray Moore |
Original colorist: | unknown |
Preceded by: | N/A |
Followed by: | "The Sky Band" |
"The Singh Brotherhood" is the first Phantom story, as well as the very first Phantom story all categories. It was originally published in American newspapers from February 17th to November 7th, 1936.
The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Ray Moore, with pencils by Falk for the first few weeks.
Plot synopsis

Diana Palmer returns to New York after two years in the South Seas. Her ship is however, attacked by New York based gangster Fats Horgan and his men before it reaches the port. A mysterious stranger then appears, The Phantom, and saves Diana and the valuable cargo of ambergris that she has brought with her. We also learn that Achmed Singh of the Singh Brotherhood is behind the attempts to steal the ambergris. Achmed attempts twice to kidnap Diana, who is the only one who knows the exact location of the graveyard of the whales where enormous amounts of ambergris exist. The Phantom, however, foils both attempts. Subsequently Diana learns some very intriguing things about the Phantom when an old family friend Dr. James Dodd tells her that he saw the Phantom when he was a young boy seventy years ago. Diana decides to go back to get some more ambergris and is supported by the Phantom when he learns that she needs the money for a child hospital.
Diana is, however, kidnapped again by the Singh Brotherhood and taken to their leader Kabai Singh at their base at the bottom of the sea. The Phantom manages to rescue Diana and escape but he has to swim to the surface with only a diving helmet on his head and becomes severely injured by this. He disappears shortly before Diana is picked up by a British naval ship that destroys the base.
The Phantom is found by the Bandars, the tribe that he lives with, and their medicine man Guran tries to drive off the demons that he believes possess the injured Phantom. The Phantom persuades them to bring the British military doctor Melville Horton. Horton heals The Phantom's injuries and is rewarded with a ruby necklace for his beloved. Horton gives the necklace to Diana, even though she doesn't want to marry him. The Phantom shows up at the wrong moment and believes that Diana and Horton are a couple.
Horton is then sent on a suicide mission with too few men against savage natives who slay every one of them except Horton, whom they decide to burn alive. The Phantom saves him and sends him back to Diana with some treasures that would help finance an expedition to retrieve the rest of the ambergris. Horton realises that the Phantom thinks that he and Diana are a couple and tries explain that Diana loves the Phantom, but the Phantom has already gone. The Phantom then guards the expedition from afar and manages to stop an attempt to steal the ambergris by the Singh Brotherhood. He then reveals himself to Diana and tells her the story of how the Phantom originated.
Back at land the Phantom is participating in an attempt to destroy the new Singh base and is caught as he tries to enter alone. Kabai Singh's protegé, Sala, falls in love with the Phantom and offers to help him if he returns her love, but he refuses as he cannot lie to her. The Phantom is sentenced to be boiled but is rescued by Sala who cannot see him die, even though he doesn't return her love. At that moment, the Royal Air Force attacks with bombs falling everywhere. Kabai tries to kill the Phantom once and for all, but is instead stabbed by Sala. Sala then gets injured by shrapnel and, thinking that she is dying, reveals that she never was a real member of the Singh Brotherhood, but a spy for an organisation called "The Sky Band". The Phantom takes her information seriously, but the British officials are skeptical. The Phantom, however, decides to investigate.
Appearances
Recurring characters
- The 21st Phantom
- Devil
- Guran
- Diana Palmer
- Sala
- Melville Horton
- Jimmy Wells
- Diana's father (mentioned)
- Kabai Singh
- Achmed Singh
- The Grandfather of the current Phantom
- The Father of the current Phantom
- Sir Christopher Standish/The 1st Phantom
One-time characters
- Mike
- Fats Horgan
- Spike
- Butch
- Phyllis
- Dr. Owens
- Wong
- Wing Loo
- Pete
- Dr. James Dodd
- Dr. Neal
- Dabi
- Turi
- George
- Bill
- Juga
Locations
- USA
- New York
- New York City
- Long Island
- New York
- Dutch East Indies
- Luntok
- Neglami River
- Mount Trepnich
- Sumatra
- Java
- The Graveyard of the Whales
- Indian Ocean
- Java Sea
- Bay of Bengal
- Krakatan
Tribes
Organizations
- The Singh Brotherhood
- The Sky Band
- Colonial Service
Vehicles
- S.S. Trotter
- HMS Valor
Objects
Trivia
- Several elements of the Phantom myth are introduced, including The Phantom and his alias "The Ghost Who Walks", Devil, Diana, Guran, the Bandar tribe, the Singh Brotherhood, the Skull Mark, the Oath of the Skull, the Skull Cave, the Skull Throne and others.
