One of my all time favourite super heros EVER... The Phantom. Created by Lee Falk in 1936, The Phantom was originally a adventure comic strip, the Phantom grew in popularity at it's peak being read by over a hundred million people ever day. The Phantom made his first live action appearance in a fifteen part serial in 1943. Hands down said to one of the best superhero serials surpassing even Superman and Captain Marvel.
The Phantom also had two cartoons: Defenders of the Earth and Phantom 2040. However probably one of the most faithful comic book adaptations was The Phantom movie released in 1996. Personally I like this film a lot better then Flash Gordon and The Shadow, the character himself isn't cheesy or dumb he's very likable. This of course is due to Billy Zane's performance as The 21st Phantom. Zane absorbed himself into this role getting into terrific shape and being great with the dialogue and the action. The Phantom is actually in costume for most of the movie which is great because
The Phantom is who he is Kit Walker is the disguise. This movie also benefits from amazing shots, a great score, good special and visual effects, the story itself is taken from several Phantom adventures and feels like a Phantom comic, and the supporting cast all have fun with their rolls. Thats what this movie is a great fun action movie, if your expecting something like Dark Knight then you might want to rethink. The Phantom is a Indiana Jones type adventure movie fun and exciting from beginning to end. While there is a current Phantom project going on for Syfy I'm kind of curious about it even though I don't like the costume at all, I think Billy Zanes costume was great even better then the one in the comics. As far as Phantom Legacy I would get Billy Zane to star again, JJ Abrams to direct and set it in the future like Phantom 2040.
Identity: Kit Walker, Christopher Walker, The Ghost Who Walks, The Man Who Cannot Die, Guardian of the Eastern Dark
Group Affiliation: Bandar Pygmies (The Poison People) and the Jungle Patrol of Bengalla
Base of Operations: Skull Cave, Deep Woods of Bengalla, Africa
Side: Good
Sex: Male
Age: 29
Height: 6' 2"
Hair: Black
Eyes: Only his family and close friends know
Origin and Background:
The Phantom is the twenty-first in a line of crimefighters that originated in 1536, when the father of British sailor Christopher Walker was murdered during a pirate attack. The only survivor of the attack, Christopher was washed ashore on a Bengallan beach, and swore an oath on the skull of his father to dedicate his life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty and injustice, with his sons and their sons set to follow him. Making a costume based on the image of an old jungle idol, he became the Phantom. When he died, his son took over the role of the Phantom, and such the mantle would be passed down to new generations, leaving people to give the mysterious figure nick-names such as "The Man Who Cannot Die", "Guardian of the Eastern Dark" and "The Ghost Who Walks", believing him to be immortal.
The twenty-first Phantom is married to Diana Palmer, who he met as a child while studying in the US, and the couple have two children together, Kit and Heloise. Like all previous Phantoms he lives in the ancient Skull Cave, and also has a trained wolf, Devil, and the horse Hero. The Phantom is protected at home in large part by the Bandar pygmies, or "Poison-People", whose fearsome reputation is enough to keep the uninvited out of his jungle. He carries two forty-five caliber pistols, and wears two rings, one on his right hand which permanently scars villains with the mark of a skull, and another, his Friendship Ring, worn on his left hand, which places his seal on those placed under his protection as a warning to others.
The Phantom Rings
A signature of the character 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 Skull Ring was given to the first Phantom by Paracelsus. 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
Mythos
Over the course of more than seventy years' worth of stories, the back story "legend" of the Phantom grew to become an integral part of the series. The legend of the "Ghost Who Walks" made the character stand out from the innumerable costumed heroes who have battled crime throughout the 20th century, and helped maintain his appeal through to the present day.
Much of the underlying, continuing plots and "themes" of the series focus on the continuing legend of the Phantom. The series regularly quotes the "old jungle sayings" surrounding the myth of the Phantom.[33] Perhaps the most well-known of these is the tradition that anyone who sees the Phantom's true face without his mask will certainly "die a terrible death".
Not all stories were set in present time, but included earlier generations. While the costumes looked the same, the weaponry varied with the age, such as revolvers and pirate flintlocks.
