The Search for Byron

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The Search for Byron
1st publication:	The Phantom #1131
# of pages:	40
Writer:	Jim Shepherd
Artist:	Glenn Ford
Producer:	Frew

"The Search for Byron" from 1996 is the fourth and last complete story to be produced by Frew. It is written by Jim Shepherd, and drawn by Glenn Ford.

Contents 1 Plot summary 1.1 Appearances 2 Trivia 3 Related stories 3.1 Refers to 4 Reprints 4.1 Australia

Plot summary

Captain Byron, who saved the life of Diana during the Japanese invasion of the Deep Woods, has been reported missing on a Burma expedition, and The Phantom flies to Burma to find him.

Meeting up with the son of the chief of the Nakhon tribe, an old friend of his from a previous visit to Burma, The Phantom learns that the area where Byron has gone missing is regarded taboo among the natives of the Burma jungle, following the supposed possession of the area by a "flame-god" half a century ago. Further more, the area is inhabits both headhunters and lethal spiders.

In the aftermath of a fight at a local pub, the Phantom hires a group of men with jungle knowledge to guide him into the jungle. Following days of marching through the jungle, the group is taken captured by the Bilauk tribe. After having defeated the prime Bilauk fighter, Mr. Walker reveals himself as The Phantom, and learns that Byron is about to be scarified by the Marita tribe, believed to be possessed by the flame god.

Arriving in the Marita village, The Phantom founds Byron suffering from fever, but is able to convince the Maritas to let him go. Before returning to the city, The Phantom finally learns the truth about the fire god legend - it arose following the crash of Charles Kingsford-Smith, famous Australian aviator who went missing in the area in November 1935.

With Byron safe returned to America, The Phantom is able to go back to the Deep Woods, not only having saved the life of his old friend, but also having solved an mystery, half-a-century old.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• the 21st Phantom
• Diana Palmer-Walker
• Captain Byron

One-time characters

• Chief Tola-Tola of Nakhon (mentioned)
• Josh
• Pete

Real-life characters

• Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith (mentioned)

Locations

• The Deep Woods
  • The Skull Cave
    • The Major Treasure Room
• Burma
  • Bilauktaung Mountains
    • Ye
      • Ye Airport
      • The Paradise Inn
    • the Nakhon Village
    • the Bilauk Village
    • the Marita Village

Bangalla tribes

• Bandar

Old jungle sayings

• "When the Phantom moves, lightening stand still..."

Trivia

• Although not specifically stated, the war in which Captain Byron saved Diana is World War II, resulting in quite a problematic time frame of the story, since the crash of Sir Kingsford-Smith in 1936 is said to have taken place about half a century ago.
• This story marks the first and only post-1940's appearance of Captain Byron, not counting the 1971 Team Fantomen remake of his original appearance in "The Slave Traders".

Related stories

Refers to

• "The Phantom Goes To War" by Lee Falk, Ray Moore and Wilson McCoy

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• The Phantom #1131 (1996)