Issue 1720 - Replica Series No 4, 2015

This is the fourth Issue in the ‘Collectors Replica Series’ and reprints Issue Nos 190, 189 and 188 from 1961. 

No 190 contains the first publication of the 1960/61 daily story ‘The 50^th Wife’. This was the third last daily story drawn by Wilson McCoy before his death in 1961. As mentioned previously the old guard at Frew shortened the ending of this story so they could use the art to lengthen the following daily story ‘The Iron Dragon’ which appeared in Issue No 195. ‘The 50^th Wife’ was published complete in Issue No 1192. 

Note Diana is described as being 24, an Olympic diver, explorer and pilot. The story has a fantastic scene when the Phantom unroofs the castle tower sending it crashing down, and Diana’s wedding dress is a harem costume! With both guns blazing the Phantom races to the palace “I wasn’t invited to this wedding because there’s not going to be one!” 

No 189 contains the second publication of the 1950/51 Sunday story ‘The Phantom’s Ring’ with art again by Wilson McCoy. Frew first published this story in Issue No 103 back in 1956. On 29 October 1950 was the first explanation of how the Phantom received his skull ring. ‘He was the first Phantom! As he swore the famous oath, he received an ancient death’s head ring from the jungle kings.’ Another secret is revealed when Fatsy discovers the Phantom’s ring and realises it is made of gold. The wearer of the Phantom’s Skull Ring is proclaimed to be a Phantom friend and protected by The Phantom. Further, and for the first time, ‘The Phantom follows the ring.’ This story was issued complete in Issue No 1209. 

Issue No 188 holds two stories. The first is part two of the 1940 daily story ‘The Seahorse’ with art by Ray Moore and the second is the 1952 Sunday story ‘The Copter Pirates’ with art by Wilson McCoy. ‘The Seahorse’ was first issued in Nos 10/11 back in 1949 and reprinted in Issue Nos 100/101 in 1956. However, all editions from No 100 were censored. In the original story when the Phantom is captured aboard the Seahorse he is lowered by rope over the stern to be cut to pieces by the ship’s propellers. This was considered too gruesome and the panels were altered to show the Phantom dropped into shark infested waters instead. Also Diana could not be shown draped over the barrel of a deck cannon. The panels were altered to show her tied to the deck railing. 

On 23 January 1940 Uncle Dave Palmer makes his first appearance and refers to Diana’s mother as ‘my dear sister.’  This story is one of only a few to describe the Phantom’s costume colour as ‘grey!’ even when it was already coloured purple in the Sunday stories. Baron Danton is the second villain to die accidentally. The first was the thuggee in the stream at Mt Trepnich in the first Phantom adventure. This story was published complete for the first time in issue No 953A. 

‘The Copter Pirates’ was published for the first time in Issue

No 188. Drake the international thief, like Prince Bey of ‘The 50^th Wife,’ also falls in love with Diana and has ideas of making her his wife. In some ways this story is reminiscent of ‘The Sky Band’ when the Phantom searches for the island nest of the Copter Pirates. The Phantom and natives set out to paddle 200 miles to Sandy Rock Island and an interesting drama unfolds when there is a tug of war between the helicopter and a loaded war canoe! This complete story was published in Issue No 1248. 

Barry Stubbersfield
Phantom Historian