The Golden Circle (daily story)
The Golden Circle | |
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Start date: | September 4th, 1939 |
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End date: | January 20th, 1940 |
# of strips: | 120 (20 weeks) |
Writer: | Lee Falk |
Artist: | Ray Moore |
Original colorist: | N/A |
Preceded by: | "The Mysterious Girl" |
Followed by: | "The Sea Horse" |
"The Golden Circle" is the 11th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Ray Moore.
Plot synopsis
Diana Palmer is fully recovered and, according to her doctor, ready to learn that the Phantom lives. Lieutenant Byron, however, having looked after Diana during her recovery, has fallen in love and attempts to hide the Phantom's survival from her, asking her hand in marriage instead. His plans fails, though when the Phantom learns of his plot he takes pity on Byron as he believes any man could fall in love with Diana. The Phantom and Diana reunite briefly before Lily Palmer intervenes, expressing her disapproval of the Phantom as a suitor; Diana decides to abscond with her mother in an effort to change her mind, splitting the lovers once again, at least for the time being.
On his return home aboard a train, the Phantom is implicated in a murder by two women wearing golden pins. While being hunted by Parisian inspectors, The Phantom tracks the golden pins to their manufacturer, and then to its customer, a shady pawn dealer in Paris. Allowing himself to be captured, the Phantom discovers a gang of female thieves called the Golden Circle, marked by an identical pin each wears. While imprisoned by the gang, he manages to sow discord by romancing both its leader, Mara, and another member named Fifi into fighting over his affections; His plan slightly backfires when Mara asks him to take her away from this life of crime, but the Phantom's love for Diana compels him to reveal the truth to Mara, resulting in her attempted execution of him. Aided by Fifi, the Phantom survives the attempt and uncovers the valuables the gang has stolen, and with proof in hand alerts the authorities.
The Golden Circle gang is locked away, with Fifi receiving some leniency given her aid to the Phantom.
Appearances
Recurring characters
One-time characters
- George
- Fifi
- Countess D'Orsay
- Mara
- Bella
Behind the scenes
- For the third time in the history of the Phantom strip, the story begins with a recap of the origin of the Phantom.
- The first three weeks have a storyline about the Phantom's and Diana's relationship that is unrelated to the rest of the story. These strips are often edited out of reprints, and it can be argued that they are a separate story and not part of "The Golden Circle".
- Once again the Phantom is seen traveling in Cabin 14. Additionally he's seated in Compartment 14 when going by the Paris Express.
- Lieutenant Byron proposes to Diana.
- Mrs. Palmer tells the Phantom that he is not to marry Diana if he doesn't give up his mission to fight injustice, and get a normal job.
- For the first time in the strip the Phantom gets to use his suit as a masquerade outfit.
- The characters Fifi and Countess D'Orsay are most likely a reference to Fifi D'Orsay, "The French Bombshell", a Canadian born Hollywood actress known for her many portraits of young and carefree Parisian women during the 1930's and 1940's.
