The Trail of 8

The Trail of 8
Start date:	September 19, 1966
End date:	January 14, 1967
# of strips:	102 (17 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The UFO"
Followed by:	"The Return of Evil"

"The Trail of 8" is the 132nd Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

When Mandrake reading the case about the UFO in the newspaper, he discovers that one of the villains are wearing cuff links with the sign 8. Soon he is on the trail of 8.

Appearances

Recurring characters

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

One-time characters

• Rudy, a bank robber from the previous story who was killed in the chrash of his car having cuff links with the sign 8.
• Bubbles, nightclub dancer and late Rudy's girlfriend.
• Sal the Shiv, a killer.
• Johnny Tabasco, member of 8 killed by X.
• X, a executioner of 8.
• Q, a quizzer of 8.
• Ferret, the individual criminal.
• The Masters of 8.

Locations

• New York City
  • Xanadu
  • Near 13th and Locust
  • The Gray Church.

Organizations

• Inter-Intel
• 8

Behind the scenes

Title

• The title for this story is taken from the strip of September 24, 1966 (Beginning: The Trail of 8 !)

Mandrake Lore

• The cuff links with the sign 8 are made of solid gould set with diamonds, and with a tiny transmitter. When someone press it it sends a signal to the hq, telling them to tune in on the hidden chest microphone the man of 8 wearing.
• In this story it seems that the leaders and their giant computer in a hidden place far away is the top unit of 8, the central Octon. If they are in doubt about what to do in a case feed the information into the computer, and get a short reply.
• The leaders controls their Ferret's, X's and Q's via microphones, speakers and television cameras. Failing a mission they show no mercy and is punishable by death.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "Na Pista do 8", Mandrake #128 (1967)

Finland

• "Salaisen liigan kannoilla", Mustanaamio #25 and Mustanaamio #26 (1982)

France

• "Sur la piste du 8", Le Journal de Mickey #1526 to #1538 (1981)
• "Sur la piste du Huit", Mandrake (Les récits du Journal de Mickey) Volume 3 (2015)
• "Sur la piste du huit", Mandrake, intégrale du journal Mickey (Volume 4) (2017)

India

• "The Mysterious Eight" Indrajal Comics #144 (1971)
• "The Death Knell", Indrajal Comics Vol. 22 No. 47 (1985)
• "??" Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #46 (1996)
• "Mandrake and the Danger Gang" and "Mandrake and the Return of Octon" Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #82 (1999)

Italy

• "L'enigma dell'otto", I Giganti #12 (1967)
• "L'enigma dell'otto", Mandrake - New Comics Now #381 (1997)

Norway

• "Jakten på den hemmelige liga", Fantomet #12 and Fantomet #13-14 (1986)

Portugal

• "O 8 Misterioso", Mundo de Aventuras #941 (1967)

Spain

• "Tras la Pista del Ocho", Mandrake #49 (2002)

Sweden

• "Jakten på den hemliga ligan", Fantomen #16 and #17 (1982)

Turkey

• "Bitmeyen Kavga", Mandrake #45 & #46 & #47 (1975)
• "Bitmeyen Kavga", Mandrake Albüm #15 & #16
• "Bitmeyen Kavga", Mandrake Albüm #96 & #97
• "Bitmeyen Kavga", Mandrake Albüm #222 & #223
• "Bitmeyen Kavga", Mandrake #62 & #63
• "Bitmeyen Kavga", Mandrake Süper Albüm #19
• "Bitmeyen Kavga", Mandrake Süper Albüm #63

United Kingdom

• "The Trail of 8", Mandrake the Magician - The Dailies Volume 1: The Return of Evil - The Cobra (2017)

Yugoslavia

• "Osuđen na smrt", Stripoteka #394/395 (1976)
• "Pred islednikom", Super EKS Almanah #33 (1982)
• "Osmica", Mandrakov magazin #18 (1990)