The Vanishing Rocket

The Vanishing Rocket
Start date:	April 20, 1953
End date:	June 20, 1953
# of strips:	54 (9 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Jungle Witch"
Followed by:	"The Mysterious Mr Beam"

"The Vanishing Rocket" is the 72nd Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

At the rocket base, they have launched three rockets, but no one had come down. They had all vanished in the ionosphere. When the fourth rocket is to be launched Mandrake goes on board.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Narda, few strips only.

One-time characters

• Dr. Grant
• The Strato-Folk

Locations

• An experimental rocket base
• The ionosphere.

Behind the scenes

• The title for the story is given in the strip of April 20, 1953 (Beginning: The Vanishing Rocket).

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "Los cohetes desaparecidos", Mandrake el Mago #61 (1965)

Brazil

• "no title", Mandrake #5 (1953)
• "O Foguete Desaparecido", Mandrake #291 (1980)

France

• "Missiles sans retour", Spécial Mandrake #65 (1969)
• "La fusée qui disparaît", Mandrake le Magicien (Collection Clair de lune) Volume 1 - 1950 à 1953 (2012)

Indonesia

• "The Vanishing Rocket", Mandrake (1953 ?)

Italy

• "Missili senza ritorno", Super Albo - Mandrake #74 (1964)
• "Missili senza ritorno", Mandrake - New Comics Now #305 (1993)
• "Missili senza ritorno", Mandrake 55 (Comic Art) (1998)

New Zealand

• "The Vanishing Rocket", Mandrake the Magician #100 and Mandrake the Magician #101 (1955)

Portugal

• "O Caso do Foguetão Desaparecido", Album Mundo de Aventuras #1954 (1954)

Spain

• "Misil Sin Retorno", Mandrake #23 (1997)