The Rat Must Die

The Rat Must Die
Start date:	October 8th, 2017
End date:	November 11th, 2018
# of strips:	58
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	Jeff Weigel
Original colorist:	Jeff Weigel
Preceded by:	"The Phantom is Everywhere"
Followed by:	"The Little Detective Who Disappeared"

"The Rat Must Die" is the 186th Phantom Sunday story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Jeff Weigel.

Plot Summary

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Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Hero
• Diana Palmer-Walker
• Babudan
• Guran
• Lamanda Luaga
• The 20th Phantom (mentioned)
• The 20th Phantom's wife (mentioned)
• The 13th Phantom (mentioned)
• Jeanette Lafitte (mentioned)
• Boomsby Prison warden

One-time characters

• The Rat

Real life characters

• Jean Lafitte (mentioned)

Tribes

• Bandar

Locations

• Bangalla
  • Boomsby
    • The East Tower of Boomsby prison
  • Mawitaan (mentioned as address on the letter)
    • Box 7 (mentioned as address on the letter)
  • The Skull Cave
    • The Vault of Missing Men

Organizations

• The Jungle Patrol

Vehicles

Items

Old jungle sayings

• "Phantom has a thousand eyes and a thousand ears."
• "It is terror for an evil man to awake in darkness and see the Phantom."
• "Phantom rough on rough-necks!"
• "When the Phantom strikes, lightning stands still."

Behind the scenes

• One of the Boomsby guards is reading a newspaper with "Prince Valiant".

Related stories

Refers to

• "Chatu's Fate" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan

Referenced in

• "To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines" by Tony De Paul and Mike Manley

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• Sunday Tasmanian October 8, 2017 – November 11, 2018
• The Sunday Times October 8, 2017 – November 11, 2018
• The Sunday Mail November 12, 2018 – November 25, 2018
• The Sunday Telegraph March 18, 2018 – November 11, 2018 - without the first twenty-three weeks
• "The Rat Must Die", The Phantom #1856 (2019)

Greece

• "Ο Αρουραίος Πρέπει να Πεθάνει" (romanized as "O Arouraios Prepei na Pethanei"), Blek #31 – #32 (2023-24)

India

• Sudha Weekly‎ November 16, 2017 – December 6, 2018
• The Asian Age‎ June 17, 2018 – July 14, 2019
• Deccan Chronicle‎ June 24, 2018 – July 14, 2019 - without the first week
• "The Rat Must Die", The Phantom #25 (2022)

Jamaica

• Jamaica Star October 5, 2017 – November 8, 2018

Kenya

• Sunday Nation October 22, 2017 – November 11, 2018 (1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th, 13th, 17th, 20-24th, 26-29th, 33rd, 40-41st, 43rd, 46th, 48th, 52nd, and 54th week missing)

Mexico

• El Sol de Tampico September 16, 2018 – December 2, 2018 - the last twelve weeks only
• "La Rata debe morir", El Informador May 19, 2019 – June 14, 2020

Norway

• "Rotta må dø!", Nye Fantomet historier #1 (2019)

The Philippines

• The Philippine Star July 1, 2018 – November 11, 2018 - the last twenty weeks only

Sweden

• Smålänningen August 17, 2018 – September 6, 2019 - without the first week
• "Råttan måste dö", Fantomen 25-26/2019 (edited color by Reprostugan)

USA

• Daytona Beach News-Journal October 8, 2017 – November 11, 2018
• Ledger-Enquirer October 8, 2017 – November 11, 2018
• Reading Eagle October 8, 2017 – November 11, 2018