Description

Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan: The Beckoning                    Comics Lot
Writers: Thomas Yeates & Henning Kure
Artist: Thomas Yeates
Inkers: Thomas Yeates, Alonso Q. Haque, Stan Woch & Ken Hopper
Colorists: Kathryn Mayer & Damon Willis
Letterer: Brian Clopper
Editors: Heff Munson & Henning Kure
All Covers by: Thomas Yeates

The ageless Tarzan and his beautiful wife Jane have been living in America, fighting the illegal ivory trade to stop the slaughter of elephants… but they’re soon drawn back to Africa, entangled in a dangerous web that threatens their long lives! Adventure in the jungle, in lost civilizations, bloody fighting, and deep mystery all lie in the pages of this comic story. It’s Tarzan and Jane back together with new enemies to vanquish.

Story/Spoilers
In issue #1, “Chapter One: Love and Rage”, Tarzan and Jane are incognito, because they are both over 100 years old. To alleviate suspicion, they have changed names several times and are considered to be dead.

However, in the African jungle, the witch doctor that treated Tarzan has begun to age after at least two centuries of life. He needs more of the herb he used for the ceremony, but it is in a place where he can no longer go. Thus he needs Tarzan to open the way.

Then there is the illegal ivory trade. The ban on the trade hasn’t kept poachers from gunning elephants down and cutting out the tusks with chainsaws. Tarzan can smell the difference between new ivory – now banned in most of the world – and older ivory, taken while the trade was still legal. He can even tell which elephant has lost its life because many of them were his friends.

With Tarzan smashing the ivory trade wherever he can, one of the ringleaders hires a man to kill Tarzan and wipe out the Waziri tribe, Tarzan’s friends. The witch doctor meanwhile has cast a spell on Tarzan that will make him flee back to Africa, thus unknowingly sending him straight into the hit man’s path.

Next in issue #2, “Chapter Two: The Terrorist”, Loc, the African Trickster-God, has been using witchcraft to manipulate Tarzan’s subconscious. Loc wants Tarzan to open an interdimensional portal in central African, so that Loc can regain his youth.

Tarzan and Jane are in San Francisco, trying to prevent ivory poaching. The worst offender has been Sam Phoon, whose company has continued to slaughter elephants despite a worldwide ban on fresh ivory. Jane has been working with political activists to maintain public awareness of Phoon’s outrages, while Tarzan has punished Phoon’s distributors with secret acts of vandalism.

Phoon has retaliated by disrupting one of Jane’s rallies, and hiring a Mr. “Punchy“ Mullargan to “eliminate” the vandal. Ironically, Punchy Mullargan is an avid fan of Tarzan (from old movies) who doesn’t know that the man he’s agreed to kill is the real Tarzan.

Meanwhile, Loc’s magic has caused Tarzan to suffer a “flashback” during a dinner with Jane and her activist friends. No one was injured, but Jane was deeply concerned over Tarzan’s complete loss of memory.

Next in issue #3, “Chapter Three: The Return”, Tarzan and Jane are currently living in San Francisco under the names John and Jane Caldwell. They are trying to halt the illegal poaching of ivory by a ruthless businessman named Sam Phoon. Tarzan’s secret raids on Phoon’s distributors have angered Phoon, and he has hired Punchy Mullargan to “eliminate” the “terrorist”. With the help of a government database, Punchy has identified his quarry as “John Caldwell”, and knows where to find him.

But Tarzan has another problem to deal with: he is the victim of African witchcraft. His subconscious is being manipulated by Loc, the African Trickster-god, who is trying to force Tarzan to suffer from intense dreams and waking hallucinations… hallucinations so severe that Tarzan is a danger to everyone around him… even Jane.

Realizing the gravity of his condition, Tarzan has left Jane in San Francisco, and boarded a plane back to Africa…

…a plane that will never reach its destination, for it is carrying a bomb, courtesy of Mr. Punchy Mullargan.

Next in issue #4, “Chapter Four: The Birds of Death”, Tarzan and Jane had been living in San Francisco under the names of John and Jane Caldwell. They were trying to halt the illegal poaching of ivory by a ruthless businessman named Sam Phoon. Tarzan’s secret raids of Phoon’s distributors angered Phoon, and he hired Punchy Mulllargan to kill the “terrorist”.

But Tarzan has had another problem to deal with: a spell of African witchcraft. Loc, the African Trickster-god, wants Tarzan to open an interdimensional portal in Africa. Loc’s spell has caused Tarzan to suffer from hallucinations so severe that Tarzan is a danger to everyone around him… even Jane. Tarzan left Jane in San Francisco, and boarded a plane back to Africa. But the flight was sabotaged by Punchy Mullargan, and the plane crashed near the coast of Africa. Tarzan survived, and he set off for the Waziri village where he hopes to find a cure for Loc’s spell.

