The true measure of any great story is not when its heroes are winning easily, but when they are shattered and the danger facing them is greater than they thought. Sanjay Gupta’s Raj Comics title ‘Shankhanad’ (Punarutthan Part 2) is a courageous and heart-wrenching story built on this idea, one that gives readers goosebumps.
The ground for destruction that writer Anurag Singh and story conceptualizer Nitin Mishra had prepared in the first part of ‘Punarutthan’ becomes the foundation for even greater destruction in ‘Shankhanad’. This issue is not just an action thriller, but an emotional journey through the helplessness of its beloved heroes, their tears, deep betrayals and, finally, their rise from the ashes.
When the saviour himself lay helpless in the ICU
‘Shankhanad’ begins with the frightening silence rising from the debris of ‘Brahm-Sthal’. The superheroes’ state-of-the-art headquarters, which had once stood proudly against the sky, had now become a crematorium. Dust, blood and broken security equipment lay scattered all around.
With the help of Vedacharya’s Tantra and Chandika’s special stealth plane, the injured heroes are rescued and brought to the medical ward of a secret hideout. The sight would make any comics lover’s heart tremble. These were the same heroes at whose slightest gesture their enemies trembled, now lying on white sheets. But this time, the situation was completely different.
Nagraj was hovering between life and death. Toxic magical radiation emanating from the steel robotic structure had destroyed the tiny divine serpents in Nagraj’s blood, so he had to be sent immediately to ‘Nagadweep’ for treatment. The divine energy of Goddess Shakti was flickering like a dying flame, and the mighty Bheriya had lost consciousness.
But the most heart-wrenching condition was that of Super Commando Dhruv. Shatsurya’s most powerful solar attack had scorched Dhruv to the core and completely paralyzed his body. He could neither speak nor move his fingers. The man who used to save the whole world with his voice and sharp mind was now counting his breaths with the help of machines, like a helpless patient.
The knife’s tapping and Morse code: Dhruv and Doga’s historic moment
The most emotional and memorable moment of this comic comes when Doga and Dhruv lie in beds facing each other in the medical ward. Doga is seething with his familiar rage. He shouts that the time for making plans and invoking the law is over; now only one rule applies—‘kill or die!’
Just then, the helpless Dhruv turns his tired eyes towards Doga from his hospital bed. He wants to say something, but no sound comes out of his mouth. Dhruv points towards the dagger hanging from Doga’s waist.
Everyone thinks that perhaps Dhruv will ask Doga to remain calm and stay away from violence, as usual. But when Doga places his steel knife in Dhruv’s helpless hands, Dhruv slowly begins tapping it against the iron bed—ton-ton-ton… ton-ton-ton!
A deep silence falls over the entire room. Dhruv is communicating in Morse code! When Doga understands his message, his eyes widen. Dhruv says in Morse code that this time Doga is absolutely right: simply defending themselves will no longer be enough. They must enter the enemy’s den and attack directly.
This scene makes it clear that although his body was paralyzed, Dhruv’s warrior mind was still active. While lying there, he divides the entire team to work on two different plans.
Pride shattered at UN headquarters: Super Indian’s painful test
While the old heroes were fighting for their lives, ‘Super Indian’s’ overconfidence was pushing humanity towards another great danger. A violent mob of people with special powers, influenced by the Kalikhs, attacked the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) and took representatives from around the world hostage.
Super Indian leaps into the UN building carrying a neutron bomb. Determined to be a hero on his own, he goes in without seeking anyone’s advice. He thinks he will eliminate the terrorists in no time.
But a battlefield is not a film set. There, he encounters Sheba, Miss Killer and mutant demons armed with the Kalikhs’ dark power. All of Super Indian’s attacks miss their targets. The enemies throw him to the ground and beat him mercilessly. His bones crack, and he falls to the floor bleeding.
Just as he is about to be killed, Tiranga, Parmanu and their team arrive. They pull Super Indian back from the brink of death, but Tiranga teaches him a bitter lesson that stays with him forever: the pride of trying to be a hero alone can lead to death; without a team, no hero can survive on his own.
Dark shadows of Satyayuga: Sage Kashyap’s curse and the birth of the Kalikhs
The story of ‘Shankhanad’ is not limited to the ruins of the present. It takes us thousands of years back to Satyayuga, when this destruction began.
In the flashbacks woven into the story, Sage Kashyap explains to his brilliant son why gods and demons kept fighting one another. He explains that, at the beginning of the world, seven ‘Kalikhs’—forms of sin and darkness—were born from Brahmadev’s anger and mistake. These Kalikhs had corrupted the wombs of Kashyap’s wives, causing evil thoughts to arise in the children of the same father.
