The Menace from Mongo part 1 the man who fell from the sky!!
Deep in the mysterious Bangali forest known simply as the deepwood…many legends and myths are told…one such legend is that of the man known to all as the phantom.
For 400 years the phantom-also called the ghost who walks and the man who cannot die has served as guardian and protector of the deep wood-to those people that call the deep wood home, the phantom is both friend and peacekeeper…but perhaps to none more so than the people of the Bandar tribe…for they are among the few to the phantom's greatest secrets.
"Phantom! Phantom!" a small Bandar child cries racing urgently into the dimly lit walls of the skull cave, the ancient home of the phantom and all his secrets for the past four centuries.
A tall and almost otherworldly figure garbed in an awe-inspiring purple skin-tight costume looks down from a fabulous stone throne decorated with heads of stone carved skulls edged into the edges of the marvelous ancient seat.
The phantom's seemingly blank and emotionless eyes peer down at the young child as his lips softly curved upward into a gentle."…Yes Tom Tom what is the emergency?" the phantom asks as he rose from his ancient stone seat with an intense and determined expression darkening slightly from the slightly shifting light of the two twin torches that decorated either side of the skull throne.
"Quickly oh ghost who walks…a strange man and boy fell from the sky just outside the village in a-a strange plane of some kind?"TomTom says exhaustedly.
The phantom's raises a curious brow as he briskly walks down the stone steps of the skull throne."'a strange plane'?…can describe it?" The phantom asked Tom Tom, the young Bandar boy shook his head." no time no time…ms. Diana told me to go and get you."TomTom said
The phantom nodded understandingly and immediately followed the small Bandar child, who hurried ahead of him.
Soon enough…
TomTom leads The phantom to the hidden treehouse village of the Bandar Pygmy tribe; hundreds of the short but sturdy built tree people come out to greet them.
"Father! Dad!" two children-a boy and girl, who appeared to be the exact same age dressed in similarly designed purple spandex uniforms that were basically miniature versions of the phantom's say rushing to greet him alongside gray and black-furred mountain wolf-the phantom smiles softly as he embraced the two in a light hug." Heloise, Kit…where is your mother?" the phantom asked the twins.
The boy-Kit quickly pointed towards a random hut nearby."…chief Guran is there too along with two other people I don't recognize!" The phantom nodded lightly with one hand gently patting the top of the mountain wolf's head.
Meanwhile…
Diana Palmer-walker stood inside the hut with a small group of members from the local Bandar tribe, one of whom was a man wearing a grassy straw hat and stereotypical grass skirt and beaded necklace."…how are they Garun ?"Diana asks and the shorter man looks up with a weary.
"Yes…Fortunately, they are both merely unconscious…they should hopefully wake soon!"Garun said softly.
"That is very good to hear!"A voice says from behind the two.
Diana and Guran turned to see the phantom standing at the hut's entrance with the two twins and mountain wolf.
"Kit…thank goodness your finally here!" the woman says embracing the man-the phantom placed an arm around the woman's slender waist…a smile softly gracing his hardened looking face."…I came as soon as I could…now what is the situation?" the phantom asked looking to the now waking man.
"Easy my friend!" the phantom says softly
"Wha-who-"the strange man begins to say drowsily before having a startled jolt of awareness flush across his face." Rick?" the man abruptly blurted out almost panicked before quickly turning his head to see the slowly waking boy laying next to him."Rick…is he-"
"He is well-" Guran says,"…though I must insist he rest for the next two days!" the diminutive chieftain said.
The man nodded understandingly, "thank you…uh?" the stranger says not sure how to address the much shorter man."I am called Guran…I am chief of the Bandar people!"
"'Bandar people'?"the stranger echoes confused
"An indigenous people!"Diana says interjecting herself into the fastly building conversation."...your in Bangalla...a relatively remote African nation-'Diana says walking forward ."...your ship crashed landed not too far from here...needless to say it's in a rather rough shape." the woman says curiously as she went to go check on the child-the woman kneeling down to one knee."...m-mom?" the boy asked weakly as his eyes slowly began to open." no...I am afraid not!"Diana says softly as she gently rubbed the shakened child-the child's eyes began to moisten.
"Shh it's alright -" Diana said softly,"...your safe here!" the woman said warmly as she began trying to calm the now crying.
"No! no none of us are safe!" the man says wobbly rising to his feet.
The phantom soon raised a curious brow,"...what do you mean?" the ghost who walks asks but before the man can explain himself one of tribe's women abruptly barges into the hut in an almost hysterical state-her face almost white with shock.
"What has happened?"Guran asked worried
"Oh great chief…it is aweful almost beyond!"the woman says before telling of men made of cold diamond with guns of deadly light that are the surrounding area and that were swiftly approaching the village.
"'Men of cold diamond'? 'Guns that shot deadly light'?"the phantom repeated puzzlingly as began to scratch his chin.
"Sounds like Ming the merciless's ice soldiers to me!"the strange man said confidently.
"'Ming the merciless'?"The young Kit repeated back questioningly.
"An alien tyrant and self made ruler of the planet Mongo!"the man says,"he's been trying conquer earth for years now!"He explained.
"…And you've been keeping him at bay all that time mister?"Diana asked fishingly.
"Flash…Flash Gordon-"the man introduced himself with a slight gesture to the boy at his side."…and this is my son Richard…but feel free to call him Rick!"
The phantom laughed,"well Flash…I do not know much about space or alien worlds for that matter…but I have sworn an oath to fight evil no matter where it may arise-"he says holding out his left hand-the golden signet-ring gleaming."…and that includes deep space as well as I suppose!" He laughed cheering you.
The man called 'Flash Gordon' takes the phantom's hand without hesitation."…I appreciate the help pal…say what do I call you?"Flash asked puzzled by the man's unusual attire.
"…I am called by many names…but you may simply call me the phantom!" The purple clad man said with a friendly smile.
"…Well nice meeting yeah 'phantom'…now let's see if we can thaw out Ming's ice creeps for good!"
Soon enough…
The ice soldiers of Ming the merciless reeked bloody path havoc and destruction in their path as they made their way deeper and deeper into the mysterious African jungle known as the deepwood-p-tow! p-tow! Two gunshots are fired immediately the attention of the invaders.
The ice soldiers stood confused at the otherworldly presence of the phantom…the ice based creatures having never an earthling like this before-still the soldiers soon open fire instantly going for the kill!
The phantom easily evades the ice soldiers's laser fire as easily as he would those of bullets;distracted the ice men do not notice Flash and a handful of the local bandar sneak up on the frozen invaders from behind.
Flash to Guran silently gives the signal to attack!
The Pygmy are swift in executing the plan devised by Flash and the phantom-the shorter warriors immediately going for the ice soldiers cooling packs…essentially removing the only thing allowing the invaders natural subzero based metabolism to breakdown in the warmer African climate.
The phantom watches in amazement as the invaders abruptly collapsed instantaneously as their cooling packs were removed.
A few minutes later…
"Alright…that should be all of them!"Flash Gordon said as he piled the last of the ice soldiers on top of the rest.
"Yes…but I am afraid both you and I still have unfinished business!" The phantom says to the other man stoically.
"Right…now it's off to planet mongo to deal with Ming and rescue my wife Dale!"Flash said determined and the phantom silently nodded agreeing.
To be continued…