The Last Coup of the Jungle Gang
| The Last Coup of the Jungle Gang | |
| |
| Produced for: | Phantom #193 |
|---|---|
| # of pgs: | 15 |
| Writer: | Peter Mennigen |
| Artist: | unknown |
| Original colorist: | unknown |
| Producer: | Bastei |
"The Last Coup of the Jungle Gang" is a 1981 Bastei story, written by Peter Mennigen.
Plot synopsis
While climbing the rocks of a waterfall near Skull Cave, Rex and Tom-Tom see a young girl approaching the pool at the waterfall, who is stalked by two young men. When the girl vocally expresses her desire to get some flowers growing on an outcrop on the waterfall's cliff-face, her stalkers immediately scramble to get them for her. However, as the two young men - named Brada and Jongo - fight for the right to pluck the flowers for their love interest, Taimi, they nearly end up falling from the cliff. In addition, an irate gorilla suddenly makes an appearance and threatens Taimi. Tom-Tom and Rex hurry to inform Phantom, who arrives just in time. After his and Devil's initial assaults are repelled by the raging primate, Phantom fly-kicks the gorilla into the pool to 'cool him off'.
In gratitude, Taimi takes Phantom, Rex and Tom-Tom to her village. A little time later, however, Taimi spots a boat drifting down the river past her village, and swims over to investigate, finding a young, unconscious Jungle Patrol officer inside. The man is brought into the village, and after Taimi has fetched some medicine (following another bout between Brada and Jongo about who would gain the privilege to fetch the herbs), the officer briefly recovers to inform Phantom that he was knocked out while trying to apprehend the Jungle Gang, a band of criminals under the leadership of one "Mr. Big" which have been menacing the area off late.
The next afternoon, Phantom rides out to the site where the policeman had encountered the gang, only to find a newly constructed mansion nearby, and several highly unfriendly bodyguards on the premises who promptly open fire at him. After disabling the goons, Phantom meets the master of the house, who claims that the guard were merely jumpy because Mr. Big's gang tried to raid his house just the day before. Phantom nevertheless becomes suspicious and returns the same night to investigate the house. However, he is spotted by a hidden lookout and soon surrounded by a gang of guards. One of them clubs him on the shoulder with his rifle, but then Devil interferes, buying his master enough time to swing himself onto Hero's back and flee. But during his escape, Phantom succumbs to the pain of his injury and falls off his horse, unconscious.
In the meantime, Taimi has trouble taking proper care of the Patrol officer with Brada and Jongo arguing about her all the time in her immediate vicinity. Finally, she gets an idea and sends the two rivals off, claiming that she will marry the one who brings her the most precious gift. Hours later, Jongo stumbles across Devil, who leads him to the still unconscious Phantom. Jongo then notices Phantom's Good Mark Ring, which has slid off Phantom's finger during the fall, and upon recalling a legend that the ring makes its wearer invincible, he takes the ring to present it to Taimi. As he returns to his village, however, he encounters a territorial male lion, who pounces at him. As Jongo recoils, his shoulder accidentally hits a nearby coconut tree, and one of the nuts comes down straight on the lion's head, driving it away and thus apparently confirming the ring's legend.
Just before the village, Jongo encounters his rival, and confident in the power of the Ring, dares Brada to shoot him with his bow. Brada takes up the offer, but his bowstring suddenly snaps, and Jongo knocks him out. In the meantime, Phantom recovers consciousness and returns to Taimi's village. But shortly after his arrival, he and Taimi encounter Brada, his chin marked with the imprint of the Good Mark. Soon the whole village chases after Jongo, who attempts to escape via the river, but just as he passes Brada, the ring comes off his finger; Brada picks it up, knocks out Jongo in retaliation and flees with the ring in his possession.
As night falls, Brada, rowing down the river, meets a yacht owned by a Jungle Gang boss subservient to Mr. Big. As he tries to investigate the boat, Brada is captured and brought before the sub-boss. Upon claiming that Phantom's ring protects him, the sub-boss decides to put the legend to the test by having one of his men shoot Brada, but the man in question is nearsighted and is not wearing his glasses, so the gunshot ends in a wide miss. The sub-boss jovially invites Brada for a drink, but secretly slips a sleeping powder into Brada's glass.
Phantom and Jongo have in the meantime followed Brada's trail and also stumble upon the yacht. Deciding to take a closer look, they discover Brada unconscious and the sub-boss discussing the robbery of a large gold transport due to arrive in Morristown. The next morning, the gangsters dump Brada overboard while the sub-boss keeps the Good Mark for himself; but Phantom pulls Brada out of the river before he can drown. Following this, the three men follow the gang to Morristown, where they witness the gold transport arriving. The gold containers are put into a warehouse for safekeeping. The sub-boss confidently spearheads the raid, and as the guards at the backdoor prepare to fire at him, their weapons jam, allowing the gang to knock them out easily. As the gangsters prepare to carry off the gold crates, Phantom, Brada and Jongo attempt to intercept them, but end up being buried under a pile of crates upended by a forklift driven by the sub-boss. Before they can dig themselves out, the gangsters have disappeared with the gold.
The next day, the sub-boss proceeds to the hideout of Mr. Big, but in his confidence in the Good Mark, he boldly challenges Mr. Big for the leadership of the Jungle Gang, whereupon Mr. Big simply disposes of him by opening a trap door beneath his rebellious subordinate. Just as he wonders about how the sub-boss got his hands on Phantom's ring, the gang's hideout is attacked by Phantom, the warriors from Taimi's village, and the recovered Jungle Patrol officer. Amidst the fighting, in which the entire gang ends up captured, Mr. Big tries to escape through his mansion house, only to find himself intercepted by Phantom. Preparing to draw his gun, Mr. Big claims that Phantom's own ring will protect him, but before he can take his shot, Phantom easily shoots Mr. Big's gun out of his hands, stating, "[The ring] helps only good people".
The story ends with a triumphant return to Taimi's village, coupled with bad news for a highly disappointed Brada and Jongo: Instead of marrying either one of them, Taimi has fallen for and is about to marry the Jungle Patrol officer.
Appearances
Recurring Characters
One-time Characters
- Taimi, the daughter of a tribal chieftain
- Brada and Jongo, two rivalling young men from Taimi's tribe who have both fallen for her
- Taimi's father, the chief of his village
- an unnamed Jungle Patrol officer
- Mr. Big, boss of a criminal gang
- an unnamed subordinate boss of Mr. Big's gang
Locations
- Bengali
- Deep Woods
- Bengali River
- Morristown
Behind the scenes
- In the German comics, the Good Mark Ring is called Friedensring ("Ring of Peace").
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
West Germany
- "Der letzte Coup der Dschungelbande", Phantom #193 (1981)