The Phantom is feared by criminals over the entire world and knows how to use his frightening image against them.
Costume and weapons
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, in a special belt with a skull-like buckle. Falk has insisted that the Phantom only uses his guns to shoot out the guns of his opponents, a fact that writer Peter David was unaware of when he wrote DC Comics' 1988 four-issue Phantom miniseries, in which he had the Phantom shoot to wound his enemies. However, there are some early instances of the Phantom using his guns to shoot and kill people (sometimes in self-defence).
While there had been masked crime fighters like the costumed Zorro or the business-suited The Clock, the Phantom was the first fictional character to wear the skin tight costume and eyes with no visible pupils that has become a trademark of superheroes. Creator Lee Falk had originally envisioned a grey costume and even considered naming his creation "The Gray Ghost". It was not until the Phantom Sunday strip debuted in 1939 that the costume was shown to be purple. Falk, however, continued to refer to the costume as gray in the text of the strip on several occasions afterward, but finally accepted the purple color. In a Sunday strip story published in the 1960s it was shown that the first Phantom chose the costume based on the appearance of a jungle idol, and colored the cloth with purple jungle berries.
As part of a modernization of the character in Moonstone Books' series The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks, the Phantom began wearing a costume made of kevlar.
Enemies
Given his oath to fight all evil in the world, The Phantom faces a vast array of villains. The most dangerous and lasting enemy of the Phantom is the Singh Brotherhood, which have been active for centuries and were responsible for the pirate attack that resulted in the death of Christopher Standish's father and the beginning of the Phantom legacy. In Egmont's Phantom comics, the brotherhood has evolved from merely being pirates into a modern company called Singh Corporations, led by Sandal Singh, who is the daughter of former leader Dogai Singh and also the current President of Bengalla.
Another major threat against the Phantom and his country was Kigali Lubanga, the President of Bengalla for several years. Other recurring villainous characters are General Bababu, The Python, Manuel Ortega, Ali Gutalee, Goldhand, Bail, HIM and - in the movie - Xander Drax. The Phantom has also fought numerous crime-organizations such as the Sky Band, the Vultures, Hydra and The Flame.
The Phantom (1943 movie serial)
A fifteen-part movie serial starring Tom Tyler in the title role was made in 1943, with Jeanne Bates as Diana Palmer, Frank Shannon as her uncle Professor Davidson, and Ace the Wonder Dog as Devil. The story shows the 21st Phantom's first mission after taking over the mantle of the Ghost Who Walks from his murdered father: to find the Lost City of Zoloz and prevent the evil Dr. Bremmer, played by Kenneth MacDonald, from building a secret airbase in the jungle.
The Phantom's real name in the serial was Geoffrey Prescott, as the alias of Kit Walker had not been mentioned in the strip at that point. However, he goes by the alias of Mr. Walker after having become the Phantom.
Two episodes loosely adapted Lee Falk's story "The Fire Princess" for the screen, and fit it into the plot of the Phantom's fight against Dr. Bremmer.
The serial was a success, and a sequel, to be called Return of the Phantom, was filmed in 1955 starring John Hart, but after problems with the rights to the character it was partially re-shot and renamed The Adventures of Captain Africa.
The Phantom was also adapted into a live-action movie in 1996. Produced and released by Paramount Pictures, the movie was set in the 1930s, and incorporated elements from several of the Phantom's earliest comic-strip adventures. It starred Billy Zane in the title role, Kristy Swanson as Diana Palmer, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Sala, an aviatrix. It was directed by Simon Wincer, after director Joe Dante and producer Michael Douglas dropped out of the project, and was written by Jeffrey Boam, who also wrote Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Cult-icon Bruce Campbell was another choice for the role,but Zane, already a huge fan of the comic strip since being introduced to Australian Frew comics on the set of Dead Calm, ended up getting the part after actively lobbying for it for years. After his casting, he feverishly pumped iron for a year and a half to fill the Phantom's costume, refusing to wear a Batman-like costume with moulded muscles. He also closely studied panels of the comic to capture the character's body language.
