In the golden era of Indian comics, Manoj Comics gave many memorable superheroes to the readers. One of these special and very popular characters was – Indra. Indra was not a common man, rather he was a high-tech ‘robot man’ (Android). The specialty of his stories was that they provide a great blend of science (Science) and fantasy (Fantasy). “Indra and the Snake King” is a great episode of this series, in which the wonders of science are matched against dark powers and strange villains. The comic isn’t just action-packed, but it features a cast of villains that hark back to the ‘pulp fiction’ genre of the ’90s.
Plot (Story Analysis)
The beginning of the story itself is explosive. On the outskirts of the city, a seemingly ordinary man is filling up on petrol at a petrol pump near the beach. Then suddenly the convoy of death reaches there. Unidentified attackers armed with helicopters and tanks attack. But the man present at the petrol pump is not a common man, but Indra. As the threat approaches, he transforms into his true ‘metal form’ (Metal Form).
A display of Indra’s strength can be seen in the initial pages itself. When the enemies fire a shell from the tank, Indra bears it. He jams tanks and choppers by releasing laser beams (such as freeze rays) from his eyes. It is later revealed that this attack was not real, but was staged by the Home Minister of India to test Indra’s powers, which Indra successfully overcomes. Indra, the Home Minister and a scientist then go to their undersea high-tech laboratory (High-tech Lab), which is also Indra’s headquarters.
The funniest part of the story comes when the scene changes and we arrive at the headquarters of the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization. The head here is – Death King. The Death King has hoarded the world’s strange and dangerous criminals under one roof. The writers have put all their creativity into creating the names and forms of these villains. Some prominent names are:
Tanna-Mata: A Tantric Woman.
Mr. Habba-Gabba: Smuggler of animal skins.
Mr. Zalim Khan: Gold King of Dubai.
Mr. Khujra: African Mafia.
Dr. Shengo: German scientist (half-man-half-machine).
Snake King: The main villain of this story.
The Death King tells them that their previous base was destroyed by Indra, and now Indra is their worst enemy. ‘Snake King’ comes forward to take revenge. He says that he has such a mixture of Tantra and science that he will defeat Indra.
Snake King targets a school bus going to the ‘Brain Falls’ picnic spot to carry out his plan. He hijacks the bus with the help of his snakes. Here we get to see the army of the Snake King, i.e., the ‘Snake Group’, who are wearing snake-like printed dresses (which may seem a bit fun today, but was quite scary at that time).
The Snake King warns the entire city that if Indra does not appear before him within half an hour, he will kill the children with an injection of ‘potassium cyanide’.
As soon as Indra receives the warning, he comes into action. He reaches the bus by flying. Snake Group throws acid pills at him, but it has no effect on Indra’s metal body. He rescues the children safely by freezing snakes with his freeze rays.
Here’s a small but important sub-plot. In the crowd, Indra sees a woman ‘Shalini’, who is disguised as a widow. Indra is surprised because Shalini is his old acquaintance (probably girlfriend or friend). He wonders why she is wearing widow’s clothes? (This mystery opens in the next comic).
The actual battle begins when the Snake King arrives in his flying vehicle and unleashes a giant dragon-like creature, ‘Bat Snake’. Bat Snake is like a mutant – he has wings and can spit fire. Indra and Bat Snake have a fierce battle in the air. Bat Snake grabs Indra with his tail and tries to swallow him. Indra uses his wisdom to get out of Bat Snake’s stomach and kill him. The giant monster ends up turning into just a normal undead snake.
Final result:
After his greatest weapon (the Bat Snake) is killed, the Snake King himself comes to fight Indra. He attacks like a swordsman and then takes the form of a multi-faced (Hydra) snake. But he cannot stand against Indra’s iron punches. Indra defeats him badly and in the end, the Snake King gives up.
As Indra is about to ask him the address of his master ‘Death King’, the Death King presses a button from his lab. The bomb planted in the Snake King’s body explodes, and its fragments are blown away. The Death King keeps his secret forever. At the end of the story, Dr. Shengo is present at the Death King’s gathering. He accepts the challenge that next time he will eliminate Indra.
Eligible Review
Indra (Indra):
Indra is a classic robot hero. He is not emotionless, but his way of thinking and working is as accurate as a machine. The whole body is metal, he can fly, shoot lasers out of his eyes, and withstand any weapon. In this comic, Indra is shown like ‘One Man Army’. Be it fighting tanks or defeating a huge demon, Indra seems invincible. Shalini’s distraction after seeing her shows that human sensibilities are still alive in him.
Snake King:
Snake King is a special villain of Manoj Comics. His costumes, which feature a horned helmet and cape, dramatize him. He is not only powerful but also clever. Taking children hostage shows his cruelty. He has powers of both science (flying car, acid gun) and magic (Bat Snake, altering form). However, he becomes physically weak in front of Indra.
Death King:
Death King is the mastermind of this entire series. He does not enter the battle himself, but makes moves like a chess player. Remotely blowing up his partner shows how cruel he is and that he does not tolerate failure at all. The high collar and the third eye-like mark on the forehead make him mysterious.
Drawing and Art
Artist Chavan’s work is very good for that period. Bright colors have been used in comics. Indra’s body is silver/grey in color, which gives him a metallic look. The costumes of the villains are colorful and different. The panels of ‘Bat Snake’ and Indra’s battle are very dynamic. Especially, the panel where Indra comes out of the snake’s stomach is very impressive. Showing villains from different countries sitting in the court of the Death King in different guises shows the hard work of the artist. Tanks and helicopters are also well made.
Critical Analysis
Positive side (Pros):
The story doesn’t stop anywhere. The action continues continuously from the front page to the last page. The author has not just noticed a villain, but has shown the entire ‘anti-hero team’ (Death King’s Syndicate), which arouses curiosity as to who will be the next villain.
Be it robot and laser, flying dragon and tantric powers –, this mix is typical of Manoj Comics. Shalini’s appearance as a widow adds an emotional and mysterious layer to the story, forcing the reader to read the next comic.
Downside (Cons) / Bizarre:
The dialogues look old-fashioned and a bit filmy (like “Ruk Ja Bastard!”, “I am coming to rain as death”). The dress of Snake King’s henchmen (black spots on yellow) looks a bit strange and fun. Indra repeatedly says that he has to save his “secret hideout”, while he himself is so powerful. The Bat Snake turning into a little snake after it dies is beyond science; it was just magic.
Conclusion
“Indra and Snake King” is a fine piece of 90’s Indian comics. At that time, the emphasis in comics was more on ‘magic’ and ‘entertainment’ than ‘logic’. If you are a fan of Manoj Comics, then this comic is like a treasure for you. It has everything – powerful heroes, scary villains, high-tech gadgets, and monstrous creatures.
This is not just the story of Indra’s victory, but the beginning of a big war that is going to happen between Indra and the Death King. Dr. Shengo’s next teaser leaves the story on a thrilling note.
Final Judgment: This is a “must-read” comic, especially for those who want to enjoy old Hindi comics and see Indra’s machine charisma. This is pure entertainment, without much need to think, just keep turning the pages and enjoy the thrill.
Rating: 3/5 (for nostalgia and action)
