The Nomad

The Nomad

Start date:	March 27th, 2011
End date:	September 18th, 2011
# of strips:	26 pages
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	Paul Ryan & Eduardo Barreto
Original colorist:	Tom Smith & Andrea Barreto
Preceded by:	"The Return of Colonel Weeks"
Followed by:	"The Shadows of Rune Noble"

"The Nomad" is the 174th Phantom Sunday story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Paul Ryan and Eduardo Barreto.

Plot Summary

While the Phantom goes for The Python in Boomsby Prison, Mr. Eric Sahara is lucky at a roulette table in a casino in Monaco. Eric Sahara is a billionaire and a lone-wolf terrorist known as the Nomad. One of Python's men suddenly approaches him when he heads back for his room. The man has contacted him in order to find a ne leader since the Python is unable to lead his men from a prison cell. As one follower after another is arrested by the police, the police find out more and more information.

The Nomad, being careful, tells him that if the Python really is gone forever, he could assume his mantle and eventually also be called "the great man", something that the Python's followers constantly refers him to. When finally being assured that the Phantom has taken the Python out, he agrees. First however, he instructs Python's man to get rid of a camera before entering an elevator, then kills the man so that no one will know how he looks.

Later, he arrives at his secret desert base, where no one knows of his criminal identity of the Nomad, but merely as mr. Sahara.

The Phantom hears that the Nomad is about to take over the Python's old gang and visits the Python's prison in the Wambesi village to find out all he can about him. The Python is furious at the prospect of having the Nomad taking over his gang, envisioning a power struggle between them. The Python, however, tells the Phantom that no one knows how the Nomad looks, that the guy seems to have many secret identities, and that it is rumored that the Nomad even has fought with the Python.

Meanwhile, the Nomad leaves his home and meets with Rune Noble to hire his team of hired professionals to find The Phantom and get rid of him. Eric Sahara and Rune Noble assemble a team , but many volunteers decline when they are informed that the objective is The current Phantom, one of the volunteers talk about the legend of the ghost who walks.

One of the volunteers is the current Phantom and Rune Noble admits him as a team member.

They head into the jungle, and as they are heading straight to the Wambesi village where the Python is imprisoned, the Phantom wonders whether the chase for the Phantom is a distraction to actually free the Python, or if they really are after the Phantom. En route, the Phantom decimates the group by surprising two of its members and stripping them of all their gear. Rune Noble then leaves them behind.

Finally they arrive at the Wambesi village and when Rune Noble shows a picture of the Phantom, their intention is finally clear to the Phantom. However, since they think he is a terrorist, Rune Noble assumes that they hate the Phantom and declares that he wants to find and destroy him, asking for their help. The Wambesi immediately turns on them. By secretly revealing himself to the Wambesi as the Phantom through the use of his voice and rings the Phantom manages to calm the situation down and the Shadow team leave in peace without realizing what has actually happened. he Phantom has now got his final proof that they are exactly what they appear to be; a murder squad with the Phantom as their target.