The movie was filmed on location in Australia, Thailand, and in Los Angeles, and featured the Phantom in his attempt to stop madman Xander Drax (Treat Williams) from obtaining a weapon of doom, the legendary "Skulls of Touganda". The story also features the Singh Brotherhood, the all-female clan of air pirates known as the Sky Band, of whom Sala is the leader and a subplot wherein the 21st Phantom recovers his father's gunbelt and avenges his father's murder, inspired by the Lee Falk/Wilson McCoy story "The Belt". The film also has elements taken from the 1936 story "The Singh Brotherhood", the first Phantom story, and its 1937 continuation "The Sky Band".
In 2008, syndicated gossip columnist Liz Smith claimed that Paramount was putting a sequel into development, with Zane returning to play the title role, because of the good VHS and DVD sales of the first film. The Phantom was released on Blu-ray February 2010 by Lionsgate.
Phantom 2040
Premiering in 1994 to critical acclaim, Phantom 2040 depicts the adventures of the 24th Phantom. Young Kit Walker, living happily with his aunt Heloise (daughter of the 21st Phantom) in the city of Metropia (previously known as New York) in the year 2040, knowing nothing about his family's legacy, when one day, The Phantom's friend Guran turns up to reveal the secret of the Phantom legacy. Kit takes up the mantle of the Phantom, and starts a battle against the evil company Maximum Inc., and their plans to destroy Earth's ecosystem while a select few seal themselves in a controlled environment. He also tries to solve the mystery of the death of his father, the 23rd Phantom.
On July 29, 2008, screenwriter Daniel Knauf announced he and his son and collaborator Charles Knauf had completed a four-hour TV-movie script for SCI FI Channel, later renamed Syfy, starring the 22nd Phantom.On March 23, 2009, Sci Fi Channel announced that they formally ordered a 4-hour mini-series in two parts, which also served as a backdoor pilot. The mini-series, simply called The Phantom, was produced by Muse Entertainment and RHI Entertainment. It premiered in Canada on The Movie Network in December 2009, as a two-part mini-series, a total of three hours.
Ryan Carnes stars as the Phantom, with Paolo Barzman directing. The series was shot in New York, Costa Rica and Montreal.
The story sees law student Kit learning that he was adopted, and that he is actually the son of the 21st Phantom and Diana Palmer Walker. He joins the Phantom team in the jungles of Bengalla (in this version, Bengalla is a small island in Indonesia), and is trained in martial arts and combat, emerging as the next Phantom to battle the Singh Brotherhood and save the only man who can bring peace to the Middle East. The 22rd Phantom wears a modified costume that is highly resistant to bullets, blades and falls, doubles his strength and can make him move faster.
The mini-series aired on Syfy in June, 2010, and was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Vivendi Entertainment
Defenders of the Earth
In Defenders of the Earth, which ran from 1986 to 1987, the 27th Phantom, voiced by actor Peter Mark Richman, teams up with fellow King Features adventurers Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician and Mandrake's bodyguard and assistant Lothar. The cartoon also featured a daughter, Jedda Walker, who briefly took on the Phantom mantle in an episode where she believed her father to have perished.
Other episodes of the series featured classic Phantom villains like the Sky Band, the Phantom's evil older brother Kurt Walker (created specifically for the show) and a flashback to the days of the first Phantom. The episode "Return of the Sky Band" also featured lengthy flashbacks to the Phantom of Lee Falk's comic strip; the 21st Phantom, showing him and his wife, Diana Palmer, and their encounter with the original Sky Band.
In the original presentation pilot for the series, The Phantom had a son, Kit Walker, and Flash Gordon had a daughter, but this was changed for the final series.
In Defenders of the Earth, The Phantom was able to use supernatural means to give himself increased strength and speed, by saying the incantation:
"By jungle law, the ghost who walks calls forth the power of ten tigers!"
It is only in this cartoon series that the Phantom has such an ability. In the series, the Phantom also used a special helicopter nicknamed "The Skull Copter", and had an updated Skull Ring that would shoot a laser on to the faces of antagonists, marking them for life.
