Presentation
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bangalla (source of information: Wikipedia).
The Phantom is published and presented by King Features Syndicate as well as other companies such as Dynamite Entertainment.
In the jungles of the fictional African country of Bangalla, there is a myth featuring The Ghost Who Walks, a powerful and indestructible guardian of the innocent and fighter of all types of injustice. Because he seems to have existed for generations, many believe him to be immortal. In reality, the Phantom is a legacy hero, descended from 20 previous generations of crimefighters who all adopt the same persona. When a new Phantom takes the task from his dying father, he swears the Oath of the Skull: "I swear to devote my life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty, and injustice, in all their forms, and my sons and their sons shall follow me". The first Phantom married Christina, the daughter of a Scandinavian sea captain, Eric the Rover. The second Phantom married Marabella, the granddaughter of Christopher Columbus (source of information: Wikipedia).
The Phantom has no actual superpowers, but he relies on wit, strength, and skill with weapons to tackle diabolical villains such as General Bababu, the Python, Manuel Ortega, Ali Gutalee, and Goldhand, and sinister crime-organizations such as the Sky Band, the Vultures, Hydra and the Flame. The most dangerous and lasting enemy of the Phantom is the Singh Brotherhood, a dangerous crime syndicate responsible for various acts of piracy.
A signature of the Phantom is his two rings. One has a pattern formed like four crossing sabres, The Good Mark, that he leaves on visitors whom he befriends, placing the person under his protection. The other, The Evil Mark or Skull Mark has a skull shape, which leaves a scar of the corresponding shape on the enemies he punches with it. He wears the Good Mark on his left hand because it is closer to the heart, and the Evil Mark on his right hand. The original owner of the Skull Ring was Emperor Nero of the Roman empire and it would later be revealed that the ring had been made from the nails that hung Jesus to the cross. The Good Mark ring was made after the sixth Phantom founded the Jungle Patrol. As part of the official uniform, the Phantom wears a black mask and a purple skintight bodysuit. He also carries period-appropriate sidearms, currently two M1911 pistols (source of information: Wikipedia).
DC Comics published a Phantom comic book from 1988 to 1990. In 1987, Marvel Comics published a four-issue Phantom miniseries based on the Defenders of the Earth TV series, written by Stan Lee.
The Phantom represents a human fascination with the complexities of Earth lands and reflects the same sort of social critic curiosity about group corruption explored in books such as Upton Sinclair's developmentalism-paranoia themed "The Jungle" (1906).
The actor Billy Zane portrayed the Phantom in the entertaining Hollywood (USA) adaptation "The Phantom" (1996), which presented the adventure-indulgence story of the unusual hero traveling to New York to tackle an ambitious criminal genius.
This character explored by various colorful entertainment companies and created by Lee Falk invites fans of comic books to celebrate 'natural strength.'
The Phantom (1996 Film)
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