Issue 1603 - Fortnightly, 2011

• "Fatal Salvation" - story by Claus Reimerthi and art by Heiner Bade.

Here’s a new story with a real difference!

In Fatal Salvation, The Phantom literally bumps into not one, but two old enemies….General Bababu and the mysterious Lubanga, an elite native tribesman who once determined to become President of Bengali and actually briefly achieved that ambition by thoroughly illegal means!

General Bababu has always been relatively easy to trace!

He seems to spend long periods of his life in prison and as you are about to discover, has once again escaped from behind bars—this time in Baronkhan.

Now that was—in comic book terms—barely a year ago!

Lubanga, however, has been absent from the Chronicles since 2005 when he lost out in a fight with The Phantom and was swept away in a flood.

In Fatal Salvation we discover he was actually found clinging to a log out at sea!

The group of native fishermen who rescued him, had no idea of his identity—and when Lubanga recovered from his ordeal, he couldn’t help — his memory had been almost totally wiped!

For the most recent appearances by both Bababu and Lubanga, we have included reference notations in the Fatal Salvation story.

What is most likely to happen to both these strange characters?

Bababu’s track record is well enough known. Doubtless, he will engineer another escape from prison and return to again plague The Phantom.

But as for Lubanga….who knows? At the end of Fatal Salvation, there are hints his unexpected meeting with The Phantom may already be working to restore his affected memory.

He is obviously still young and fit enough to bounce back and seek vengeance on his old enemy, but in light of what actually happens in this new adventure, there may well be a completely unexpected turn of events!

I know you will enjoy this adventure!

Claes Reimerthi’s script is clever and will keep you guessing.

Heiner Bade’s art, in my opinion, is some of his best work in years and he has obviously enjoyed designing intricate scenes to fit the tangled web of sub-plots.