Rex: Prince of Baronkhan

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Rex: Prince of Baronkhan

Start date:	February 6th, 1989
End date:	August 5th, 1989
# of strips:	156 (26 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Preceded by:	"Chasamba"
Followed by:	"Massacre at Walker's Table"

"Rex: Prince of Baronkhan" is the 166th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot Summary

The Duke of Shambad has ruined his country and visit is rich neighbor Baronkhan, where Prince Rex rules, to borrow some money. Rex refuses, and angered, the Duke attack Rex, only to be thrown down at the floor. Angry, the Duke leaves.

Later, while Rex is planning to make a visit to Eden, he receives a messenger from Shambad that explain that the Duke felt insulted and know wanted to restore his honor with a duel. Rex manages to get his uncle Walker to Baronkhan to get his advice. Then he receives a new message, the Duke have considered his youth and would also feel that his honor could be restored if Rex pay 5 millions in gold. Taking some advice from uncle Walker, Rex refuses to give any money and accepts the challenge.

Rex and the Duke then duels, using slingshots to the great disdain of the Duke. When the Duke misses his shot and Rex shoots his slingshots out of his hand, he loses his temper and pull out a revolver, trying to shoot Rex, but is hindered by the Phantom who then makes the Duke apologize to Rex for his bad behavior.

Rex then travels to Eden with only one security guard, sergant John. However, sergant John truns out to be a murderer, outsent by the Duke to kill Rex, only due to the fact that the Phantom has grown suspicious saves Rex. It turns out that the chief of security, major Conan, is the father of sergant John, though that he had nothing to to with the attempted murder.

Back in Baronkhan, the Phantom decides to try and bring the Duke to Baronkhan in order that he may be sentenced there. He arranges with a pardoning of sergant John, who has been sentenced to hanging, in exchange for some services that would make it easier for the Phantom to get the Duke; informing the Duke that he has succeeded and will soon arrive to Shambad.

The Phantom then sneaks into Shambad and finds out that the Duke of Shambad is only a temporary regent until the true ruler, Princess Alicia, has come of age. However, it turns out that the Duke has locked her up in the dungeons and finally stopped to give her and her nurse any food, planning to starving her to death. The attempt fails when the Phantom breaks into the dungeon and free her. When it comes to the knowledge of some of the higher militaries and rulers that the Duke has attempted to murder Alicia, they have nothing against the Phantom taking him with him to Baronkhan to face trial of attempted murder of the ruler. The Duke is pardoned from hanging since the crime was not committed in Baronkhan, but the jungle, hence they where sentenced to serve their crime with the Dukassh-tribe. They are informed that the Dukassh-tribe is the last kannibals in the jungle but have promised not to eat them, while in fact, the Dukassh-tribe are vegetarians.

Rex and Alicia then came to meet for the first time during a diplomatic visit made by Alicia in the aftermath of the attempted murder of both of them.