John X

John X
Start date:	August 25th, 2014
End date:	December 27th, 2014
# of strips:	108 (18 weeks)
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	Paul Ryan
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"Terror's Mutiny"
Followed by:	"Patrolman X"

"John X" is the 240th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Paul Ryan.

Plot synopsis

The Phantom ends an evil man's murder spree, but is snake bitten. Burning with fever, he strips off his clothes and then removes his rings, hallucinating that he is giving them to Kit for him to continue the legacy. He then collapses. When he awakes, he has lost his memory, but together with Devil, he finds a house and clothes. He notices that he wears a mask and has a fear of showing people his face. He therefore picks up a pair of dark glasses and wears them instead of a mask. He takes a car and drives by instinct to the Jungle Patrol Headquarters together with Devil.

At first, he is thought to be a criminal as he has used the bad guy's car. His snakebite, however, soon convinces colonel Worubu of the genuiness of his amnesia, although the Puff Adder (as he identifies the snake as) is supposed to inject enough poison to kill five men. Until his identity has been established, he is called John X.

Through some tests, they come to the belief that John X is a Law Enforcing officer with his dog who was injured in the line of duty. For the time being, he works with the Jungle Patrol, awaiting the final order of approval from the unknown commander.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Diana Palmer-Walker
• Devil
• Hero
• Colonel Worubu
• Captain Weeks
• Patrolwoman Hawa Aguda
• Patrolwoman Kay Molloy
• Lee Falk (as narrator)
• Kit and Heloise
• Guran
• Babudan, Bandar pathfinder

One-time characters

• Patrolman Stern
• Patrolman Wise
• Barker, hijacker and murderer
• Shotgun, hijacker
• Petersen, of Jungle Patrol
• Holmes, of Jungle Patrol

Locations

• Bangalla
  • Mawitaan
  • The Jungle Patrol Headquarters
  • Boomsby Prison
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Phantom Crypt

Tribes

• Bandar

Organizations

• The Jungle Patrol

Phantom lore

• Rings passed to next Phantom when current Phantom dying
• The Good Mark
• Phantom with amnesia knows showing his face feels wrong

Old jungle sayings

• "It is terror for an evil man to awake in darkness and see the Phantom."
• "Phantom rough on roughnecks."
• "When the Phantom asks, you answer!"
• "He who sees the Phantom's unmasked face will die a horrible death!"

Related stories

Referenced in

• "The Commander Will See You Now" by Tony De Paul and Jeff Weigel

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• The Advertiser August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• The Cairns Post August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• The Courier-Mail August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• The Daily Telegraph August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• Shepparton News August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• Townsville Bulletin August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• The Chronicle August 27, 2014 – December 31, 2014
• Daily Mercury August 27, 2014 – December 31, 2014
• Fraser Coast Chronicle August 27, 2014 – December 31, 2014
• The Morning Bulletin August 27, 2014 – December 31, 2014
• The Northern Star August 27, 2014 – December 31, 2014
• News-Mail August 27, 2014 – December 31, 2014
• The Observer August 25, 2014 – December 31, 2014
• The Sunshine Coast Daily August 25, 2014 – December 31, 2014
• "John X", The Phantom #1744 (2015; edited together with "Patrolman X")

The Bahamas

• The Freeport News August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014

Finland

• "John X", Åbo Underrättelser November 6, 2024 – April 4, 2025

India

• Hitavada October 22, 2014 – November 5, 2014 - the first two weeks only
• The New Indian Express (Chennai edition) December 1, 2014 – April 2, 2015
• The New Indian Express (Bangalore edition) December 3, 2014 – April 4, 2015
• "জন এক্স" (romanized as "John X"), Anandabazar Patrika July 2, 2015 – November 9, 2015
• "John X", The Phantom #23 (2022)

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014

Mexico

• "John X", El Informador October 22, 2014 – February 24, 2015

Norway

• Tønsbergs Blad October 7, 2015 – February 12, 2016
• Nordlys November 26, 2015 – March 22, 2016
• Agderposten January 14, 2016 – May 26, 2016
• Fædrelandsvennen January 19, 2016 – May 30, 2016
• Lofotposten January 20, 2016 – May 31, 2016
• Romsdals Budstikke February 19, 2016 – July 1, 2016
• Grimstad Adressetidene March 1, 2016 – July 12, 2016
• Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen April 28, 2016 – September 1, 2016
• Østlendingen May 10, 2016 – August 10, 2016 - without the last five weeks
• Varden June 13, 2016 – October 14, 2016 (first strip missing)
• Aftenposten November 3, 2016 – February 20, 2017
• "John X", Fantomet 12/2016 (edited together with "Patrolman X")

The Philippines

• The Philippine Star November 4, 2015 – March 8, 2016

El Salvador

• "John X", La Prensa Gráfica March 21, 2016 – July 23, 2016

Spain

• "John X", El Correo January 25, 2015 – May 13, 2015
• "John X", Las Provincias January 25, 2015 – May 13, 2015

