Martin Mystère #36
Martin Mystère #36 closes out one of the most narratively ambitious multi-part arcs of the series' early run, bringing together Australian Aboriginal mythology, extraterrestrial lore, and the long-gestating backstory of Martin's own parents into a single payoff issue. It marks a definitive story beat in the 'Kundingas' mythology — Alfredo Castelli's ongoing invented cosmology linking alien visitors to Atlantis and Mu — that later writers continued to reference for decades, cementing these extraterrestrials as a cornerstone of the series' shared fictional history. The issue also introduces the full revelation of Sullivan as the man ultimately responsible for the death of Martin's parents, a personal stakes moment that deepened the emotional texture of what had been, up to that point, a largely episodic adventure series. As a double-feature issue pairing that climactic conclusion with the standalone 'Telepatia,' it exemplifies the Bonelli anthology format at its most confident, demonstrating the series' range in a single volume.
In "Il ritorno dei Kundingas," Martin Mystère journeys to Australia to investigate a mysterious cosmic event tied to the twentieth anniversary of his father's death—the long-expected return of the alien Kundingas. With intricate art by Giancarlo Alessandrini, Gaspare Cassaro, and Gaetano Cassaro, and a cover by Alessandrini, this 1985 issue blends mystery and the unknown in a story that unfolds with quiet dread and escalating intrigue.
Martin Mystère travels to Australia to investigate a mysterious cosmic event tied to the twentieth anniversary of his father’s death—the long-expected return of the alien Kundingas. As ancient forces stir beneath the Australian outback, Martin must confront the past before the stars align again.
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The issue was scripted entirely by series creator Alfredo Castelli, who had been building the Kundingas/Australia thread since issue #27. The 'Moha-Moha' story spanning issues #35–36 was drawn by Giancarlo Alessandrini — the series' lead artist and cover illustrator throughout the entire run — assisted by the Cassaro brothers (Gaspare and Gaetano), while the backup 'Telepatia' was drawn by Giampiero Casertano. Published in the standard Bonellide format of roughly 96 black-and-white interior pages with a color cover, the issue appeared in March 1985, roughly three years into the series' monthly run, during a period when the title was steadily growing its readership and refining its serialized continuity.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published March 1, 1985 by Sergio Bonelli Editore (then still sometimes credited as Daim Press imprint) as part of the regular monthly series launched in April 1982.
- Full Italian title: 'Il ritorno dei Kundingas' ('The Return of the Kundingas'); the issue contains two distinct stories: 'Moha-Moha' (pp. 3–70) and 'Telepatia' (pp. 71 onward).
- 'Moha-Moha' is the conclusion of the two-part Australian arc begun in #35, scripted by Alfredo Castelli with art by Giancarlo Alessandrini and the Cassaro brothers (Gaspare and Gaetano Cassaro).
- 'Telepatia,' the backup story, is scripted by Castelli and drawn by Giampiero Casertano; it introduces telepathic plot elements involving a nuclear crisis and a character from Martin's university past, Maria Ferretti.
- The issue delivers the full narrative payoff for the Kundingas — short, portly extraterrestrials tied to Atlantis and Mu — whose mythology Castelli seeded in issue #27 ('Incontri ravvicinati') and continued to expand in subsequent specials and tie-ins for decades.
- Sullivan — the antagonist behind the Men in Black operation that caused the plane crash killing Martin's parents, Mark and his wife — is fully confronted by Martin and Java in this issue, representing a major personal-stakes resolution.
- Reprinted in: Tutto Martin Mystère #35–38 (Sergio Bonelli Editore, March–June 1992); Martin Mystère – Collezione Storica a Colori #14–15 (Sergio Bonelli Editore, December 2016); and IF Edizioni collected volume #18 (2024), which pairs it with issue #35.
- Cover art, as with all issues of the regular series, was by Giancarlo Alessandrini, who served as the series' sole cover artist throughout its run.
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Reprinted in Martin Mystere #22, Tutto Martin Mystère #36
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