When Jane heard about the crash, she went to Africa to search for Tarzan… but instead, she found Loc, who determined that Jane could also open the portal. Promising to lead her to Tarzan, he prepares to cast his spell on her as well.

Punchy Mullargan has also gone to Africa for a meeting with “The General”, a military dictator allied with Sam Phoon. The second part of Punchy’s deal with Phoon calls for the extermination of the Waziri tribe. The Waziri have also interfered with Phoon’s ivory poaching.

As Tarzan approaches the Waziri village, Punchy and the General’s mercenaries are preparing to attack…

Next in issue #5, “Chapter Five: Into the Web”, Tarzan and Jane were minding their own business: trying to halt the illegal poaching of ivory by a corporate earth-rapist named Sam Phoon. Phoon got tired of Tarzan’s interference and hired Punchy Mullargan to kill him (Phoon has a “heads off” management style.)

But Tarzan had another problem to deal with: Loc, the African Trickster-god. Loc wants Tarzan to open an interdimensional portal in Africa, so Loc has cast a spell on Tarzan’s subconscious. Tarzan’s hallucinations make him a danger to everyone around him… even Jane. Tarzan boarded a plane back to Africa, but the flight was sabotaged by Punchy Mullargan, and the plane crashed near the coast of Africa. Tarzan survived and he went to the Waziri village to find a cure for Loc’s spell.

When Jane heard about the crash, she went to Africa to search for Tarzan… but instead, she found Loc, who determined that Jane could also open the portal. After promising to lead her to Tarzan, Loc cast a spell on Jane, erasing her memory (Loc likes to work with people).

Punchy Mullargan also went to Africa for a meeting with “The General”, a military dictator allied with Sam Phoon. Punchy then led the General’s mercenaries on a mission to exterminate the Waziri tribe, but Tarzan reached the Waziri village in time to help them defeat the mercenaries and capture Punchy Mullargan.

Punchy is shocked to discover that the man he was ordered to kill is Tarzan… Punchy’s idol since boyhood (Phoon’s instructions had been a bit sketchy: “Kill the terrorist.”) Tarzan’s friendship with the Waziri is an even greater revelation.

Next in issue #6, “Chapter Six: Survival Instincts”, Tarzan and Jane are in Africa, but they are not together, and they have not been having much fun.

Loc, the African Trickster-god, has cast a spell on Tarzan to force him to return to Africa. The hallucinations from Loc’s spell convinced Tarzan to take a plane back to Africa, but the flight was sabotaged. That’s the annoying part: Loc wants Tarzan to open an interdimensional portal, but Punchy Mullargan wants him to die so Punchy can get paid… you just can’t please everybody.

Tarzan has decided to cope by surviving the plane crash, helping his Waziri friends survive an attack by Punchy Mullargan and some mercenaries, and getting a spiritual jump-start from the WWW (Waziri Wise Woman). She has guided Tarzan spiritually through his past and into the present, where he had a vision: he saw Loc, travelling with Jane. But Tarzan left Jane in San Francisco: what’s she doing in Africa?

Well, she WAS searching for Tarzan… but instead she found Loc, who determined that Jane could also open the portal. Loc promised to lead Jane to Tarzan, but he cast a spell on her instead, erasing her memory. Loc gave her the name of Sheenola, the jungle queen. After using Jane to pass through the opened portal, Loc abandoned her to the Atmu, a group of inbred white savages. This sort of thing is amusing to Loc, but hardly polite.

Tarzan is much better-behaved. After capturing Punchy Mullargan, he set Punchy straight as to the true nature of the Waziri and Africa. Punchy began to realize that he was fighting for the wrong side, and offered to help Tarzan. Tarzan accepted Punchy’s helicopter, but advised Punchy to leave Africa for his own safety. But Punchy knows he couldn’t go back to his boss (unsuccessful hit men don’t get fired, they get fired upon), so he’s decided to follow Tarzan… at a distance.

So, Tarzan’s out looking for Jane, Punchy’s out looking for Tarzan, and Loc’s looking out for “number one.”

And Jane, having escaped the Atmu, is just trying to figure it all out…

Finally in issue #7, “Chapter Seven: The Ancestors”, In the soft morning light, Tarzan dreams of his past while in the warm embrace of his wife. Later when they awaken, they embark on a long hunt.

After encountering many threats, Jane attacks a native who interferes with a kill. Sensing that the native intends no harm, Tarzan stops the fight and they befriend the native.

Meanwhile, Punchy and Loc find the arc inside the native’s temple. The high priests make no attempt to stop them, so Punchy and Loc walk right out with the arc. Will they get away with the sacred treasure? Will Tarzan and Jane interfere?

Comics lot contains: Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan: The Beckoning (1992 – 1993) Issues #1-7.  Malibu Comics

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: Malibu Comics
Publication Date: 1992 – 1993
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.5″
UPC: None Stated

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 are in Fine to Very Fine condition.  Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Tarzan and/or Edgar Rice Burroughs collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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