WONDERLAND • The Ultimate Wonder Woman Site

"Diana's Disappearing Act" - BRENDA BANET as Morgana Le Fay.

Count Cagliostro [DICK GAUTIER], a descendent of a family known for swindling and magic, is busy directing his workers to move piles of lead in an electro furnace. When they withdraw the lead, it has been transformed into bars of glittering gold. He has invented a machine that can turn base metal into precious gold. As he stands, staring at his accomplishments, Morgana Le Fay [BRENDA BENET] enters and hands Cagliostro an envelope. In the envelope is a picture of Diana Prince [LYNDA CARTER] wearing a small golden locket on a chain around her neck. The locket had been sent to her by Nimbler, who Cagliostro has killed to prevent him from revealing what the swindling magician is doing. He tells Morgana that they must get the pendant and Diana Prince.

Later that evening at a reception honoring Emir of Quiana [AHARON IPALE] a magic show is part of the entertainment. Diana, an invited guest and wearing the gold pendant, is requested by the magician, Jazreel [J. A. PRESTON], to be part of the show. Diana refuses but is encouraged by Harold [ED BEGLEY, JR.], a friend and an amateur magician, who messes up every trick. She agrees and steps into a large box, Jazreel pulls the curtain across and tells the audience he will make her disappear. He says his magic words, taps the box and Diana falls through a trapdoor and into an upright shipping crate which is strapped on a highsided truck, the lid is closed and the truck drives away. As he turns the box around and opens the door, the audience see a skeleton in place of Diana and all applaud, except Harold. He senses something is wrong. He is even more convinced when Jazreel steps into the box and disappears too.

Inside the crate, Diana whirls into Wonder Woman and breaks out of the crate, then jumps from the moving truck. She returns to the reception and Harold, who is trying to find out what has happened to her and is relieved to see that she is okay. She discovers that Jazreel has disappeared. She now knows the pendant has something to do with the incident.

She gives the pendant to Steve and he and Eve [SAUNDRA SHARP] try to figure out why it is so important. Steve asks Eve to take the pendant to Dr Hutchins, a metallurgist, to be analyzed. She tells him that someone is trying to get hold of the pendant, but the IADC doesn't know why. He tells her that analysis will be no problem and that she should tell Diana to stay close to the phone.

Meanwhile Diana goes to the store whose name was written on the box that contained the pendant. On her arrival she discovers that it is a magic store, not a jewelry store. She is just about to enter the store when she hears a familiar voice.

• Harold Farnum: Merchandise here is competitively priced. Not too high, not too low.

• Diana Prince: Harold? Have you been following me?

• Harold Farnum: You mean have I been tailing you? You can say that stuff, I know all the jargon.

• Diana Prince: Harold!

• Harold Farnum: Yes I have been tailing you. Frankly I was worried. That magician at the hotel is up to something that isn't in any of the books I've read.

• Diana Prince: Well I really do appreciate your concern. But as you can see I'm okay.

• Harold Farnum: You sure are.

• Diana Prince: Harold, I'm fine. So you can go home.

• Harold Farnum: Please Miss Prince, I'm already here. If you're investigating this store maybe I can help. Remember I am an expert.

• Diana Prince: Okay. Somehow I get the feeling I'd be better off knowing exactly where you are. Let's go.

They enter the store together and Diana shows the owner the jewelry box. She asks him if he recognizes the name, or knows who may have sent the pendant to her but he claims that the store has never been a jewelry store, that he doesn't know anything. She leaves with Harold, frustrated at the lack of answers.

Outside the lab two mime artists are performing magic tricks in front of the students. Inside the lab Dr. Hutchins' test results are startling, he places the pendant into a safe ,hidden behind his book shelves. He rings Diana to tell her what he has discovered but she hasn't returned to her office yet so he says he'll make his way to the IADC to deliver his findings in person. He burns his notes and prepares to leave, but the male mime artist enters his lab and produces a yellow handkerchief, then a large coin, then a white ball which he breaks open and then blows the white powder that it emits into Dr Hutchins' face. It sends him into a trance and he is led outside, where the female mime artist rejoins her partner and they place him into their van and drive him to Cagliostro's hideout.

