The Danger, the Diamond, and the Dowager (comic story)
The Danger, the Diamond, and the Dowager, also styled as The Danger, The Diamond, and the Dowager was a sixteen-page comic by Jay Epps in the Kaza’s Mate, Gwenna webcomic, being its third full-length arc. It launched a multi-story “Philosopher's Stone” arc and was notable for establishing Commissioner Smedley's name, and for introducing Nula as well as the villainous Skull. Being NSFW like previous installments, it was notable for being the first entry int he series to feature outright full-frontal nudity for the various characters, while earlier entries opted for tricks of staging to obscure starker elements.
Contents
Plot
Old stories come to the fore in the Naked Jungle when Lady Catherine Maxwell, Third Baroness of Sherrinford, returns to Buranda — for, as Commissioner Smedley informs Kaza and Gwenna when they join him and Wimberly in welcoming her at the airstrip, before she retired back to civilisation, Catherine was Nula, the Jungle Queen — Kaza and Gwenna's predecessor as the Tarzan-esque protector of the Jungle but unlike them, she doesn't do it stark naked. Smedley, who was her sidekick in those days and still harbours seemingly-unrequited feelings for her, is somewhat disappointed when he learns that she didn't just come round for old time's sake, but to return a humongous diamond to the Koravi after it came up for auction at Boothby's, having been stolen from the Koravi Temple during the Boer War.
Throughout it all, however, Nula is shadowed by the ever-disreputable Mitchell, now taking instructions from another arch-villain; the ruffians are convinced that Lady Catherine has come to Buranda to find a certain treasure, and they want it first. In the night, Nula, finding it too stuffy in her room, sneaks out to go for a naked swim in the nearest river, and is tailed by Mitchell. Meanwhile, Kaza and Gwenna sleep uneasy in their treehouse, with Kaza having sensed something supernatural about the diamond; they witness three mysterious airships flying over the Jungle, but, when they step outside to investigate, are immediately stopped and held at gunpoint by the master villain, who turns out to be their old terrorist enemy the Skull. Nula realises she's being followed and knocks out Mitchell with a branch, stealing his rifle, but spots the airships too late; rushing to the Natari village, she finds it in flames.
Worldbuilding
Universes
- This story takes place in Reality Z-25 31-H.
Continuity
- Mitchell previously appeared in COMIC: The Serpent Sorceress. Kaza also references the events of that story when he mentions that Solomon's Diamond puts him on edge in the same way as “Nerlana's tiara”.
- The ending of this story leads directly into COMIC: Nula! Naked and Alone!.
Behind the scenes
Background
In the author's comments for Page 6, Jay Epps noted:
| The idea of a "retired" Jungle Girl came to me from Blackthorne Publishing's 1985 Jungle Comics series. In that book, the original Jungle Girl Sheena had aged normally, and was living in New York. She was brought out of retirement by an old jungle wizard who gave her a magic potion that restored her to her youth. |
| —Jay Epps |
In the author's comments for Page 14, he likewise elaborated on the origins of the Skull:
| Our villain is another Fox Character I've dug up. The Skull was a one time bad guy of Lieutenant Drake of Naval Intelligence in Mystery Men Comics #15. He was your typical Nazi agent stand in, though his new incarnation here is much more of a generic terrorist. |
| —Jay Epps |
Read online
The story can be read on the Kaza's Mate, Gwenna website starting here.
