The 21st Phantom 
© 1990 King Features Syn.
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The 21st Phantom | © 1990 King Features Syn. |
The present day Phantom, (a.k.a.
Mr. Kit Walker, the Ghost Who Walks, Man who cannot die and Guardian of the Eastern Dark) is the 21st person to have taken the Oath of the Skull.
He, like his forefathers, has committed his life to end piracy, injustice
and cruelty. However, he also lives a personal life with his wife,
Diana
and two children, Kit & Heloise. But this does not mean that he has
a separate identity like Batman has Bruce Wayne's and Superman has Clark
Kent's. It is no secret that Mr. Walker is another name of the Phantom.
This also doesn't mean that people know what the Phantom looks like under
the mask, for even as Kit Walker, his face is never revealed, not even
to the readers. No one except the Phantom's wife can behold the face of
the Ghost who walks for as the Old Jungle Saying
goes - 'He who sees the Phantom's face, dies a horrible death!'
For more information on The
Phantoms' exploits read the Phantom Chronicles.
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Hero
& Devil |
Hero, a great white stallion and
Devil, a fierce wild wolf of probably the timber species (as portrayed in Indian comics), are not mere pets of the
Phantom, but the closest of his companions. They would accompany him as far as they can go. Devil
being able to do more so as he can venture into towns and cities unlike
Hero who has to stay back at the edge of the jungle. Hero was a gift
given to the Phantom by the Maharajah of Nimpore for saving his daughter. Devil, on the other hand, had been found by the Phantom himself as a little orphan cub. His mother had been killed by a hunter who also stole his siblings. But now Hero, Devil and the Phantom are like family to each other. Many a time, we find Devil saving his master's life by letting out a timely warning bark or by dragging him to safety. The Phantom will also never leave Hero or Devil in danger, always making sure they're safe. The threesome are now inseparable.
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Diana Palmer Walker |
Diana was the
Phantom's sweetheart right from his school days. He first met Diana when he ran away from his uncle and aunt while he was in the US for schooling. They were mere kids then. But their love was true and they got married later on. They are now the parents of two twins, Kit & Heloise. Diana is a fitting bride for the Phantom, for she herself has a black belt in Judo-karate and many a time would handle a rogue or two on her own. A former Olympic diving champion, famed flier and explorer, the Phantom's beautiful wife has served as a nurse for the WHO and has also worked with the UN Afro-Asian Section of the Human Rights Division.
(Visit The Tree House, an excellent site dedicated to Diana, for more info)
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Kit & Heloise |
Young Kit and Heloise are the two twin children of the 21st Phantom. They live in the jungles of Bangalla with their parents in an amazing tree-house called Castle in the Air. Young Kit after his father's retirement will don the costume of the ghost who walks and become the 22nd Phantom, continuing the legacy of the man who cannot die. Both the children are trained by the best archers, hunters, etc. in the jungle. They also continue their studies in the local school. They love roaming around wearing only the usual jungle clothing, but hate wearing suits/frocks, which they have to wear when visiting their grandma in USA. The twins are the apples of their parents' eyes, who take the greatest care in their upbringing.
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Guran |
Guran is the short but wise chief of a friendly Pygmy tribe called the Bandar, the same tribe which had helped the 1st Phantom and has since protected all the Phantoms' secrets and acted as their most trusted ally. Guran is the 21st Phantom's advisor, messenger, confidant and friend. It is he who keeps the Skull Cave running, taking care of all things within. It is because the Phantom can trust Guran with the Skull Cave and also his family, that he can leave the forest with no hesitation. Their friendship can serve as an example to many for they would go to any lengths for each other. The Phantom deems himself lucky to have a friend such as Guran.
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Rex King |
One day the Phantom was out near the river-side, hunting a man-eater leopard. He found and killed the great cat in the nick of time, for it was about to attack an old missionary. However, the missionary and his wife were already dead because of malaria. But a baby boy, which the couple were going to adopt, was found alive. The Phantom tried to trace the boy's roots but couldn't. So he adopted the baby himself and named him Rex King ('twice a king'). The boy grew up to be a bubbly teenager, spoilt by the Phantom's love who was experiencing fatherhood for the first time (he hadn't married yet). Even now, when the Phantom has his own children, he hasn't let that lessen his love for Rex in any way. In fact, the Phantom found out that Rex was the prince of the kingdom of Baronkhan, where he now rules as king (Thanks to for this last piece of info.).
