The Cobra (Daily story 1934)

The Cobra
Start date:	June 11th, 1934
End date:	November 24th, 1934
# of strips:	144 (24 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	none
Followed by:	"The Hawk (Mandrake Meets Narda)"

"The Cobra" is the 1st Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Mandrake chases the Cobra, a mysterious and powerful black magician. He is the fanatical leader of a powerful secret society of faceless slaves that seeks to control the world.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• The Cobra

One-time characters

• Inspector Ralph Sheldon of the U.S. Secret Service.
• Barbara Sheldon, daughter of Ralph Sheldon.
• Assistant Tommy Lord of the U.S. Secret Service
• Ambassador VanderGriff
• Mee-Kee, VanderGriff's Servant.
• Monsieur Gordini Talon
• Captain Merriweather
• Lieutenant Rogers
• Dr Heath

• Prince Saud, son of Emir Ibn-Rehr
• Kâri, High Priest of the Sun (4 800 B.C.)

• Viscount Largy, chairman of the Council of Nations.
• General Stuldiloff, commander of a half million troops.

Locations

• Tejei agless and mysterios walled city, key to the orient. It was one of the only privately owned cities in the world.
• Kilgar Pass, the old castle - home of the Cobra.

Behind the scenes

• The title for the story is lifted from the plot.
• Most reprints are censored due using the print from L'Avventuroso #15 - #43 from 1935 as source for the reprint.
• In interviews after 1972 Lee Falk says that he himself did all the art work for the two first weeks of this story. It is difficult to find evidence that this is correct, so one has to assume that this statement probably is intended to be an anecdote.

Sweeping

The scene in the strip of June 30 is borrowed from a Secret Agent X-9 strip by Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond.

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  Sample

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• Australian Women's Weekly (1934/35)

Argentina

• "El Cobra", Biblioteca Clarín de la Historieta #20 (2004)

Brazil

• "O Cobra", Mandrake #1 (1986)
• "O Cobra", Mandrake Coleção #1 (1989)

France

• "L'homme du mystère", Mandrake roi de la magie #1 (1965)
• "L'homme du mystère", Spécial Mandrake #32 & Spécial Mandrake #33 (1966)
• "Le Cobra", Mandrake le Magicien Vol. 1 (1981)

French Polynesia

• "Mandrake l’uomo del mistero" and "Mandrake contro il Cobra", Mandrake #1" and " Mandrake #2" (Comics Stars in the World 1976) note: Italian text.

Italy

• "Mandrake L'uomo del mistero", L'Avventuroso #15 - #43 (1935)
• "Mandrake L'uomo del mistero", Collana Albi grandi avventure - Mandrake #1 (1935)
• "Mandrake L'uomo del mistero", Collana Albi grandi avventure - Mandrake #1 (1945)
• "Mandrake L'uomo del mistero", Ristampe di grande successo - Mandrake #1 (1949)
• "Mandrake contro il Cobra" & "La ciurma dei sicari" & "La morte volante", Mistero! #4, #5 and #6 (1948) Note: Only strips to 10 September 1936.
• "Mandrake contro il Cobra", Mandrake #3 (1949)
• "L'uomo del mistero", Mandrake #1 (1949)
• "Il Cobra si manifesta" & "Gli uomini senza volto", Il Vascello #21 and #22 (1960)
• "Contro il Cobra", Il Vascello #43 supplemento (1961)
• "L'uomo del mistero", Mandrake Super Albo #150 #152 (1965)
• "L'uomo del mistero", Eureka Pocket #2 (1969)
• "L'uomo del mistero", Mandrake (1972) (part only)
• "Mandrake", Mandrake #8 (1972)
• "Mandrake L'uomo del mistero", Collana Albi grandi avventure - Mandrake #1 (Nerbini reprint 1975)
• "Mandrake l’uomo del mistero" and "Mandrake contro il Cobra", Mandrake #1" and " Mandrake #2" (Comics Stars in the World 1976)
• "L'uomo del mistero", Mandrake - New Comics Now #115 (1984)
• "Contro il Cobra", Mandrake 1 (Comic Art) (1991)
• "Mandrake contro il Cobra", Mandrake (I classici del Fumetto) (1999)
• "L'uomo del mistero", Mandrake il mago (2014)

Norway

• "Mystikkens mann", Fantomet #10/1988 and Fantomet #11/1988 (1988)
• "Kobraen", Klassikerserien (2003)

Portugal

• "O caso do embaixador", Jornal do Cuto #98 (1973) Incomplete: ends July 7, 1934

Spain

• "Contra el Cobra", Mandrake #1 (1981)

Turkey

• "Mandrake - Şimşek Adam, Ateş #14 - # 52 (1937)
• "Esrarengiz Adam", 1001 Roman #197 - 246 (1943-1944)
• "Kobra'ya Karşı", 1001 Özel #205 (1956) Note: Traced editions from 1001 Roman #197 - 246.

USA

• "The Cobra", Comics Revue #281-282 – #289-290 (2009/2010)