Hey, Mom! The Explanation.

Here's the permanent dedicated link to my first Hey, Mom! post and the explanation of the feature it contains.

Sunday, June 7, 2020

A Sense of Doubt blog post #1937 - The Phantom Stranger - Second Series - 1969-1970 - Issues 1-21


A Sense of Doubt blog post #1937 - The Phantom Stranger - Second Series - 1969-1970 - Issues 1-21

I know a lot of my posts lately have been about the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests.

I feel a little self conscious taking my day off to post yet again about comic books on a Sunday in my possibly misguided self-care regimen for staying home, Sunday, and comics.

Except that we did not stay home. My wife and I went to Portland to see the graffiti and memorial space by the court house and on the boarded up store front of the Apple store on Yamhill and Fifth Avenue. More on that tomorrow.

TODAY, I am sharing a post I have been working on for a while, as I have intended to collect the entire episode guide of the Phantom Stranger comic book series, starting with the second series of the early 1970s (started in 1969).

I already focused one post about the enigmatic and fascinating Phantom Stranger back in April:

A Sense of Doubt blog post #1888 - No superhero hates God more than the Phantom Stranger and more Stranger content

The single thing that makes the Phantom Stranger so cool is that we don't know who he is or how he came to be. And even though DC published four "possible" origins for the character, I wish no stories had ever been attempted trying to define this character. He is much more interesting as a question with no answer and really no purported theories.

There are lots of issues surrounding this character and the role of religion in comic books as shared in the previous post (#1888). And yet, we have come a long way. Though Norse, Egyptian, and Greek pantheons among others have been prevalent in comic books since their inception, the Judeo-Christian faiths were by and large non-issues and avoided content outside of specifically biblical comic books and Classics Illustrated. The core article that I shared in SoD #1888 dexribed the Phantom Stranger character's grudge against the Christian God and Jesus.

STRANGER... I HAVE HEARD YOUR WORDS proclaims letters of living fire, as a priest looks on in amazement and the Phantom Stranger watches stoically, in Secret Origins #10, DC Comics (1987).


There's lots more articles at the link, but the Stranger's anger towards God and the lack of definition for this powers, origin, name, or identity fascinates me.

So here, maybe more for my reading pleasure than yours, but for my readers who are comics fans, a better way to see the synopses published at COMIC VINE about one of the greatest series runs in modern comics.

And it's a short run. Forty-two issues. Even so, I will split the summaries and their cover galleries into two parts: twenty-one in this post and twenty-one in a future post.

It's SUNDAY.

It's time to enjoy some comics.



THE MAIN FRAME OF THE STORY

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Stranger

http://comicvine.gamespot.com/phantom-stranger/4005-3298/

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/The_Phantom_Stranger/Covers

http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/phantom-stranger

He was cooler when we did not know his story. The mystery is more interesting than the explanation. But can you leave a mystery alone as a creation and never explain it?


https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-1/4000-10187/




last edited by pikahyper on 05/19/20 04:10AM
When three friends die in a plane crash, their spirits seem to be haunting those they left behind, but the Phantom Stranger reveals that the ghostly appearances are really the work of an embezzler attempting to cover his tracks.

When Ghosts Walk!

This story was originally published in Phantom Stranger #1 (August, 1952). A synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

"The Hermit's Ghost Dog!"

This story was originally published in Star Spangled Comics #125 (February, 1952). A synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

Defeat The Dragon Curse... Or Die!

Doctor Terrence Thirteen, and his wife, Marie, call on some friends, Rosemary and Harry, in Chinatown. The shadow of an enormous dragon passes over their building, followed by an explosion. Thirteen's friends are killed, orphaning their infant son, Larry. The Phantom Stranger appears, pointing out the symbol of Ching Hi Fu, the dragon symbol of death, on the floor. Thirteen rails at the Phantom Stranger.
A police photographer enters and takes their picture. Thirteen, momentarily blinded by the flash, finds the Phantom Stranger gone by the time his eyes recover. The photographer is astonished to see no image of the Phantom Stranger in the picture. A Chinese man prays to Ching Hi Fu. The next day, at the celebratory grand opening of a new bank, the shadow of the dragon appears, once more, heralding a fire.
The Phantom Stranger appears. The strength of his calm demeanor prevents a panic. Thirteen confronts the Phantom Stranger. Marie sees the symbol of Ching Hi Fu on the wall. Smoke gets in Thirteen's eyes, concealing the departure of the Phantom Stranger. The Chinese man continues to pray to Ching Hi Fu. Thirteen refuses to believe a curse is responsible for the destruction of the two buildings.
Thirteen uses his connections to announce the grand opening of a new restaurant in Chinatown. Thirteen waits at the restaurant. The Chinese man enters the alley behind the restaurant. The Phantom Stranger tackles, then physically restrains him. The Chinese Man confesses to destroying the buildings, motivated by his disdain of modern structures being introduced into Chinatown. The Phantom Stranger disappears into the fog. Thirteen vows to expose the Phantom Stranger as a fraud.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
1
Cover Date
June 1969
In Store Date
N/A


https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-2-the-man-who-died-three-time/4000-10293/


"The Man Who Died Three Times!"

Entranced, Cyrus Hatton walks out to his car. When his son, Billy, asks to play catch with him, Hatton hands the boy one hundred dollars. Disturbed by Hatton's behavior, Billy follows his father. Hatton drives his car into a light post, and burns to death before his son's eyes. Billy races to pull his father from the burning wreckage, only to be stopped by the Phantom Stranger. Billy reveals his father's fate to his mother. Suddenly, Hatton walks into the house. Still, entranced, Hatton tells his family that an ancient totem pole has given him nine lives. The mystery reminds the Phantom Stranger of a prior case.

"The House Of Strange Secrets!"

This story was originally published in Phantom Stranger #1 (August, 1952). A synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

After telling his tale, the Phantom Stranger mysteriously vanishes. Billy finds a suicide note from his father. Billy contacts the police. Billy, and the police, arrive, too late, to stop Hatton from throwing himself off a bridge. Doctor Terrence Thirteen, the Ghost-Breaker, and his wife, Marie, witness Hatton's suicide. Thirteen dives into the river, hoping that Hatton may still be alive. A barge prevents Thirteen from reaching Hattton. Men on the barge fish Hatton's corpse out of the river. Thirteen, and Marie, escort Billy home. Once again, Hatton walks into the house, still very much alive. Billy shows Thirteen the totem pole that gives his father nine lives. The mystery reminds Thirteen of a prior case.

The Girl Who Lived 5,000 Years!

This story was originally published in Star-Spangled Comics #128 (May, 1952). A synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

Hatton unveils a stone obelisk. The obelisk collapses on top of Hatton. Suddenly, the Phantom Stranger appears, pushing Hatton to safety. Thirteen arrives. For once, Thirteen and the Phantom Stranger agree on a case. Escorting Hatton home, Hatton reveals the truth about what's been happening to him. In exchange for construction contracts, Hatton agreed to use cheap materials, and split the profits with the mob. The deal sits poorly with Hatton. After completing one contract, Hatton opts out of the deal. Mister Big has Hatton hypnotized by Ramu-Guru.
Hatton is hypnotized into believing he has nine lives. Hatton is compelled to commit suicide twice, to establish his story in the papers. Then, Mister Big orchestrates Hatton's actual death, at the unveiling of the stone obelisk. Learning that Hatton survived, Mister Big sends gunmen to murder Hatton. The Phantom Stranger, and Thirteen, take the gunsels down. Interrogating the criminals, the Phantom Stranger, and Thirteen, learn the details of how Mister Big was able to fake Hatton's death, the first two times. With Mister Big's organization broken, Hatton will be able to live out his one, and only life, in peace.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
2
Cover Date
August 1, 1969
In Store Date
N/A


"How Do You Know My Name?"/No Such Things As Ghosts!/"Some day In Some Dark Alley..." last edited by ltjfleetwood41 on 05/12/18 02:23PM

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-3-how-do-you-know-my-name-no-/4000-10386/

 Four children jump the fence at an amusement park, and discover the security guard, Mister Yanchus, dead. The Phantom Stranger steps off the carousel, and addresses one of the boys, Jody Cahill.

"How Do You Know My Name?"

This story was originally published in Phantom Stranger #5 (April, 1953). A synopsis for this story can be found at the link.
Jody tells the Phantom Stranger that his parents are meeting with Doctor Terrence Thirteen, the Ghost-Breaker. Speaking with Jody's father, Jerry Cahill, Thirteen is reminded of a prior case.

No Such Things As Ghosts!

This story was originally published in Star-Spangled Comics #126 (March 1952). A synopsis for this story can be found at the link.
When Jody's mother discovers that he is missing, Thirteen heads to the amusement park to look for the boy.

"Some Day In Some Dark Alley..."

Thirteen confronts the Phantom Stranger. Jody's scream leads the Phantom Stranger, and Thirteen, into the Tunnel of Terrors. The Phantom Stranger prevents Thirteen from being beheaded. Thirteen returns the favor, by keeping the Phantom Stranger from falling into a pit of spikes. The Phantom Stranger, and Thirteen, encounter, the "mystic", Vasti. Thirteen engages Vasti in battle, Strangely, the Phantom Stranger is nowhere to be found. Just as Vasti is about to gain the upper hand over Thirteen, the Phantom Stranger reappears, and grapples Vasti.
In the struggle, Vasti plunges to his death from the Ferris Wheel. "Vasti" is revealed to be Cahill's brother, Jay. Ten ago, Jay Cahill had hired the real Vasti to ruin his brother's amusement park. Thanks to the Phantom Stranger, Vasti went to jail. To keep Vasti from talking, Jay Cahill had him killed, then began impersonating him. When his plot was discovered by Yanchus, Jay Cahill had to kill him, too. While Thirteen was dealing with "Vasti", the Phantom Stranger collected all the dynamite "Vasti" had planted, throughout the amusement park. The Phantom Stranger disappears, but Thirteen knows their paths will cross again.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
3
Cover Date
October 1, 1969
In Store Date
July 15, 1969


There Is Laughter In Hell This Day!/Out Of This World last edited by ltjfleetwood41 on 05/12/18 02:23PM

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-4-there-is-laughter-in-hell-t/4000-10496/


There Is Laughter in Hell This Day!