These scenes also show the difficult choice facing a brave warrior of Satyayuga: he has to choose between his personal duty and Brahmadev’s command. When the warrior sees his own companions wandering in the ‘Syah Forest’, fighting man-eating trees and dark magic, he realizes that this battle between good and evil did not begin today; it has lasted for ages. It is a tragic mythological story with no end in sight.
A new alliance of underworld monsters: Chandkal and Vibhatsu capture the Golden City
The schemes of the Brahma-ganas and the Kalikhs were not limited to Earth. The scale of the villains’ plan revealed in this issue stuns readers. That great power of darkness freed the most dreaded demons of the underworld and Tantra—the demon king Vibhatsu and the Tantrik Chandkal—from their age-old captivity.
The old traitors among the shape-shifting serpents, Nagina and Vishdhar, also joined this evil alliance. Together, they attacked Devbhoomi’s ‘Golden City’ and took control of it. When Dhananjay, the great warrior of the Golden City, tried to block their path with his golden noose, the Kalikhs’ dark energy turned his sacred weapon black.
The villains’ motive was now very clear. They wanted not only to conquer human cities, but also to become the sole masters of the entire universe by absorbing all the divine energy of Devlok, Nagadweep and the Golden City. They had lured Sharankant, the cruel master of the cremation ground, with the power of crores of snakes so that he could fight Mahayogi Kaljayi directly.
When a friend became a sworn enemy: the most helpless defeat of Doga’s life
As the comic approaches its final section, the story becomes more frightening and violent. The villains’ army discovers the cosmic protectors’ secret hideout. The enemies attack the very place where Dhruv is lying helpless in the ICU.
In this fight, Doga faces ‘Vanar-Kumar’, who has lost control of himself under the Kalikhs’ dark illusion. This is probably the first time in Doga’s life that his fingers tremble on the trigger. Doga cries out that he considers Vanar-Kumar his brother and friend, so he does not want to shoot him.
But these tears of friendship have no effect on the controlled Vanar-Kumar. He pounces on Doga like a mad elephant. Doga cannot kill his friend, even to save himself, and this hesitation costs him dearly. Vanar-Kumar picks Doga up and throws him against the walls, breaking his ribs. Finally, Doga loses consciousness, vomiting blood and swallowing the tears of his own helplessness. Doga, whose name had become synonymous with the law on Mumbai’s streets, now lies bleeding in this test of friendship.
Dhruv’s silent smile at death’s door: the villains’ final blunder
The security of the secret hideout is completely shattered. Shakti, Vedacharya, Tiranga and Feneless are all defeated one by one. Then the door of the ICU room breaks open.
Devavyuta, Shatsurya and their companions enter. They wear cruel, diabolical smiles. They form a circle around the bed where Super Commando Dhruv lies helpless. Shatsurya brings his burning palms close to Dhruv’s face and laughs loudly. “Where is your so-called mind? Come and stop us!” he says.
But Devavyuta stops him. He says he will not give Dhruv such an easy death. They will keep Dhruv alive so that he can watch his beloved Earth, his friends and all of humanity being slaughtered, unable to move, and shed tears of blood.
Devavyuta spreads his hands and proclaims the victory of the Kalikhs over the whole world. But in that final panel, a cold and dangerous gleam appears in the blue eyes of the paralyzed Dhruv. It makes one thing clear: by leaving Dhruv alive, the villains have made the biggest mistake of their lives.
Now Mahakaal’s roar will echo: what will happen in ‘Kaalantar’?
The ending of ‘Shankhanad’ leaves readers not only with a mystery, but also with a heavy weight on their chests. In the corner of the last page, these words appear in capital letters: “TO BE CONTINUED… KAALANTAR!”
The third and decisive part of this great battle will be ‘Kaalantar’ (Punarutthan Part 3). ‘Shankhanad’ itself offers clear hints about where the story is heading. At Vedacharya’s behest, Gagan, Vinashdoot, Anthony, Lisa and Vega have set out for the mysterious forests of the Himalayas, where ‘Kaalantar’—the realm beyond time created by Devshilpi Vishwakarma—is hidden.
If the root of the problem lies with the Kalikhs from Sage Kashyap’s time in Satyayuga, the heroes will have to travel beyond time and reach that era to save today’s world by changing history. Meanwhile, when Nagraj returns from Nagadweep after regaining his powers, his return will be a sight to behold.
Final thoughts
‘Shankhanad’ is a special story in modern Indian comics. It proves that when a story has emotion and depth, a comic can stand alongside any international graphic novel. Anurag Singh’s story reveals the human being within every superhero. Dildeep Singh’s powerful artwork and the colours of Parveen Singh and Sunil Dasturia bring the pain of war and the smell of blood to life in every panel.
This comic is not just a story, but a storm of emotions that keeps you engaged. Everything now rests on the upcoming part, ‘Kaalantar’, where it will be decided whether the cosmic protectors will rise again from the ashes or whether the darkness of the Kalikhs will swallow all of creation forever!
