Jungle Tales #2

Jungle Fever!

Jann of the Jungle is on a quest to find a rare red orchid for her friend Pat Mahoney, bringing her deep into the swamp lands of the Congo. Finding the orchid, she manages to pluck it out of the ground with a rope, avoiding a battle with a deadly snake. However the tree branch snaps sending Jann falling into quicksand. She saves herself by roping up a nearby rhino who pulls her out of the mire. She takes the red orchid back to the village where Pat is stationed at but is shocked when the smell of the flower suddenly inflicts the local natives with a jungle fever that threatens to kill them. Kuba, the tribal leader tells Jann that the only cure is an even rarer black orchid that is located much deeper in the swamps and surrounded with deadly beasts.

Jann goes back out into the jungle seeking the black orchid. Finding it she finds it protected by two Tyrannosaurus Rex, but tricks them into fighting each other instead of her. She then tries to grab the orchid but finds that it is also protected by man-eating thorn bushes. Suddenly, the tribes people rush at her, maddened into a frenzy by the fever with Pat not far behind warning her of the danger. With no other choice, Jann braves the thorn bush to get the orchid as the tribes people close in on her. Suddenly, in a moment of lucidity, the tribes people come to her aid, allowing Jann to get the orchid. In the aftermath, Jann realizes that the tribes people's proximity to the flower was enough to cure them of the jungle fever.

Recurring Characters

• Jann of the Jungle

• Pat Mahoney

The Valley of the Dead

A raging storm hits South Africa, sending the local wild life into a frenzy, and a flood threatens to the Bantu people. Full of fear the tribes people consult their leader who orders his people to flee their village for higher ground to save themselves from the flood waters. When they get to safety near their people's ancient burial ground, the Bantu people hail their leader for his bravery.

However, the local witch doctor Hoda has seen this as the perfect opportunity to overthrow Waku and take control of the tribe. Hoda summons the gods of evil and commands them to raise the dead, and soon the long dead Bantu ancestors rise out of their graves as zombies to aid Hoda in his insane quest. Hearing danger approaching, Waku goes out into the jungle to investigate and finds Hoda and his zombie army and attacks them in order to lead them away from his people. Waku battles the zombies, determined to fight them to the death if necessary. Hoda, seeing his eventual victory then uses his arcane power to create more zombies, this time raising the corpses of dead jungle beasts from the ground.

However, instead of attacking Waku, the zombie animals attack the other zombies, the surviving undead fleeing back to their graves. With his plot smashed, Hoda is horrified when the animals suddenly turn on him as well, killing him in bloody revenge. With Hoda dead, the zombified animals also return to death.

Recurring Characters

• Waku

• Lalei

The Head-Hunters!

Deep in the jungles of Africa, Cliff Mason is taken to Jaffa Island by boat. The captain of the ship warns Cliff that there is a tribe of head hunters on the island, but Cliff dismisses this as he has heard contrary. However, after the boat leaves, Cliff learns how wrong he was when he is attacked by the headhunters, who seek to sacrifice the intruder to their Spider God.

Cliff manages to fend off his attackers with his rifle and pistol but the head-hunters then release the Spider God to attack him. Cliff empties his gun on the beast, but finds that the shots don't phase it. He throws his empty pistol at the massive spider, seemingly killing it and flees from the confused natives. Despite this, Cliff is captured by the head-hunters who then tie him to the stake, intending to burn him alive in revenge for his apparent slaying of their god.

Cliff quickly realizes that his gun didn't kill the spider, merely knocked it out and uses this knowledge to convince the tribe that he has the power to resurrect the spider by ordering it to rise again. When the Spider God awakens from its black out, the tribe believes Cliff to be a powerful being and set him free. However the chief hunter does not believe the deception and attempts to throw a spear at Cliff. Cliff dodges the spear and it strikes and kills the Spider God. Furious, the tribes people chase after the hunter and they all fall off a cliff to their death. Cliff rushes back to the shore in time for his boat to pick him up, and tells the captain that he had an uneventful expedition.

Recurring Characters

• Cliff Mason