The Sea Horse
The Sea Horse | |
![]() | |
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
Vehicles
- The Sea Horse
Organizations
- FBI
Behind the scenes
- 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
- "The Spies from the Sea" by Lee Falk and Roberto Lemmi
- "The Mystery of the Sea Horse" by Ron Goulart
Refers to
- "The Golden Circle" by Lee Falk and Ray Moore
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Argentina
- Tit-Bits #1713 – #1741 (1942)
Australia
- "Diana & the Fifth Column", The Phantom #5 (1940) - the first twelve weeks only
- The Phantom #10 – #11 (1949)
- The Phantom #100 – #101 (1956)
- The Phantom #187 – #188 (1961)
- The Phantom #297 – #298 (1965)
- The Phantom #444 – #445 (1971)
- The Phantom #622 – #623 (1977)
- The Phantom #832 – #833 (1985)
- The Phantom #953A (1990)
- The Phantom #1438 (2006)
- The Phantom #10 and #11 replica, included with The Phantom #1280 (2001) and #1312 (2002)
- The Phantom #1727 (part 2) and #1720 (part 1) (2015)
- The Phantom #1937 (part 2) and #1931 (part 1) (2022-23)
Brazil
- "O Mistério do Cavalo Marinho", A Gazeta February ?, 1940 – March 20, 1940 (incomplete story)
- "O Cavalo Marinho", O Globo Juvenil #410 – #491 (1940)
- "Os Contrabandistas", Fantasma #61 (1962)
- "O Ninho de Tubarões!", O Fantasma #1 (1969)
- "O Ninho de Tubarões!", Fantasma - Edição Histórica #1 (1993)
- "O Cavalo Marinho", O Fantasma Omnibus: O Circulo Dourado e Outras Histórias (2023)
Canada
- La Patrie January 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940
- L'Action catholique February 7, 1940 – August 12, 1940
Finland
- Karjalainen April 26, 1941 – March 17 (?), 1942
- "Paroni Danton", Sarjakirja #27 (1976)
- "Merihevonen", Ilta-Sanomat May 26, 2016 – July 12, 2016
France
- Aventures 21/1940-26/1941 (part from 24/1940 to 26/1941 was only published in the then called "Free Zone")
- "L'Albatros", Le Fantôme du Bengale #6, "Le baron d'Anton", #7, "Poursuite mouvementée", #8 and "L'île déserte", #9 (1949)
- "Les espions de la mer", Le Fantôme Spécial #60 and "La fin de l'hippocampe", #61 (1968)
- "Les espions de la mer" and "La fin de l'hippocampe", Le Fantôme Spécial Album #5 (probably 1970)
Italy
- "Colpo d'incontro", Albo Traguardo #39, "Gioco d’azzardo", #43, "Alla caccia di Danton", #47, "Lotta senza quartiere", #51, and "La fine di Danton", #55 (1953)
- "Spie sul mare", L'Uomo Mascherato Super Albo #81 (1964)
- "Le spie sul mare", Phantom #8, "L'evasione di Diana", #9, and "La fine di Danton", #10 (1977)
- "Spie sul mare", Phantom #12 (1992)
- "Spie sul mare", Phantom #183
- "Spie sul mare", The Phantom #2 (2015)
New Zealand
Norway
- Aftenposten August 21, 1942 – January 8, 1943
- "Baron Danton", Serie-pocket #13 (1976)
- "Baron Danton", Fantomets jubileum 1936-2006 (2006)
Spain
- "Los espias del Albatros", El Hombre Enmascarado #32, "Panico a bordo", #33, "En busca del baron Danton", #34, and "La isla negra", #35 (194?)
- "Los espias del Albatros", El Hombre Enmascarado #034, "Panico a bordo", #035, and "La isla negra", #036 (1960)
- "Los espias del Albatros", El Hombre Enmascarado #13, "Panico a bordo", #14, and "La isla negra", #15 (1971)
- "Red de espionaje", El Hombre Enmascarado #41 (1977)
- "Red de espionaje", El Hombre Enmascarado #45, "Espías in acción", #46, and #47 (1990)
- "El caballo de mar", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #9 (2020)
Sweden
- "Sjöhästen", Vecko-Revyn 12/1941 – 9/1942
- "Baron Danton", Fantomen Christmas Album 1949
- "Baron Danton", Serie-pocket #39 (1976)
- "Baron Danton", Fantomen Christmas Album 1999 - facsimile reprint of 1949 Christmas Album
USA
- Chester Times January 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940
- The Daily Item January 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940
- Dziennik dla Wszystkich January 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940
- The Monessen Daily Independent January 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940
- Oxnard Press-Courier January 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940
- Richmond Times-Dispatch January 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940
- The Winchester Sun January 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940
- Herald News March 4, 1940 – July 27, 1940 - without the first six weeks
- Carthage Evening Press April 1, 1940 – July 27, 1940 - without the first ten weeks
- The Alabama Journal April 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940 - without the first thirteen weeks
- The Greensboro Record April 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940 - without the first thirteen weeks
- Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph April 22, 1940 – July 27, 1940 - without the first thirteen weeks
- The Decatur Daily May 20, 1940 – July 27, 1940 - the last ten weeks only
- The Nippu Jiji June 21, 1940 – August 30, 1940 - the last eleven weeks only
- "The Sea-Horse" (1976)
- "The Sea-Horse" (1999)
- The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Vol. Three 1939–1940 (2011)
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)