Phantom's End

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Phantom’s End
Phantom's End.jpg
Start date: April 18th, 2022
End date: October 1st, 2022
# of strips: 144 (24 weeks)
Writer: Tony DePaul
Artist: Mike Manley, Bret Blevins,
Scott Cohn
Original colorist: KFS staff
Preceded by: "Death in the
Himalayas
"
Followed by: "The Breakout"

"Phantom’s End" is the 261st Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Mike Manley, Bret Blevins (uncredited) and Scott Cohn.

Plot synopsis

The 21st Phantom reminds Old man Mozz of his promise "not a word to anyone else." Mozz tells the Phantom "An agreement that says nothing of how much time I have to record my prophecy." Talking to himself, Mozz admits that he might have to use deception to protect the Phantom from himself.

Back in the prediction, the Phantom and Hero arrive home and Guran re-bandages him. He and Diana see on the computer screen about the devastation of the Mountain City in Arunachal Pradesh, India, where Kit has been a student. Kit, using a dead man's phone, calls home. As he tells of the devastation, Manju finds him. The Phantom says he'll fly there to pick him up, but Kit says no, he's going to stay and avenge the destruction. The Phantom flies there anyway and talks with Manju's grandmother, who tells her side of Savarna shooting Jampa. After the Phantom returns home alone, Diana leaves Bangalla for good. Savarna then somehow finds the Skull Cave, but the Phantom is cold to her. Some time later, though, we see a pregnant Savarna in the Phantom's bed, as he heads back to Arunachal Pradesh to find "The African" (Kit).

In a mountain pass, the Phantom comes under fire from three angles. A few kilometres away, Kit is planning an attack on the invaders, when one of his men comes to tell him that an assassin is "mauling us." He sends the man back with his best sniper, Manju. Eventually, as he moves around, she hits the Phantom. The Phantom's life flashes before his eyes and he is hit again. For the first time, we see the Phantom's bare eyes. He is hit yet again, and dies. Manju brings his gun belt (with the Phantom logo) and rings back to Kit Jr. In the middle of the night, Kit Jr. puts on the gun-belt and has Manjur take him to the grave, all the while denying that he knew "the assassin."

Back in "real time," the Phantom decides to hide Mozz's Chronicle in his burial vault, which, if Mozz's prediction comes true, will not be used until they inter the 22nd Phantom. As he rides off to Rodia, Diana asks Mozz about his Chronicle, but he remains silent. He silently hands her "The Chronicle of Mozz," then tells us that the book he appeared to read from, and which the Phantom hid away, was actually one of the Phantom's Chronicles.

The story continues in "The Breakout."

Appearances

Recurring characters

One-time characters

  • Man having a heart attack, Kit borrows his phone
  • Son of Savarna and the Phantom
  • Daughter of Savarna and the Phantom

Locations

Tribes

Vehicles

  • The 88, aircraft (mentioned)

Phantom lore

Old Jungle Sayings

  • You don't find the Phantom, he finds you.
  • When the Phantom moves, he shames the lightning.


Related stories

Refers to

Referenced in

Behind the scenes

  • Mike Manley was sick during the production of this story and temporary fill-in artists helped out to keep deadlines. According to ChronicleChamber.com, Bret Blevins drew the whole strip from the 13th of June to the 25th of June and again 4th of July to the 9th of July. For the other times, Bret did the layouts based on Tony DePaul's script and then Scott Cohn tightened the roughs, inked and lettered the strip. These dates are 27th of June to the 2nd of July and the 11th of July until August 6th. Mike Manley returned on August 8th and finished the story. Monday 11 July was the first time Scott Cohn was credited on the strip. Bret Blevins was never credited on the strip.
  • The incoming phone call when Kit calls the Skull Cave direct from a borrowed mobile phone shows the number 011-881-577-091

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

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Mini colombia.gif Colombia

  • "El fin del Fantasma", El País August 11, 2022 – January 25, 2023

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Mini india.gif India

Mini jamaica.gif Jamaica

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  • "El fin del Fantasma", El Informador January 2, 2023 – June 17, 2023

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Mini philippines.gif The Philippines

Mini El Salvador.png El Salvador

  • "El fin del Fantasma", La Prensa Gráfica October 10, 2023 – March 23, 2024 (first strip missing)

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Mini usa.gif USA