Sweden

• "John X", Svenska Dagbladet June 24, 2015 – October 9, 2015
• "John X", Barometern January 28, 2016 – June 4, 2016
• "John X", Fantomen 22-23/2016 (edited together with "Patrolman X")
• "John X", Jönköpings-Posten September 9, 2017 – January 18, 2018
• "John X", Smålandsposten October 2, 2017 – February 8, 2018
• "John X", Bohusläningen April 5, 2018 – August 13, 2018
• "John X", Hallandsposten April 5, 2018 – August 13, 2018
• "John X", Smålands-Tidningen November 16, 2018 – March 25, 2019
• "John X", Svenska Dagbladet December 24, 2019 – April 15, 2020

USA

• Anderson Independent-Mail August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• Boston Herald August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• The Citizens' Voice August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• Delaware County Daily Times August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• Houston Chronicle August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• The News Item August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• Press Enterprise August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014
• Reading Eagle August 25, 2014 – December 27, 2014

Awards

• Best story 2016 (Norway)

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Best Story Winners
Finland
1985: "The Prisoner at Capitolium" | 1986: "The Moor of Death"
Norway
1979: "The Heirs" | 1983: "Tale of Rex" | 1984: "Hero" | 1985: "Pirates of the Yellow Snake" | 1986: "The Beanstalk" & "Race Against Death" (tie) | 1987: "Devil's Adventure" | 1988: "Eden" | 1989: "The Last Unicorn" | 1990: "The Last Emperor" | 1991: "Death of a Patrolman, Part 2: Tracking the Killers" | 1992: "The Wolf is Coming" | 1993: "Aron" | 1994: "The Commander is Dead" | 1995: "The Demon's Image" | 1996: "Johnny Hotwire" | 1997: "The Ghost Who Died Twice" | 1998: "The Last Phantom, Part 1: The Eighth Circle" | 1999: "Devil's Story" | 2000: "The Phantom vs Singh 2050" | 2001: "The Invisible Phantom" | 2002: "In A Strange Land, Part 2" | 2003: "My Darling Pirate" | 2004: "Son of the Pirate Queen" | 2005: "The King of Norway" | 2006: "The Singh Brotherhood" | 2007: "Dogai - The Road to Power" & "The Commander is Dead" (best reprint) | 2008: "The Devil of Ravenscar" & "Kingdom of the Amazons" (best reprint) | 2009: "Duel at Deadman's Gulch" | 2010: "The Cabin Boy and the Princess" | 2011: "The Gulf of Aden Pirates" | 2012: "The Pirates' Prisoner" | 2013: "The Slave Ship Zong" | 2014: "Death of a Pirate Queen" | 2015: "A Plague in Venice" | 2016: "John X" & "Patrolman X" | 2017: "The Karabasan League"
Sweden
1978: "The Avenger from the Sea" & "Phantom Wedding" (tie) | 1979: "Devil's Story" | 1980: "The Treasure from Rhodes" | 1981: "The Legend of the Swords, Part 1: Excalibur" | 1982: "The Stone Carving People" | 1983: "The Water of Life" | 1984: "The First Phantom" | 1985: "The Beanstalk" | 1986: "The Battle on Malta" & "Devil's Story" (best reprint) | 1987: "The King is Dead" | 1988: "Eden" | 1989: "The Last Unicorn" | 1990: "The Cathedral Mystery" | 1991: "Devil's Story" | 1992: "Hoogan's Revenge" | 1993: "The Test" | 1994: "The Commander is Dead" | 1995: "The Set Up, Part 1" & Part 2 | 1996: "The Last Viking" | 1997: "The Ghost Who Died Twice" | 1998: "Return of the Zombies" | 1999: "Devil's Story" | 2000: "The Phantom vs Singh 2050" | 2001: "The Prodigal Son" | 2002: "The Long Bow of Little John" | 2003: "My Darling Pirate" | 2004: "Son of the Pirate Queen" | 2005: "The Battle on Malta" | 2006: "The Singh Brotherhood" | 2007: "The Phantom Crusader, Part 1" & "The Commander is Dead" (best reprint) | 2008: "The Castaways" & "Kingdom of the Amazons" (best reprint)" | 2009: "The  Phantom Gladiator, Part 1" | 2010: "The Cabin Boy and the Princess" & "The Dragon Throne" (tie) | 2011: "The Sons of Captain Walker" | 2012: "The Pirates' Prisoner" | 2013: "Year 1349" | 2014: "Death of a Pirate Queen" | 2015: "A Plague in Venice" | 2016: "Nat Turner's Spirit, Part 6: The King of Louisiana" | 2017: "Farewell to the Deep Woods" | 2018: "The Ghost at Gallows' Inn" | 2019: "The Devil in Stockholm" | 2020: "A Reckoning with the Nomad" | 2021: "Devil's Story" | 2022: "Saga of the Vultures Chapter One: The Haunted Castle" | 2023: "Ku Klux Klan"