- The Bandar is said to be cannibals and Guran is introduced as "the fanatical witch-doctor" of the tribe.
- Diana is introduced as a "famed young explorer" and is notably wealthy.
- The home of the Phantom is given to be the island of Luntok in the Dutch East Indies, a British protectorate between Java and Sumatra.
- The name of the man who became the first Phantom is reported as Sir Christopher Standish, and the year in witch he swore the Oath of the Skull as 1525.
- The current Phantom is seen swearing the Oath while his father was still alive.
- The story features the first meeting between the Phantom and Diana, as well as the first time the Phantom propose to her. Diana is also asked to marry Jimmy Wells as well as Melville Horton.
- The phrase "The Phantom only warns once", years later given as an old jungle saying, is mentioned by the Phantom himself three times.
- The Phantom suit is said to be gray.
Related stories
Followed by
- "The Sky Band" by Lee Falk and Ray Moore
Referenced in
- "Dogai - The Road to Power" by Claes Reimerthi and Hans Lindahl
- "The Demon's Lantern" by Andreas Eriksson and Kasia Nie
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Argentina
- Tit-Bits #1404 – #1479 (1936-37)
- "Primera aparición" and "El origen de El Fantasma", Biblioteca Clarín de la Historieta #20 (2004)
Australia
- The Australian Woman's Mirror September 1, 1936 – September 20(?), 1937
- The Phantom #1 (1938)
- The Phantom #6 (1949; part 2 only)
- The Phantom #97 (1956; part 2 only)
- The Phantom #184 (1961; part 2 only)
- The Phantom #292 (1965; part 2 only)
- The Phantom #439 (1971; part 2 only)
- The Phantom #609 (1977; part 2 only)
- The Phantom #816 (1984; part 2 only)
- The Phantom #918A (1988)
- The Phantom #1128 (1996)
- The Phantom #6 replica, included with The Phantom #1156 (1997; part 2 only)
- The Phantom #1472 (2007)
- The Phantom #1944 (2023; part 2 only)
Brazil
- "Uma Alma do Outro Mundo", A Gazeta December 2, 1936 – August 21, 1937
- "Os Piratas Singh", Correio Universal 216A (1937)
- "Os Piratas de Singh", Almanaque do Gibi Nostalgia #1 (1975)
- "O Nascimento do Fantasma", Almanaque do Fantasma (1976; 1 page only)
- "Os Piratas de Singh", Album do Fantasma #2 – #5 (1980)
- "Os Piratas de Singh", Fantasma #1 (1986)
- "Os Piratas de Singh", A Lenda do Fantasma #1 – #2 (1990–91)
- "A Irmandade Singh", Crônicas do Fantasma #4 (2020)
- "A Irmandade Singh", O Fantasma Omnibus: Piratas Aéreos e Outras Histórias (2022)
Finland
- "Singh -merirosvot", Supermustiskirja (1975)
- "Singh -merirosvot", Mustanaamio 26/2006
- "Singh -merirosvot", Ilta-Sanomat June 3, 2015 – August 7, 2015
France
- "Le Fantôme du Bengale", Aventures et Mystère #1, "La vengeance de Singh", #2, "Le royaume sous-marin", #3, "Le cimetière des baleines", #4, "Le secret du Fantôme", #5 (1938)
- "Le Fantôme du Bengale", Collection à 8 Francs (Le Fantôme du Bengale), "Le cimetière des baleines", (Le cimetière des baleines), and "La vengeance d'Achmed", (La vengeance d'Achmed) (1945-1946)
- "Le royaume sous-marin", Aventures et Mystère #1 (1947)
- Aventures 13-30/1950 (second series; incomplete story)
- "L'ombre qui marche", Le Fantôme Spécial #10, "Au Royaume des Singh", #11, and "La Fin des Singh", #12 (1964)
- "L'ombre qui marche", Le Fantôme #333 – #334 (1971)