Doctor Terrence Thirteen, and his wife, Maria, are in Haiti, to debunk the legend of Tala. During a ceremony to honor Tala, a man dives into a pool of water, and does not come back up. Thirteen dives in after him, nearly being pulled into a tunnel, by a strong underwater current. Thirteen has the tunnel sealed with explosives, Unwittingly, Thirteen actually releases Tala from her centuries long imprisonment. Thirteen, with Maria, travels to New York, to debunk another supposed case of the supernatural. Unbeknownst to Thirteen, Tala is riding on the wing of the airplane.
Tala plunges the sky into darkness, then blacks out New York City. Tala's mystic activity alerts the Phantom Stranger to her presence on Earth. Glowing like a beacon, the Phantom Stranger guides the airplane down, safely, to the runway. Tala confronts the Phantom Stranger, teasing a later confrontation. Thirteen rails at the Phantom Stranger, still determined to prove him a fraud. The Phantom Stranger disappears in the fog. Four teenagers earn some quick cash selling junk. The dealer gives them a locked book, along with the money.
As the four teens approach an abandoned brownstone, the book seems to grow heavier with their every step. The teenagers explore the interior of the brownstone. The sound of mournful lamentation causes one of the teenagers to drop the book. The impact breaks the lock on the book. Tala uses her sorcery to cause the book to open to a particular passage. The teenagers recite the enchantment, bringing stone gargoyles to life. The Phantom Stranger appears, and battles against the gargoyles. A curtain rod becomes a sword in the Phantom Stranger's hands, and with it he "slays" the gargoyles.
The Phantom Stranger forces Tala to apperar. Tala attempts to seduce the Phantom Stranger, to draw him over to the dark side. The Phantom Stranger resists and, ultimately, repels Tala. Thirteen enters the room. The teenagers claim the brownstone is haunted. Thirteen scoffs at the notion. Thirteen reveals that the brownstone was once owned by Reed Jones, a millionaire. Jones' sweetheart, Linda Phillips, disappeared on her way home from Jones' home. Supposedly her ghost has haunted the brownstone ever since. Once more, the mournful lamentation echoes through the brownstone.
The Phantom Stranger cuts through a wall to reveal Phillips, astonishingly still alive. Phillips reveals that on the night she expressed her desire to leave Jones, he assaulted her, and walled her up in his home. Jones never left his home again. Upon his death, Jones left instructions, in his will, to keep the brownstone unoccupied, and untouched. With Phillips release, the brownstone collapses in on itself. The Phantom Stranger, and Thirteen, get the teenagers out safely. Phillips, free at last, dies in the Phantom Stranger's arms. At Phillips' gravesite, Thirteen, again, rails at the Phantom Stranger. The Phantom Stranger disappears. Thirteen vows to reveal the Phantom Stranger as a fraud.

Out Of This World

The Phantom Stranger tells a tale of the supernatural. During a rainstorm,Paul Seldon offers Mary Shaw a ride home. Seldon encounters Shaw, standing on the edge of a cemetery. Seldon drives Shaw home, then nervously makes a date, to go dancing with her, the next night. For a week straight, Seldon and Shaw go dancing every night. Seldon proposes marriage to Shaw, but Shaw refuses.
The next night, Seldon arrives to pick up Shaw for their date. Seldon meets Shaw's mother, who is quite confused over Seldon's assertions that he has been dating her daughter. Shaw's mother takes Seldon out to the cemetery, where he first laid eyes on Shaw. Selden is shown Shaw's gravesite. Selden, disbelieving, has no choice but to accept that he had been dating a ghost. One he would never see again.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
4
Cover Date
December 1, 1969
In Store Date
N/A


The Devil's Playground!/The Devil's Footprints last edited by ltjfleetwood41 on 05/14/18 11:43AM
https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-5-the-devils-playground-the-d/4000-10606/


The Devil's Playground!

The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. Four teenagers... Attila, Mister Square, Spartacus, and Wild Rose... are on a fog shrouded beach, when a man rises up out of the surf. The man immediately collapses, seemingly dead. The group goes for help, but upon their return, the man has vanished. In the city, Doctor Terrence Thirteen, and his wife, Maria, bear witness to a lightning storm. Unseen by Thirteen, the lightning strikes herald the arrival of the Phantom Stranger. Soon after, Tala appears in the world again. Thirteen, Maria, and the four teenagers, attend a party thrown by Earl Winthrop.
Unbeknownst to all, Tala is also there. At the party, Winthrop callously breaks up with a girl, Vera. In a state of extreme emotional distress, Vera departs. Vera loses control of her car, crashing through a bridge guardrail, then plummeting into the sea. The Phantom Stranger dives in after Vera, but by the time she has been brought back to the surface, she has drowned. Strangely, tears seem to linger on her face. Winthrop moves in on Wild Rose. The teenagers recognize Winthrop, as the man they pulled from the sea. Tala sets the dance floor afire.
Suddenly, the Phantom Stranger appears, smothering the flames with his cloak. Tala embraces the Phantom Stranger, kissing him passionately, in an attempt to entice him into darkness. The Phantom Stranger spurns her advances. As usual for all their encounters, Thirteen angrily confronts the Phantom Stranger, denouncing him as a fraud. Winthrop invites everyone back to his beach house. Upon arrival, they discover that Winthrop died in a place crash, at sea. The teenagers speculate that their encounter with Winthrop, on the beach, was some kind of omen foretelling his death.
Astonishingly, Winthrop arrives at the party, very much alive. A hurricane alert scatters the majority of the party guests back to their homes. Thirteen, Maria, and the teenagers linger. Winthrop takes Wild Rose for a long walk, along the shoreline. Suddenly, Winthrop confesses that his reported fate is true. Winthrop did die in the airplane crash. Winthrop is cursed to float, lost at sea, forever. He is given one chance for redemption. For one night, he is brought back to life. If he can find one person who will weep tears of pity for him, then his soul can be saved.
Winthrop desperately tried to find one woman, at the party, who would weep for him. All found his tale of resurrection and redemption ludicrous, and laughed in his face. Wild Rose does cry tears of pity for Winthrop, earning him his salvation. As Winthrop returns to the sea. Tala appears, to force Wild Rose to join him. The Phantom Stranger intervenes, saving Wild Rose. Tala, in one last ditch effort to create chaos, conjures up an enormous tidal wave. The Phantom Stranger bars the wave's path, saving Thirteen, Maria, and the teenagers. Thirteen rails against the Phantom Stranger, stating that it was the power of the hurricane that dispersed the wave, and not any supposed mystic powers. The Phantom Stranger, merely disappears into the mist.

The Devil's Footprints!

In the 19th century, English townsfolk reportedly saw Satan dancing on the rooftop of their home. In the morning, a hunting party was assembled, who tracked the apparition by the cloven hoof prints left behind in the snow. The hoof prints, however, seemed to go off in multiple directions. After three days, the hunting party lost their nerve, and gave up the hunt. The tracks in the snow were lost with the Spring thaw, leaving the question of what made them forever unanswered.

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
5
Cover Date
February 1, 1970
In Store Date
N/A


https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-6-no-13-thirteenth-street/4000-10698/


Four teenagers, in search of lodging for the night, are drawn by screams to 13 Thirteenth Street. As two elderly women come running out, the teenagers rush inside, to find objects, and furniture, being thrown about the house by an unseen force. The group contacts Doctor Terrence Thirteen, a noted parapsychologist, for assistance. No sooner do they hang up the phone then the Phantom Stranger appears. Though the immediate danger has passed, the Phantom Stranger senses a great evil afoot. The skeptical Thirteen denies the existence of supernatural forces, and relays an anecdote regarding a similar case.
Thirteen had been called in to investigate the possible presence of a poltergeist, within the home of the Deggs family. The so-called "Ghost Breaker" used various electronic devices to determine that no actual ghost was haunting their home. When a ghastly spectral face appeared in the darkness, then vanished, Thirteen was quick to shine a flashlight on an ebon garbed figure, receding in the shadows. Unmasked, the man was revealed to be "Creepy" Conway, a failed suitor for the Deggs' daughter. Thirteen proceeded to reveal all the different ways Conway pulled off the spectral haunting of the Deggs' home.
This revelation brought forth a confession from the Deggs' youngest son, who was the true mastermind behind the "haunting". Working with the simple minded Conway, the young Deggs boy effected an elaborate hoax on his family, all in a bid for greater attention. In the end, all the boy garnered was punishment. The Phantom Stranger counters with his own tale. A young couple were driving through Drood Wood when they were accosted by a headless highwayman. For hundreds of years, the ghastly apparition has haunted Drood Wood, tasking the descendants of Ainsley Drew-Gorham with locating it's head.
Drew-Gorham was the Baron of Cheltenham, who beheaded the lowborn suitor of his daughter for daring to love higher than his commoner station. David Drew-Gorham pled for his life to no avail. His family had long sought the ghost's missing head, but had never been able to find it's final resting place. Before the spectral killer could exact his revenge, the Phantom Stranger intervened. Leading the long dead suitor to his own grave, the Phantom Stranger instructed him to discharge his revolver on the bust adorning his tombstone. Within the marble sculpture of his own head, the suitor's true head lay hidden.
The headless highwayman went on to his eternal rest, and the curse on the Drew-Gorham family was lifted. At the summation of his tale, the Phantom Stranger calls out to Tala, an old adversary, and demands she reveal herself. Tala steps forward, accompanied by a poltergeist. Rather than take the credit for unleashing the evil spirit herself, Tala reveals that it was conjured up by one of the two elderly homeowners. For petty slights, Abigail used a sorcerer's tome, found among her father's belongings, to cast spells on her sister, Maude. The Phantom Stranger demands the book be turned over to him.
As the book changes hands, Tala orders the poltergeist to attack the Phantom Stranger. Reeling under the surprise attack, it's all the Phantom Stranger can do to hurl the book into the fireplace. As the book is consumed, Tala and the poltergeist fade away. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Thirteen still refuses to believe that supernatural forces were at play in the house. He accuses the Phantom Stranger of being in on the "performance", and that it's all amounted to a few clever magic tricks. Maude invites the four teenagers, and Thirteen, to dinner, as well as to stay the night. Upstairs in her bedroom, Abigail reveals that she has made multiple copies of the sorcerer's tome, and that Maude's torments have only just begun.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
6
Cover Date
April 1, 1970
In Store Date
N/A

