| Fantomah | |
|---|---|
 Fantomah transforming. FromJungle Comics #15 (March 1941), art byFletcher Hanks. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Fiction House |
| First appearance | Jungle Comics #2 (Feb. 1940) |
| Created by | Fletcher Hanks (as "Barclay Flagg") |
| In-story information | |
| Abilities | Superstrength, flight, other unspecified powers |
Fantomah is an American comics character, best known as one of the earliestcomic-booksuperheroines.[1] Created byFletcher Hanks, the character first appeared inJungle Comics #2 (cover-dated Feb. 1940), published byFiction House. Hanks is also known for creating the equally strangeStardust the Super Wizard.[2]
The character precededWonder Woman's first appearance, and has been claimed to be the first female superhero in comic books (although theCentaur Comics superheroine, "Magician from Mars", predates Fantomah by two months).[3] One comics historian says: "Simultaneously grotesque and goofy, horrific and hilarious, the strip truly defies description".[4]
Fantomah, "Mystery Woman of the Jungle", is a female comic-book superhero created by writer-artistFletcher Hanks, under the pseudonym Barclay Flagg.[5] She debuted in a namesake backup feature inJungle Comics #2 (Feb. 1940),[6] and continued as a backup feature until her final appearance in issue #51 (March 1944).[7] Beginning with issue #16 (April 1941), Hanks was succeeded by an unknown writer under the pseudonym H.B Hovious, with art tentatively credited toRobert Pious.[8] This version of Fantomah abandoned the trappings of a superheroine and was portrayed as a typicaljungle girl.[9]
According toJess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, Fantomah "fights against ivory hunters, an array of mad scientists and alien dinosaurs, a man turned into a jungle demon, the Tiger-Woman of Wildmoon Mountain, cavemen, a mummy scientist, and German fifth columnists".[10]
The third stage of Fantomah's career began inJungle Comics #27 (March 1942) when Hovious and artist George Appelretconned her into an ancient Egyptian princess, revived to protect the jungle.[11] At that point, she dropped the "Mystery Woman of the Jungle" subtitle, and became "Fantomah, Daughter of the Pharaohs".[12]
Fiction House reprinted two stories inKa'a'nga Comics featuring another jungle girl, Camilla, re-writing the stories and changing the lead character's name to "Fantomah".[13]
Later, A.C.E. Comics'Fantastic Adventures #1 (July 1987) andAC Comics'Golden Age Greats #14 (March 1999) andMen of Mystery Comics #85 (April 2011) reprinted early Fantomah stories.[13]
Being in the public domain, Fantomah has been used by various modern publications, including appearances inDevil's Due Publishing'sHack/Slash: The Series #29–32 (Dec. 2009 – March 2010), and in issue #5 (June 2011) of the sequel series, titled simplyHack/Slash.[13]
In 2017, Canadian comic book publishing company Chapterhouse created a new series by Ray Fawkes and Soo Lee with a different premise.[14][15]
The original Fantomah is a mysterious woman who protects the jungle with her many supernatural powers. She loved her jungle and its people and animals, and would often inflict cruel punishment on anyone who threatened any of them. When Fantomah uses her powers, her normally beautiful face turns into a blue skull (though her curly blonde hair remains unchanged).[3]
The original Fantomah exhibited a large number of magical abilities, generally as required by the story's plot. Among others, she demonstrated the ability to fly,[16] transform objects into different objects,[17] levitate other objects,[17] cause humans to mutate into other forms,[18] and so on. Generally, whenever Fantomah used her powers, she would change her face from a normal human woman to a blue-skinned skull-like visage.[3]
By 2023, a live-action Fantomah TV series is in the works. The project is a collaboration between Lev Gleason Studios and Campanario Entertainment.[19]