PHANTOM SPEAK
The Phantom is rough with rough-necks.
When the Phantom is rough, he is very rough.
The Phantom has a thousand eyes and a thousand ears.
Call the Phantom anywhere, and he will hear.
Go into the jungle and call: the Phantom hears.
The Phantom can be a dozen places at once.
The Phantom moves as silently as a fog.
The Phantom moves as silently as the jungle cat.
The Phantom moves on cat's paws.
Great cat is quick, the Phantom is quicker.
The Phantom moves faster than a great cat, with the power of a charging bull elephant.
The Phantom strikes like a thunderbolt but moves softer than a stalking great cat.
When the Phantom strikes, lightning stands still.
The Phantom moves faster than lightning flash.
The Phantom moves faster than the eye can see.
As for shooting, the Phantom can knock the flea off the ear of a warthog at 100 paces without hurting the beast.
The Phantom has the strength of ten tigers.
Phantom made of rock.
When the jungle sleeps, the Phantom wakes.
There are times when the Phantom leaves the jungle and walks the streets of the town like an ordinary man.
You never find the Phantom, he finds you.
When the Phantom asks, you answer.
No man can refuse the voice of the Phantom.
The Phantom freezes your blood, makes cowards out of strong men.
The voice of the Phantom turns blood into ice.
The voice of the angry Phantom freezes a tiger's blood.
When the Phantom is angry, tiger's blood chills.
When the Phantom is angry, the lion trembles.
When the Phantom is angry, the jungle shakes.
When the Phantom is angry, his blows sound like thunder.
The Phantom's fists dart like a bee, hit like a bull elephant.
The Phantom's steel hands can break men like straws.
When the Phantom scares them, they stay scared.
Better to stare into the tiger's eyes than into the cold eyes of the angry Phantom.
The Phantom's fury is like a volcanic explosion.
Furious Phantom is a sight to behold.
Pirates to Phantom, like red flag to bull.
Only a fool crosses the Phantom.
Never take aim at the Phantom.
The Phantom has the wisdom of elephants.
The Phantom is a man of few words but wiser than Solomon.
Where the Phantom is, the law's long arm reaches even to the halls of princes.
The Phantom will never refuse a challenge.
The Phantom's life is a lonely one.
In China it is said, man who looks on Phantom's naked face must surely die.
He who sees the Phantom's face, dies a horrible death.
Man saw Phantom's face, flesh fell out of the man's bones, all at once.
THE PHANTOMS REAL ESTATE
This is a famous peak that looks just like a Phantom's head. Hence the name. In the time of the 7th Phantom, Emperor Joonkar decided to gift the mysterious man who had fought crime and injustice in his country. He decided that nothing less than a mountain would be appropriate. So he commissioned an Italian sculptor of the school of Michelan
The Skull Cave
Skull Cave is the Phantom's main residence. It is carves out of a rock looking like a skull. There are many chambers inside the cave. One holds the skull throne, upon which the Phantom sits. There is a library, where every phantom keeps his logs. There is a burial chamber consisting of the coffins of previous Phantoms and their wives.
Tree House
This was built by the Rope People whom the Phantom had once assisted. This is a massive house built upon a great tree. To get there, one has to use a weight-displacement system, consisting of a huge boulder and cables. Phantom spent some time here with his love, Diana and also with Rex.
Keela Wee
The beach is made up of sand naturally mixed with gold particles upto 50% concentration. The golden sands of Keela-Wee had belonged to Emperor Joonkar's house for centuries. Emperor Joonkar had built the House of Jade for his bride to be, Sheebah of Tigra. Later, Joonkar presented the beach to the 17th century Phantom as a wedding present, as reward for his help. The golden sands of Keela Wee has since passed down the Phantom generations. From that time on, every Phantom brought his bride to Keela-Wee after the wedding ceremony and had his honeymoon there. Tradition follows that newly wed couples swim in the sea and then roll in the golden sand. Then, the gleaming golden couples enter into the ancient House of Jade. And then, the rites finish and they are wed.
