Master of Magic

Master of Magic
Start date:	August 5, 1963
End date:	December 7, 1963
# of strips:	108 (18 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Giant Toothache"
Followed by:	"The Disturber"

"Master of Magic" is the 122th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Narda interupt Mandrake's "long-distance call" and Mandrake fainted. When he woke up he telling Narda the secret of the Crystall Ball and the College of Magic. Concentrating on the crystall both Mandrake and Narda went on a mental visit to Theron a distant hidden valley in far-off Tibet. But the country are invaded and enemy plane ataccing. When a bomb hit the temple, the crystall stop glowing, the replica inside was damaged and the contakt broken.

Mandrake and Lothar went aboard a plane and reach the border of Tibet. Wearing parachutes they jump out in the remote mountainous Tibet, landing nearby the pass to the hidden vally.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda
• Theron
• Derek

One-time characters

• Mandrake's father

Locations

• New York
  • College of Magic

Objects

• The Crystal Cube

Trivia

• The Crystall Ball may be older than the pyramides.
• The legend says the Crystall Ball was left by men from the sky (an alian spaceship ?)
• "Inside the Crystal Ball there is a tiny modell, it first inspired an ancient architect to build the first Greek temple, later the College of Magic was build as a copy of the modell.
• The Crystall Ball was a gift from Theron when Mandrake left the College of Magic
• When Mandrake wish to "reach" Theron by telepaty, he focus on the Crystal Ball, and in a sense enter the crystal mentally.
• In old times wizards made wondrous magic. They carried on secrets of ancient Egypt, magic of ancient China and others. When the hordes of Genghis Khan swept the eastern world most of the wizards and their lore were destroyed. A few escaped and in the remote Himalayas they build the College of Magic.
• Once a decade, out of thousands of applicants, they selected one youth to teach.
• Mandrake was twelve and his brother Derek ten when their father took them to the College of Magic.
• Mandrake was a student for ten years, Derek only seven.
• Mandrake speak an Tibetian dialect, learned in his childhood.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "O Colégio", Mandrake #278 (1979)
• "O Colégio de Mágicas", Mandrake Especial #7 (1987)

France

• "Les maîtres de l'illusion", Spécial Mandrake #70, Spécial Mandrake #71 & Spécial Mandrake #72 (1969)

Spain

• "El templo de la magia" and "Aventura en el Tibet", Coleccion Héroes Modernos #65c and #66c (1964)
• "El templo de la magia" and "Aventura en el Tibet", Coleccion Héroes Modernos Album de Rip Kirby (1964)
• "El templo de la magia" and "Aventura en el Tibet", Biblioteca Eterna - Coleccion Héroes Modernos #13C and #14C (1970)

Turkey

• "Esrarlı Tibet", Mandrake #192 #193 #194 #195 (1978)
• "Esrarlı Tibet", Mandrake Albüm #170 #171

United Kingdom

Gold Token Book - Action Series #6 (1964)