The Tanker-Jackers

The Tanker-Jackers
Start date:	April 10th, 1972
End date:	July 15th, 1972
# of strips:	84 strips (14 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"The Witchman"
Followed by:	"The Keeper of the Peace"

"The Tanker-Jackers" is the 117th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot synopsis

Pirates with helicopters force shipping companies to pay millions to not have their oil tankers bombed.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil
• Hero
• Guran
• Rex
• Tom-Tom
• Miss Tagama
• Joomba
• Kateena
• Baldy
• Stripes
• Solomon and Nefertiti
• Colonel Worubu

One-time characters

• Sparks
• Gene

Locations

• Bangalla
  • Deep Woods
    • The Waterfall
      • The Skull Cave
        • The Radio Control Room
  • Phantom Head Peak
  • The Whispering Grove
  • Keela-Wee
  • Eden
  • Gooney Rock

Tribes

• Mori

Organizations

• The Jungle Patrol

Vehicles

• Buttercup (oil tanker)

Phantom lore

• X Band

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "Piratas modernos", Fantasía #209 (1972)
• "Chantaje", El Fantasma Nueva Serie #9 (1981)

Australia

• "The Tanker Jackers", The Phantom #495 (1973)
• "The Tanker Jackers", The Phantom #673 (1979)
• "Oil Tanker Hijack", The Phantom #891 (1987)
• "Tanker-Jackers", The Phantom #1254 (2000)
• "The Tanker-Jackers", The Phantom #1715 (2015)

Brazil

• "Os Piratas do Ar", Fantasma #198 (1972)
• "Piratas do Petróleo", Fantasma #299 (1980)
• "Extorsão em Alto-mar", Extorsão em Alto-mar e Outras Histórias (2026)

Canada

• L'Action-Québec May 15, 1972 – August 22, 1972
• Le Nouvelliste June 10, 1972 – September 14, 1972

Denmark

• Hejmdal October 4, 1973 – January 12, 1974
• "Ildpiraterne", Fantomet #43 (1974)

Finland

• "Tuliset merirosvot", Mustanaamio 24/1981
• "Tulirosvot", Mustanaamio 10/2001
• "Tulirosvot", Merirosvojen kauhu (2018)
• Ilta-Sanomat December 18, 2019 – January 21, 2020

Greece

• Taxydromos ?, 197? – ?, 1974

Iceland

• Tíminn November 14, 1972 – February 22, 1973

India

• "Gold or Death", Indrajal Comics #186 (1973)
• "கப்பல் கில்லாடிகள்" (romanized as "Kappal Killadigal"), Mayavi #2 (ca 1975)
• "விசித்திர கடற்கொள்ளை" (romanized as "Visithirak Kadarkollai"), Muthu Comics #67 (1977)
• "Challenge of the Hijackers", Indrajal Comics Vol. 24 No. 6 (1987)
• "The Tanker Jackers", Diamond Comics Digest: Phantom #47
• "கடல் வேட்டை" (romanized as "Kadal kottai"), Rani Comics #244 (1994)

Italy

• "I ricattatori del cielo", I Quaderni del Fumetto #12 (1974)
• "I pirati delle petroliere", Phantom #359

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972

Mexico

• El Informador June 20, 1972 – September 25, 1972

Norway

• Aftenposten December 27, 1973 – April 3, 1974
• "Ildpiratene", Fantomet 17/1973
• "Ildpiratene", Fantomet 25/1981
• "Ildpiratene", Serie-pocket #203 (1995)
• "Ildpiratene", Fantomet Spesialalbum #13 (1992)
• "Ildpiratene", Fantomet 10/2001
• "Ildpiratene", Krønikebok #34 (2007)

Portugal

• "Os Piratas do Ar", Mundo de Aventuras #20 (1974)

Spain

• "Los salteadores de tanques", El Hombre Enmascarado #1 (1973)
• "Los salteadores de tanques", El Hombre Enmascarado #10 – #11 (1979)
• "Salteadores de petróleo", Phantom, El Hombre Enmascarado #53 (1999)
• "Salteadores de petroleros", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #14 (2022)

Sweden

• "Eldpiraterna", Fantomen 4/1973
• Svenska Dagbladet January 9, 1973 – April 16, 1973
• Göteborgs-Tidningen April 3, 1973 – July 14, 1973
• Nerikes Allehanda November 28, 1973 – March 8, 1974
• Katrineholmskuriren July 31, 1976 – November 4, 1976
• Eesti Päevaleht August 14, 1976 – November 27, 1976
• "Eldpiraterna", Fantomen 15/1981
• Upsala Nya Tidning April 23, 1985 – August 2, 1985
• "Eldpiraterna", Fantomen 10/2001
• "Eldpiraterna", Piraternas skräck (2018)
• "Eldpiraterna", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1973, Del 1 (2024)

Turkey

• "Tanker Soygunculari", Kızılmaske #6 – #7 (1973)
• "Tanker Soygunculari", Kızılmaske Albüm #2 (197?)
• "Tanker Soygunculari", Kızılmaske Albüm #111
• "Tanker Soygunculari", Kızılmaske Albüm #73
• "Tanker Soygunculari", Kızılmaske #35 (198?)
• "Tanker Soygunculari", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #10
• "Tanker Soygunculari", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #70
• "Tanker Soygunculari", Kızılmaske #6 (2013)

USA

• The Alabama Journal April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Appleton Post-Crescent April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Asheville Times April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Atlanta Constitution April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Bangor Daily News April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Baraboo News Republic April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Beckley Post Herald April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Birmingham News April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Bradford Era April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Bucks County Courier Times April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Charleston Daily Mail April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Charlotte News April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Chippewa Herald April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Clarksdale Press Register April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Courier-Post April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Daily American April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Daily Item April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Daily Journal April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Daily Standard April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Delaware County Daily Times April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Gadsden Times April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Gloucester County Times April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Green Bay Press-Gazette April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Herald News April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Indianapolis News April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Jersey Journal April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Johnson City Press April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Laurel Leader-Call April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Leaf-Chronicle April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Ledger-Enquirer April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Lima News April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Morning Press April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Morning Sentinel April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The News Item April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The News Journal April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• News-Press April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Observer-Reporter April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Oneonta Star April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Orlando Sentinel April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Philadelphia Daily News April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Plattsburgh Press-Republican April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Portage Daily Register April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Reading Eagle April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Red Bank Register April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Republican Herald April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Rome Daily Sentinel April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Rome News-Tribune April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Tampa Times April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Uniontown Morning Herald April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Washington Reporter April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• The Winchester Sun April 10, 1972 – July 15, 1972
• Suffolk News-Herald April 10, 1972 – July 16, 1972
• The Menomonee Falls Gazette #19 – #32 (1972)
• "The Tanker-Jackers", The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume Twenty-Three 1971–1972 (2021)

West Germany

• "Die Ölpiraten", Phantom #71 (1977)
• "Die Ölpiraten", Phantom Super-band #8
• "Die Ölpiraten", Phantom Super-band #9

Yugoslavia

• Večernje novine November 12, 1973 – March 14, 1974
• "Vazdušni pirati", Denis #132 – #133 (1978)