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-7-the-curse-from-the-secret-f/4000-10787/


The Curse!

The Phantom Stranger teases the story about to unfold. Four teenagers... Attila, Mister Square, Spartacus and Wild Rose... seek out Vulcan's Castle. The townsfolk of Seaview warn the teenagers not to go to Vulcan's Castle. The teenagers commandeer a small sail boat, and set off for Vulcan's Castle. Tala, mistress of the macabre, steals away their boat's sail. The teenagers are drawn down, by a sudden whirlpool, to a watery grave. The Phantom Stranger confronts Tala, then sets about to rescuing the teenagers. The Phantom Stranger pushes the teenager's boat to the surface, where they encounter Doctor Terrence Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker.
Thirteen is also en route to Vulcan's Castle where he has been called upon to debunk a curse. Supposedly, billionaire Andrew Vulcan's daughter has been cursed with the kiss of death. Distraught over the curse, and spurred on by Tala, Vulcan's daughter, Vanessa attempts suicide. The Phantom Stranger intervenes, saving her life. Vulcan reveals that when he purchased the castle, it's former owner, Count Druga, cursed Vulcan out of spite. Thirteen scoffs at the tale, denouncing all curses as hoaxes. To emphasize his point, Thirteen recounts a previous case. Thirteen had been called to the Wilton mine, in Kentucky, to debunk the curse of the flaming ghost.
En route, Thirteen was forcibly grabbed, and strangled by, tree limbs. Upon gaining his freedom, Thirteen beheld the flaming ghost. At the Wilton Mine, Thirteen learned that a miner, Abel Krone, died in mining shaft seven, due to negligent safety precautions. With his dying breath, Krone cursed his fellow miners. Thirteen began his investigation in mining shaft seven. There, Thirteen was, again, attacked by the flaming ghost. Though at a loss to explain his encounter, and the injuries sustained from it, Thirteen still contended that nothing supernatural was afoot. Thirteen again entered mining shaft seven, and once more confronted the flaming ghost.
Thirteen belted the "ghost" into the wall, shorting out the "ghost's" electrically powered suit. The ghost was revealed to be Krone's twin brother, Vincent. Dying from an electrical shock, caused by a short in the suit, Vincent revealed that he was haunting the mine in an effort to force the mine to close. The mine remained open, but better safety protocols were enacted to keep another death from happening. The Phantom Stranger counters with his own tale. A young fisherman was drowned, seemingly another victim of a cursed ship. The Phantom Stranger fished the man's corpse from the harbor, then confronted the boat's captain, Bill.
The captain revealed that the boat was left to his brother, Frank, after their father died. Frank took Bill on, as a deck hand. Tired of Frank's constant belittling of him, Bill lashed out, knocking his brother into the sea. Before Frank could be rescued, he was devoured by sharks. With his dying breath, Frank cursed the boat, lest any other man try to sail it. On their way back into port, the lookout fell to his death, from the crow's nest. Frank's curse had claimed it's first victim. The Phantom Stranger agreed to sail with Bill. Sixty miles out at sea, Bill became entranced by his brother's voice, and tried to steer the ship into the rocks. The Phantom Stranger subdues Bill, and rights the ship's course.
The glancing impact dislodged the ship's figurehead, which the Phantom Stranger contended was where the evil rested. that fueled the curse. Vanessa Vulcan reveals the origin of her curse. She had been childhood friends with the gardner's son, Nicholas. Upon reaching maturity, though, her social station pulled her away from him. Nicholas became consumed with jealousy, upon seeing Vanessa in the arms of her husband-to-be, Lee Philips. Nicolas suddenly took ill. Upon his deathbed, he cursed Vanessa. If he couldn't have her, no man would. Any man that kissed Vanessa would come to a terrible end. Philips dies from an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot.
Vanessa's second suitor, Michael Liptom, is killed in a boating accident. Her next suitor, William Howell, is killed in a horseback riding accident. Thirteen is quick to point out that each man's death, while tragic, is easily explained. The Phantom Stranger, though, is not so sure. The Phantom Stranger has Nicholas' corpse exhumed. Thirteen rails at the Phantom Stranger for being proven a fraud, when Nicholas' corpse is, indeed, still inside the casket. The Phantom Stranger points out that the corpse is sweating. Nicholas' father, Thomas, reveals himself to be the culprit behind the curse. Out of jealously for Vulcan's superior wealth and lifestyle, Thomas placed his son into a deep trance, from which he carried out the death sentences of Vanessa's suitors.
Thomas wakes Nicholas from his trance. Nicholas draws a gun, and fires on Vanessa. Attila dives for, and shoves, Vanessa out of harm's way. Thriteen intervenes, getting shot for his trouble. The Phantom Stranger closes on Nicholas. Backing away, Nicholas fires round after round into the Phantom Stranger. Not watching his footing, Nicholas plunges to his death, into the sea. To the Phantom Stranger alone, Tala reveals that she endowed Thomas with the hypnotic power he used on his son. The Phantom Stranger fades away in the mist, leaving behind an infuriated Thirteen, who vows to expose the Phantom Stranger as a fraud.

From The Secret Files of Dr. Thirteen

In 1906, one Mister Simpson had fallen asleep in his room. So exhausted was Simpson that he paid little heed to the faint smell of gas in the room. Simpson was awakened by his long dead mother, who urged him to get out of the room. Already under the effects of the gas, Simpson lost consciousness. Again his mother appeared to him, urging him awake. Simpson stumbled to the window, and struggled to get it open. Simpson again collapsed, striking his head. Upon awakening Simpson discovered that he hit his head on the gas spigot, and the impact shut it off. Lucky to be alive, Simpson was left to wonder if the ghost of his mother did, indeed, intervene to save his life, or had he dreamt the entire encounter.
Four superstitions are revealed.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
7
Cover Date
June 1, 1970
In Store Date
N/A

"Journey To The Tomb Of The Ice Giants!" last edited by ltjfleetwood41 on 05/17/18 10:56AM

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-8-journey-to-the-tomb-of-the-/4000-10885/


The S.S. NIght Wind becomes trapped in the ice. Men on board the vessel swear they saw an enormous ice creature, moments before the collision. The Phantom Stranger appears, briefly, to confirm their danger. In Alaska, the owner of the ship, one Mister Muttson, is found, frozen to death, inside his sauna. The police call in famed Ghost Breaker, Doctor Terrence Thirteen, to aid in the investigation. Thirteen immediately rules out the supernatural. Again, the Phantom Stranger, briefly, appears. Thirteen rails against the Phantom Stranger's presence, denouncing him as a fraud. The sheriff moves in to arrest the Phantom Stranger.
The lights flicker, and in that moment of darkness, the Phantom Stranger disappears. The case reminds Thirteen of a previous experience. Thirteen had been brought in to explain the death of Ivan Gorsky, a wealthy recluse. Gorsky had been found, frozen solid, inside his hothouse. Gorsky's nephew, Mickey, had put forward the notion that Gorsky willed himself frozen, out of nostalgia for his life in Russia. Thirteen immediately dismissed the idea as absurd. Outside the hothouse, Thirteen discovered an empty canister of freon gas. Thirteen found that the flowers in the hothouse were also frozen solid. Thirteen surmised that the freon gas was piped into the hothouse, freezing everything.
Thirteen accused Mickey of murdering his uncle. Mickey attacked the officer, taking his gun. Mickey drew on Thirteen, but was quickly disarmed and beaten into submission. The crime laboratory determines that the ice, surrounding Muttson, could only have come from the Arctic. Thirteen charters a helicopter to take him out to the S.S. Night Wind. The Phantom Stranger again appears, warning Thirteen not to go. Thirteen lashes out at the Phantom Stranger, who disappears once more. Thirteen, and his wife, Maria, fly out to the S.S. Night Wind. Their attention is drawn to something gleaming in the snow. Landing the helicopter, Thirteen discovers an enormous sword, half-buried in the snow.
Suddenly, Thirteen is struck unconscious, by a massive frozen hand. Thirteen, and Maria, are seized by the ice giant. The Phantom Stranger confronts the ice giant. Tala suddenly appears. Tala embraces the Phantom Stranger, kissing him passionately, in an attempt to entice the Phantom Stranger into darkness. The Phantom Stranger spurns Tala, and battles against the ice giant, for the lives of Thirteen, and Maria. The Phantom Stranger is struck down. The ice giant is joined by his brethren, all of whom have been awakened by the passage of the S.S. Night Wind. Asleep for millennia, the ice giants have decided to reclaim the world.
The Phantom Stranger reveals the terrible state the world is in, full of strife and pollution. The ice giants balk at reclaiming such a world. Tala offers the ice giants Maria, to appease their law. Once the ice giants return to their lair, the Phantom Stranger has it sealed, with a dynamite explosion. Suddenly, Maria appears. For reasons of her own, Tala took Maria's place, then used her magics to escape the ice giants. Thirteen revives. En route back to civilization, Thirteen explains to Maria how the events she experienced were the result of shock-induced delirium.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
8
Cover Date
August 1, 1970
In Store Date
N/A

Obeah Man!

Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, is asked to look into the death of the President of Haiti's secretary. Thirteen immediately rules out the supernatural, in regards to the murder. The death of the president's secretary is of benefit to a religious figure, known as the Obeah Man. Seeing that not even the presidential palace is a safe haven from the Obeah Man will drive more of the populace to his side, sowing further dissent in the country. The Obeah Man is headquartered in Gaspard Fortress. His intelligence resources always keep him one step ahead of the president's security forces.
Thirteen asks to be driven to Gaspard Fortress. The president, himself, drives Thirteen. En route to Gaspard Fortress, Thirteen recounts a story involving a similar case. Thirteen had been called to England, by a close friend, to investigate the matter of a curse on Edward Ashley. Arriving at Ashley's home, Thirteen was astonished to see Ashley in a wheelchair. Ashley had discovered a voodoo doll of himself, with pins sticking into it's legs, the night before. Upon waking, Ashley found he could not walk. Ashley recounted a tale of a time when he was stationed in Africa.
A series of mysterious deaths had been attributed to the power of a criminal figure, known as the Ju-Ju Man. Upon closer investigation, Ashley discovered that each of the murdered men had been killed with a poison dart. Ashley stormed the hidden lair of the Ju-Ju Man. During a brief altercation, Ashley was forced to gun down the Ju-Ju Man. With his dying breath, the Ju-Ju Man swore revenge. Ashley wrote his sister about the entire affair, but she died before his letter ever arrived in England. Ashley encountered the ghost of the Ju-Ju Man, who gave him the doll, promising that Ashely would soon die.
Thirteen's investigation turned up a miniature recording device, embedded in the headboard of Ashley's bed. Each night, Ashley was conditioned, by a recording, to believe that his legs were paralyzed, and that soon, he would be dead. The culprit behind the entire scheme was Ashley's nephew, Rodney, who had read Ashley's letter to his mother. Rodney realized he would inherit everything, once Ashley had passed. En route to Gaspard Fortress, Thirteen spies Attila, Mister Square, Spartacus, and Wild Rose. Thirteen orders the president to stop the car.
Thirteen confronts the teenagers, demanding to know where the Phantom Stranger is. Returning to the presidential limousine, Thirteen finds the Phantom Stranger already in the car, with the president. Thirteen furiously rails against the Phantom Stranger, but the president is eager to hear what the Phantom Stranger has to say. Arriving at Gaspard Fortress, the entire group is quickly taken captive by the Obeah Man's warriors, Brought before the Obeah Man, the entire group is sentenced to be sacrificed in his honor. The Phantom Stranger forces Tala to reveal herself.
The Phantom Stranger lunges for the Obeah Man, knocking the Seal Of Solomon from his hands. The evil spirit within the Obeah Man attempts to flee, but the Phantom Stranger captures it, within the Seal Of Soloman. Quickly, the Phantom Stranger hurls the Seal Of Solomon into the sea. Failing, once more, to tempt the Phantom Stranger into joining her, Tala disappears. Thirteen rants at the Phantom Stranger, denouncing his powers as trickery. The Haitian president, however, thanks the Phantom Stranger for freeing his people from the evil of the Obeah Man. The Phantom Stranger fades away. Thirteen vows to expose the Phantom Stranger as a fraud.

From The Secret Files of... Dr. Thirteen

This story was originally published in House Of Mystery #24 (March,1954). A synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
9
Cover Date
October 1, 1970
In Store Date
N/A

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-10-death-call-not-my-name-the/4000-11086/

Death... Call Not My Name!

The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. Irene, Lotti, and Michelle are having a conversation, at a night club. Tannarak interrupts, and asks Lotti to dance. Upon returning to the table, Lotti seems entranced. Then, Lotti drops dead to the floor. Doctor Terrence Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, steps forward to render assistance. As does the Phantom Stanger. Thirteen accuses the Phantom Stranger of being responsible for Lotti's murder. The two men quickly come to an accord. Thirteen had been investigating a series of murders. The victims all ended up like Lotti. On the street outside the club, Irene and Michelle are accosted by Tannarak.
Their screams attract the attention of Thirteen, and the Phantom Stranger. Tannarak has made off with Michelle. The Phantom Stranger coaxes information, about their foe, from Irene. Thirteen refuses to work with the Phantom Stranger, opting to continue his investigation alone. Tannarak, calling Michelle "Dianna", returns to his secret lair. Tannarak reveals his origin to Michelle, still paralyzed by Tannarak's enchantments. Exposed to the brutal finality of death, at a very early age, Tannarak devoted his life to alchemy, and the black arts, to cheat death forever. Though the love of his life, Dianna, eventually grew old and perished, Tannarak endured the centuries.
Tannarak prepares a ceremony to grant Michelle immortality, so that she may stay by his side for eternity. The Phantom Stranger disrupts the ceremony. Despite Tannarak's best efforts, the Phantom Stranger subdues him. Slammed back into a giant golden statue of himself, one that supposedly maintains his immortality, Tannarak is crushed to death, when the statue topples over onto him. Thirteen arrives, with Irene. Thirteen immediately begins debunking any notions that supernatural elements were at play. As the Phantom Stranger fades from view, Thirteen, once again, angrily vows to expose him as a fraud.

The Bewitched Clock!

This story was originally published in House Of Mystery #11 (February, 1953). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

Charlie's Crocodile

Charlie's wife nags him. After enduring another of her tirades, Charlie sees an ad in the local newspaper for nuisance removal. Charlie visits Scratch & Co., and purchases an inflatable rubber crocodile, from the shopkeeper. Outside the store, the Phantom Stranger warns Charlie to get rid of the crocodile. Charlie turns to return the crocodile, but the store has vanished. The Phantom Stranger urges Charlie to destroy the crocodile.
Charlie has every intention of heeding the Phantom Stranger's warning, but a particularly scathing verbal assault, from his wife, changes his mind. Charlie inflates the crocodile, and places it in the pool. The next morning, Charlie's wife is found, drowned in the pool. With his wife dead, Charlie's entire lifestyle changes. Charlie begins throwing regular pool parties.
One night, as his guests are leaving, two of Charlie's friends find the inflatable crocodile. Blowing it up, they place it in the pool, as a prank. Charlie's dead body is found the next morning, drowned in the swimming pool.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
10
Cover Date
December 1, 1970
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-11-walk-not-in-the-deserts-su/4000-11201/


The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. An eerie light formation can be seen in the night sky, simultaneously, over some of the greatest cities on Earth. A murderess commits suicide, leaping to her death from the Brooklyn Bridge. Her body, though, seems to vanish in the fog. The Phantom Stranger bears witness. Radical terrorists steal a rocket ship, with intentions of crashing it into Washington D.C. Their capsule, however, misses it's mark, splashing down in the mid-Atlantic ocean. Upon recovering the module, the terrorists have vanished. The Phantom Stranger bears witness.
On board a flight to Israel, the Phantom Stranger makes the acquaintance of a young woman, Lynn Berg. While waiting for her brother, Teddy, to pick her up, the Phantom Stranger has a premonition of death. Suddenly, two militant Arabs step out of the shadows, and hurl a grenade at a bus, driven by Berg's brother. Berg viciously assaults the Arabs, and slays them, in retribution for her brother's murder. As the last Arab dies, he releases a hand grenade, killing Berg in a second explosion. When the dust clears, however, no trace of Berg's body can be found. All that remains is an eerie light formation.
The Phantom Stranger follows the emanation to a pyramid, in Egypt. Here, the self-styled "Messiah Of Evil" is amassing an army fueled by hatred. From across the world, the Messiah of Evil has abducted those with murder in their hearts, to fill the ranks of his unholy army. Berg finds herself very much alive, locked in a cell, within the pyramid. The Phantom Stranger makes his presence known to Berg. The Messiah of Evil's guards come for Berg. The Phantom Stranger defends Berg, but succumbs to the guards' force fields, powered by pure corruption.
The Phantom Stranger is brought before the Messiah Of Evil. The Messiah of Evil reveals himself to be Tannarak. Thought dead after their least encounter, Tannarak was resurrected by ancient Gods of Hatred. Tannarak became the Gods' avatar on Earth, tasked with assembling an army of the damned, to conquer the world. The Phantom Stranger subdues the guards, then confronts Tannarak. By letting go of his own hatred, righteous though it may be, the Phantom Stranger is able to withstand Tannarak's power, and triumph over his foe.
The Phantom Stranger flees with Berg, deeper into the pyramid. They discover an ancient control center, activating it's defense systems in the process. The pyramid is revealed to be a starship. The ancient alien Gods of Hatred learn that mankind is not actually ruled by it's baser emotions. The ship begins to self-destruct. The Phantom Stranger gets Berg out, before the ship explodes. Tannarak is not so lucky. He, and his followers, perish in the ship's destruction. Though alive, Berg's mind has shattered from her encounter with the ancient Gods of Hatred. The Phantom Stranger soothes her fears, and carries Berg, in his arms, out of the desert.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
11
Cover Date
February 1, 1971
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-12-marry-me-marry-death-a-tim/4000-11311/


"Marry Me-Marry Death!"