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Col. Weeks |
Colonel Weeks is the retired Commanding Officer of the Jungle Patrol. His place has now been taken by Col. Worobu. While his post lasted, Col. Weeks did his job well, although he is a gentle and kind-hearted person who hasn't ever been seen roughening up criminals. However, he was a very good administrator and had the whole Jungle Patrol running smoothly and quite efficiently. When Weeks knew that a particular case could not be handled well by the Jungle Patrol or was out of their jurisdiction, he would contact the mysterious head of the Jungle Patrol, the unknown Commander never seen by any J.P. officer, who is none other than the Phantom himself. Although, the Col. never met the Phantom face to face and neither did he even know about his existence (as 'the Phantom'), it seemed that the two shared a strange bond of friendship.
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Col. Worobu |
Colonel Worobu, a native of Bangalla, is the present Commanding Officer of the Jungle Patrol. He was the one who relieved the last C.O. Col. Weeks from his post. Col. Worobu is similar to Col. Weeks in many respects for he like Weeks is a kind-hearted person and a good administrator. However, he can be a little stricter at times. Like most of the officers before, he too contacts the unknown Commander of the Jungle Patrol, whom he has never seen except for rare glimpses in the darkness of the night when the Phantom requires him to do something urgently. A bond of friendship is beginning to take form between the C.O. and the Phantom but it is still relatively new and has yet to grow.
 © 2002 King Features Syn. | 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 would 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.
(A special thanks to for this excellent write-up about Old Man Mozz.)
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Dr. Axel |
Dr. Axel is the elderly physician who works among the natives of the Bangalla jungle. He has a humble dispensary by the edge of the forest which provides a safe haven for the injured or ill. The Phantom himself has required the doctor's services many a time for himself as well as for those under his care. The hospital bears the Phantom's good mark.
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | The Eastern Dark |
The Eastern Dark has been one of the Phantoms' oldest and darkest enemies. If one thinks of villains appearing in Phantom comics and newspaper strips, The Eastern Dark's name will surely be among the first to come to mind along with that of
the Singh Pirates. Over the four centuries during which a Phantom has walked the planet, these hard-heartened criminals have always been present too. This has been because they are not just a small group of individuals but an entire race by themselves - if one generation is stopped, another continues with their vile intentions. The list of the crimes of these people include slave-trading, human sacrifice (to their evil god, Zaal), grand thefts, terrorizing the natives, illegal poaching, and so on. They stop at nothing and fear no one, except the Ghost Who Walks who somehow mysteriously appears after years of absence to undo their misdoings and to punish them. The ruinous idol of Zaal still bears the Skull Mark of the Phantom as a reminder
and warning - a warning which screams out, 'Beware! Beware the Guardian of the Eastern Dark!'
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Singh Pirates |
The Singh Pirates, or the Singh Brotherhood as they are also called, are no less sinister than the Eastern Dark. These pirates that terrorize the Indian ocean and the seas nearby are the very cause of the birth of the Phantom. A gang of the pirates had attacked the ship of the 1st Phantom's father. The only survivor was the man who took the oath to fight crime all his life and that his sons and their sons would follow him. The Singh pirates have also been the cause of a few Phantom's deaths. This fact alone is sufficient to give one an idea of the prowess that these 'brothers' in crime possess.
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | Rajas & Princes |
The Phantom has had to confront many a raja many a time. The arrogant and tyrannical rulers who reside in the mysterious Misty Mountains do cause trouble in the Phantom's land once in a while. These rajas and princes, who live in grand luxury with numerable wives, horses and servants, would sometimes play out their whimsies on innocent natives and this is when the Ghost who walks would interfere. Needless to say, much of the royalty has had to learn a lesson or two from our hero.
 © 1990 King Features Syn. | The Vultures |
The Vultures are probably much less infamous than the villains mentioned above. But previous Phantoms have also fought these lustful avaricious scavengers before. (Their first encounter was with the 17th century Phantom. The 19th Phantom also faced them in 1908. Thanks to for bringing this to my notice.) This sans-morals group, the members of which are all bald and have a 'V' tattooed on their head, lives up to its aptly chosen name by robbing and plundering only those cities and towns which are already suffering either by the disasters of nature like volcanoes and earthquakes or by man-made destruction caused by war and riots. Our Phantom displayed a rare fit of rage and disgust when he confronted these villains which makes them a bit special.
