Treasure of the Skull Cave

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Treasure of the Skull Cave
Start date: May 20th, 1962
End date: October 28th, 1962
# of strips: 29 pages
Writer: Lee Falk
Artist: Sy Barry
Original colorist: KFS staff
Preceded by: "Queen Samaris XII"
Followed by: "The Astronaut and the Pirates"
For the remake by Dick Wood and Bill Lignante that was published in the Phantom comic book by King Comics, see "The Treasure of the Skull Cave".

"Treasure of the Skull Cave" is the 60th Phantom Sunday story and the first drawn by Sy Barry. The story was written by Lee Falk.

Plot synopsis

A swindler and a smuggler are caught for the umpteenth time and end up in the same cell as an African man named Bubba, who tells them about the Phantom Treasure. The smuggler has smuggled to some quite powerful people (a general of some kind) and after they escape prison they soon start making plans together with the general to take possession of the treasure, although everyone plan to fool the other.

Swargo (the smuggler) and Bubba is dropped in the jungle and set to use nerve gas to kill all the Bandars. Swargo, however, is very curious about seeing the treasure before the killing and manages to be brought to the Skull Cave by calling out to the Phantom and then telling him that he and his friend Bubba had been attacked by natives and Bubba had told him to call for the Phantom before he died.

The Phantom shows the Major Treasure Room, with such unique objects as the Excalibur, King Arthur's sword, the Laurel wreath of Caesar, the cup of Alexander the Great, and the snake that bit Cleopatra. Not realising their true value, Swargo feels very disappointed and refuses to see the Small Treasure Room. Swargo hurries back to Bubba and says that the entire treasure is rubbish, something that Bubba refuses to believe as his own uncle had seen it, a fight is about to ensue when the Phantom shows up and take them captives.

The signal that the nerve gas has been released is sent and a helicopter with the rest of the gang lands in front of the Skull Cave and is quite soon taken captive by the Bandars, since everyone fear their poisonous arrows. The Phantom then shows the same objects to the general as he showed earlier to Swargo, when the general realises that Swargo thinks the stuff is just rubbish, he is utterly angered as he knows that they are priceless. The Phantom then shows the Minor Treasure Room, the room that Swargo did not want to see; it is filled with a more convential treasure.

The gang is brought away to prison and will never again see the Skull Cave, nor its treasure.

Appearances

Recurring characters

One-time characters

  • Colonel Andrew
  • Colonel Andrew's granddaughter
  • Buba
  • The General

Tribes

Locations

Objects


Remade as

Referenced in

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Canada

Colombia

  • El Tiempo September 2, 1962 – February 10, 1963

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

  • "Ο θησαυρος της σπηλιας της νεκροκεφαλης" (romanized as "O thisavros tis spilias tis nekrokefalis"), Fantom #28 (1975)

Hungary

Iceland

  • Vikan September 27, 1962 – March 7, 1963

India

Ireland

Italy

New Zealand

Norway

Panama

Portugal

Spain

Sweden

Turkey

United Arab Republic

  • "كنز الشبح" (romanized as "Kinz Alshabah"), Samir #412 – #423 (1964)

United Kingdom

USA

West Germany

Yugoslavia

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