Treasure of the Skull Cave
Treasure of the Skull Cave | |
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Start date: | May 20th, 1962 |
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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
Related stories
Remade as
Referenced in
- "The Treasure of the Singh Pirates" by Janne Lundström and Özcan Eralp
- "The Skull Gang" by Claes Reimerthi and Heiner Bade
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Argentina
- "El tesoro de la cueva", El Fantasma #49 (1963)
Australia
- The Phantom #382 (1968)
- The Phantom #545 (1974)
- The Phantom #736 (1982)
- The Phantom #1000 (1992)
- The Phantom #1498 (2009)
Brazil
- "Os Três Ladrões", Fantasma #76 (1963)
- "Os Três Ladrões", Fantasma #239 (1976)
Canada
Colombia
- El Tiempo September 2, 1962 – February 10, 1963
Denmark
- "Guldtørst", Fantomet #54 (1975)
- "Angreb på kraniegrotten", Sy Barry Søndagshistorier 1962-1964 (2001)
Finland
- Seura 49/1962 – 23/1963
- "Kultakuumetta", Mustanaamio 14/1974
- "Hyökkäys pääkalloluolaan", Mustanaamio Year Album 1984
- "Hyökkäys pääkalloluolaan", Mustanaamio 7 – 10/1999
- "Kultakuumetta", Mustanaamio 1974 (2017)
France
- "Le trésor des aieux", Les héros de l'aventure - Extra issue Christmas 1967
- "Le trésor des aieux", Sélection Héros de l'aventure #1 (1969 or 1970)
- "Le trésor de la caverne du crâne", Le Fantôme #441 (1973)
- "Le trésor de la caverne du crâne", Le Fantôme Album #48 (undated; 1974)
- Le Fantôme: Le Justicier de la Jungle (1974)
Germany
- "Der Schatz der Totenkopfhöhle" Part 1 (first 12 weeks), Sammlerherzchen #1 (2023)
- "Der Schatz der Totenkopfhöhle" Part 2 (last 17 weeks), Comic Rundschau #17 (2023)
Greece
- "Ο θησαυρος της σπηλιας της νεκροκεφαλης" (romanized as "O thisavros tis spilias tis nekrokefalis"), Fantom #28 (1975)
Hungary
- "Merénylet a halálfejes barlang ellen", Fantom Album
Iceland
- Vikan September 27, 1962 – March 7, 1963
India
- "Phantom Treasure", Indrajal Comics #11 (1965)
- "The Ancient Cave of Splendour", Indrajal Comics Vol. 21 No. 29 – 21 No. 30 (1984)
- "மண்டை ஓட்டு மாளிகை" (romanized as "Mandai ottu maligai"), Rani Comics #148 (1990)
- "Phantom Treasure", Phantom #3 (1990)
- "Phantom Treasure", Phantom #66
- Pujabarshiki 1995
- "மர்மப் புதையல்" (romanized as "Marmap putaiyal"), Rani Comics #498 (2005)
Ireland
- Sunday Independent June 10, 1962 – November 18, 1962
Italy
- "Il tesoro degli avi", L'Uomo Mascherato #27 (1963)
- "Il tesoro degli avi", I Classici dell'Avventura #66 and #68 (1964)
- "Il tesoro degli avi", Serie Cronologica #55 (1973)
New Zealand
Norway
- Vi menn 5 – 25/1963
- "Attak mot dødningsskallegrotten", Fantomet 3/1971
- "Gullhunger", Fantomet 12/1974
- "Kampen i Hodeskallegrotten", Fantomet Year Album 1984
- "Attakk mot hodeskallegrotten", Fantomet 13 – 16/1999
- "Attakk mot dødningsskallegrotten", Krønikebok #28 (2006)
- "Attak mot dødningsskallegrotten", Fantomet Kronologisk #20 (2021)
Panama
- The Star & Herald ?, 196?
Portugal
- "A Gruta do Tesouro", Selecções #25 (1963)
- O Fantasma: O Justiceiro da Selva (1980)
Spain
- "El tesoro de la cueva de la calavera", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #3 (2018)
- "El tesoro de la cueva de la calavera", Héroes del Cómic #7 (2021)
Sweden
- "Dödskallegrottans skatt", Vecko-Revyn 11/1965 – 33/1965
- "Attacken mot dödskallegrottan", Fantomen 13/1966
- "Guldhunger", Fantomen 5/1974
- "Attacken mot Dödskallegrottan", Fantomen Christmas Album 1984
- "Attacken mot dödskallegrottan", Sy Barry - en jubileumskrönika 1961-1991 (1991)
- "Attacken mot Dödskallegrottan", Fantomen 13 – 16/1999
- "Attacken mot Dödskallegrottan", Sy Barry Söndagsäventyr #1 (2001)
- "Attacken mot dödskallegrottan", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1966, Del 3 (2016)
- "Guldhunger", Fantomen 5/2020
Turkey
- "Büyük Soygun", Kızılmaske #242 – #244 (1978) - without the first two weeks
- "Büyük Soygun", Kızılmaske Albüm #74 – #75 (197?) - without the first two weeks
- "Büyük Soygun", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #32 - without the first two weeks
- "Büyük Soygun", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #34 – #35 - without the first two weeks
- "Kurukafa Mağarası'nın Hazineleri", Kızılmaske #8 (2014)
United Arab Republic
- "كنز الشبح" (romanized as "Kinz Alshabah"), Samir #412 – #423 (1964)
United Kingdom
- "The Phantom Treasure", TV Tornado #1 – #8 (1967)
USA
- Anderson Herald May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- The Birmingham News May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- Charleston Daily Mail May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- Cumberland Sunday Times May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- The Danville Register May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- The Democrat May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- Farmington Daily Times May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- The Gadsden Times May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- The Honolulu Advertiser May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- The Montgomery Advertiser May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- The News Tribune May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- San Antonio Light May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- St. Petersburg Times May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- Spartanburg Herald-Journal May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- The Tampa Tribune May 20, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- El Diario La Prensa June 17, 1962 – November 25, 1962
- The Phantom Sundays Special Edition #3 (1990)
- Comics Revue #162 (1999; the first page only)
- The Complete Sundays: Volume Seven 1960–1963 (2020)
West Germany
- "Die Schatzjäger", Phantom #8 (1974)
- "Die Schatzjäger", Phantom Das große Album #2
- Topix #11 (ca 1977)
- "Der Schatz des Dschungelherrn", Phantom #9 (ca 1980)
Yugoslavia
- "Благо у Фантомовој пећини" (romanized as "Blago u Fantomovoj pećini"), Politikin Zabavnik #1038 (1971)
- Super EKS Almanah #4 (1980)