Alter Ego

A few years ago The Phantom stopped three criminals from stealing industrial secrets from Life Science, a company in a Bengali science park. The leader of the gang, Paul Morphy, set fire to the lab and The Phantom believes that he was killed in the fire.
A man dressed like The Phantom is robbing a jewellery store, including kissing the female store clerk in front of the security camera. As Diana Palmer-Walker flies to the United States, the real Phantom stays behind to unveil the mysterious robber. Next the masked robber steals an armored car, also this time in front of security cameras. President Singh declares in a press conference that the masked criminal must be stopped and has issued a reward. The Phantom wonders if the mysterious masked robber is acting on orders from the president herself.
On a crime scene The Phantom finds a rubber like sample that an analysis by The Jungle Patrol shows is Dermiplex, a rubber like material used for skin transplantation in burn victims. The Phantom meets with president Singh in her office. She denies having knowledge of who the masked robber is; when the masked robber appears on live television she understands that The Phantom is not the masked robber either.
The Phantom finds the masked robber hiding in the Life Science building. He was badly burned in the fire and is now using Dermiplex rubber skin to make his face look like anybody he wishes. The police arrests Paul Morphy. The Phantom meets with president Singh in her office. She tells him that she wonders what he looks like under the mask. He replies that he is keeping a close watch on her.

Signed