Deep in the African jungles, he is known as the Ghost Who Walks. The Phantom, as generations of readers all over the world know him, hails from a long line of crimefighters; he is actually the 21st Phantom, who has vowed, like the others before him, to fight greed, piracy, cruelty and injustice of any kind.
The Phantom first appeared in a newspaper comic strip way back in 1936. Even then, stories of masked crime-fighters like Zorro were popular. However, the Phantom was the first masked hero to appear in a comic strip. He was also the first to wear a skin-tight costume and a mask with no visible pupils. This became a model for later superheroes like Batman and Spiderman.
Unlike other super-heroes, the Phantom has no superhuman powers. He relies on his own wit, strength and skill to fight crooks. The mountain-wolf Devil and horse Hero are his faithful companions in most adventures. Guran, a pygmy belonging to the Bandar tribe, and Rex King, an orphan boy, are the Phantom’s loyal aides. Diana Palmer, his wife, and twin children Kit and Heloise, are very much a part of the Phantom legend now.
Lee Falk, the American creator of the Phantom, was greatly inspired by stories of Tarzan, Kipling’s Jungle Book, and legends and fairy tales from around the world. The Phantom stories are full of adventure and one man’s daring in the face of impossible odds. Their simplicity appeals to the young and old alike.
Lee Falk also created Mandrake the Magician, the illusionist who fought international crime in his own way. In fact, Mandrake appeared on the scene as early as 1934, two years before the Phantom.
Falk wrote the storyline for both strips until his death in 1999. And both strips are still running!
The Phantom has appeared all over the world in comic strips in newspapers and magazines, in comic books, albums, video games and in the movies. At Fantomenland, or Phantom Land, in Sweden, you can visit the Skull Cave and other places from the stories. In India, the Phantom is a household name, as the comics are available in many regional languages. It does look as if the Ghost Who Walks will be around for ever.