Related stories
Remade as
Refers to
- "The Slave Traders" by Lee Falk and Ray Moore
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Argentina
- Tit-Bits #1691 – #1713 (1941-42)
Australia
- "The Golden Circle", The Phantom #5 (1940)
- The Phantom #13 – #15 (1949)
- "The Golden Circle", The Phantom #108 (1957)
- The Phantom #198 (1961)
- The Phantom #309 (1966)
- The Phantom #458 (1971)
- The Phantom #740 (1982)
- The Phantom #934 (1989)
- "The Golden Circle", The Phantom #1249 (2000)
- The Phantom #13, #14 and #15 replica, included with The Phantom #1373 (2004),#1405 (2005) and #1436 (2006)
- "The Golden Circle", The Phantom #1695 (2014)
- "The Golden Circle", The Phantom #1918 (2022)
Brazil
- "O Círculo de Ouro", O Globo Juvenil #349 – #409 (1939-1940)
- "O Círculo de Ouro", Álbum O Globo Juvenil (1941)
- "O Círculo Dourado", Almanaque do Fantasma para 1963
- "O Círculo Dourado", O Fantasma #16 (1971)
- "O Círculo do Ouro", Almanaque do Fantasma (1977)
- "O Círculo Dourado", Fantasma - Edição Histórica #18 (1995)
- "O Círculo Dourado", O Fantasma Omnibus: O Circulo Dourado e Outras Histórias (2023)
Canada
- La Patrie September 4, 1939 – January 20, 1940
- L'Action catholique October 12, 1939 – February 6, 1940 - the first strip missing
Finland
- Karjalainen October 1, 1940 – April 24, 1941 - without the first six weeks
- "Nuolikorun salaisuus", Mustanaamio 18/1983 - without the first three weeks
- "Kultainen nuoli", Ilta-Sanomat April 22, 2016 – May 26, 2016
- "Mustanaamio ja Diana", Mustanaamio & Diana – Rubiinihäät (2017) - the first three weeks only
France
- Aventures 1-20/1940
- "La flèche d'or", Le Fantôme Spécial #58 – #59 (1968)
- "La flèche d'or", Le Fantôme #4 (1994)
Italy
- "La Freccia d'oro", Albo Avventure #48, "Nel tribunale della “Freccia d'oro”", #50, "Il fiume sotterraneo", #52, and "La strategia del fantasma", #53 (1948)
- "La freccia d'oro", L'Uomo Mascherato Super Albo #65 (1963)
- "La freccia d'oro", Phantom #17 and "Il tribunale della morte", #18 (1977 or 1978)
- "La freccia d'oro", Phantom #11 (1992)
- "La freccia d'oro", Phantom #146
- "La freccia d'oro, The Phantom #2 (2015)
New Zealand
Norway
- "Mysteriet med pilringen", Fantomet 17/1983 - without the first three weeks
- "Pilringbanden" and "Mysteriet med pilringen", Fantomets Krønike 3/1993
- "Mysteriet med pilringen", Fantomets Krønike 2/2005 - without the first three weeks
- "Fantomet og Sala", Fantomets jubileum 1936-2006 (2006) - the first three weeks only
- "Mysteriet med pilringen", Rubinbryllupet (2017) - the first three weeks only
The Philippines
- The Tribune January ?, 1940 – July ?, 1940
Spain
- "El Círculo de Oro", El Hombre Enmascarado #23 and "El fin del Círculo de Oro", #24 - without the first three weeks
- El Hombre Enmascarado - Extraordinario de Reyes (194?) - the first three weeks only
- "El Círculo de Oro", El Hombre Enmascarado #023 and "El fin del Círculo de Oro", #024 (1960) - without the first three weeks
- "El Círculo de Oro", El Hombre Enmascarado #11, "El fin del Círculo de Oro", #12, and "Los espias del Albatros", #13 (1971)
- "Reencuentro" and "El circulo dorado", El Hombre Enmascarado #45 (1977)
- "Reencuentro", El Hombre Enmascarado #52 (1978) - the first three weeks only
- "El círculo de oro", El Hombre Enmascarado #44 – #45 (1990)
- "El círculo dorado", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #9 (2020)
Sweden
- "Mysteriet med pilringen", Vecko-Revyn 30/1940 – 11/1941 - without the first three weeks
- "Pilringsmysteriet", Fantomen Christmas Album 1944 - without the first three weeks
- "Mysteriet med pilringen", Fantomen 8/1983 - without the first three weeks
- "Pilringsmysteriet", Fantomen Christmas Album 1994 - without the first three weeks - facsimile reprint of 1944 Christmas Album
- "Fantomen och Diana", Rubinbröllopet (2017) - the first three weeks only
USA
- Chester Times September 4, 1939 – January 20, 1940
- The Monessen Daily Independent September 4, 1939 – January 20, 1940
- The Nassau Daily Review-Star September 4, 1939 – January 20, 1940
- The Rome Daily Sentinel September 4, 1939 – January 20, 1940
- The Daily Item December 18, 1939 – January 20, 1940 - the last five weeks only
- The Golden Circle (1999)
- Comics Revue #255 – #256 (2006) - the first three weeks only
- The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Vol. Three 1939–1940 (2011)
Yugoslavia
- "Fantomov suparnik" and "Fantom u borbi s družbom od “Kruga sa strjelicom”", Hrvatski dnevnik March 21, 1940 – July 22, 1940