The Phantom #15
In "The River Pirates," the real Phantom returns to the Wambezi jungle to find chaos in his absence—someone wearing his iconic costume has just won the annual tournament by defeating the reigning champion, a feat that's supposed to crown a new jungle ruler. Written by Bill Harris and illustrated by Bill Lignante, with inks by Lignante and lettering by Ray Holloway, this 1965 Western Comics issue unfolds with a mix of mistaken identity and high-stakes tradition. The cover by George Wilson captures the moment of tension as the impostor stands in the spotlight, unaware of the consequences.
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An escaped con steals a uniform from the Phantom, then blunders into an annual tournament without understanding the local language. When a Wambezi wrestler beats "the Phantom," the wrestler becomes ruler of the jungle for a year, appalling all the elders. The real Phantom beats the wrestler (to everyone's relief), and captures the crook, who still has no idea what has gone on.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).