JMANDRAKE xo THE ts MAGICIAN BY LEE FALK & PHIL DAVIS EN THE KINGDOM OF Rel MACHINE HWITH WHIRLING lee BLADES. JAFTER VINEL oy le. WHIALING KNIFE BLADES CUT VINE PV THE STRANGE FIGHT ENDS SUDDENLY. VINES PENETRATE THE MACHINE ‘SUDDENLY, RACES THAI BEF” SAYS MANOR, |SECONO MACHINE [p50 7 SECOND MACHINE SPEEDS OUT, AND U THE BUSH, CUTTING IT 70 BITS! “CAN IT 'AKE; HALE-ALOUD,” THAT THE |, WAS HIDING ANO WAITING--® “IT’S COMING AT US?’ THE VICTORIOUS MACHINE SPEEDS ACROSS THE CLEARING." LOOK OUT)” CRIES MANORAKE. [ANO THEY RUN THRU THE GORGE, CHASED BY A MURDER} ‘BENT MACHINE--Il| THE KINGDOM OF MARVEL? > aaMANDRAKE (i vas THE wa MAGICIAN ||« BY LEE FALK & [MANDRAKE, NARDA AND They, REACH SAFETY IN THE NICK OF TIME! THE MACHINE, UNABLE 70 ENTER THE LOW Cave cueWs ro THe aocks WITH ITS, SEEMINGLY UNBREAKABLE BLADES! BreariLess AN AMAZED, THEY TURN SUDDENLY THE SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS IN THE CAVE. AN OLD a IN TATTERS PEERS CURIOUSLY AT THEM. WELCOME TO MY HOME.” HE SAYS, PLEASANTLY. THEY FOLLOW Hiv TO HIS DEN, WHERE HE Gives THEM FQ00 AND, WATER. *YOUARE FROM OUTER WoAlbye mle HeaNlir says SOFTLY, MANORAKE iS FULL OF QUESTIONS. "We SANTA BUSH WITH LONG VINES TIPPED WITH HEAVY PODS THAT TRIED TOATTACK US-AND THAT. /MACHINE--" SAYS MANDRAKE/EXCITEOLY, “WHERE, | I THE WORLD ARE WE? WHATOOES IT ALL MEAN ?* YAS OUTSIDERS, I Q0N' 7 WONDER YOU ARE AMAZED,” SAYS THE HERMIT. “YOU AA ‘oADER Te KINGOON OF MARVEL, Ai NN BUVE MARE. AIGHT INTO A CIVIL WAR EETu THE CAVE, THE HERMIT EXPLAINS: “YOU ARE IN THE KINGDOM OF MARVEL, SURROUNDED BY HIGH, IMPASSABLE MOUNTAINS. ‘ws THE -wo MARVEL IS DIVIDED INTO MAGICIAN || tie ieciin? BY LEE FALK & PHIL DAVIS "MECHANA IS A STATE OF MECHANICAL WONDERS, WITH CITIES OF STRANGE METALS SCIENTISTS HAVE CREATED MACHINES FAR ADVANCED BEYOND YOURS IN THE| QUTSIDE WORLD.” FLORA Is A STATE OF PLANT WONDERS. HEA | [*MECHANA AND FLORA ARE RIVAL STATES, ALWAYS PEOPLE HATE MACHINES AND HAVE DEVELOPED FIGHTING WITH THEIR MACHINES AND PLANTS. PLANTS AND VEGETATION IN A WAY THAT WOULD | | IF YOU'RE Wise, YOU'LL FLY AWAY AND NEVER ASTOUNO YOUs” AETUN, "ENDS THE HERMIT. --MANORAKE : i dy”) | SMILES.“MMANY THANKS FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY. THAT MACHINE, THANK GOODNESS IS GONE ~~? Wo WANTS 70 69 Howe? Asks MANORAKE. wor, | [ FLORA, IT1S.--Be CAREFUL OFANY p00 PLANTS? 