The Unknown Commander, Part 2

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The Unknown Commander, Part 2
The Unknown Commander, Part 2.jpg
Produced for: Fantomen 19/1980
# of pgs: 33
Writer: Norman Worker
Artist: Georges Bess
Original colorist: N/A
Producer: Semic Press


"The Unknown Commander, Part 2" is a 1980 Team Fantomen story, written by Norman Worker, with art by Georges Bess.

Plot synopsis

The 15th Phantom finds out that the jungle chiefs have heard the rumour that the Phantom is dead and, on the advice of Turran, makes an appearance to them, affirming that he still is alive. He then asks the Council of Chiefs for help to find Chandra Sykharn, the man who murdered the 14th Phantom.

The jungle tribes find out that Sykharn has gone to his country in the Misty Mountains. There, Chandra meets Kulai Singh and is put up to be hanged; he pleads his loyalty and claims to have killed the Phantom, so is taken down from the rope. Sykharn is then sent to the Skull Cave to bring back the legendary Phantom Treasure.

The 15th Phantom easily stops Chandra Sykharn's pitiful attempt to steal his treasure with the help of the tribes of the jungle and some fire crackers. Sykharn is sent back to Kulai with a message from the Phantom in which he challenges Kulai to a duel at the Devil's Cauldron.

The 15th Phantom then makes the plans for a reorganization of the Jungle Patrol, where the most drastic change should be that the Commander from now on would be unknown to the patrolmen. He has realized that it was the weak point of the old patrol, since the Singh pirates could find out when the commander was away.

At the ruins of the old Jungle Patrol Headquarters, the horse of the Commander is suddenly seen. The horse is caught and is found to be carrying instructions for the Patrol: they are to immediately march to Moribar, recruit some new people, and get some new uniforms and new equipment. Major Wild will be the new Colonel.

The patrolmen immediately and gladly follow the orders.

While the patrolmen are in Moribar, the new Headquarters is built by the prisoners that the Phantom took from Chandra's failed attempt to steal his treasure. Shortly before the Jungle Patrol comes back the prisoners are informed that they have been given a kind of pardon; they will be given some money and a transport to Moribar. If they remain decent, the Phantom will not touch them, but if they go back to piracy or other illegal activities, they will not be pardoned again.

The new Jungle Patrol are happily surprised to discover that the Headquarters has been rebuilt, though they are intrigued that the Commander remains secret. Colonel Wild only finds a short note with new orders from the Commander at the office of the Commander.

The 15th Phantom then comes to watch a nice ceremony when the flag is hailed at the new Headquarters.

A note from the Commander, in the Commander's office, informs Colonel Wild that if there are no more instructions by tomorrow, he should take this letter as a proof that he now is the Commander.

The Phantom then goes on to the valley where he has made an appointment with Kulai Singh. He does not see Kulai but suspects that Singh sees him, so he travels towards the Headquarters and goes down the well and into his office through the floor of a wardrobe. He then waits at his office for Kulai to appear. Finally, Kulai comes with Satan, a big cat, and a fight starts. The Phantom kills the cat and manages to overcome Kulai.

In the morning, Colonel Wild finds Kulai Singh as a prisoner at the office of the Commander and also some new instructions: the room shall from now on never have any furniture except the cabinet, which must remain untouched, reports to the Commander shall be put on the floor of the cabinet, and that the identity of the Commander from now on shall be held secret.

Relating this story, The 21st Phantom notices that even though Colonel Wild might have had his suspicions, he never said anything and always kept the secret, even when the cabinet was replaced with a safe.

Many years later, when he retired, Colonel Wild meets the Phantom one last time when heading back through the jungle towards Moribar/Morristown and observes that the Phantom is still alive. The Phantom had come to say one last goodbye, and so the last one who knew the secret of the Unknown Commander rode into history, making the Commander truly Unknown.

Appearances

Recurring characters

One-time Characters

  • Chief Ogoola
  • Satan, Kulai's wild cat

Locations

Tribes

Organizations

Old jungle sayings

  • The Phantom has a thousand eyes and a thousand ears.

Phantom Lore

  • Talking drums


Behind the scenes

  • The opening flashback states that Kulai Singh enacted his evil plan to kill the 14th Phantom and initiated Chandra "Skyharn" into the Singh Pirates in 1837, even though in Part 1 Chandra Sykharn killed the 14th Phantom in 1831.
  • In 1831 Turran was the Bandar Chief at the time of the 14th Phantom's death and at the start of the time of the 15th Phantom.
  • The Jungle Patrol Flag is dark with a Good Mark in the centre. On the reverse at the top left it shows "1664", and then in the corners going clockwise the letters "S", "M", and "C".
  • Kulai is described by the Phantom as a giant and stronger than an ox.

Related stories

Follows

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

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