Tarzan teams up with agent Kord after a top secret US satellite, with a 36-hour time-delayed security bomb, crashes into the primitive Odanan jungle. The Odana believe the bomb is a god and their Shaman uses it to pursue war. The tribe capture Tarzan and Kord are intend to sacrifice them to the god when the loud 10-minute alarm sounds. The Odana run in fear. Tarzan uses the time for Kord to defuse the bomb, but he is a coward and tries to run from the explosion. The tribe throws Tarzan over a cliff to kill him, but he avoids the explosion and is the only survivor when the bomb.

When Channing's secret expedition is slaughtered and every trace disappears, the sole surviving Kalazi porter seeks Tarzan's help. He dies delivering a cryptic message and Tarzan diverts his current travel with a wildlife photographer Oli to learn more from the Kalazi. Tarzan and Oli are ambushed by a fearful tribe, but survive and secure the Kalazi's unwilling help. They uncover an elaborate plot by unscrupulous men who learned Channing had found valuable platinum in a worked-out gold mine.

Tarzan and Korak find Sharman Charo whose tribe tried to kill him for conjuring a flying palace that destroyed their homes. Tarzan doubts the story and travels to find the truth. When they see a flying palace, Tarzan sends the eagle Neeta to follow and asks Korak to report to Colonel Gambi. The Colonel has heard rumours of a holy man predicting a mighty chief will arrive from the sky to lead a crusade. Neeta leads Tarzan to the palace where he discovers Houdarni, a stage magician who has stolen a hovercraft movie prop. Houdarni is working with a foreign power to provoke revolution and set up a puppet republic. Tarzan escapes capture and crashes the hovercraft, as Korak and Gambi arrive in time to clean up the gang.

A nuclear powered tracking station is damaged by a great ape who begins to mutate and gain intelligence. Tarzan is travelling in the area with journalists Pete and Kate Wilson, and sees dying plants and discovers the radiation leak. While Tarzan is away, Pete and Kate encounter Goro who is learning to speak. Tarzan attempts to calm the group of apes, but Goro steals their car and drives to the police post at Umbaba. The apes steal food and guns, and take control of the camp. At night, Tarzan enters the camp with the only weapon he has—the bright flash of a camera. He uses it, but ultimately finds Goro dying of radiation poisoning. Pete and Kate get a scoop with the photographs of a talking ape with a machine gun.

The Kaki encounter dolphins for the first time. Fearing they will eat all the fish in the lagoon and must be killed. Tarzan convinces the tribe that dolphins are friendly, but warns them that treasure hunters plans to blow up the vault in a sunken ship, which will destroy all fish in the lagoon. Tarzan's warning is overheard and the gang's boss sends men to kill Tarzan. He is saved by the dolphins, who again help Tarzan reach the sunken galleon and prevent the explosion.

Chief Matok of the Watumbi is concerned when N'Goto's hunting party fails to return. It is found slaughtered, with N'Goto warning of a devil ape before he dies. Tarzan is drawn by the sound of death drums and investigates. He uncovers a group of baboons living in jungle ruins led by a powerful ape-man wearing a tooth necklace. Tarzan barely escapes alive. The Watumbi decide the 'devil-ape' is a curse and blame Xacka as his son had worn a tooth necklace when stolen by baboons years before. Tarzan uses the necklace to drug the ape-man, but the ruins collapse around them, and only Tarzan and Xacka escape alive.