One Wizard Too Many

One Wizard Too Many
Start date:	December 15th, 2008
End date:	August 1st, 2009
# of strips:	198 (33 weeks)
Writer:	Fred Fredericks
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"Beware, the Bookworm!"
Followed by:	"Idol with no Name"

"One Wizard Too Many" is the 257th Mandrake daily story. The story was written and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

In this story one find a special made "Earth Day" strip for April the 22th of 2009.

Plot Summary

Mandrake had become increasingly concerned as he noticed his magical abilities weakening. Discussing his worries with Narda, she suggested contacting Theron. Mandrake attempted to reach his father at the College of Magic through the crystal cube, but was surprised when Philo answered, explaining Theron's absence. Mandrake expressed his concerns about his fading powers, to which Philo reassured him that this decline was normal. He advised Mandrake to come to the university for a tune-up, ensuring his abilities remained sharp and current. Philo also mentioned a recent visitor who claimed to know Mandrake. After bidding farewell to Narda, Mandrake boarded a plane bound for the College of Magic.

Upon arrival, Mandrake attempted to rent a car for the final stretch but found none available. Instead, he opted for an old-fashioned mode of transport—a borrowed horse. Along the way, he encountered bandits on the road but managed to escape, eventually reaching the safety of the College of Magic behind the massive boulder serving as its entrance.

Inside, he met Philo and Portia, with Portia taking charge of Mandrake's upgrade. The mysterious visitor, Hay U, was revealed to be the Tourist, a time-traveling gourmet from the year 6009. He had arrived unexpectedly and ended up at the College of Magic due to a temporal mishap. Portia, intrigued by the Tourist, decided to leave the college a few hours with him for a more exciting experience.

As they exited, they unknowingly walked into a bandit ambush, seeking to loot the blue-diamond mine inside the college. The bandits forced the Tourist to create a temporary tunnel using his wrist gagdet with the special ray, allowing them access to the mine. The Space Warden appeared just before Portia and Mandrake confronted the bandits. The Space Warden warned that she couldn't interfere, but during the battle, she defied her orders, disabling the bandits' armboat with her helmet-computer.

Now faced with a dilemma, the Tourist refused to return to his time due to its lack of proper food, despite the time-travel laws. The Space Warden was obligated to bring him back, and if she failed, she'd face punishment. Theron intervened, appealing to the Tourist's sense of honor, sparing the Space Warden from punishment.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Narda, in NYC and Xanadu only
• Hojo, at Xanadu only
• Hay U, aka the Tourist
• The Space Warden
• Theron

One-time characters

• Philo, a magician at the College of Magic
• Barzac, king of bandits
• Dolt, one of the bandits
• Portia, a teacher and magician at the College of Magic
• Plato, a man at the College of Magic

Locations

• New York City
  • Xanadu
• College of Magic
  • the blue-diamond mine

Objects

• The Crystal Cube

Behind the scenes

Title

• The title for the story is taken from the strip of December 15th, 2008 (Beginning: One Wizard Too Many).

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications: