Mandrake Marries Narda

Mandrake Marries Narda
Start date:	October 5th, 1997
End date:	November 22nd, 1998
# of strips:	60
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"Speedy"
Followed by:	"The Cloud"

"Mandrake Marries Narda" is the 176th Mandrake Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

This story retelling the story of Mandrake:

As war rages in Tibet the Duke brings his daughter, Princess Eleanora to safety in College of Magic. Some years after grandmaster Theron marries Eleanora, sadly she died shortly after giving birth to Mandrake.

Growing up in the College the young Mandrake learning various levels of magic, and from his father the highest art - hypnotic viritual reality. From his father he also learn the secrets of the amazing crystal cube. And he found that Theron himself had many secrets, he was about 385 or 400 years old and have been married 20 or 30 times. Before the beautiful Eleanora he was married with a witch, who gave birth to his son and Mandrake's big brother - Luciphor. She hated being a mother and then she hated Theron and the baby, so she fled leaving the baby at CM.

Luciphor was a angry boy and when Mandrake was born he became jealous and did try to kill his baby brother. The Council of Elders and Theron put Luciphor into a cell until he confess his crime, and after two years he was released and continued his studies.

When Mandrake was a teenager he fell in love with Allena, a girl in his class. They became sweethearts, but Allena were attracted by the now 25 years old instructor Luciphor at the same time. One day Luciphor tried to steal the college treasure, when Mandrake tried to stop him Luciphor once again tried to kill Mandrake. Grandmaster Theron turned up and managed to save Mandrake - blazing with fire. Luciphor's face were injured by the fire and Theron had to expelled him from the CM as punishment for his horrible crime.

When Mandrake was 21 it was time for the graduation day, and Mandrake had to choose whether to stay at CM as a teacher or go out into the great outside world.

He began performing as a stage magician at small clubs in the U.S., and gradually his fame and fortune grow. At the same time a new career opens as a crime fighter.

Mandrake also continues to travel. One day in the jungle he saw a man trapped by enemies, Prince Lothar of the Seven Nations. Some time afterwards Lothar had become King of the Seven Nations. He had not only inherited the throne, but his late uncle's 20 wives. 20 wives was a bit much and Lothar chose to join Mandrake.

Under a performance Mandrake noticed a lovely lady in the front row, Princess Narda of Cockaigne, and it was love at first sight.

As a crime fighter he became involved in the mysterious organization Inter-Intel.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Narda
• Kit Walker.

• Theron
• Eleanora
• The Cobra
• Aleena
• The Police Chief - Chief Brand
• Lothar
• Lubo, Lothar's cousin and King of the Seven Nations
• Jed
• Hojo
• Segrid, King of Cockaigne

One-time characters

• Eric, at CM
• Duke and Duchess of Wellfleet, guests in the wedding
• Baron and Baroness of Truro, guests in the wedding
• Chief Justice Owen, guests in the wedding

Locations

• College of Magic
• Fun Club, first place where Mandrake performed
• Cockaigne, mention only.
• Xanadu

Organizations

• Inter-Intel, mention only.

Objects

• The Crystal Cube, mention only.

Behind the scenes

• At the deepwoods.org index the title for this story is "Mandrake Marries Narda", which is lifted from the plot.
• Theron have been married 20 or 30 times..
• Duke and Duchess of Wellfleet, refering to Lee Falk's summer house near Truro at Cape Cod.
• Baron and Baroness of Truro, refering to Lee Falk's summer house near Truro at Cape Cod.
• Kit Walker, refering to the Phantom.

Note

• This story does not mention Derek, any foster father or Mandrake's little sister.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications: