- Ming plots to steal the Crown Jewels of England so that he can grow invincible crystal soldiers and conquer the world!
- Ming makes a deal with the evil Beastmaster, who knows the secret of how to use diamonds to create virtually unstoppable Crystal Soldiers. The strength of a Crystal Soldier depends on the size of the diamond used to create it, with larger jewels producing more powerful Soldiers. Beastmaster will give Ming the secret in exchange for Ming capturing the Phantom, who is an old enemy of Beastmaster. Ming tells Octon to dispatch Garax and a squadron of Ice Robots to the African diamond mines, adding that he plans to steal the largest diamonds in the Jewels of the Universe Collection (which is housed in the London Museum) and use them to create an invincible Crystal Army.
At Monitor, LJ and Kshin are practising their martial arts when Dynak announces that a command performance by Mandrake which is taking place in London is about to begin. As the two boys join Flash, Rick and Jedda, who are watching the show on television, Kshin is eager to show off the moves LJ has been teaching him, but Flash tells him to wait until after the show. The conversation quickly turns to the rumours of Beastmaster's return, which the Phantom is in Africa investigating. Moments later, Dynak reports that she has detected Ming's robo-ships en route to the African diamond mines. Ming's sudden interest in diamonds combined with Beastmaster's presence on Earth can only mean Beastmaster is planning to create Crystal Soldiers for Ming.
Flash then announces that he is heading for the planet Ragnor Zith. This planet is a notorious criminal hideout and Beastmaster has offered a reward for Flash's capture, but Flash must go there in order to obtain Orkite, a rare mineral which is the only thing that can convert Crystal Soldiers back into diamonds. As Flash leaves, Rick, LJ and Jedda decide to head to Africa to try and stop Ming from obtaining any diamonds in the first place. Kshin is told to stay behind, but he and Zuffy stow away on the ship the older kids are using. In Africa, meanwhile, the Phantom and Goran follow Beastmaster's tracks into what appears to be a cave, only to discover that they have been tricked into entering Beastmaster's spaceship which takes off with them on board and flies them to an island in the middle of a lake. There, Beastmaster tells them they will be released onto the island so that he can hunt them down.
On reaching the diamond mines, Rick, LJ and Jedda see the Ice Robots loading diamonds into their ships. Moments later, Kshin and Zuffy emerge from the undergrowth, heedless of the fact that they are walking into danger, forcing Rick, LJ and Jedda to break cover in order to save them. Indeed, it isn't long before Garax spots the kids and Zuffy, who are forced to take refuge in the mine. Garax sends several Ice Robots into the mine in pursuit of Rick and the others, then destroys the kids' ship. In the mine, the Ice Robots fire their lasers at the fleeing kids (and Zuffy) which triggers a cave-in that prevents any possibility of Rick and the others escaping back the way they came. However, when two Ice Robots emerge from the rubble, LJ uses his martial arts skills to dislodge a boulder which not only flattens the Ice Robots but also reveals a hidden exit.
Escaping from the mine, the kids discover that their ship has been destroyed. Rick contacts Dynak, who says the Phantom is on an island which has been taken over by Beastmaster. Moments later, Zuffy calls out and points towards the bushes, and the kids investigate to find a robo-ship which they commandeer. In London, meanwhile, Mandrake and Lothar (who have been informed of the situation by Rick) conclude that if they were stealing diamonds they would focus on the Jewels of the Universe. On Ragnor Zith, Flash shows the Vasilisk (a creature which resembles a giant scorpion) its reflection, distracting it long enough for him to take some of the Orkite, but is spotted by three of the aliens that hang out on the planet as he leaves. Eager to claim Beastmaster's reward, they start shooting at him, but he manages to get away.
Ming uses the diamonds the Ice Robots brought back from Africa to create three Crystal Soldiers. He then tests their invulnerability and is pleased to see that laser beams bounce right off them and even dropping a heavy weight on them has no effect, apart from destroying the weight. The Crystal Soldiers are sent to the London Museum to steal the Jewels of the Universe. They easily break out of the trap which Mandrake and Lothar (who are at the Museum) have laid and when Lothar tries to shoot one of them with his laser gun, he and Mandrake have to duck as the beam is deflected back at them. One of the Crystal Soldiers makes a hole in the glass case protecting the Jewels of the Universe, allowing the diamonds to be taken. However, it then emerges that the real Jewels of the Universe have been replaced by illusions created by Mandrake, though Lothar says the Crystal Soldiers will try again once they realise they have been tricked.
Meanwhile, the Phantom and Goran turn the tables on Beastmaster and tie him up, to which Beastmaster says they are still his prisoners as they have no means of getting off the island. Moments later, the Phantom sees a robo-ship approaching and uses Beastmaster's laser pistol to shoot it down by targeting the junction box below the wings, only to then pick up a telepathic transmission from Jedda and realise she is on board. Fortunately, Rick manages to land the robo-ship safely and is able to repair it, enabling the Phantom, Goran, the kids and Zuffy to escape from the island. However, Beastmaster breaks his bonds and sets off in pursuit
Later, Beastmaster turns up at the London Museum (where most of the Defenders are now assembled) but is defeated by the Phantom's Ten Tigers power. Lothar tells the kids to take Beastmaster to a detention cell at Monitor, while he, Mandrake and the Phantom deal with the Crystal Soldiers, which appear on the scene moments later. The Crystal Soldiers almost succeed in stealing the Jewels of the Universe, but Flash shows up at the last moment and uses the Orkite to turn them back into diamonds. Shortly after, Kshin (who has realised he is not ready to join the other Defenders on their more dangerous missions) apologises for all the trouble he caused, though Rick tells him he will be ready in a few years. Mandrake then jokes that, while women look good in them, diamonds don't really suit Ming.
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