The Black Phantom

The Black Phantom made her debut in the pages of Tim Holt #25 in August - September 1951 as the criminal mastermind of a gang of robbers.  But who is she and what is her secret?  Tim Holt and his partner Chito intend to find out in "Redmask - and The Black Phantom!"

Although it seems The Black Phantom met her death at the end of this story, she actually returned to the pages of Tim Holt two years later, this time fighting on the right side of the law.  How did she survive her death?  Why did she reform?  The answers lied in a story that was published in Red Mask #49 (May - June 1955), nearly four years after her debut.  You'll notice that there are some continuity mistakes and plot holes (Red Mask's mask, no Chito) that don't mesh with the first story. 

The Black Phantom became Red Mask's partner in several stories published until 1956.  She even had a one shot comic of her own.  Here is a solo Black Phantom story from The Black Phantom #1 (1954).     

Some trivia about The Black Phantom: In the third Black Phantom story (from Red Mask #41) the names of The Black Phantom and her twin sister change from Helena and Jicilla to Helen and Jicarilla.  The third story in The Black Phantom #1, "Sheriff Satan", doesn't seem to have a job number.  The Black Phantom story in Red Mask #47, "The Gun Fever", appears to have been done for a second issue of The Black Phantom that never materialized.  The final Black Phantom story, "The Outlaw Girl", in Red Mask #53, mistakenly calls her The Green Phantom in the splash panel.

All of the Black Phantom stories were drawn by Frank Bolle.  Gardner Fox may have written the second story and did write the third story according to the Grand Comics Database. Tim Holt was a real actor who did appear in many cowboy movies.  However, he also made some other types of films, including The Monster That Challenged the World.   

I hope everyone enjoyed these stories.  As always, thanks for reading my blog!