The Phantom versus The Singh Brotherhood #v1#1

(1979)

The Singh Brotherhood (Table of Contents: 1)

The Phantom / comic story / ? pages (report information)

Script

Lee Falk

Pencils

Lee Falk; Ray Moore

Inks

Lee Falk; Ray Moore

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; jungle

Characters

The Phantom [Kit Walker]; Devil; Guran; Diana Palmer; Sala; Melville Horton; Jimmy Wells; Kabai Singh; Achmed Singh; The 19th Phantom [Kit Walker's grandfather]; The 20th Phantom [Kit Walker's father]; The first Phantom [Sir Christopher Standish]

Synopsis

Diana Palmer's ship is attacked before it reaches New York. The Phantom saves Diana. The Singh Brotherhood kidnaps Diana and takes her to their leader Kabai Singh at their base at the bottom of the sea. The Phantom manages to rescue Diana and escape but becomes severely injured. Diana is picked up by a British naval ship that destroys the base.

Reprints

• from The Phantom daily (King Features Syndicate) 1936-02-17 - 1936-10-11

Keywords

Bandar; Bandar Village; Bay of Bengal; Colonial Service; Dutch East Indies; Graveyard of the Whales; HMS Valor; Indian Ocean; Java; Java Sea; Krakatan; Long Island; Luntok; Mount Trepnich; Neglami; Neglami River; New York; Oath of the Skull; Palmer Hospital for Crippled Children; S.S. Trotter; Skull Cave; Skull Ring; Skull Throne; Sumatra; The Singh Brotherhood; The Sky Band

Indexer Notes

"The Singh Brotherhood" is the first Phantom daily story. The first few weeks were drawn by Falk; he handed the art off to Ray Moore when it became too much (he was simultaneously working on Mandrake). Despite the cover blurb ("Complete! Uncut! Nothing Missing!"), the last few weeks of the story (10/13-11/7) are not included. Several elements of the Phantom myth are introduced, including The Phantom and his alias "The Ghost Who Walks", Devil, Diana, Guran, the Bandar tribe, the Singh Brotherhood, the Skull Mark, the Oath of the Skull, the Skull Cave, the Skull Throne and others. The Bandar are said to be cannibals and Guran is introduced as "the fanatical witch-doctor" of the tribe. Diana is introduced as a "famed young explorer" and is notably wealthy. The home of the Phantom is given to be the island of Luntok in the Dutch East Indies, a British protectorate between Java and Sumatra. The name of the man who became the first Phantom is reported as Sir Christopher Standish, and the year in witch he swore the Oath of the Skull as 1525. The current Phantom is seen swearing the Oath while his father was still alive. The story features the first meeting between the Phantom and Diana, as well as the first time the Phantom propose to her. Diana is also asked to marry Jimmy Wells as well as Melville Horton. The phrase "The Phantom only warns once", years later given as an old jungle saying, is mentioned by the Phantom himself three times. The Phantom suit is said to be gray.