The Ghost Who Died Twice
| The Ghost Who Died Twice | |
| |
| Produced for: | Fantomen 19/1997 |
|---|---|
| # of pgs: | 32 |
| Writer: | Norman Worker |
| Artist: | Hans Lindahl |
| Original colorist: | Times Graphics Singapore |
| Producer: | Semic Press |
"The Ghost Who Died Twice" is a 1997 Team Fantomen story written by Norman Worker, with art by Hans Lindahl.
Plot summary
Marianne (the wife of the 10th Phantom) and her son, the future 11th Phantom, sail to Bengalitown with the ship 'Ile de France'. Singh pirates under the leadership of Ashar Singh attack the ship but the 10th Phantom intervenes and is challenged to a duel by Ashar. The Phantom accepts, but Ashar then immidiately shoots him in his right shoulder and then in his face. Ashar then quickly escapes, the 10th Phantom is taken to the Skull Cave, where Uuran, the Bandar chief, amputates his right arm and treats the rest of his wounds. The 10th Phantom realizes that he cannot uphold his role as the Phantom and therefore, he lets his son swear the Oath of the Skull. The 11th Phantom is given the ring with the Good Mark, but the 10th Phantom keeps the Skull Ring telling his son that he will keep it until he dies.
Slowly he heals, at the first day of 1758, he leaves the Skull Cave for a secret location, where he trains himself to be able to continue the duel with Ashar Singh. When he is ready he sends a message to Ashar Singh, deciding time and place to finish their duel at a remote shore. He then through Uuran informs his son and wife with short notice so they have to immediately leave to see the duel.
Uuran follows them to the dueling place where both the 10th Phantom and Ashar Singh shows up. They start dueling, but soon a giant squid attacks Ashar, and when the 10th Phantom runs forward to help, Ashar shoots him in the heart before he is being dragged down into the sea by the squid. The 11th Phantom, Marianne, and Uuran immediately run to him. The 10th Phantom gives the 11th Phantom the Skull Ring and recognizes that he now is the Phantom with his last words. Marianne then tries to contact him and weeps over his dead body.
The pirates had remained at their ship and at the sight they went back to their hiding place where a trap had been set by Mori, Llongo, and the Bandar. The 10th Phantom is taken back to the Skull Cave and put to rest.
Appearances
Conflicts with previous stories
The story conflicts with details given in "The Prisoner in Venice" and "Son of the Desert", which was pointed out by a reader when the story was newly printed, who suggested that the story really took place 1756-57. This was, however, dismissed with the assertion that the details could be merged. The conflict lies in that the 11th Phantom is supposed to have been in the Skull Cave at new year's eve 1757, while the details in the above mentioned stories make that impossible.
In "The Prisoner in Venice", the 11th Phantom is said to have arrived in Venice on March 15, 1757. In "Son of the Desert", he is then said to have left Venice with his wife a little more than a month later. Renata di Mascarelli was then taken out as a newly sold slave through the gates of Jedda (called Djidda in the story) and travelled to Yemen for 29 days, with experienced travellers. When she arrived at her destination, it had taken four months since she left Venice, and she the found out that she was pregnant. Five months after she was taken through the gates of Jedda, the 11th Phantom went through them together with a boy that saved his life. They are unexperienced and travel for a month and then meet some other travellers and ask for directions. The 11th Phantom then rescues Renata and discovers that he has become a father. They then travel to Al Hudaydah (called Hodeida in the story) where they say farewell to their helper, then they presumably continue their travel for Bangalla.
The timeline of the events is: March 15, arrive to Venice; April 17, leave Venice; July 17, Renata leaves Jedda; August 19, Renata comes to Yemen; December 17, the Phantom leaves Jedda; January 17, the Phantom rescues Renata and their son, then they go back to Bangalla, which would take some time.
This timeline has a fixed start and then several points from which the time elapsed can be estimated, the time in Venice and the travelling time in the desert of the 11th Phantom is actually hinted to have taken a little more than a month.
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Australia
- "The Ghost Who Died Twice", The Phantom #1188 (1998)
India
- "The Ghost who Died Twice", The Phantom #3 (2000)
- "The Ghost who Died Twice", The Ghost who Died Twice (2001)
- "The Ghost who Died Twice", The Adventures of the Ghost who Walks #4 (2003)
- "The Ghost who Died Twice", The Phantom #1 (2003)
- "The Ghost who Died Twice", The Ghost who Died Twice / Chief of the Stork People (2007)
- "The Ghost who Died Twice", Destroyer of Evil (2007)
- "The Ghost who Died Twice", The Ghost Who Died Twice and The Chief of the Stork People (2010)
- "The Ghost who Died Twice", Destroyer of Evil (2010)
Norway
- "Mannen som døde to ganger", Fantomet 19/1997
- "Mannen som døde to ganger", Fantomets Krønike 1/2002
- "Mannen som døde to ganger", Krønikebok #10 (2003)
Sweden
- "Mannen som dog två gånger", Fantomen 19/1997
- "Mannen som dog två gånger", Fantomen Krönika 1/2004
Awards
- Best story (Sweden) 1997
- Best story (Norway) 1997