Eve and Steve arrive at the lab the next day, to try to find out why Dr Hutchins never showed up at the IADC. They find his burnt results but no pendant. Eve finds out from a student that Dr Hutchins was seen leaving with two mime artists. Steve tells Eve to contact Diana and tell her to look for the magician, as he is probably responsible for the kidnap and missing pendant.

Hutchins is brought to Cagliostro, who asks him where he has hidden the pendant that was given to Diana Prince. He refuses to tell him so Cagliostro orders that he be locked in the underground chamber.

Diana and Harold attend a magic show where Cagliostro is performing. Diana recognizes the name and realizes that she has dealt with Cagliostro's ancestors 2-3 hundred years ago. Harold notices Morgana La Fay and when Diana scans the room a few minutes later she notices Jazreel. He, at the same time, notices her and tries to escape. She runs after him, whirls into Wonder Woman and follows him onto the roof. He throws his case at her, which contains a bomb, she catches it, then whirls around and throws it high into the air. After a rooftop chase she captures him with her lasso. Upon questioning, he reveals that he is on his way to Hutchins lab to remove the pendant from the safe. As she removes the lasso, Wonder Woman instructs Jazreel to call the police and surrender himself.

In the meantime, Cagliostro and Emir have their meeting. It has been agreed the Emir's nation and the other oil producing nations will raise the price of oil and, in turn, will use the money to purchase Cagliostro's gold. A down payment of ten million dollars has been deposited in Cagliostro's account in Zurich.

Wonder Woman goes to Dr Hutchins' lab, breaks open the safe and finds the pendant inside. It looks very different, it is now lead.

Back at the hideout, Cagliostro is warned by Morgana that his scheme of turning lead into gold will soon be discovered. That the ingots always turn back to lead. She believes that he is obsessed with producing gold.

After IRAC analyzes the pendant Wonder Woman found in Hutchins' lab and reports to Steve that it's composition is changing that it's gold content is reducing as it becomes lead again. Eve wonders if this is a result of alchemy.

IRAC tells them the name of the person whose name is linked with alchemy... it is Cagliostro. Steve contacts Emir immediately, he comes to the IADC and Steve advises him not to buy whatever he might be planning to buy, that he would be making a big mistake.

Steve meets Diana for dinner and she tells him what she knows about Cagliostro. She also tells him that their agent in Zurich has discovered that all the oil producers are transferring funds to their Swiss banks, their money is to go to a special account held by Count Cagliostro.

Emir questions Cagliostro who denies all but sets out to find Diana Prince. He figures the way to get to Diana Prince is through her friend Harold. He tricks Harold into meeting him at a magic shop and he then kidnaps him and returns to his lab. Once there, Cagliostro places a call to Diana and filtering his voice to sound like Harold, he tells her to meet him at an old deserted house of horrors. She decides to go as Wonder Woman.

When she arrives she sees Morgana leaving and stops her. She tells Wonder Woman that Hutchins and Harold are in a cell in the basement and for her to hurry Cagliostro intends to kill them and Diana Prince, that she was on her way to warn Diana that she was walking into a trap.

Wonder Woman runs to the cell and with super strength yanks the door from its hinges and frees Harold and Hutchins. She tell them to get to a phone and call Steve Trevor at the IADC, to tell him to meet her there with the police. She then heads for the loading dock where gold is being lifted into a truck. Cagliostro and Emir are shaking hands on the deal when Wonder Woman leaps through a brick wall and appears before them.

• Cagliostro: So Wonder Woman, you've returned to thwart the Cagliostro's as you have for centuries. But this time you shall lose.

• Wonder Woman: You have it backwards Cagliostro. I've already won.

• Emir: What's happening?

• Wonder Woman: You were about to make a big mistake your highness. That gold you think you're buying, it'll turn to lead in two days.

• Emir: Lead?

• Wonder Woman: So now Cagliostro...

She points her finger at him.

• Cagliostro: No Wonder Woman! I am not my father, nor any of my ancestors. This is one Cagliostro who shall escape you. Stop her!

Cagliostro yells for his men. As the men pull their guns and fire at her, she deflects the bullets easily with her bracelets. As the sirens approach, a puff of smoke appears and Wonder Woman moves toward it. When it clears, Cagliostro has gone. He manages to escape but Wonder Woman saves Harold, Hutchins and the world from an oil crisis.

As the police and Steve lead Cagliostro's men away Harold finally performs a magic trick correctly as he produces a golden locket for Wonder Woman.