The Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest

The Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest
Start date:	November 18, 1956
End date:	June 9, 1957
# of strips:	30 (30 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"Witchmen's Peak"
Followed by:	"The Casino"

"The Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest" is the 71st Mandrake Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Carola refused Magnon's offer of marriage with; If you were emperor of the entire galaxy you'd not be worthy of me! No man is! I'm the most beautiful female in the universe.

Magnon reply; You prod, selfish...! I'll show you! I'll find a dozen -- A million females more beautiful than you!

And then on ten millions oxygen-breathing planets the beauty contest began.

After winning the earth contest Narda was told to go to a certain field and wait. Then suddenly, a beam from abow. Narda and Mandrake rise into the air and drawn into a crystal-like object, and they shoot rapidly into the space.

Narda won the Miss Galaxy contest and spent so much time Magnon that rumors of a romance spread through the galaxy. Magnon proposed to Narda, but she knew that Magnon and Carola were in love with each other and brought them together.

There was a gigantic wedding.

Magnon's scientists erased all their memories of the galaxy and brought them back to earth. Leaving our friends with a big mystery, where had they been for six months? And why did Narda have a new ring, with an unknown metal and a three hundred carat diamond?

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Narda
• The Police Chief
• King Segrid
• Magnon, the emperor of a million planets and the thousandth generation of his family to rule.
• Carola, empress of twelve planets, a beautiful and conceited young lady.

One-time characters

• Doc Ray, organizer of the beauty contest in US.
• Louisa of Bulgarn, finalist in Miss Galaxy.
• Constanze of Elm, finalist in Miss Galaxy.
• Julaan of Phoenax, finalist in Miss Galaxy.

Locations

• New York City
• Cockaigne
• Magna

Behind the scenes

• At the deepwoods.org index the title for this story is "The Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest", which is lifted from the plot.
• Louisa of Bulgarn, named after Lee Falk's first wife.
• Constanze of Elm, named after Lee Falk's second wife.
• Julaan of Phoenax, named after ?

Signifiant covers

• 

  Brazil

• 

  France

• 

  Italy

• 

  Italy

• 

  Italy

• 

  Spain

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "A Rainha da Beleza", Almanaque do Mandrake (1958)
• "Concurso de Beleza", As Grandes Aventuras do Mandrake #2 (1986)
• "Concurso de Beleza", Mandrake Coleção #27 (1991)

Denmark

• "Skønhedskonkurrencen", Fantomet #314 (1990)

Finland

• "Kauneuskilpailu", Mustanaamio #12 (1985)

France

• "L'empereur de la galaxie", Mandrake #60 (1965)
• "L'empereur de la galaxie", Mandrake #406 (1973)

Italy

• "L’imperatore della galassia", Il Vascello #42 (1961)
• "L'imperatore della galassia", I Classici dell'Avventura #17 (1962)
• "L'imperatore della galassia", Special Mandrake #192 (1967)
• "L'imperatore della galassia", Mandrake #52 (1973)
• "L’imperatore della galassia", Mandrake - New Comics Now #274 and #275 (1991)

Norway

• "Vakrest i galaksen", Fantomet #5 (1991)

Portugal

• "O Concurso de Beleza", Tigre #42 (1958)

Spain

• "El Certamen de Belleza", Mandrake el Mago: Sundays pages 1956–1959 (Dolmen Editorial) (2021)

Sweden

• "Skönhetstävlingen", Fantomen #25 (1984)

Turkey

• "Güzellik Yarışması", Mandrake #75 #76 (1975)
• "Güzellik Yarışması", Mandrake Albüm #25 #26

United Kingdom

• no title, Hullabaloo #1 and #2 (1970s ?)

USA

• "The Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest", Mandrake the Ultimate #1 (1989) Note: Only the first 2 pages.
• "The Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest", The Missing Years #42, #43 and #44 (1992)