Treasure of the Skull Cave

From PhantomWiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Treasure of the Skull Cave

Start date:	May 20th, 1962
End date:	October 28th, 1962
# of strips:	24 pages
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Preceded by:	"Queen Samaris XII"
Followed by:	"The Astronaut and the Pirates"

"Treasure of the Skull Cave" is the 60th Phantom Sunday story and the first drawn by Sy Barry. It was originally published in American newspapers from May 20th, to October 28th, 1962.

The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry. A remake by Dick Wood and Bill Lignante was published in the Phantom comic book by King Comics (see "The Treasure of the Skull Cave").

Plot Summary

A swindler and a smuggler are caught for the umpteenth time and end up in the same cell as an African man named Bubba, who tells them about the Phantom Treasure. The smuggler has smuggled to some quite powerful people (a general of some kind) so they soon escape together and make plans together with the general to take possession of the treasure, though everyone plan to fool the others.

Swargo (the smuggler) and Bubba is dropped in the jungle and set to use nerv gas to kill all the Bandars. Swargo, however, is very curious about seeing the treasure before the killing and manages to be brought to the Skull Cave by calling to the Phantom and then telling him that he and his friend Bubba had been attacked by natives and Bubba had told him to call for the Phantom before he died.

The Phantom the shows the Great Treasure Room, with such unique objects as the Excalibur, King Arthur's sword, the Laurel wreath of Caesar, the cup of Alexander the Great, and the snake that bit Cleopatra. Not realising their true value, Swargo feels very disappointed and refuses to see the Small Treasure Room. Swargo hurries back to Bubba hand says that the entire treasure is rubbish, something that Bubba refuses to believe as his own uncle had seen it, a fight is to ensue when the Phantom shows up and take them captives.

The signal that the nerve gas has been released is sent and a helicopter with the rest of the gang lands in front of the Skull Cave and is quite soon taken captive by the Bandars, since everyone fear their poisonous arrows. The Phantom then shows the same objects to the general as he later showed to Swargo, when the general realises that Swargo thinks the stuff is just rubbish, he is utterly angered as he knows that they are priceless. The Phantom then shows the Small Treasure Room, the room that Swargo did not want to see; it is filled with a more convential treasure.

The gang is then taken away and will never again see the Skull Cave, nor its treasure.