In the Cobra's Grip

In the Cobra's Grip
Start date:	April 19th, 1937
End date:	September 11th, 1937
# of strips:	126 (21 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"Mandrake in the Lost World"
Followed by:	"Mandrake in America"

"In the Cobra's Grip" is the 9th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Mr. Duchamp found a package at the back door, with a mysterious block of glowing metal. Soon Duchamp is under the spell of the Cobra, a dangerous man with an obsession for power. The natives call him The Wizard. He is adept at hypnosis and telepaty and is a genious in mechanics and chemistry. And he have a dream, - to be the first emperor of the Earth.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• The Cobra

One-time characters

• Monsieur Duchamp, a world famed chemist.
• Suzette, daughter of Mr. Duchamp
• Dr. Andre Petain, Suzette's fiancé.
• Henri, a waiter.
• Marie, Duchamp's housekeeper.
• Igor, one of the Cobra's men.
• Efraim, a scientist.
• Oaks, a scientist.
• Holtz, a scientist.
• Melankoff, a scientist.

Locations

• France
  • Paris
    • Hotel de Roi
  • Gravet
• Tibet
  • Ruhai, a village
  • The eastern cave-land, where the five red rivers rise, the Cobra's hide-out.

Behind the scenes

• The title for the story is lifted from the plot.
• In 1930 the Epstein family's cook (servant) was the 31 years old Marie Latimore.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Evil Spirit of the Cobra", Mandrake The Magician (1938)

Canada

• (no given title), Classic Adventure Strips #1 (1985)

France

• "Dans les griffes du Cobra", Hop-là! (1939-1940)
• "Dans les griffes du Cobra", Mandrake le Magicien Vol. 4 (1985)

French Polynesia

• "Nelle spire del Cobra" & "La fine del Cobra", Mandrake #26 & #27 (Comics Stars in the World 1977 or 1978) note: Italian text.

Italy

• "Nelle spire del Cobra", Giungla! #152 to #171 (1938)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra", Collana Albi grandi avventure - Mandrake #9 (1940)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra" & "Il covo misterioso" & "La vittoria di Mandrake", Mandrake #7 & #8 & #9 (1946)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra" & "La fine del Cobra", Mandrake #25 & #26 (1960)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra" & "Ritorno alla Luce", Special Mandrake #170 & #171 (1966)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra" & "La fine del Cobra", Mandrake #26 & #27 (Comics Stars in the World 1977 or 1978)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra", Mandrake - New Comics Now #117 (1984)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra", Mandrake 9 (Comic Art) (1992)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra", Mandrake il mago Volume 2 (2015)
• "Nelle spire del Cobra", Superfumetti #9 (2015)

Mexico

• "??", Paquito #11025 to Paquito #11028 (195?)

Spain

• "El fin del Cobra", Grandes Clásicos de los Comics del Pasado #31 - Mandrake #8 (1986)

Turkey

• "Kobra'ya Karşı", 1001 Roman #167 - 196 (1942-1943)
• "no title", Kara Maske #10 &.... (1947)