The Sea Horse

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The Sea Horse
Sea Horse.jpg
Start date: January 22th, 1940
End date: July 27th, 1940
# of strips: 162 (27 weeks)
Writer: Lee Falk
Artist: Ray Moore
Original colorist: N/A
Preceded by: "The Golden Circle"
Followed by: "The Game of Alvar"

"The Sea Horse" is the 12th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Ray Moore.

Plot synopsis

In an attempt to sway her daughter away from her love for the Phantom, Lily Palmer sets Diana up on a series of dates, all going badly until Lily's brother, Dave, suggests a globe-trotter similar to his niece. Enter Baron Danton, whom Diana seems to befriend almost immediately, and accepts an invitation to his yacht, the Sea Horse. While onboard, Diana intercepts a suspicious message on one of Danton's carrier pigeons that suggests he's a spy, which causes Danton to panic and sail off from New York with Diana still aboard. The Phantom, inexplicably already within the Palmer estate as Lily and Dave are frantic about what to do, goes after the Sea Horse to retrieve Diana. He is successful in doing so, but learns from Diana that she had been made to sign a roster of fellow spies while captive by Danton. Returning to the Palmer estate, authorities arrive and arrest Diana on suspicion of espionage. The Phantom decides capturing Danton is the only way to clear her name, returning to the Sea Horse to do so and, while he captures a man matching the description of Danton, discovers the Baron had switched clothes with one of his crew. No longer patient with Diana imprisoned, the Phantom breaks Diana out of jail and, as fugitives, the two trail the Sea Horse and Baron Danton to a remote island, where eventually a panicked Danton, desperate to escape from the Phantom, tumbles off a cliff to his death.

The Sea Horse spy ring is apprehended and Diana Palmer is exonerated for her role in their capture.

Appearances

Recurring characters

One-time characters

  • Harold
  • Baron Danton
  • Tiny
  • Red
  • Boke

Locations

  • USA
    • New York
      • The Palmer Home
    • Bleak Island
  • Bengal (mentioned)

Vehicles

  • The Sea Horse

Organizations

  • FBI


Behind the scenes

Title panel.
  • This story has often been reprinted with the title "The Seahorse". However, the actual title "The Sea Horse" appears in the last daily strip of the preceding story.
  • Diana's home is shown for the first time in the strip, and she is seen living in an apartment in an unnamed city, together with her mother and uncle. The Phantom also pays the Palmer home his first visit.
  • Diana's uncle Dave makes his first appearance. Not much information is given about him – his last name and his exact relationship to Diana isn't mentioned, nor is his occupation, although it's hinted that he has traveled a lot.
  • Uncle Dave meets The Phantom for the first time, and, notably, is just as opposed to his relationship with Diana as Mrs. Palmer is.
  • For the first time Mrs. Palmer's first name is given as "Lily". However, it would keep on changing for yet some years, before being uncontradicted.
  • As Diana and her family is arrested for espionage, Mrs. Palmer states that they are "a very distinguished family".
  • The Phantom's suit is said to be gray.
  • This story is the first ever to end with Diana and The Phantom happy together.

Related stories

Remade as

Refers to

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Mini argentina.gif Argentina

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Mini canada.gif Canada

Mini finland.gif Finland

Mini france.gif France

Mini italy.gif Italy

Mini nz.png New Zealand

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Mini kingdomyugoslavia.png Yugoslavia

  • "Tajna yachte “Morski konj” - Fantom spasava Dianu" Hrvatski dnevnik July 23, 1940 – November 1, 1940 + January 6, 1941 – January 17, 1941 + March 29, 1941 – April 13, 1941 (interrupted after the strip of June 20, 1940)