Lorna the Jungle Queen #2

Sep 8

Sep 8 Lorna the Jungle Queen #2

The Killer Rogue

YACReader - Lorna, the Jungle Queen #2 (1953).cbz 2019-09-08 14.57.32.png

Lorna the Jungle Queen spies some animals running for their lives and asks some natives what the danger is. She learns that there are some white hunters looking for game in the area, prompting Lorna to go and investigate. As she swings through the jungles, she also learns that the beast known as the Killer Rogue is also on the rampage, frightening local villagers.

Lorna comes across the hunters, a professional hunter named Greg Knight who is leading novice hunter named Mr. Van on a safari. Their guides have just fled upon hearing the news of the Killer Rogue being on the loose. Lorna is immediately smitten by Greg Knight, Lorna quietly follows after the two men to see how much more she can learn about Greg Knight. That evening when the two hunters set up camp, Lorna overhears Greg Knight telling Mr. Van that he has no need for women in his life and dislikes them after a previous lover left him for a man who had more money. This upsets Lorna, but she becomes determined to try and win Greg over.

Eventually her silent watch is blown when her monkey Mikki makes too much noise alerting Greg and Mr. Van who decide to set up guards. Greg takes first watch and he ends up falling asleep on the job. As he slumbers a lion stalks into the camp. Before the lion can attack Greg, Lorna dives in and slays the beast with her knife. She then flees back into the jungle before Greg awakes to find the dead lion. Greg considers her actions the work of a friend, bringing her joy.

However the following morning when Greg and Mr. Van are about to shoot at a trio of antelopes, Lorna reveals herself to stop them. She explains that if they killed the mother of the trio, her two three month old children would be unprotected and likely starve. She explains who she is and warns them that hunting without considering the consequences have created beasts such as the Killer Rogue, whom she explains was left to fend for himself after his mother was shot and killed by hunters. The Killer Rogue grew up to be a violent beast that attacks anything it sees.

Knight dismisses this notion, but quickly changes his mind when the Killer Rogue -- a giant elephant -- suddenly attacks. Knight and Van trying to shoot the elephant, but the bullets have no effect. Swinging on vines, Lorna manages to get the elephants attention and then tricks the Killer Rogue into chasing her off a cliff sending the Killer Rogue falling to his death and into the elephant grave yard that is at the bottom. While Mr. Van is grateful for Lorna's help, Greg Knight does not believe the jungle is a place for a woman.

Recurring Characters

Lorna the Jungle Queen
Greg Knight
Mikki

The Black Swamp

Peter Dooley, the famous biologist, has been hired by Greg Knight to take him into the dangerous Black Swamp so he can gather some rare treasures for his museum. Greg Knight takes the job, unaware that he is being spied upon by Lorna, the Jungle Queen who intends to follow along secretly to make sure that Greg and Dr. Dooley do not get into any danger after Greg refuses to let her tag along.

Along the way, the two men are ambushed by a massive snake, but Lorna intervenes killing it with a spear so the two men can continue on their way. Building a raft out of logs, they travel along the Black Swamp and are attacked by a group of crocodiles. They are overpowered and knocked overboard. While Lorna manages to rescue Greg from the crocodiles, one of them strangely is takes Peter Dooley prisoner and ties him to a tree blooming with the flowers he has come to seek.

Lorna attacks the seemingly intelligent crocodile that has taken Peter captive and easily overpowers it. She then shocks the two men by revealing that it is not a crocodile at all, but a man in a costume. The man reveals himself as Professor Logan, who has lived among the crocodiles ever since his expedition into the area cost the life of his wife, whom he has buried in the swamp and use the rare flowers to commemorate her memory.

He expresses that he does not want people to know about his secret shrine to his wife, and Lorna agrees that they will tell nobody about it and keep it a secret. Logan thanks her and gifts her with some of the rare orchids. Lorna, Dooley, and Greg Knight all leave the Black Swamp, making a pact that they will never reveal the location of Logan and his shrine, leaving the Crocodile Man to live in solitude, mourning the life of the wife he loved very much.

Recurring Characters

Lorna the Jungle Queen
Greg Knight
Mikki

The Head-Hunters!

Lorna the Jungle Queen is taking Greg Knight on a tour of the jungle, showing him the spot where she met Agu the giant ape. They soon become aware that they are being watched when Mikki begins to make a racket and they are soon surrounded by members of the Gaturi head-hunter tribe. They are outnumbered, and Lorna suggests they surrender and allow themselves to be taken prisoner in order to save their strength for a better chance to escape.

They are taking to the Gaturi village where they are brought to the Gaturi leader Labu who informs them that they are going to be decapitated and have their heads put on poles, with Greg being the first to have his head cut off. However before they can execute Greg, Lorna calls Labu a coward and believes that he does not have the guts to fight Greg one-on-one to determine his fate. With his followers confidence in him shaken, Labu accepts the challenge to fight Greg Knight to the death.

Greg then battles Labu one on one, and despite Labu's superior strength, Greg is able to beat the leader of the head-hunters easily with his superior fighting skills. With Labu defeated, the Gaturi tribe allows them to leave with their lives. As they leave they hear Labu scream in agony, horrifying Greg. But Lorna tells him that the Gaturi meted out the proper justice for their leader failing to defeat a foe in a duel.