- Ming treks to the hidden Temple of Pantheria to acquire the sacred panther tooth which he will use to control the world's panthers, ordering them to wreak havoc on the world and destroy the Defenders!
- Mandrake and Kshin attend a talk by explorer Andrew Huxley, who uses holograms to recreate the legend of Pantheria, the King of Panthers. It is said that, 1000 years earlier, Pantheria was killed in a battle against Rondar, the Lord of Lions. According to their custom, the Bandar burned Pantheria's body on a funeral pyre, but one of his canine teeth survived the flames and legend has it that whoever owns the Tooth of Pantheria has command over all panthers.
Shortly after, Huxley (who believes the legend is true and that the Tooth still exists) flies out to the Bandar village with his assistant, Christina. Seeing several of the Bandar performing a ceremony, he has Christina land their plane and attempts to film the ceremony from the ground, only to be caught and brought before Goran for violating a sacred ritual. Goran notices that Huxley is wearing a Bandar necklace which Huxley says was given to his grandfather by one of the Bandar. However, when Huxley asks to see the Temple of Pantheria, Goran tells him only the Bandar may look upon the Temple. Seconds later, one of the Bandar notices smoke coming from the direction of the Bandar village.
Goran and his people hurry to investigate the smoke and find that Ming's forces, including Ming himself, are attacking the village. Ming captures Goran and orders him to lead him to the Temple, threatening to kill all the Bandar if Goran doesn't co-operate. But a Bandar warrior named Goka manages to escape and, though Ming's forces give chase, makes it to Huxley's camp, where he tells Huxley that the Bandar village has been attacked. As he, Huxley and Christina fly over the jungle, Goka explains that Ming was behind the raid. Huxley briefly wonders what Ming could want in Africa, before realising he must be after the Tooth, prompting Huxley to contact the international operator and ask to be put through to the Defenders.
At Monitor, the Phantom and Mandrake have just finished talking to Flash and Lothar (who are about to head home after a trip to the planet Canella) when Dynak alerts them to Huxley's message. Once Huxley has explained the situation, the Phantom and Mandrake immediately set off for Africa to stop Ming from getting hold of the Tooth and unleashing a plague of panthers. Before he and Mandrake leave, the Phantom takes the precaution of confining Kisa behind a force-field in case Ming gets to the Tooth first. Just then, Kshin returns home from school and is surprised to see Kisa being confined. The Phantom tells Kshin it is for Kisa's own good and gives him the key-card which operates the force-field, telling him not to let Kisa out for any reason until he is told it is safe to do so, though there is no time to explain why. As the Phantom and Mandrake leave, they tell Kshin not to let anyone, especially Jedda, get hold of the key-card.
Arriving in Africa, the Phantom and Mandrake (in the Skullcopter) contact Huxley whose plane is under attack from Ming's forces and is brought down shortly after. Meanwhile, Jedda finds out about Kisa being in the force-field. Though Kshin tries to explain, the fact that he doesn't know the precise reason for Kisa's confinement means he is unable to convey the seriousness of the situation. Jedda attempts to contact the Phantom, but is unable to get through to him and turns to Kshin, demanding that he hand over the key-card, to which Kshin protests that he promised he wouldn't. Back in Africa, the Phantom and Mandrake, having passed over the ruins of the Bandar village, spot Huxley's party and land the Skullcopter nearby. Huxley and Goka are unhurt, but Christina has been injured and has to be taken to the Skull Cave for safety.
Elsewhere, Ming's party is attacked by a large snake, distracting Ming long enough for Goran to make a run for it. Leaving Christina and Goka at the Skull Cave with some of the Bandar, the Phantom, Mandrake and Huxley prepare to head to the Temple on the backs of elephants. In the meantime, Goran is recaptured and Ming warns him not to try to escape again. Back at Monitor, Jedda continues to badger Kshin until he hands her the key-card and she lets Kisa out of the force-field. Unfortunately, Ming's party reaches the Temple first and, as Goran (tied up in a giant spider's web) watches helplessly, Ming gains possession of the Tooth and uses it to command Kisa to turn on Jedda, who is driving down a mountain road with Kisa beside her at that very moment. Kisa's attack causes Jedda to crash her car, but she is not seriously hurt and later tells Rick, LJ and Kshin that she doesn't understand why Kisa (whom she raised from a cub) is behaving like this. Learning via a TV news report that Kisa is running loose in Central City and that the police have orders to shoot her on sight, Rick and LJ set off to find her, with Jedda following shortly after.
Back in Africa, Ming dismisses his forces, saying his panthers will be his protection. He then uses the Tooth to summon every panther in the area to do his bidding, moments before the Phantom, Mandrake and Huxley reach the Temple. Mandrake conjures up several illusory lions, causing the panthers Ming has summoned to back away, but Ming tells the panthers not to be fooled by this trick. Using his Ten Tigers power, the Phantom fights off the panthers and wrestles the Tooth from Ming's grasp. He then tells the panthers to turn on Ming, who promptly flees.
Meanwhile, Rick and LJ catch up with Kisa, who attacks LJ and pins him to the ground. Rick is about to shoot Kisa to save LJ when Jedda appears and begs him to stop. At the same moment, the Phantom uses the Tooth to free Kisa from Ming's control, causing her to stop attacking LJ and walk towards Jedda, who hugs her. Goran entrusts the Tooth to the Phantom to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands again. Later, Flash and Lothar return from their trip to Canella and Flash, unaware of recent events, suggests the Defenders go to Africa to search for the Temple of Pantheria. Kisa then yawns and goes to sleep at Jedda's feet.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content