As millionaire Jason Phillips carries his new bride, Wanda, over the threshold, he spies the Phantom Stranger. Wanda sees nothing, and Jason shakes off the vision as mere imagination. As the wedding guests file into the vast dining room, they are taken aback by the coffin in the center of the room. The coffin contains Phillips' first wife, Irina. On Irina's death bed, Phillips vowed to keep her close to him forever. Phillips met, and fell in love with, Irina, while working as a ski instructor. Irina suffered from a weak heart, and passed away four years after they married, leaving Phillips a very wealthy man. At the dining table, Phillips once more sees the Phantom Stranger.
Wanda points out that Phillips is actually looking at his own best man, Carl Trent. After the guests have departed, and Wanda has gone to sleep, Phillips steals down to the dining room, to be with Irina. The Phantom Stranger is waiting for Phillips. The casket begins to open, and Phillips hears Irina's voice. Phillips' screams bring Wanda down to the dining room. In a flash of lightning, Phillips again sees Irina, and the Phantom Stranger. Phillips lashes out, striking the Phantom Stranger, knocking him off the balcony. Near hysteria, Wanda tries to convince Phillips that the presence of Irina, in the coffin, is slowly driving him mad.
The next day, Phillips and Wanda spend some time on the lake. Suddenly, the Phantom Stranger's hand grabs Phillips' oar. Phillips goes berserk, and begins violently beating the water with his oar. He sees Irina behind Wanda, but Wanda sees nothing. After finally calming Phillips down, Wanda has Irina's coffin placed in storage. Upon awakening, Phillips rushes down to the storage room. Grasping an axe off the wall, Phillips prepares to break into the coffin. The Phantom Stranger appears to Phillips once more. Finally, Phillips breaks down and confesses to murdering Irina, to inherit her wealth. Phillips begins swinging the axe at the Phantom Stranger. In his mad obsession, Phillips blindly stumbles into the road, and is struck, and killed, by an oncoming car.

A Time To Die

At the stroke of midnight, a man named McKay is struck dead in the street. On hand to bear witness, to McKay's strange death, are Doctor Terrence Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, and his wife, Maria. The townsfolk blame McKay's death on the curse of the Black Friar. Thirteen dismisses any supernatural element in McKay's death. Speaking with Doctor Hall, the man who sent for Thirteen, the Ghost-Breaker learns the Black Friar's history. Now, if any man sees the ghost of the Black Friar, at midnight, he is struck dead.
Thirteen encounters the ghost of the Black Friar, in the local cemetery. Seeing, though, is not believing for the Ghost-Breaker. Thirteen assembles a group of townspeople, a dozen strong, to lay in wait for the ghost of the Black Friar, at the abbey. Only the ghost of the Black Friar's voice is heard, demanding the townsfolk drive Thirteen off. Giving in to their superstition and fear, the tonsfolk do just as the ghost of the Black Friar demands. After driving out of town, Thirteen doubles back. Thirteen conducts his investigation throughout the night, and most of the following day.
Once more he assembles the townsfolk, near the base of the great clock tower. This time when the Ghost of the Black Friar's voice is heard, Thirteen lunges for a tombstone, and activates a hidden mechanism that reveals the true location of the "ghost" of the Black Friar. The "ghost" is taken into custody and revealed to be Hall. Out of vanity, Hall engineered a sonic weapon that allowed him to kill anyone in close proximity to the clock tower. Hall felt spiteful towards the town, for having him replaced with a younger doctor. Thirteen explains how he was able to thwart Hall's schemes. Hall is taken away.


Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
12
Cover Date
April 1, 1971
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-13-a-child-of-death-the-devil/4000-11413/


"A Child Of Death!"

Four year old Freddie Forsyte enters the laboratory his grandfather, Albert Anson, is working in. Freddie points his finger, like a gun, at his grandfather, and playfully "shoots". Anson falls to the floor, dead. An emergency meeting of Project:Thunderhead's scientists is convened. As Anson was the head of Project:Thunderhead, a vote is taken to choose a new project head. The German scientist, Professor Heinrich lobbies for the position. At Anson's funeral, none take notice of the Phantom Stranger's presence. Heinrich is outraged when Doctor Kurasawa Genji is selected as new project head. Genji gifts young Freddie with a samurai doll. Freddie points his finger, like a gun,at Genji, and playfully "shoots". Genji falls to the floor, dead. Freddie violently destroys the samurai doll.
At Anson's grave, the Phantom Stranger confronts Heinrich. Believing the Phantom Stranger to be a spy, Heinrich viciously attacks him. The two men tumble down the hillside. When Heinrich finally comes to rest, the Phantom Stranger has disappeared. Heinrich is discovered by his peers, in a near hysterical state. Heinrich is sedated, while the other scientist's confer over the strange circumstance plaguing Project:Thunderhead. French scientist, Doctor Clair, is left in charge of Freddie, while funeral arrangements are made for Genji. Freddie points his finger, like a gun, at Clair, and playfully "shoots". No ill effects occur to Clair. Freddie's father, the American scientist, Doctor Forsyte, volunteers to take over for Genji.
Forsyte requests additional scientists to take over for Anson and Genji. Freddie enters the laboratory his father is working in. Freddie points his finger, like a gun, at his father. Before Freddie can "shoot", the Phantom Stranger appears, and wraps Freddie in his cape. The Phantom Stranger passes himself off as the assistant to one of the scientists Forsyte requested. Forsyte re-enforces his love to Freddie, who turns out to be Forsyte's adopted son. The Phantom Stranger points out that all of the computer banks have shorted out. The same occurrence happened when Anson died. Forsyte suddenly realizes that Freddie was the last person to see Anson and Genji alive. Picking up a toy gun, Forsyte "shoots' it at the computer banks.
Freddie flees the facility, with Forsyte in pursuit. Freddie turns on Forsyte, and speaks with words, and cadence, no four year old ever could. Freddie reveals his psychic power, to kill with a glance. At the last second, the Phantom Stranger shields Forsyte. Freddie reveals himself to be an ancient inhabitant of the Earth, born before recorded history. To survive Earth's Ice Age, Freddie's people ventured deep underground. There, their civilization flourished. As the millennia passed, they evolved strangely. Though they still reached adulthood, their bodies ceased to grow past the age of four. A subset of their race developed the ability to kill with a glance. These individuals were forced to live in isolation.
Underground atomic testing, such as the kind carried out by Project:Thunderhead, threatened to drive their race to extinction. The hyper-mutants, with the lethal gazes, were sent out into the world, to shut down these testing facilities, by any means necessary. The Phantom Stranger tries to convince Freddie that not all humanity should be held accountable, for the near-destruction of Freddie's people. Freddie tries to return home. Clair reveals herself to be Tala, who makes another attempt to seduce the Phantom Stranger. The Phantom Stranger pursues Freddie, still trying to reason with him. Another underground atomic test goes off. The Phantom Stranger re-appears to Forsyte, and angrily chastises the scientist for pursuing such a destructive path.

The Devil's Timepiece

Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, attends a black magic auction, with his friend Bently Ames. As skeptical of the supernatural as Thirteen, Ames purchases a grandfather clock, adorned with a figure of Satan. At home, Ames winds the clock. Ames is overwhelmed by the smell of sulphur. The figure of Satan grows to life-size proportions, and impales Ames on it's trident. Thirteen discovers Ames body. Thirteen turns the key in the clock. Thirteen is overwhelmed by the smell of sulphur.
The figure of Satan grows to life-size proportions and lunges at Thirteen. Just before "Satan" can bury his trident in Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, parries the thrust with an antique pole arm. The trident shatters a window, allowing fresh air into the room, to disperse the sulphuric gas. "Satan" reveals that he hid within the clock, to take his revenge on Ames, the man who sent "Satan's" father to the electric chair. During the struggle, "Satan" is impaled on his own trident, and dies. "Satan" is revealed as the auctioneer who sold Ames the clock.


Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
13
Cover Date
June 1, 1971
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-14-the-man-with-no-heart-the-/4000-11522/


"The Man With No Heart!"

The Phantom Stranger confronts Broderick Rune. The Phantom Stranger, though, was expected. Rune traps, and seemingly kills, the Phantom Stranger, within a pentagram. Rune's manservant, Rashid, confirms that the Phantom Stranger is, indeed, dead. Rune's weak heart gives out. Rashid hurries the operation to save Rune's life. Rashid presses the reluctant heart surgeon, Doctor Ferret, into service. Ferret transplants the Phantom Stranger's heart into Rune's chest. The Phantom Stranger confronts Rune, in the twilight realm of death, and demands the return of his heart.
Rune bolts awake, the encounter seemingly a dream. Rune's men dispose of the Phantom Stranger's body, at the waterfront. However, upon opening the blanket to release the Phantom Stranger's body into the water, the corpse is no longer there. The Phantom Stranger confronts Rune's men, whose minds shatter at the mere sight of the Phantom Stranger. Rune sees a vision of the Phantom Stranger in his mirror, while shaving. The Phantom Stranger demands his heart back. For weeks, Rune is tormented, both in dreams and in his waking hours, by the Phantom Stranger, ever demanding the return of his stolen heart.
Finally, Rune flees the country. To no avail, as the Phantom Stranger again appears to Rune, in Europe. Rashid conjures up the spirit of the Phantom Stranger, to free Rune once and for all. Rashid battles against the Phantom Stranger, buying Rune time to flee. The Phantom Stranger pursues Rune, drawing ever closer, until Rune's heart finally gives out from the strain. When Ferret examines Rune, he finds the man has no heart. The Phantom Stranger has reclaimed what is rightfully his.