Isle of Eden
This is an island where the Phantom keeps carnivorous and herbivorous animals together. The carnivores have been trained to feed on fish, whereas the herbivores feed on the flora. Rare individual animals like Hzz, Stegy, Fuzzy, Strips and Baldy also inhabit this place. The isle is surrounded by a water-body infested with piranha fish. So a few tribesmen are given the responsibility to feed the carnivores everyday. There are rare and exotic plants on this island. The phantom has brought Diana here many times. There is a network of cables which helps the phantom in aerial transport from tree to tree.
Walker's Table
This is a mesa in an American desert. It was first discovered and named after Captain Christopher 'Kit' Walker. Captain Walker and his friend Caribo, reached this place in year of 1492. Caribo named it "Walker's Table" in honor of Captain Walker. A few decades later, the 2nd Phantom was gifted this mesa from a king....the mesa is hollow
Family & Friends
Diana Palmer Walker
Diana has been the lady in Kit Walker's life since first appearing in the very first Phantom strip "The Singh Brotherhood" where she first caught his eye warding off unwanted suiters like Jimmy Wells. She has had a very prosperous and exciting life. Accolades include being an Olympic diver, aviatrix, nurse, explorer, and UN official.
Both before and after her marriage to the Phantom (24th November 1977), Diana has never had trouble getting into trouble. The forever-battling Phantom has rescued Diana from kidnappers, roughnecks, villains, and more at least 45 times!
Kit & Heloise
The children of Kit Walker and Diana Palmer-Walker. The twins were born after a long awaited courtship, and then marriage of Kit and Diana (which works out to 40 years of real-time angst). They were born on the 5th June 1979. Kit was first and named as per the tradition of all first-born Walkers. Heloise was the second twin. Named after the wife of the eighth Phantom, Heloise the Hanta Witch.
As per the tradition of the Phantom's ancestors Diana gave birth in the Skull Cave, Helped by a good friend of the family, Dr Axel, both children were perfect to carry on the Phantom line. Precocious from birth, the twins as they got older never failed to find mischief (just like their mom). But because of their training have always been able to handle themselves from a very young age.
Rex King
Rex was just a baby when the Phantom found him on 15th May 1966. As a baby, Rex was found by two jungle missionaries on their doorstep. However disease took their lives, and natives guided the Phantom to the parentless child. Rex was taken in by the Phantom as his adopted son. Later on in his life, it was found that Rex was the heir to the throne of a province in the Misty Mountains called Baronkhan.
Guran
Lifelong friend of the Phantom. Guran grew up with the Phantom and was there while his training prepared him for a responsibility that is eminent for any Walker. Chief of the pygmy people who live with the Phantom in the deep woods. He is also chief procurer of medicines, and he alone knows the recipe for the deadly poison that tips the arrows of the Bandar.
Old Man Mozz
Old Man Mozz belongs to the same Bandar tribe that zealously protects the Phantom. His age is not known; however, he is believed to be many years old, often spoken about as 'ancient Mozz'. Even at such an old age his faculties work exceptionally well and he is a very patient man. Moreover, unlike the rest of the tribe, Mozz is not a warrior. In a jungle world without written history, he is a living 'library' of all jungle tales and legends. He is believed to possess the knowledge of all past and current events of the jungle, even to the extent of knowing the journals of each and every Phantom! Often when the Phantom is in doubt or there is simply no time for research, he will go for advice and knowledge to Mozz. He can easily be compared to one of those mythical men, full of wisdom and knowledge. Mozz is often quoted as saying 'I can neither make it short or long, I must tell how it was.' And this truly is the essence of this wonderful character.
Mozz is the wisest person in the Jungle (well apart from our favourite hero). He has stories related to every facet of jungle-living and history of each and every tribe and event in the jungle. Seen as a crank and old fool by some, he is a lovable character who plays a grandfatherly role towards the children, telling them stories and generally corrupting their young minds.
Devil
Devil is the Phantom's pet wolf, his best friend and constant companion. He is also, in a sense, one of the Phantom's most formidable weapons. He has saved the Phantom's life, and vice versa, many times.
