The Fake Smurf (comic story)

The Fake Smurf is the fourth story of the original French-language The Smurfs comic book series and was part of the Little Comics Collection sub-series that was sold only in Belgium created by Peyo, it is published for the first time in issue 1211 of the Spirou publication on June 29, 1961.   A remastered 50th anniversary edition was published as a hardcover book on May 7th 2008 as part of the 50th anniversary of the Smurfs' appearances. Then it was met with a remastered 60th anniversary edition on May 20th 2018, with an updated "Dupuis" logo replacing the original.   The story sees the finalized stages of Gargamel and Azrael on how they came major conflict with the Smurfs, with Gargamel changing his motives on plotting revenge and destruction against the Smurfs, as retaliation for thwarting his initial plans against the Smurfs on using them as an ingredient to create gold from this point forward. The story also introduces Chef Smurf whom at the time was an unnamed Smurf, and lacked his trademark chef hat.

Characters

 * Gargamel/Fake Smurf
 * Papa Smurf
 * Chef Smurf (first appearance; unnamed)
 * Azrael
 * Generic Smurfs

Plot
The Smurfs' sworn enemy, Gargamel, creates a potion that turns him into a Smurf, his plan being to infiltrate their village and destroy them. However, the potion does not fully work since he lacks a tail, so he makes a wooden one and glues it to the back of his pants. He later finds a Smurf who, not knowing who he really is, guides him to the village. Gargamel sets about plotting to destroy the Smurfs. He tries to mass poison them by intoxicating their midday meal but the Smurfs show no signs of suffering. Gargamel later discovers that he in fact poured the poison into a cauldron containing nothing but dirty laundry of Laundry Smurf. A bridge over the River Smurf has been completed. Gargamel sabotages it overnight, but the next day, when it is inaugurated, the Smurf walk over it without any trouble. Frustrated, Gargamel himself crosses it only for the bridge to collapse when he is half-way along. He falls into the river and is rescued. Papa Smurf later discovers evidence of sabotage. The dunking loosens Gargamel's glued tail which is later found by a Smurf. Realising that there is a false Smurf in their midst, Papa Smurf orders the tails of every Smurf to be pulled for checking. Discovered without a tail, Gargamel rushes to Papa Smurf's laboratory and barricades himself in, announcing his intention to brew a potion that will transform him back into a human and enable him to lay waste to the village. The Smurfs break into the lab just as he is drinking the potion but, although he recovers his looks, Gargamel is still the same size as the Smurfs and is easily taken prisoner. Begging for mercy, he is tied up with rope and taken outside the village where Papa Smurf approaches him with a knife. Gargamel pleads further only to find Papa Smurf cutting his ropes and ordering him to leave. Gargamel hastens off, but, once well clear of the village, swears revenge once more.

Revised version
On 6 July 1967, Peyo releases a revision of the comic book story between issue 1447 and issue 1456 for the Spirou magazine. Nothing of note was changed majorly in the revision, the only exception was the addition of Brainy Smurf in the story and the updated art style to match the official art style we know as of today.

Then the revision would see another release in the the album of the same name in 1968.