- "Les Pirates Singh", Le Fantôme 1936 – 1937 (1984)
- "L'ombre qui marche", Le Fantôme #1 (1993; the first strip missing) - the first sixteen weeks only
Italy
- "L'Uomo Mascherato", L'Avventuroso #101 – #128 and "Nel regno dei Singh" #129 – #142
- "L'Uomo Mascherato", Collana Albi grandi avventure #1 and "Nel Regno dei Singh", #2 (1937)
- "L'Uomo Mascherato", Collana Albi grandi avventure #1, "Il fantasma che cammina", #2, "Nel regno dei Singh", #3, and "Tra i pigmei della giungla", #4 (1945)
- "La fine dei Singh", Collana Albi grandi avventure #9 (1946; part only)
- "Nel Regno dei Singh", L'Uomo Mascherato #20 and La Fine dei Singh, #22 (1959)
- "L'ombra che Cammina", L'Uomo Mascherato Super Albo #67, "Nel Regno dei Singh", #69, and "La Fine dei Singh", #71 (1964)
- "La setta dei Singh", L'Uomo Mascherato #1 (1968)
- "I pirate Singh", L'Uomo Mascherato #1 (1971)
- "L'Uomo Mascherato", "Il fantasma che cammina", "Nel regno dei Singh", and "Tra i pigmei della giungla" + "La fine dei Singh", Collana Albi grandi avventure Vol. #1 (1975)
- "L'Ombra che cammina", Phantom #1 and "I pirati Singh", #2 (1991)
- "L'Ombra che cammina" and "I pirati Singh", Phantom Raccolta #1 (1993?)
- "I pirati Singh", Phantom #119
- "I pirati Singh", The Phantom #1 (2014)
Mexico
- Paquito #10016 – #10020 (1953)
Norway
- "Singhpiratene", Stor jubileumsbok (1975)
- "Singhpiratene", Fantomet 1/1988
- "Singhpiratene", Klassikerserien Ray Moore (1936-1939) (2004)
- "Singhpiratene", Fantomet 25/2006
- "Singhpiratene", Fantomet 3/2016
Spain
- La Revista de Tim Tyler #83 – #113 (1938; incomplete story)
- "El Hombre Enmascarado", El Hombre Enmascarado #1, "La venganza de Singh", #2, "El reino submarino", #3, "El cementerio de las ballenas", #4, and "El secreto del Hombre Enmascarado", #5 (1941)
- "El Hombre Enmascarado", El Hombre Enmascarado #01, "La venganza de Singh", #02, "El reino submarino", #03, "El cementerio de las ballenas", #04, and "El secreto del Hombre Enmascarado", #05 (1960)
- "Los piratas Singh", El Hombre Enmascarado #33, "La leyenda de Krakatan", #34 and #35 (1990)
- "La hermandad de los Singh", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #7 (2020)
Sweden
- "Singh-piraterna", Stora jubileumsboken (1975)
- "Singhpiraterna", Fantomen 26/2006
- "Singhpiraterna", Fantomen 6-7/2016
Turkey
- "Esrarengiz Koruyucu", 1001 Roman - Özel Sayı #26, "Sing'in Intikamı", #30, "Deniz Altinda Bir Saray", #39, and "Kızıl Maskenin Sırrı", #52 (1943-1944)
- 1001 Özel #92 and "Kızıl Maskenin Sırrı", 1001 Özel #207 (1954-1956; traced reprints from 1001 Roman - Özel Sayı)
USA
- The Winchester Sun August 27, 1936 – November 7, 1936 (started from the strip of August 27, 1936)
- The Rome Daily Sentinel November 2, 1936 – November 7, 1936 - the last week only
- Feature Book #20 and #22 (1938-39)
- The Phantom versus the Singh Brotherhood (1979)
- Feature Book #20 and #22 (1993; reprints)
- The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume One 1936–1937 (2010)
Yugoslavia
- Hrvatski dnevnik June 7, 1936 – April 7, 1937
- Fantom #1 – #9 (1937)
- Mika Miš #68 – #145 (1937)
- Zabavnik #13 and #17 (1937)
- Tobijeve novine #7 – #10 (1970; incomplete story)
- "Protiv Singovih gusara", EKS Almanah #30 (1976) - without the last four weeks
- "Fantom protiv bratstva Sing", Biblioteka Nostalgija #2 (1981)