The Sky Band (story)

The Sky Band
Start date:	November 9th, 1936
End date:	April 10th, 1937
# of strips:	132 (22 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Ray Moore
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"The Singh Brotherhood"
Followed by:	"War in the Jungle"

"The Sky Band" is the second Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Ray Moore.

Plot synopsis

Subsequent to the destruction of the Singh Brotherhood’s stronghold Mount Trepnich The Singh Brotherhood, Phantom tells Melville Horton that the Sky Band is still surviving and active. Horton does not believe him. Meanwhile Sala, who was under custody in an army hospital escapes and rejoins the band on the Isle of Herons.

The Sky Band starts its activities and the Phantom is arrested on the suspicion of aiding Sala. Freed by the Bandar, the Phantom reaches the isle of Herons but is captured and taken to The Baroness who is the leader of the all female gang the Sky Band. When the Baroness develops feelings for The Phantom, conflicts arise within the gang. The Baroness sends Sala away on a mission, resulting in Sala's arrest. Eventually understanding that The Baroness had known that the mission was a setup, and that she had chosen Sala in order to get rid of her, Sala decides to cooperate with the army. She leads them to the Isle of Herons, which results in the final defeat of the Sky Band.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil
• Guran
• Diana Palmer
• The Baroness
• Sala
• Melville Horton

One-time characters

• Corporal Smith
• Colonel E.C Devon
• Jack
• Gligou
• Mola
• Tecla
• Miranda
• Mr. Powell
• Mr. Dunlop
• George
• Telma

Locations

• Dutch East Indies (implied)
  • Batavia (Jakarta)
    • Batavia Airport
  • Luntok
    • The Skull Throne
• India
  • Bombay
  • Calcutta
• Burma
  • Bassein
• Isle of Herons

Tribes

• Bandar

Organizations

• The Sky Band
• The Singh Brotherhood (mentioned)
• Colonial Service
• India Airways

Vehicles

• The Olympia

Related stories

Follows

• "The Singh Brotherhood" by Lee Falk and Ray Moore

Referenced in

• "The Return of the Sky Band" by Lee Falk and Ray Moore
• "The Demon's Lantern" by Andreas Eriksson and Kasia Nie

Behind the scenes

Title panel.

• This story has often been reprinted with the title "The Sky Band". However, the actual title "The Sky-Band" appears in the last daily strip of the preceding story.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• Tit-Bits #1480 – #1515 (1937-38)

Australia

• The Phantom #1 (1938)
• The Phantom #8 (1949)
• The Phantom #121 (1957)
• The Phantom #214 (1962)
• The Phantom #338 (1967; part 2 only)
• The Phantom #497 (1973)
• The Phantom #675 (1965)
• The Phantom #892 (1979)
• The Phantom #972 (1991)
• The Phantom #1147 (1996)
• The Phantom #8 replica, included with The Phantom #1219 (1999)
• The Phantom #1852 (2019; colored by Ivan Pedersen)
• The Phantom #1891 (2021; part 2 only)

Austria

• "Die Sky-Band", Phantom – Die Klassiker #2 (2025)
• "Die Sky-Band", Phantom – Die Chroniken #1 (2026)

Brazil

• A Gazeta August ?, 1937 – ? (1937)
• O Globo Juvenil #12 – #28 (1937)
• "Os Piratas do Céu", Correio Universal 241A (1937)
• "Os Piratas do Céu", Gibi Especial #2 (1975)
• "O Bando do Céu", Fantasma #2 (1987)
• "Os Piratas do Céu", Gibi #1 (1993)
• "Piratas do Céu", O Fantasma #1 (2013)
• "Piratas Aéreos", O Fantasma Omnibus: Piratas Aéreos e Outras Histórias (2022)

Finland

• "Ilmarosvot", Legenda vaeltavasta aaveesta (1991)
• "Ilmarosvot", Ilta-Sanomat August 7, 2015 – September 14, 2015

France

• Aventures 11-32/1937
• "Le secret du Fantôme", Aventures et Mystère #5, "La loi de la jungle", Aventures et Mystère #6, and "Les femmes pirates", #7 (1938)
• "La loi de la jungle", Aventures et Mystère #2, and "Les femmes pirates", #3 (1947)
• "La Bande Aérienne", Le Fantôme Spécial #12 and "Les Femmes Pirates", #13 (1964)
• "La Bande du Ciel", Le Fantôme 1936 – 1937 (1984)

Italy

• "La banda aerea", L'Avventuroso #142 – #155 (1937)
• "La banda aerea", Collana Albi grandi avventure #3 (1937)
• "I pirati dell'aria", Collana Albi grandi avventure #10, "L'aeroporto misterioso", #1, and "La vendetta di Sala", #2 (1945; redrawn by unknown local artist)
• "La banda Aerea" and "La fine della banda Aerea", I Classici dell'Avventura #4 (1962; redrawn by unknown local artist)
• "La banda Aerea", L'Uomo Mascherato Super Albo #73 and "La fine della banda Aerea", #75 (1964)
• "La banda aerea", L'Uomo Mascherato #1 (1968)
• "La banda del cielo", L'Uomo Mascherato #1 (1971)
• "I pirati dell'aria", "L'aeroporto misterioso", and "La vendetta di Sala", Collana Albi grandi avventure Vol. #2 (1975)
• "La banda aerea", Phantom #3 (1991)
• "La banda aerea", Phantom #119
• "La banda aerea", The Phantom #1 (2014)

Mexico

• Paquito #10020 – #10022 (1953)

Norway

• "Luftpiratene", Fantomet 3/1994
• "Luftpiratene", Klassikerserien Ray Moore (1936-1939) (2004)
• "Luftpiratene", Fantomet 3/2016

Spain

• "El secreto del Hombre Enmascarado", El Hombre Enmascarado #5, "La ley de la selva", #6, and "Las mujeres pirata", #7 (ca 1941)
• "La banda nel cielo", El Hombre Enmascarado #35 and "El secuestro de Diana Palmer", #36 (1990; part 2 edited together with "War in the Jungle" part 1)
• "La banda del cielo", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #7 (2020)

Sweden

• "Luftens rövare", Krönika över en vandrande vålnad (1990)
• "Luftens rövare", Fantomen 6-7/2016

Turkey

• Çocuk Dünyası #1 – #8 (1940; the first strip from original date February 4, 1937)
• "Kızıl Maskenin Sırrı" (part 1), 1001 Roman - Özel Sayı #52 and "Korsan Kadinlar" (part 2), #15 (1944)
• "Kızıl Maskenin Sırrı", 1001 Özel #207 (1956; traced reprint from 1001 Roman - Özel Sayı #52)

USA

• The Rome Daily Sentinel November 9, 1936 – April 10, 1937
• The Winchester Sun November 9, 1936 – April 10, 1937
• Ace Comics #11 – #25 (1937)
• Feature Book #56 (1949)
• The Phantom vs. the Sky Maidens (1982)
• Comics Revue #187 – #198 (2000-2001)
• The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume One 1936–1937 (2010)

Yugoslavia

• "Gusari zraka", Hrvatski dnevnik April 8, 1937 – October 3, 1937
• "Gusari zraka", Fantom - Gusari zraka #1 – #5 (1937)
• Mika Miš #151 – #207 (1937-1938)
• Zabavnik #38, and #41 (1938)
• "Nebeska banda", Biblioteka Nostalgija #2 (1981)