1,” SAYS NAROA. “NOT ME,"SAYs LOTHAR. "Noa I,” | | WARNS MANDRAKE AS LOTHAR GOES AHEAD LOOK, ADDS MANORAKE, “I'M AS CURIOUS ASYOU ARE, | | EUNNY, BIG PUFF BALLS,"SAVS LOTHAR, HE SUDDENLY WHICH'LL IT BE FIRST ? FLORA,OR MECHANA®* | |CHOKES AS POISONOUS GAS POURS FROM THE PLANTS —FloaATHAT POURS MANDRAKE ras THE ws MAGICIAN BY LEE FALK &” PHIL DAVIS IN FLORA, AS LOTHAR ‘CHOKES OW POISON GAS GIANT PUFF GALL PLANT, | MANDRAKE AND Ni STARE IN HORROR: “1 (GOT TOHELP HIM, CARIES MANORAKE.*NO"CRIES Wagog, tr cer You (SUDDENLY, A MAN RUSHES OUT OF THE FROM A ADA THe MAN DRAGS LOTHAR AWAY FROM THE PoISON- OUS PUFF BALL TO ANOTHER PLANT WHICH HE PLACES QVER LOTHAR’S FACES MANDRAKE WATCHES] AMAZED “AN OXYGEN PRODUCING PLANT-- HE’ SAVING LOTHAR'S LIFE” LOTHAR INHALES DEEPLY-—| [Me OKAY NOW, SAYS LOTHAR. YOU HAD A CLOSE SHAVE,” ADDS MANDRAKE, SIF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR THIS KMAN-="--THE STRANGER NODS. “WE HAVE MANY TYPES OF PLANTS GUARDING OUR BORDERS. THESE POISON GAS DUFF BALLS ARE MOST EFFECT- IVE-- EXCEPT AGAINST MACHINES.” oS “ote "TAM SORAY THIS HAPPENED. YOU ARE FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD,” ADDS THE MAN." WE ARE FRIENDLY HERE IN FLORA, EXCEPT TO THE MEN OF MECHANA, WHO ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO DESTROY US WITH THEIR MACHINES.” "We ARE CURIOUS TO SEE YOUR CITY OF FLORA,” SAYS: MANORAKE-* YES, OUR RULERS HAVE ASHED THAT YOU BE BROUGHT 70 SEE THEN," REPLIES THE MAN, PLANTING A LARGE SEED." WE WILL TAKE APLANT TRAIN." WHAT ON EARTH ISA PLANT TRAIN 2 “ASKS NARDA. Next Week= WORLD'S STRANGEST TRANS- PORTATION-- THE PLANT TRAIN...MANDRAKE rar THE we MAGICIAN "THIS," ANNOUNCES THE FLORIAN,” zy ‘ TRAIN.” IF IS A VINE THe MOVES RAPIDLY ACRSS THe GROUND--| Ts UE A HABGE GIEEPINS. VINEFEXCLAIMS MAN- Baie, PUL IT OOESi'T cheep? Ir GROWS SOAs, VT RACES? inf BAR EARLY TYPE" EXPLAINS Coe ON, HoPON BEFORE T REACHES Ins MAXIMIUAE SPEED!" CALLS THE FLOBIAN, JUMPING ON THE VINE. ~“OFALL THE ~-1 00 WE DARE? ASKS NARDA. ["We 002"5AYS MANOBAKE,ANO THEY JUMP UPON THE FAST-GROWING VINE, GRASPING THe VERTICAL STEMS FoR suPeonT.MANDRAKE Asoany Tie “PLANT TRAIN,” A CREEPING VINE THAT RACES ATA FORTY-MILE PER-HOUR GROWTH THROUGH THE Oven HILLS, DOWN VALLEYS, JUMPING OVER CHASMS, A STRANGE FORM OF WATURAL TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPED BY THE MASTER NATURALISTS OF FLORA! ows THE ws FLORIAN JUNGLE! MAGICIAN |. \x, BY LEE FALK & PHIL DAVIS