The Golden Circle (daily story)

The Golden Circle
Start date:	September 4th, 1939
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 Seahorse"

"The Golden Circle" is the 11th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Ray Moore.

Plot summary

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Appearances

Recurring characters

• The current Phantom
• Devil
• Diana Palmer
• Mrs. Palmer
• Byron

One-time characters

• George
• Fifi
• Countess D'Orsay
• Mara
• Bella

Locations

• France
  • Paris
    • Latin Quarter

Vehicles

• The Paris Express
  • Compartment 14

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

• "The Golden Circle (novel)" by Frank S. Shawn
• "The Mystery of the Arrow Ring" by Özcan Eralp

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)

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

• The Phantom #77 – #78

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