The Spectre Of The Stalking Swamp!

Elly Mae Mullins is abducted by the "Swampster", a legendary ghost of the bayou. The encounter leaves her boyfriend, Charlie, in a catatonic state. Sheriff Taylor contacts Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, to aid in the investigation. Thirteen immediately dismisses the supernatural, as a factor in the case. Thirteen ventures out, into the swamp, alone. Thirteen is attacked by the Swampster, and disappears. At the behest of Thirteen's wife, Maria, Sheriff Taylor takes her to the scene of the attack. Taylor and Maria continue to search the swamp.
Astonishingly, they discover a domed city, hidden away in the deepest part of the swamp. Taylor and Maria gain entry into the domed city, through an airlock. Inside the city, Taylor and Maria encounter strange flora, and seemingly mindless citizens. The Swampster is revealed to be Professor Zachary Nail, the city's founder. Nail murders Taylor, converting his body into flora. Nail's utopian society is in response to the polluted world mankind is creating outside the domed city. Nail takes Maria to see her husband. Thirteen has undergone Nail's conditioning, leaving him virtually mindless.
Nail orders Thirteen to take Maria away for conditioning. Thirteen's love for Maria causes him to rebel, and break his conditioning. Thirteen attacks Nails, as the swamp reclaims the domed city. Thirteen evacuates the city, leaving Nail to perish as the city falls to ruin. Thirteen attributes the rapid growth of the swamp around the city to Nail's atomic reactors. Maria, however, believes that nature itself took umbrage at Nail's so-called perfect society, and destroyed it.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
14
Cover Date
August 1, 1971
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-15-the-iron-messiah-i-battled/4000-11645/


"The Iron Messiah!"

The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. Cyberneticist, John Kweli, is returning home. The train Kweli is riding on suffers a mishap, derails and explodes. The Phantom Stranger pulls Kweli from the wreckage. Kweli awakes in a hospital, to the familiar face of his friend, Ororo. Kweli has returned to Africa too late. His father, a tribal chief, has already passed. Kweli, with Ororo, drives out to the tribal camp, to find soldiers loading several of the men into trucks. Ngumi, the tribe's spiritual leader, spurns Kweli's return. Though Kweli is the rightful chief, by lineage, Ngumi has usurped control.
Ngumi has turned the tribe towards the worship of Chuma, a Warrior God. Kweli returns to the city, with Ororo. En route they are attacked by a lion. The Phantom Stranger suddenly appears, wrapping the lion within his cape. When he unfurls his cape, the lion is gone. Kweli recognizes the Phantom Stranger as the man who pulled him from the wreckage. As suddenly as he appeared, the Phantom Stranger disappears. Kweli meets with Amos Trent, the oil baron who has been sending soldiers to forcibly evict the tribe from it's oil-rich lands. Their meeting does not go well.
Suddenly, inspiration strikes Kweli. Sequestered away for several days, Kweli constructs an automaton who will serve his tribe as Chuma, their Warrior God. Chuma dispatches the soldiers and rallies the tribe to his cause. With the tribe flocking to follow Chuma, Ngumi finds his power base eroding. Ngumi reports the situation to Trent. Discovered by Chuma's tribal warriors, Ngumi is executed for his betrayal. Chuma corners Ororo, and professes it's love for her. Ororo spurns the machine, professing her love for Kweli. Chuma abandons the tribe's fight against Trent's security forces.
The Phantom Stranger confronts Chuma, and convinces the robot to rethink it's course of action. Moments before the tribe is about to be overwhelmed by Trent's security forces, Chuma joins them on the battlefield. The tribe rallies around Chuma, and the tide begins to turn. Seeing it's rival pinned down by heavy gunfire. Chuma elects to murder Kweli, in the hopes of winning Ororo's affections. With the battle won, the tribe praises Chuma. Ororo, though, bore witness to the murder, and turns the tribe against Chuma. A rock, hurled by a tribal warrior, becomes a grenade, as it passes through the Phantom Stranger's shadow. Chuma is struck and destroyed.

I Battled For The Doom Stone

This story was originally published in My Greatest Adventure #61 (November, 1961). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

Satan's Sextet

The music of Satan's Sextet compels a group of partygoers to follow the band into the ocean. Only Satan's Sextet resurfaces. Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost Breaker, encounters a half-drowned man, Willard Wentworth, on the beach. Wentworth had hosted the party, and been drawn into the sea with his other party guests. A powerful riptide, though, had pulled him away, and cast him back upon the shore.
Thirteen returns to Wentworth's home, to find it full of strangers, and Satan's Sextet still performing. Thirteen sees no evidence that the music is entrancing anyone at the party, lest of all Thirteen himself. Pretty girls put beads, and flowers, around the necks of Wentworth, and Thirteen. Satan's Sextet draws the partygoers out into the ocean. Wentworth and Thirteen feel an irresistible compulsion to follow.
Moments before he drowns, Thirteen realizes the beads are releasing a powerful hypnotic hallucinogen, keeping him in the music's power. Thirteen removes his, and Wentworth's beads, before both men return to the shore. Thirteen confronts the lead musician of Satan's Sextet, who is revealed to be Wentworth's son, Steve. Thirteen beats Steve into unconsciousness, then turns the whole band over to the authorities.

"I Scout Earth's Strangest Secrets!"

This story was originally published in House Of Secrets #23 (August, 1959). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.


Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
15
Cover Date
October 1, 1971
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-16-image-in-wax-the-threat-of/4000-11762/


Image In Wax

The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. Two men break into Tallow's Museum of the Occult. They are confronted by the museum's curator, Judah Tallow. There are screams. Tallow sends two men out, into the night, in search of a woman. The two would-be robbers become permanent parts of Tallow's wax figure collection. In attendance at the grand opening of the museum is the Phantom Stranger, who has been drawn there by a palpable evil.
A young woman is accosted on the street by two men. The Phantom Stranger intervenes, and repels her attackers, despite their use of the mystical Ravenstone. The woman has no recollection of her identity. The Phantom Stranger takes her to a safe haven, where she can rest. The woman dreams that she is the queen of an ancient society of wizards and sorcerers. To endure the centuries, Lord Tallow transforms the populace into living wax figures. The Queen balks at spending eternity as a wax figure, and resists.
The Phantom Stranger appears, and wrenches the queen away from Lord Tallow. The woman awakens to find the Phantom Stranger standing vigil over her. The Phantom Stranger takes the woman for a walk. On the street, they are accosted by Ernest Drapper, who calls the woman "Dalia". The woman has no recollection of Drapper, quickly becoming upset over his attentions. The Phantom Stranger attempts to calm the situation, but Drapper, out of jealousy, attacks the Phantom Stranger.
As the two men struggle, they do not notice Tallow's men approaching. Both men are felled by the power of the Ravenstone. By the time both men regain consciousness, the woman is gone. The Phantom Stranger leads Drapper to the museum. Once inside, they are attacked, and taken prisoner by figures of living wax. The Phantom Stranger tells Drapper not to resist, so that they might be drawn to the very core of the museum's evil. The Phantom Stranger, and Drapper, are brought before Tallow.
On a throne behind Tallow, sits "Dalia", the Queen, in all her regalia. Tallow unveils a draped wax figure, that is the true queen. The ravages of the centuries have taken their toll on her. Drapper refuses to believe the true queen is "Dalia". In a rage, Drapper sets the museum on fire. The Phantom Stranger get Drapper, and "Dalia" out of the museum, before it collapses. The intense heat of the flames causes "Dalia" to melt. She, too, was merely a figure of living wax. The Phantom Stranger offers solace to Drapper

The Threat Of The Horrible Hex

This story was originally published in House Of Secrets #64 (February, 1964). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

And The Corpse Cried "Murder!"

A young couple witness a vehicular suicide. The ghost of the suicide victim, Paul Williams, appears to Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost Breaker. Willims' ghost claims that he was murdered, and that he wishes for Thirteen to solve the crime. Thirteen agrees to take the case, while planning on debunking the very existence of Paul Williams' ghost, Thirteen begins his investigation with Williams widow. She gives Thirteen the name of one of Williams' associates, Ross Curran. Williams fired Curran, which may have been a possible motivation for murder. Thirteen pays a visit to Curran, arriving just in time to see Curran commit suicide.
Strangely, Curran's body is already ice-cold, as if he had been dead for quite some time. Thirteen notices an iridescent dust swirling about the room. The same dust appeared in his office, when he was visited by Williams' ghost. Thirteen phones Williams' widow, and tells her he's broken the case. Then, Thirteen waits. Williams, very much alive, arrives. Williams had faked his death for the insurance money, but the witnesses erroneously described it as a suicide. As the insurance company wouldn't pay for a suicide, Williams hired Thirteen to prove his death was a murder, so that he could collect. Using technology invented by Curran, Willims was able to project a pre-filmed, three dimensional hologram of himself, as the ghost.
Thirteen throws a packet of iridescent dust against the floor, flooding the room. Suddenly, multiple images of Thirteen appear before Williams. Firing wildly, Williams shoots the images of Thirteen, but misses the man himself. Thirteen subdues Williams. Suddenly, Williams' "widow" enters the room, and collapses. Hearing the gunshots, she had come in to investigate, when she was hit by stray gunfire. Williams' wife dies in his arms, shortly before hes taken away by the authorities.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
16
Cover Date
December 1, 1971
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-17-like-a-ghost-from-the-ashe/4000-11900/


