The Phantom: The True First Superhero
Many credit the two young kids from Cleveland, Ohio (Siegel & Shuster) for creating the first superhero in Action Comics #1. However, there was a costumed superhero who had appeared three years prior to Superman: the genius of Lee Falk who created The Phantom.
The Phantom, who wears a purple bodysuit and blue striped shorts with a black eye mask, carries two 1911 handguns. From his Skull Cave, he watches over the Bangalla Jungle with the help of his horse, Hero, and his wolf, Devil.
The Phantom's Origin
The Phantom’s origin lays hundreds of years in the past—the 16th century, in fact—when pirates raided a merchant ship, killing the crew and captain and leaving only the captain’s young son alive. The child thrives under the tutelage of the tribe and creates the Phantom costume, inspired by a native idol, to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. Each generation of Walkers is trained to take over the mantle of the Phantom, and since all wear the same costume, local legend has it that he is in fact the same man 400 years later, hence the nickname, “the Ghost Who Walks.”
The Phantom on the Big Screen
The Phantom has been shy when it comes to the big screen. He was first portrayed by Tom Tyler in the 1943 15-chapter serial, regarded as one of Columbia’s best serials. A sequel was attempted in 1955, but after realizing they no longer had the rights, the name of the serial was changed to The Adventures of Captain Africa. It would take another 40 years until we were able to see The Phantom on the big screen again, with Billy Zane getting the role as The Phantom in the 1996 film. Although a box office flop, it was well-received by fans, as evidenced by the VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and LaserDisc sales over the years, and has a bit of a cult following.
The Phantom's Comic Book Life
The Phantom's comic book life has been long and fruitful. It started in 1938 when the David McKay Company began reprinting his newspaper strip in Ace Comics #11, King Comics, and Feature Books. McKay printed Phantom strips throughout the 1940s, and then Harvey Comics took over the reins in the 1950s. In the 1960s, editor/writer Bill Harris and artist Bill Lignante produced new Phantom comic books for the first time, for Gold Key from 1962 to 1966, and then continued the series with King Features from 1966 to 1967. Charlton took over the franchise for the next eight years, with artists Jim Aparo and Don Newton finishing up the run with Charlton.
