Thuggees

Thuggees
First appearance:	"The Thuggees"
Created by:	Lee Falk & Wilson McCoy

Thuggees are a cult of assassins with origins in India. The Thuggees in Phantom stories are based on historical facts.

History

According to newspaper stories

Thuggees a.k.a. Phansigars are a centuries old cult of assassins founded by ‘the Old Man of the Mountains’ with their headquarters at his castle. Their favourite weapons are the pickaxe and the scarf or the silken noose. The Thuggees had their first encounter with the Phantom in 1650 when The 5th Phantom saved a caravan from them. In 1750 The 8th Phantom defeated their leader, a descendant of ‘the Old Man of the Mountains’, and destroyed the idol of the Thuggees , the Changra idol. In 1840 the 16th Phantom assisted the British Viceroy of India in defeating them and it was believed that the cult is finished. The 21st Phantom, however, came to know that they still existed. He went to the castle, defeated their leader and destroyed the Thuggee idol once again. Return of the Thuggees

The Thuggees hijacked an airplane and kidnapped Diana Palmer, who had dismissed their leader Kali previously. Their ransom note to the Palmer family was signed with a drawing of a Silken Noose, which The Phantom identified as the symbol of the ancient Thuggee sect. As the Thuggees planned to kidnap Prince Tydore of Tydia, The Phantom took Tydore's place and was brought to Thuggee Island where he saved Diana from being sacrificed to the Thuggee idol. The island was attacked by Tydore's fleet, capturing Kali and the Thuggees and destroying their base. The Thuggees

According to Team Fantomen

Prince Kali escaped from Faringham prison, and once again kidnapped Diana Palmer as a way to get vengeance. The Phantom was led on an elaborate search which led him to the new island hideout of the Silken Noose. The Phantom was captured and held prison for days, until he could escape and set off explosives on the island. The Phantom and Diana left with the only functioning boat, leaving the Thuggees helpless while waiting for police to arrive. Return of the Silken Noose

Appearances

Daily and Sunday stories

Title	Writer	Artist	Comments
"The Maharajah's Daughter"	Falk	McCoy
"The Thuggees"	Falk	McCoy
"Return of the Thuggees"	Falk	Barry

Team Fantomen stories

Title	Writer	Artist	Set in	Comments
"The Curse of Robert Fitzgiles"	Madden	Spadari	1787
"The Kali Sect"	Bull	Vallvé	1825
"Son of the Pirate Queen, Part 1: The Skull Necklace"	Bishop	Spadari	1889
"Son of the Pirate Queen, Part 2: The Royal Target"	Bishop	Boix	1889
"Son of the Pirate Queen, Part 3: The Goddess of Death"	Bishop	Spadari	1889
"Return of the Silken Noose"	Wilhelmsson	Wilhelmsson	present
"The Goddess of Death"	Falk, Eralp	Eralp	present	remake of "The Thuggees"

Fratelli Spada stories

Title	Writer	Artist	Comments
"The Revenge of Prince Kali"	Fratelli Spada creators	Mirabella
"The Diamond from Kolahoore"	Fratelli Spada creators	Jannì

Avon novels

Title	Writer	Artist	Comments
"The Assassins"	Bingham	N/A	as Assassins, another murder sect remake of "The Thuggees"