What will happen when a warrior is confronted not by humans, but by spirits who rise from graves with a thirst for blood? Will a magical talisman and a magical sword be enough to stop the devil who has challenged the powers of the ‘God of Strength’? Manoj Comics’ most powerful hero Mahabali Shera (Mahabali Shera) is once again on a mission where death is smiling at every step and every shadow is a new enemy.
This comic, adorned with Vimal Chatterjee’s writing and Surendra Suman’s artwork, is that combination of fantasy (Fantasy) and adventure that will take you back to that magical period of the ’90s.
The dreadful plan of Jadukara Golconda: Princess Shivali’s helplessness and the ‘Treasure of the Dead’!
The story begins where the previous issue “Mahabali Shera and the Treasure of the Dead” ended. Jadukara Golconda is a very evil and powerful Tantrik. His only objective is to acquire the ‘Treasure of the Dead’, which is the legacy of Princess Shivali’s ancestors. This treasure is protected by the King of the Dead himself and can be acquired only by one who has Shivali.
Golconda sends his most feared vampire Chandaleshu and gets the princess kidnapped. Commander Batora and Mahabali Shera are left standing helpless as Chandaleshu is a giant bat-like human who disappears into the clouds with the princess in the blink of an eye. This is where Shera’s deadly mission begins, which will take him to the Tilismi Fort of Golconda.
Meeting Sadhu Shivanand: Received the fearless boon of the ‘God of Strength’ on the way to hell!
Shera moves towards the fort of Golconda without wasting any time. On the way, he meets a divine sage, Shivanand. Shivanand learns through his Tantric powers that Shera’s intentions are good, but his enemies are not ordinary. He warns Shera that Golconda has not only brought the dead under his control, but also has demonic powers that no ordinary human being can fight.
Here comes a big twist in the story. Sadhu Shivanand gives Shera a star-like talisman, which he received from the ‘God of Strength’ after years of penance. As Shera ties the talisman to his wrist, a tremendous force enters his body. Not only this, the sage also transforms his ordinary sword into a ‘Tilismi sword’ through mantras, which can spew fire and also destroy invisible enemies.
The silence of the night and the cries from the graves: When the ‘dead soldiers’ set out to block Shera’s path!
Shera faces his first major challenge as he approaches the fort of Golconda. Golconda brings to life the skeletons and the dead buried under the ground with his magical powers. At midnight, when the moon is hidden in the clouds, these skeletons attack Shera.
Here the boon of the ‘God of Strength’ comes in handy. Shera throws these dead bodies into the air like straw. But these enemies cannot die because they are already dead. Only the fire emanating from Shera’s magical sword can burn them to ashes. The depiction of this scene is so effective that the reader starts to feel the scary laughter of those skeletons and the sounds of bones colliding.
The Jaw of Kalketu: The Cave of Death and the Test of the Flames!
Jadukara Golconda gets upset seeing Shera moving forward. He orders his most loyal and creepy protector Kalketu to stop Shera on the way. Kalketu is a giant flying skull-like creature that can spit blazing fire from its mouth.
The contest between Shera and Kalketu is the most exciting part of this comic. Kalketu tries to swallow Shera. See Shera’s bravery—he not only avoids its fire, but also enters its mouth and puts it in danger with his magical sword. That muscular form of Shera amidst the flames and the fire of revenge burning in his eyes have emerged very beautifully from Surendra Suman’s brush.
Putni’s illusion: When Mahabali was about to fall into the trap of beauty!
Not only strength, Golconda also resorts to deception to defeat Shera. He breathes life into the body of a dead woman with his powers and sends her to Shera as a ‘Putni’. Putni tries to woo Shera and divert him from the path by taking the form of a very beautiful woman.
But Shera had already been warned by the sage. He does not fall into Putni’s trap and as she is about to attack him, Shera reminds her of her true worth. The elusive Putni’s sudden transformation from that beautiful face into a scary ghost was enough to create fear in the minds of children.
The final struggle with the King of the Dead, the pond and the treasure!
The story reaches its most exciting point when Princess Shivali is presented before the ‘King of the Dead’. The water of the pond starts boiling and the King of the Dead appears riding on a giant aquatic creature. Golconda feels that the treasure is now in his hands. As soon as he opens the treasure chest, he sees three superpowers there: the magic wheel, the trident and the fireball.
Just then Mahabali Shera enters with a bang. Now the contest is directly between Shera and Golconda. Jadukara exerts all his black powers, but Shera has the armor of the ‘God of Strength’. He foils every move of Golconda and finally Jadukara gets trapped in his own trap and meets a painful end.
Drawing and presentation: Surendra Suman’s magical lines
The biggest strength of this series of Manoj Comics is its artwork.
• Dark fantasy: The depiction of forests, caves and magical castles is such that a mysterious atmosphere lingers throughout the story.
• Character design: Shera’s look is like a typical Indian action hero—long hair, muscular body and strong determination in his eyes. The designs of skeletons and monsters are quite different and scary.
• Color scheme: Despite the limited printing technology of the period, colors have been used to show emotions—bright red and yellow in fire scenes, while blue and green in scenes involving the dead create a mysterious atmosphere.
Conclusion: Why is this one of Shera’s best stories?
“Mahabali Shera and the God of Strength” is not just a magical story, but it is a classic example of courage, loyalty, and the victory of good over evil. It teaches us that no matter how cunning and powerful the enemy is, if the objective is good and the mind has courage, then even the gods come down to help you.
Some special things about this comic:
• Speedy story: Nowhere does the story slacken.
• Newness: The fantasy of the Kingdom of the Dead and its King was quite new for the time.
• The extreme form of the mighty Shera: Shera appears in all his might in this issue.