Devil first met the Phantom as a cub. His father was a wolf named Satan notorious in the area as feared leader of a pack with which the Phantom had clashed before. * Devil's mother was killed by hunters who stole two wolf cubs to train as killers. Devil was trapped under his mother's body when she fell, and so hidden from the hunters. The Phantom found him and admired his feisty spirit. He took the cub back to Deep Woods and trained him to defend himself against tigers, falcons and snakes.
The Phantom did not want to keep the young wolf away from his natural destiny and gave him a chance to return to the pack. But when Satan howled, Devil didn't follow, but went with the Phantom instead. Later, after Satan's death, Devil forsook the opportunity to become the new leader of the pack, and returned to join the Phantom for good. The Phantom promised the wolf to be comrades until death.
Devil often travels with the Phantom. If the Phantom has to take a plane (in disguise, of course), he will frequently buy a seat for Devil rather than consigning him to the cargo area. (He makes the reservation for K. Walker and Friend.) When confronted by a flight attendant who states the airline's policy against dogs flying in the passenger cabin, the Phantom coolly replies that Devil is a wolf, not a dog, so the rule does not apply.
Devil has a particularly close and unusual partnership with Hero, the Phantom's horse, and together they have performed some amazing deeds. No doubt they are bound by their common loyalty to The Ghost Who Walks.
* This wolf pack was, in fact, descended from a group of four pups that were brought by the Phantom from America to Bangalla in the 19th century. The Phantom had been saved by a wounded female mountain-wolf, and he pledged to protect her pups when she died.
Hero
Hero, the Phantom's great white stallion, is a constant ally in the Phantom's adventures. He is unusually brave, as his name implies. He is the first horse in the Phantom's experience who does not bolt at the scent of a tiger. He is also incredibly fast. Once he was stolen and made into a racehorse. The Phantom eventually rescued him leaving behind only the legend of the greatest racehorse who ever lived.
The Phantom acquired Hero in the course of an adventure. The horse was originally named Royal Hero, for he was the property of the Maharajah of Nimpore. When the Maharajah's daughter, Lakania, was kidnapped, the Phantom borrowed Royal Hero to go and rescue her. When they encountered a tiger, the Phantom was amazed at Hero's bravery and intelligence. The horse and Devil kept the tiger at bay by working together as a team, even though they had never met before. After the rescue was accomplished, the Maharajah gave the horse to the Phantom in gratitude.
Second to none in speed, courage and loyalty, Hero is, simply, the best horse in the world.
Col. Worabu & The Jungle Patrol
Leader of the Jungle Patrol which keeps the peace in all of the jungle. Established by the Phantom from a group of pirates, who after being beaten by our hero, pledged their lives to removing cruelty and piracy from the worlds they knew. A very exclusive army-police force, the Jungle Patrol receive thousands of applications a year but only choose a few of the best.....Rugged and strong, each Jungle Patrol man is able to hold himself against ten men, and never uses his rifle except for the most extreme situations.
The "Unknown Commander" of this force (the Phantom) issues orders through a secret tunnel which are carried out by Colonel Worabu
Dr. Axel
One of the most respected members of the jungle. Dr Axel tends to the needs of the sick junglefolk. The Phantom can always rely on him to help out sick or wounded colleagues, visitors and even the odd villain or two. The kind hearted doctor has a moral nature as well as a high sense of charity.
President Luaga & President Goranda
A friend of the Walkers for many years, President Luaga first met Diana through her work as a nurse providing immunisation for the sickened tribes of the jungle. Luaga has a doctor's degree and due to his immense popularity ran for office in Mawitaan (the capital of Bangalla) as President and was voted in by a huge majority. His only opposition is Colonel General Bababu, who has tried several times to overthrow his leadership.
Goranda is the elected president of Ivory-Lana, a neighboring province of Bangalla. Luaga and Goranda have corroborated on quite a few operations and have a special understanding with each others policies. Goranda has helped Luaga and vice-versa with situations like kidnappings and hostage incidents. Present at the wedding of the Phantom and Diana Palmer, he and Luaga preceded over the nuptials
Seeya next time
Very good! I am also a huge Phantom Phan!! ;-)
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