LIke A Ghost From The Ashes

The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. A man named Mertz races down the subway tracks. Just before he is hit by the train, the Phantom Stranger rescues Mertz, seemingly sacrificing his own life in the process. Mertz, though, finds the Phantom Stranger standing right behind him on the platform. Mertz is carrying several scrolls, that he seems to believe jeopardize the fate of the world. A group of thugs close on Mertz. The Phantom Stranger steps forward to protect Mertz. A sudden wave of weakness assails the Phantom Stranger.
The thugs mercilessly beat the Phantom Stranger into unconsciousness, then abduct Mertz. The Phantom Stranger is found by Cassandra Craft, who carries him back to her place, to nurse him back to health. Upon recovery, the Phantom Stranger expresses his gratitude, then prepares to depart. Once more, he is overwhelmed by a wave of weakness, and collapses. Craft tends to the Phantom Stranger, then uses her mystical senses to try to ascertain the problem. Craft discerns a location, in Egypt, from which the Phantom Stranger can address his dilemma.
Against the Phantom Stranger's protests, Craft accompanies him on the journey. Robbed of his mystical powers, the Phantom Stranger is forced to use more mundane methods of conveyance, to travel to Egypt. Craft leads the Phantom Stranger to an archeological excavation site. The Phantom Stranger speaks with Oleander Boggs, the man in charge of the archeological expedition. Boggs is attempting to discover the lost tomb of the pharaoh, Anka-Tut. Boggs professes no knowledge of Mertz. Boggs invites the Phantom Stranger, and Craft, to remain in the camp for the night.
The Phantom Stranger, with Craft, tour the perimeter of the camp. A shadowy figure pushes a large stone down upon them. The Phantom Stranger pushes Craft out of the way, then confronts the man who attacked them. A group of men step out of the shadows, and mercilessly beat the Phantom Stranger into unconsciousness. Craft tends to the Phantom Stranger's injuries, and brings him back to Boggs. Using one of the excavated artifacts, Boggs gasses the Phantom Stranger, and Craft. The Phantom Stranger awakens within an ethereal globe of mystic energy.
Boggs reveals himself to be Tannarak. In their last encounter, Tannarak was thought slain. In reality, Tannarak was able to escape the destruction of his secret lair. During his escape, Tannarak stumbled upon a series of ancient scrolls. The scrolls served as a map to the final resting place of the mythological Phoenix. Tannarak has assembled a group of individuals sensitive to magic. From them, along with the Phantom Stranger, Tannarak has amassed enough power to summon the Phoenix. By harnessing the power of the Phoenix, Tannarak hopes to finally achieve his goal of eternal life.
Tannarak calls forth the Phoenix. Drawing off the mystic power, residing in certain artifacts in the room, the Phantom Stranger shatters the ethereal globe. The Phantom Stranger fights his way to Tannarak. Leaping upon the Phoenix, Tannarak takes to the sky. At Tannarak's command, the Phoenix rains fire down upon the Phantom Stranger. The Phantom Stranger takes command of Tannarak's mindless servants, and turns them against him. By drawing their collective mystic energies away from Tannarak, Tannarak finds he can no longer control the Phoenix. The legendary creature returns to it's grave, taking Tannarak with it. Fully restored, the Phantom Stranger takes his leave of Craft, though not before kissing her, passionately, goodbye.

"Suicide Tower!"

This story was originally published in Star Spangled Comics #124 (January, 1952). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

I Was A Victim Of Black Magic!

This story was originally published in House Of Mystery #3 (April, 1952). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
17
Cover Date
February 1, 1972
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-18-home-is-the-sailor-war-of-/4000-12036/


Home Is The Sailor

Lorelei Larkin's boat is capsized by a phantom galleon. The Phantom Stranger rescues Larkin from drowning. The Phantom Stranger escorts Larkin back to shore, then disappears in the mist. Larkin returns home, and tells her tale to her father, Jacob. In her terrible loneliness, Larken offers up her soul for love. As if on cue, there is a knock at the door. Hans Vanderdecker, a dutch sea captain, asks for momentary respite from the storm. Vanderdecker waits out the passage of the storm, then departs. Before he goes, Vanderdecker gives Larkin a black orchid, and ask to see her again.
Larkin's father is immediately suspicious of Vanderdecker. Larkin, though, will not be denied her chance at love. On the beach, the Phantom Stranger confronts Larkin's father, and councils him against taking rash actions. As suddenly as he appeared, the Phantom Stranger disappears. Vanderdecker tells Larkin a tale of the sea. Vanderdecker tells of an old sea captain, who took a wife, to end his loneliness. The old sea captain's insecurities, while away at sea, built to a jealous rage. Upon returning to port, the old sea captain murdered his wife, for imagined infidelities.
From that moment forward, the old sea captain was cursed to sail the seas forever, until he could find a woman who would love him, despite his horrific crime. Larkin, and Vanderdecker, are confronted by Larkin's father. Larkin's father demands Vanderdecker stay away from his daughter. Vanderdecker abandons. Larkin, but only for the moment. Larkin angrily runs away from her father. Before he can pursue her, Larkin's father is attacked by a monstrous sea creature. The Phantom Stranger intervenes, and saves Larkin's father from a ghastly, crushing death.
Larkin's father is more sure than ever that Vanderdecker is not what he seems. A sudden storm keeps Larkin's father from retrieving Larkin from Vanderdecker's ship. The Phantom Stranger, though, is not so easily deterred. The Phantom Stranger confronts Vanderdecker, now revealed to be the legendary Flying Dutchman. The Phantom Stranger battles against the Flying Dutchman, to save Larkin's soul. Larkin ends the fight, professing her love for the Flying Dutchmen, and her heartfelt intent to spend her life by his side. The Phantom Stranger reluctantly complies with Larkin's wishes, then breaks the tragic news to her father.

War Of The Toy Soldiers

This story was originally published in Sensation Mystery #111 (September, 1952). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

"Stopover"

Cultists ask Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, to bear witness to their summoning of a being from beyond the mortal realm. The "spirit" the cultists actually call forth, however, turns out to be a hostile alien. Thirteen attempts to subdue the alien, without success. The alien teleports away, using a strange device, worn on it's belt. The alien's device absorbs the atmosphere in the room, creating a vacuum. The house barely survives the passage of one alien.Thirteen surmises that had there been more aliens, passing through, the house would have fallen.
The cultists try to convince Thirteen of their success. Thirteen points out that there's nothing supernatural about the alien being. A trio of aliens begin to materialize. The moment they completely solidify, Thirteen attacks, and subdues, them. Thirteen removes their teleportation devices, offering to return them only on the condition that the aliens use them outside of the house. Thirteen also convinces the aliens that an invasion of Earth would be a terrible mistake. After belittling the cult's efforts one last time, Thirteen takes his leave.

The Demon Spirit That Invaded Mark Merlin!

This story was originally published in House Of Secrets #59 (April, 1963). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.


Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
18
Cover Date
April 1, 1972
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-19-return-to-the-tomb-of-the-/4000-12169/


Return To The Tomb Of The Ice Giants!

The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. Two Union Oil workers, Milt and Frank, are out checking the pressure gauges on the pipeline. Suddenly, the pressure drops to zero. Milt, and Frank, track the problem back to an enormous sword, embedded in the pipeline. Before they can fully react to the scene, they are murdered by an Ice Giant. Anthony Blake, a land surveyor, confronts Nicholas Stone, the foreman, over the disappearances of the two men.
Blake lobbies, on behalf of the environment, to shut the project down. Stone refuses. Blake furiously storms out. En route back home, Blake is caught in an earthquake, and pitched into a chasm. The Phantom Stranger rescues Blake, then disappears into the mist. At home, Blake continues his rant against Stone. Blake's wife, Carol, fails to calm him down. Blake confronts Stone. Another earthquake hits. Carol is imperiled by falling equipment. The Phantom Stranger rescues Carol.
In the aftermath, the booming voice of an Ice Giant can be heard. Stone is ordered to cease all operations or face death. To emphasize this last point, the missing men are revealed to Stone. They have all been flash frozen to death. Stone agrees to move the operation. The Phantom Stranger fades away. Stone reveals that he lied, and fully intends to continue laying pipe in the same location. Blake attacks Stone. Another earthquake hits. Blake, Stone, Carol, and the oil field workers plummet into a chasm.
Deep beneath the ice, they come face-to-face with the Ice Giants. The Ice Giants show the oil pooling in their domain. Oil that has been leaking from Stone's pipeline. Stone attacks one of the Ice Giants, but is easily repelled. All are imprisoned, save for Blake. The Phantom Stranger appears, and quickly releases the prisoners. Using a spell of diversion, the Phantom Stranger leads the prisoners past the guards, and out of the realm of the Ice Giants. Carol, though, insists on going after her husband.
Blake is discovered to be in league with the Ice Giants. Blake reveals that he will use any means necessary to save the world, regardless of how many lives are lost. Blake takes Carol hostage. Carol is rescued by an Ice Giant. The Ice Giants refuse to be Blake's pawns. Blake opens fire, triggering the collapse of the Ice Giant's realm. The Phantom Stranger gets Carol out safely, but Blake is lost. With the Ice Giants no longer a threat, Stone makes progress laying down the new pipeline.

"The Voice Of Vengeance!"

