KORAK, SON OF TARZAN
Issue #7, March 1965

Steve "Korak" Allsup

Copyright © 2004

Cover: Mo Gollub?
Inside front cover: Wild Animals of Africa #16- Greater Kudu

Story: Challenge of the Avengers
Position: 1
Writer: Gaylord Dubois
Artist: Russ Manning
Inker: Russ Manning
Pages: 27 pages
Characters: Korak, Pahkut, Boubeker, Noma, The Nyanga

Synopsis: Korak and Pahkut come upon an Arab Hausa warrior facing two lions, and they help him overcome them. Korak stitches up the gashes on the fellow’s horse, and applies herbs. The man, Boubeker, is trailing Tuareg Arabs who have kidnapped his sister Noma. Korak, who knows of the great rock shaped like a head where the Kel Galla Tuaregs hold out, decides to come along. They stop at a spring for water, where they consult an old witchdoctor for advice. Days later, they come upon an abandoned airplane and detour to track the survivors, to rescue them from thirst. They take the three French soldiers to a cave the Nyanga spoke of, where there is supposed to be a spring. They find no water, but Korak uses the battle club of Boubeker to split the thin shell of rock which allows water to flow out. Before they part from the Frenchmen, one officer offers Korak a handgun, but he refuses, accepting only a flare gun. As they near the Tarqui’s Head, the three are attacked by 5 Tuareg travellers. Overcoming them, Korak and Boubeker force them to make peace and surrender camels and a Tuareg outfit. Then they travel with them to the big wedding party, where Boubeker hopes to rescue Noma. They all travel inside the Tarqui’s Head, where the come into an extinct volcano crater, and join the Tuareg wedding gathering. Korak and Pahkut entertain some of the men as a diversion while Boubeker locates his sister. Sure enough, she is the bride-to-be. Cutting a hole in the rear of the bridal tent, they knock the groom out and slip away with Noma. Before they reach the crater exit, the groom awakes and sets off an uproar. The four must resort to climbing the sheer inner cliff of the crater, using the great strength of the ape to assist. They reach the open, but don’t make it far across the desert when they are located by the Tuareg riders. Just then, an airplane flies by and Korak signals it with the flaregun. It manages to land on the flat and the four climb aboard without delay, barely escaping.

Remarks: This adventure has to occur far to the north along the southern edge of the Sahara. Korak uses a thorn for a needle to stitch the horse’s gashes. Boubeker, a Muslem, makes reference to both Moses and also Christ, calling the latter “your Nazrany prophet.” This is the first issue of Korak to feature one long story instead of two.

2. Text page: Veiled Warriors

3. Jon of the Kalahari: King of the Beasts. Writer: Dubois; Artist: Marsh. 4 pages.

Inside back cover: Wild Animals of Asia #2- Cobra

Back cover: Pin-up of cover painting