The Dark One

The Dark One
Start date:	May 29, 1950
End date:	August 19, 1950
# of strips:	72 (12 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Beauty Collector"
Followed by:	"The Mystery of Uncle Ed"

"The Dark One" is the 57th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

In the mountain province of Cockaigne - The Dark One. Each night the peasants put meoney on their gateposts. And each noght the money is collected in the same way, by The Dark One's servant - a cloaked skeleton on a black hearse pulled by glowing steeds. No one dares refuse The Dark One. If the peasants don't put out the money then the family sickens.

When King Segrid ordered his regiment to proceed to the mountain castle and find The Dark One he received threats from The Dark One. And Cuddle became feverish with a strange illness.

King Segrid sends a telegram to his sister, Princess Narda, and asks her to bring Mandrake to Cockaigne.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda
• Segrid

One-time characters

• Connie, wife of King Segrid.
• Cuddles, son of King Segrid and Connie.
• Dr. Doul, court physican in Cockaigne.

Locations

• New York
• Cockaigne

Behind the scenes

• The title for this story is taken from the strip of May 29, 1950 (Beginning: The Dark One)
• Connie (Lee Falk wife was Constance "Connie" Falk)
• Narda's address is 235 E 45th St NYC.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Dark One", Mandrake Comic #11 (1954)

Argentina

• "La sombra blanca", Album Pif-Paf #72 (1955)

Brazil

• "Mandrake contra o "Fantasma"", Novo Gibi #1754 (1950)
• "O Fantasma", Mandrake #129 (1967)
• "O Sinistro", Almanaque do Mandrake #1 (1979)

Denmark

• "Mørkemanden", Fantomet #126 (1980)

France

• "Le roi des ténèbres", Mandrake #243 and #244 (1969)
• "L'homme en noir", Mandrake le Magicien (Collection Clair de lune) Volume 1 - 1950 à 1953 (2012)

Indonesia

• "Si Hitam", Mandrake (1950 ?)

Italy

• "Il re delle tenebre", Albo Traguardo #2,
  • "La scomparsa di Narda", Albo Traguardo #4 and
  • "Il mistero svelato", Albo Traguardo #6 (1952)
• "Il re delle tenebre", Il Vascello #52 (1961)
• "Il re delle tenebre", I Classici dell'Avventura #27 (1963)
• "Il re delle tenebre", Mandrake #123 (1969)
• "Il re delle tenebre", Mandrake - New Comics Now #289 (1992)
• "Il re delle tenebre", Mandrake 47 (Comic Art) (1995)

Mexico

• "El misterio de la sombra", Paquito #11004 (1952)

New Zealand

• "The Dark One", Mandrake the Magician #28 and Mandrake the Magician #29 (1952)

Norway

• "Mørkets fyrste", Serie-pocket #75 (1982)

Portugal

• "O Mistério do Homem Negro", Mundo de Aventuras #62 to Mundo de Aventuras #78 (1950/1951)
• "O Mistério do Homem-Negro", Jornal do Cuto #68 – #79 (1972)

Spain

• "El Rey de Las Tinieblas", Mandrake #17 (1997)

Sweden

• "Den mörke", Mandrake #4 (1963)
• "Mörkmannen", Fantomen #14 (1976)

Turkey

• "Kara Hayalet", Haftalık Albüm #10 and #11 (1952)

United Kingdom

• "The Dark One", Mandrake the Magician #10 (1961)