The Secret Weapon Caper

The Secret Weapon Caper
Start date:	June 5, 1967
End date:	September 23, 1967
# of strips:	96 (16 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The Return of Evil"
Followed by:	"The Mysterious Bureau"

"The Secret Weapon Caper" is the 134th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

Dr. Oork a previous chemistry teacher and now inventor trying to sell a secret weapon to the military and police. But they all see him as a mad scientist. In order to raise funds for further inventions and experiments Dr. Oork try out his secret weapon, a sleeping gas.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda
• The Police Chief
• Jed

One-time characters

• Dr. Oork, an inventor.
• Tops, a ganglord.

Locations

• New York City
  • Xanadu
• The Police station
  • SS Dept, the Silly Stuff Department.

Organizations

• Inter-Intel

Behind the scenes

Title

• The title for the story is taken from the strip of June 5, 1967 (Beginning: Secret Weapon Caper).

Easter Eggs

• Dr. Oork has prison number 39013.

• 
  28 Aug, 1967

Signifiant covers

• 
  Brazil
• 
  Brazil
• 
  India
• 
  Portugal

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "O Gás do Sono", Almanaque do Mandrake (1969)
• "O Gás do Sono", Mandrake Especial #10 (1987)

Finland

• "Nukkuva kaupunki", Mustanaamio #11 (1983)

France

• "Le secret du docteur Oork", Mandrake #263, #264 and #265 (1970)
• "Le marchand de sable", Le Journal de Mickey #1554 to #1565 (1982)
• "Le marchand de sable", Donald Magazine #82-01 to #82-10 (1982)
• "Le marchand de sable", Mandrake (Les récits du Journal de Mickey) Volume 3 (2015)
• "Le marchand de sable", Mandrake, intégrale du journal Mickey (Volume 4) (2017)
• "Le marchand de sable", Mandrake the Magician Bandes quotidiennes Volume 3 (2026 / amateur issue only)

India

• "The Vengeful Wizard", Indrajal Comics Vol. 23 No. 21 (1986)
• "??", Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #37 and #38 (1995)
• "??", Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #76 (1999)
• "தூங்கும் நகரம்!"", Mutu Comics #466 (2022)

Italy

• "Il segreto del dott. Oork", Mandrake #67, #68, #69, #70, #71, #72, #73 and #74 (1968)
• "Il segreto del dottor Oork", Mandrake - New Comics Now #381 (1997)

Norway

• "Den sovende byen", Fantomet #22 (1986)

Portugal

• "Roubaram Um Milhão", Selecções #88 (1968)

Sweden

• "Det hemliga vapnet", Swisch #9/1970 (1970)
• "Den sovande staden", Fantomen #2 (1983)

Turkey

• "Cizli Silah", Mandrake #8 #9 and #10 (1974)
• "Cizli Silah", Mandrake Albüm #3 and #4
• "Cizli Silah", Mandrake Albüm #120
• "Cizli Silah", Mandrake Albüm #214
• "Cizli Silah", Mandrake #34, #35 and #36
• "Cizli Silah", Mandrake Süper Albüm #9 and #10
• "Cizli Silah", Mandrake Süper Albüm #50

Yugoslavia

• "Ludi doktor", Stripoteka #410 (1976)
• "Trka za ludim doktorom", Super EKS Almanah #37 (1982)
• "Trka za ludim doktorom", Mandrakov magazin #15 (1990)