The Amazing Ray

The Amazing Ray
Start date:	April 25th, 1949
End date:	July 30th, 1949
# of strips:	84 (14 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"Derek"
Followed by:	"Lady Ermine"

"The Amazing Ray" is the 51th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis. This story exists in three variants, one made to span three newspaper columns, one to span four and one to span five. Compared to the four-column variant the five-column variant is cropped in the lower part. The three column variant is cropped less in the lower part and the panels are made wider by adding extra ink. The copyright line is almost always placed differently in the strip, as is the date. In addition, the shape and placement of the speech bubble can be different.

Plot Summary

Some years ago Mandrake helped the police to capture Kid Glove Kid. Now he have manage escaped from prison, and he wants revenge.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Narda
• The Police Chief
• Lothar

One-time characters

• Professor Vance, a famous physicist.
• Bora Karlosi, actor in "The Mad Scientist", a movie.
• Kid Glove Kid, a killer and thief.
• Hairy Mike, an escaped convict.
• Fats, an escaped convict.

Locations

• New York

Behind the scenes

• The title for this story is taken from the strip of April 25, 1949 (Beginning: The Amazing Ray)
• The Police Chief is married. In strip of June 23 he said: How can I tell my wife about this.

Space restrictions

• A version with panels cut in height was published in some newspapers

• 
  cut version
• 
  full height version

Signifiant covers

• 
  Argentina
• 
  Brazil
• 
  Brazil
• 
  France
• 
  Indonesia
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Mexico
• 
  New Zealand
• 
  Sweden
• 
  Turkey
• 
  United Kingdom

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "El rayo sorprendente", Mandrake el Mago #6 (1959)

Australia

• "The Amazing Ray", Mandrake Comic #3 (1953)

Brazil

• "O Raio Assombroso", Mandrake, o Mágico #27 (1974)

Denmark

• "Forvandlingsstrålen", Fantomet #133 (1980)

Finland

• "Pienentävä säde", Mustanaamio #11 (1976)

France

• "Le mystérieux docteur Vance" (part 1) & "Le secret du professeur" & "Fin d'un cauchemar" (part 5), Aventures et Mystères #150 & Roy Rogers #1 & #2 & #3 & #4 (1952/1953)
• "Le rayon magique", Spécial Mandrake #3 (1963)

Indonesia

• "Sinar Gaib", Mandrake (1949 ?)

Italy

• "Il raggio magico" and "L'invenzione del Prof. Vance", L'Avventura Albo tascabile #2 and #3 (1950)
• "Il raggio magico", Super Albo - Mandrake #48 (1963)
• "Il raggio magico", Special Mandrake #189 (1966)
• "Il raggio magico", Mandrake - New Comics Now #261 (1991)
• "Il raggio magico", Mandrake 43 (Comic Art) (1995)

Mexico

• "El rayo asombroso", Paquito #11007 (1952)

New Zealand

• "The Amazing Ray", Mandrake the Magician #20, Mandrake the Magician #21 and Mandrake the Magician #22 (1951)
• "The Amazing Ray", Mandrake the Magician #184, Mandrake the Magician #185 and Mandrake the Magician #186 (1958)

Norway

• "Mikroskopiske sjanser", Fantomet #7 (1990)

Sweden

• "Den hemliga strålen", Tarzan # 10/1954 - # 21/1954
• "Den hemliga strålen", Stjärnmagasinet # 10/1955 - # 21/1955.
• "Den mystiska strålen", Mandrake #2 (1963)
• "Förminskningsstrålen", Fantomen #4 (1976)

Turkey

• "Esrarengiz Işık", Haftalık Albüm #7 (1952)

United Kingdom

• "The Amazing Ray", Mandrake the Magician #7 (1960)