John Richards asks Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, to come to his aid. Richards is being tormented by the ghostly voice of his dead father, who accuses Richards of his murder each night. Richards leads Thirteen to the room wherein he hears his father's voice. Thirteen takes note of the loud creaking sound of the door. when it is opened. Thirteen searches the room for any kind of recording devices, but comes up empty. Thirteen hears the eerie voice.
To bypass the giveaway of the creaking door, Thirteen stealthily enters the room from the window. Thirteen discovers that the voice is coming through the radio. Thirteen turns the radio off, then follows the much fainter sound of the actual voice. The voice quiets as soon as Thirteen exits out the creaking door. Thirteen heads for the part of the house he heard the voice coming from. In a storage room, Thirteen is ambushed by the butler. Thirteen beats the butler into unconsciousness.
Thirteen discovers that the butler was using a walkie talkie, to transmit his muffled voice through the radio. Suddenly, Thirteen hears the voice of Richard's dead father again. Awoken by the voice, Thirteen's wife, Marie, investigates. Marie finds a tape recorder under the stairs. Richards' sister, Susan, sneaks up on Marie, with a knife. Thirteen disarms Susan, and reveals the whole plot to Richards. Richards begins angrily arguing with his sister. The case closed, Thirteen takes his leave.

Captive Of The Cat Curse

This story was originally published in House Of Secrets #60 (May, 1963). A plot synopsis for this story can be found at the link.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
19
Cover Date
June 1, 1972
In Store Date
N/A

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-20-a-child-shall-lead-them-th/4000-12311/


A Child Shall Lead Them!

The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. The aged High Lama declares that his time has come. A new High Lama must be sought. A young beggar boy, Song, approaches, seeking to play music for the High Lama. Kamset is quick to shoo the boy away, but the High Lama agrees to hear the beggar play. Song's music seemingly conjures forth demons of smoke, that strangle the High Lama to death. Kamset strikes Song, accusing him of murder. Backing away from Kamset, Song professes his innocence, just before stumbling out a window. The Phantom Stranger catches Song, saving him from death.
Song offers to spend his life in service to the Phantom Stranger. The Phantom Stranger declines, as he fades away in he mist. Kamset mobilizes the monks, leading them to the Lake of The Sacred Spirit, in Tibet. There they will learn the identity of the new High Lama. In the swirling waters of the lake, the image of the new High Lama appears. A star-shaped birthmark adorns the infant's head. Suddenly, Communist Chinese soldiers fire on the monks. The Phantom Stranger intervenes, and beats the soldiers into unconsciousness. The monks ask for the Phantom Stranger's aid in locating the new High Lama.
The Phantom Stranger declines, on the basis that their quest is fraudulent, initiated by a traitor in their midst. Kamset angrily denounces the Phantom Stranger's veiled accusations. Kamset conjures a tentacle, from lake sediment, that drags the Phantom Stranger beneath the lake's surface. The Phantom Stranger barely musters enough mystic power to destroy the tendril, and reclaim the surface. Song aids the Phantom Stranger in reaching the lakeshore. Song, again, offers to serve the Phantom Stranger. Song's destiny, though, follows a different path. Kamset leads the monks throughout the land, seeking the new High Lama.
In a hut, at the edge of the last village to be searched, the High Lama is found. Kamset dismisses the other monks, then furiously turns on the infant's mother. Though the infant bears the mark, it is not the child Kamset intended to rule the order, as his puppet. Kamset demands to know how the child's mother has tricked him. So forceful is Kamset's questioning that he accidentally kills the woman. Kamset prepares to murder the infant. Suddenly Song appears, wrenching the knife out of Kamset's hands. Song momentarily ensnares Kamset, in his own robes, long enough to grab his infant brother and run.
Kamset conjures forth a wall of flame to keep Song from reaching the villagers. Song seeks shelter on a mountain, but Kamset mystically triggers an avalanche. The Phantom Stranger appears, to stand against Kamset. The villagers also close on Kamset. Imprisoning the villagers within a mystical shield, Kamset battles against the Phantom Stranger. Momentarily gaining the advantage over the Phantom Stranger, Kamset goes after Song. Desperate to protect his infant brother, Song manages to trip Kamset, who plunges over the cliffside, to his death. The monks take possession of the new High Lama, with Song serving as his regent. Song's destiny is fulfilled.

The Power

Kenyon, assistant to the Great Gardino-Master of Levitation, is desperate to learn the secret of levitation. The Great Gardino, however, does not trust Kenyon enough to reveal it. Kenyon pistol-whips the Great Gardino, into unconsciousness. Kenyon binds and tortures the Great Gardino, until he finally reveals the secret of levitation. Then, Kenyon murders the Great Gardino. Kenyon uses his newfound power to rob an armored car. Inexperienced in the use of the power, Kenyon accidentally draws the entire truck to him, instead of just it's contents. Kenyon is crushed to death, beneath the weight of the armored car.

A Far Away Place

An lonely elderly man, George Wheemy, dreams of traveling to some faraway land. A dark stranger arrives, one day, in search of one of Wheemy's neighbors, Martin Letterman. The stranger has an appointment with Letterman, at exactly 11:00 a.m. The stranger tells Wheemy that he is taking Letterman on a trip. Wheemy desperately attempts to convince the stranger to take Wheemy instead. The stranger, though, insists on traveling with Letternan. Crest-fallen, Wheemy returns to his apartment. The next day, Wheemy is informed that Letterman died, at precisely 11:00 a.m. Realizing that it was Death who came for Letterman, Wheemy abandons his dreams of traveling.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
20
Cover Date
August 1972
In Store Date
May 09, 1972

 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-21-the-resurrection-of-johnny/4000-12460/




The Resurrection Of Johnny Glory!

The Phantom Stranger teases the tale about to unfold. Death row inmate, John Glory, walks the last mile. Glory is executed for his crimes. Mister Tork, and Caddaver, claim Glory's body from the morgue. Glory's corpse is driven out to Massacre Mountain, and delivered to Cerebus, a member of the Dark Circle. Cerebus initiates the Rite of Resurrection, restoring Glory to life. Cerebus tasks Glory with murdering Chandu Gamal, the spiritual leader of a Middle Eastern country.
Arriving in New England, Gamal's motorcade is attacked by an assassin. The Phantom Stranger saves Gamal's life. In gratitude, Gamal asks the Phantom Stranger to ride with him. When one of Gamal's escorts protests, the Phantom Stranger has the man look deeply into his eyes, until all doubts about the Phantom Stranger's character are dispelled. Glory watches from the crowd of onlookers. At the hotel, Gamal snatches a medallion, depicting the Death-God, Sikiva, from around the neck of one of his guards.
Gamal's beliefs are in opposition to the supernatural, which has made him a target of the Dark Circle. Gamal's daughter, Indira, makes her entrance, on the arm of Glory. Gamal takes an immediate dislike of Glory, and forbids Indira from continuing to see him. Indira defies Gamal, and sneaks out of the hotel to keep her rendezvous with Gamal. Indira is presented with a rose, that gasses her into unconsciousness. Gamal receives a ransom note, informing him that his enemies have his daughter.
Gamal sends his security forces out to retrieve his daughter. Gamal also asks the Phantom Stranger to aid in, safely, recovering Indira. Mister Tork, and Caddaver, watch a pendulum blade swing closer, and closer, to Indira. The Phantom Stranger intervenes. After subduing the two villains, the Phantom Stranger releases Indira from her restraints. Left alone, Gamal is vulnerable. The Death-God, Sikiva, comes for Gamal. Refusing to give in to superstition, Gamal empties his revolver into Sikiva, to no effect.
Sikiva retaliates with the Serpents of Gorgon. The Phantom Stranger intervenes, neutralizing the Serpents of Gorgon with a counter spell. Sikiva is revealed to be Glory. The Phantom Stranger forces Glory to face the price for his resurrection. Glory recoils at his reflection in the mirror. Gamal suffers a heart attack. The Phantom Stranger refuses to let Gamal die. Glory returns to Massacre Mountain to exact his revenge on Cerebus. Glory hurls Cerebus into a spirit pool, which sets off a chain reaction that destroys Massacre Mountain. Once more, the Dark Circle has been defeated.

Woman Of Stone

Marie Thirteen enters an antique shop. The shopkeeper notices a shoplifter, and pursues her out onto the street. The shoplifter reveals herself to be the mythological Medusa. With a glance, she transforms the shopkeeper into stone. Marie recounts her tale to her husband, Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker. Thirteen is dubious regarding the veracity of the account. Thirteen's investigation leads him to an archeological excavation site. Thirteen questions the foreman, Stavros Narcos.
A mad, elderly woman, Sevoula, accosts Narcos. She wildly rants that by selling the antiquities of the Gods, Narcos will bring their wrath down upon him. Narcos' wife arrives with lunch. Thirteen catches her when she stumbles, noticing a strange residue on her arms. Thirteen publicly makes it known that he has solved the case. After sending his wife away, Thirteen waits in his hotel room. Soon enough, the Medusa appears. Thirteen dodges the Medusa's attack, only to be set upon by Narcos.
Thirteen shatters a lamp across Narcos' head. As the Medusa closes on Thirteen, a local law enforcer appears, and draws his gun on the Medusa. The Medusa is revealed to be Narcos' wife. Using a gun that fired a compressed stream of potassium silicate, she was able to give flesh a stone-like quality. It was the residue from the gun that Thirteen spied on her arms. Though Thirteen has solved the "how" of the case, he is left to ponder the "why", as Narcos' motivation for the crimes are not clear.

Creators

Issue details

Name
Volume
The Phantom Stranger
Issue Number
21
Cover Date
October 1, 1972
In Store Date
N/A

The next one:

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-phantom-stranger-22-circle-of-evil-creature-of/4000-12626/


I will continue this feature in another post, part two, issues 22-42.

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2006.07 - 10:10

- Days ago = 1801 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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