Tirihe MELpW-LIKe PLANTS POP OUT OF THE SANO."SENTAIES,” EXPLAINS THE FLORIAN. “THEY POP'UP WHEN ANY-—/— THING MOVES NEAR THEM, IN DOING $0, THEY TUG THEIR AOOTS, WICH ARE CONNECTED TOA CENTRAL BOARD IN THE CITY== WAANING US OF ENEMIES! We ARE GOING TO STOP NOW--CAREFULTCALLS THE FLORIAN, As HE POURS LIQUID FROM A’VIAL ONTO THE ViNe, “THIS LIQUID STOPS THE VINE BY KILLING IT,” JHE STARTS 10 EXPLAIN [Tr §TOPS--SUDDENLY! “TAKES A WHILE TO GET USED TO,” CHUCKLES, THE FLORIAN.* OUR NEWER TYPES STOP SLOWLY," HE ADOS, AS THE OTHERS BUMP TO THE GAGUND. [Tie vine TAAIN WiLL WiTHER 10 ITs ROOTS ANO BLOW AWAY. NOW JOENTEA OUA CAPITAL | cir,” SAYS The FLORIAN.-~ CAPITAL? WieEnE 2 “ASKS MANORAKE.-"RIGHT HERE, S BEHIND THIS WALL REPLIES = THE FLORIAN, *OON’T 4 TOUCH THE THORNS, THEY'RE OEAOLY POISON!” s BEA @©Nexr Weex= THe WEIRD CAPITAL OF FLORA.‘EVERY FLORIAN CARAIES A SPRAYER LIKE THIS, INSTEAD OF A KEY,” THEIR GUIDE EXPLAINS, AND THE SECTION OF | ' UGLLAPSES Bertone hie os ' ooo THE we cs a id, BY LEE FALK & PHIL DAVIS Tey AYSH THROUGH THe OPéNING- HURRY CRIES THe| [THEY REACH THE OTHEA SIDE NONE To0 SOpN ThE GUIDE. “THE BUSHES WILL SPRING UP AGAIN IN ONE NOTE ‘YOU'D BE To BRAMBLE WALL CLOSES Up BEHIND THEM.'NO THING] JAN APART AND POISONED AS | | OF FLESH CAN PASS THROUGH THAT WALL” ADS “” THEY NEED NO URGING. THEY RUNS THEIR GUIDE. “NOR CAN ANY METAL MACHINE OF| . IMECHANA TEAR THRU [T--YET,” HE ADDS. @ue, TURN AND STARE AT w™ THE AMAZING CITY OF FLORA-=—~ |A CITY MADE ENTIRELY OF PLANTS-~, ‘ACITY GROWING FROM THE GROUND? yMANDRAKE we THE wa MAGICIAN] \Y# BY LEE FALK & PHIL DAVIS 1 Shige. We Ang aLuays TN FLORA, LANO OF PLANT ON THE ALER’ b o ek GUR- Be, ah HESS, GUIDE. "A GIANT WiNDBORNE SEED =-OUR MILITARY THEY SEE A FLORIAN ORCHESTAA WITH STRANGE FLOWER-LIKE INSTRUMENTS, Lavi SW/EET, WelRD MeLooIes } We THE maRvels:’A MAN FLOATS BY ON A HUGE FEATHE "WE Love NATURE, CULTURE, AN BEAUTY “ADDS GUIDE,” BUT UB ENEMIES OF MECHANA “ARE :OPLE WHO LIVE BY MACHINES. ay see0,*OuA WEAK Arrever AT AVIATION,” SAYS THe ‘US<-IF THEY COULD =-AND MAKE Bon Tiley, ENTER A LOVELY, GARDEN, THIS 1s OUR PAL-| ACE," HE CONTINUES YOU ARE NOW TO MEET ‘QUA’ RULER, DOCTOR FLOREL, WHO IS ALSO OU GREATEST NATURALIST, TRULY A PLANT WIZARD, rs ae TN OR. FLOREL’S GARDEN, THEY SEE AMAZING BLANTS--HUMANILIKE GROWTH FLOWER FoUN TAI TT WONDERS/ DOCTOR FLOREL, FOREMOST SCIENTIST OF £LOAA,| AND RULER OF THE LAND OF PLAN