View source for The Rogues

{{Newspaperbox 
|Title= The Rogues
|image= [[Image:md-1971-12-20.png|400 px]]
|Start= December 20, 1971
|End= April 1, 1972
|Strips= 90 (15 weeks)
|Writer= [[Lee Falk]]
|Artist= [[Fred Fredericks]]
|Preceded= "[[Magic Man]]"
|Followed= "[[The Mission]]"
|}}

'''"The Rogues"''' is the 149th Mandrake [[daily story]]. 
The story was written by [[Lee Falk]] and drawn by [[Fred Fredericks]].

== Plot Summary ==
Inside a dark cave halfway around the earth the Cobra making plans to steal the Crystal Cube from Mandrake. Looking through his files of Mandrake's activities for years he found an interestin case, an electronics genious called "The Mole". Soon the warden receive a package, a ''personalized 3-dimensional tv color set''. For helping to put it together he asked the prisoners in 346b, "The Mole" for help. The Mole quickly rebuild his outfit and manage to escape. Outside he was picked up by Udd and the shark looking remote plane of the Cobra. 

While Mandrake and Lothar was lured away the weirs troops (The Mole, Udd, Weasel and Krud) of the Cobra manage to break into Xanadu. 

When Mandrake and Lothar finally managed to get to back to Xanadu, it was almost too late. Mandrake's study had major damage, the Crystal Cube was exposed and the villains had almost gotten hold of it. During the fight Udd managed to escape, but did not manage to pick up the Crystal Cube.

===Appearances===
<div style="float:left; width:50%;">
'''Recurring characters'''
*[[Mandrake]]
*[[Lothar]]
*[[Narda]]
*[[Hojo]]
*[[Luciphor|The Cobra]]
*[[Udd]]
*[[The Mole (character)|The Mole]]

'''One-time characters'''
*Weasel, a master thief and the Cobra's assistant.
*Krud, known as ''The Strangler'' or ''The Executioner'' and the Cobra's assistant. 
*Dr. R. Bok, (ar--boc, Cobra spelled backwards).
</div><div style="float:right; width:50%;">
'''Locations'''
*New York City
**[[Xanadu]]
*A Cave, the Cobra's hide-out halfway around the earth.
'''Objects'''
*[[The Crystal Cube]]

</div><br clear="all">

==Behind the scenes==
===Title===
*The title for the story taken from the strip of December 12, 1971 (Beginning: "The Rogues").
===Mandrake Lore=== 
*The Cobra has discovered that there are two Crystal Cubes
*In Mandrake's study; an invisible beam opens a wall panel, a second invisible beam opens a second panel, then a seamless box opening with a verbal command "reveal" and inside the "Crystal Cube". The box closes with "conceal", an other command closes the wall panels and "guard" activates the laser beams protecting the wall
*Mandrake's rogues' gallery: the Clay Camel, Goliath, the Mole, the Cobra

===Real Life References=== 
*An invitation in the strip of February 8, 1971; [[Conley Falk|Conley]] Hall, [[Real_Life_References_-_Locations#Appearances_of_Cape_Cod_Addresses|Collins rd at Pamet]] (refering to Lee Falk's summer house near Truro at Cape Cod).

== Reprints ==
This story has been published in the following publications:

=== [[Image:mini_australia.gif]] Australia===
*"Deadly Cobra and the Crystal Cube", [[Mandrake the Magician - Album Edition|''Mandrake the Magician'' Album Edition]] (1978)

=== [[Image:mini_brazil.gif]] Brazil ===
*"O Cubo de Cristal", [[Mandrake 199 (RGE)|''Mandrake'' #199]] (1973)

=== [[Image:mini_finland.gif]] Finland ===
*"Cobra -liigan paluu", [[Mustanaamio 6/1986|''Mustanaamio'' #6]] (1986)

=== [[Image:mini_france.gif]] France ===
*"Taupe et Cobra et cube de cristal", [[Spécial Mandrake (Mondes Mystérieux) - Nouvelle Série 10|''Spécial Mandrake'' #10]] (1977)

=== [[Image:mini_india.gif]] India ===
*"The Killer Cobra", [[Indrajal Comics 213|''Indrajal Comics'' #213]] (1974)

=== [[Image:mini_indonesia.gif|border]] Indonesia ===
*"Memburu Kotak Wasiat", [[Mandrake Perfectas (D149)|''Mandrake'']] (1974)
*"Musuh Bebuyutan", [[Mandrake The Magician 1 (Marabunta / Nostalgia)]] (2022)

=== [[Image:mini_italy.gif]] Italy ===
*"Talpa, Cobra e il cubo di cristallo", [[Mandrake Selezione 7|''Mandrake Selezione'' #7]] (1977)

=== [[Image:mini_portugal.gif]] Portugal ===
*"O Cubo de Cristal", [[Mundo de Aventuras 1246|''Mundo de Aventuras'' #1246]] (1973)

=== [[Image:mini_spain.gif]] Spain ===
*"La evasión de el Topo", [[Supercomics Garbo 5|''Supercomics Garbo'' #5]] (1976)

=== [[Image:mini_sweden.gif]] Sweden ===
*"Mullvaden dyker upp igen", [[Fantomen 19/1985|''Fantomen'' #19]] (1985)

=== [[Image:mini_turkey.gif]] Turkey ===
*"Eski Düşman", [[Mandrake 30 (Tay)|''Mandrake'' #30]] [[Mandrake 31 (Tay)| #31]] [[Mandrake 32 (Tay)| #32]] (1975)
*"Eski Düşman", [[Mandrake Albüm 10 (Tay)|''Mandrake Albüm'' #10]]  [[Mandrake Albüm 11 (Tay)| #11]] 
*"Eski Düşman", [[Mandrake Albüm 128 (Tay)|''Mandrake Albüm'' #128]]
*"Eski Düşman", [[Mandrake Albüm 218 (Tay)|''Mandrake Albüm'' #218]] and [[Mandrake Albüm 219 (Tay)| #219]]
*"Eski Düşman", [[Mandrake 45 (Tay second series)|''Mandrake'' #45]] [[Mandrake 46 (Tay second series)| #46]] [[Mandrake 47 (Tay second series)| #47]]
*"Eski Düşman", [[Mandrake Süper Albüm 13 (Tay)|''Mandrake Süper Albüm'' #13]] [[Mandrake Süper Albüm 14 (Tay)| #14]]
*"Eski Düşman", [[Mandrake Süper Albüm 57 (Tay)|''Mandrake Süper Albüm'' #57]]
*"Acılı Düşman", [[Yeni Mandrake 2|''Yeni Mandrake'' #2]] (2011)

=== [[Image:mini_usa.gif]] USA ===
*"The Rogues", [[The Menomonee Falls Gazette 3|''The Menomonee Falls Gazette'' from #3]] to [[The Menomonee Falls Gazette 17| #17]] (1971/1972)

=== [[Image:mini_yugoslavia.png|border]] Yugoslavia===
*"Krtica' na slobodi", [[Super EKS Almanah 14|''Super EKS Almanah'' #14]] (1981)

[[Category:Daily stories|Rogues, The]]