Diana Palmer
Encyclopedia
Diana Palmer is a character in the American comic strip
The Phantom
. She is married to Kit Walker, the titular hero
. The couple have two children together, Kit and Heloise. Most recently, Diana has been working in the UN's Bangalla
office.
of the Bandar tribe, had run away from his aunt and uncle, Sid and Bessie, due to strong homesickness. Diana, only eight years old at the time, convinced the ten year old Kit to stay together with his aunt and uncle.
Some time later, Kit rescued Diana from a panther, which had recently escaped from the local Zoo, and was now running freely around in Clarksville. Kit, with his years of jungle training, shot the animal dead with a bow and arrows he had taken from his sports-teacher.
After the dramatic events with the panther, the two did not see each other for years, before they were unexpectedly reunited at a Christmas party several years later, both around the age of eighteen to twenty. Kit was already a celebrated sportsman in almost every field, and Diana had broken records for her diving.
Kit and Diana fell in love with each other that Christmas holiday, the relationship going as far as Kit considering proposing to her.
However, his plans were interrupted by Guran, who came back to USA from Bangalla
to tell Kit that his father was dying after being stabbed in the back by Rama Singh, leaving Kit with no other choice than leaving Diana and travelling back to his homeland to take over the mantle of the Phantom.
. President of Bangalla, Lamanda Luaga, and President of Ivory-Lana, Goranda, were both present at the wedding, and so were Mandrake the Magician
and Diana's mother and uncle, Lily and Dave Palmer.
in the 1943 Phantom movie serial. However, in the serial, she is the niece of Professor Davidson, and she is not romantically involved with the Phantom, but is intending to marry a man named Byron in the beginning of the story.
In 1996, Kristy Swanson
portrayed her in Paramount's big budget film The Phantom, featuring Billy Zane
as The Phantom. Diana is here sent out by her uncle Dave, in the film a wealthy newspaper publisher, to Bangalla
to help with the search of a fabled weapon of doom, the Skulls of Touganda. When she is trapped by the henchmen of bad guy Xander Drax, she is saved by the Phantom, who unbeknownst to her is really her college boyfriend, Kit Walker. Towards the end of the film (according to the novelisation) she works out the Phantom's true identity based on the fact that he appeared just after Kit disappeared.
In the 2009 SyFy
miniseries, Diana Palmer Walker is seen in the opening sequence fleeing with young Kit from Singh Brotherhood
assassins in a desperate car chase through New York. She uses an automatic (possibly one of the Phantom's .45's) to fight back, but is killed (presumably drowned) when her car is driven off the street into the river. Kit manages to escape the sinking car, but because of a concussion from the crash develops slight amnesia
but dreams of her for many years while not knowing who she really is.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
The Phantom
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
. She is married to Kit Walker, the titular hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
. The couple have two children together, Kit and Heloise. Most recently, Diana has been working in the UN's Bangalla
Bangalla
Bangalla, also known as Bengali and Bangolia, is a fictional African country that features in the Lee Falk created comic series The Phantom. Bangalla is the home of the Phantom, who resides in the Deep Woods of the jungle in the fabled Skull Cave...
office.
Family
Diana was born into a wealthy family, to mother Lily Palmer and father Henry Zapman. Zapman's fate is unknown, but he is presumed to have died while Diana was still young, leaving Lily Palmer to raise her only child with the help of her brother, Dave Palmer. She has three cousins, Don, Lisa and Ann Palmer, but no siblings.Meeting Kit Walker
Diana first met Kit Walker in Clarksville, USA, when they were both children. Kit, having recently arrived to live in the US together with his faithful friend GuranGuran
Guran is a character from The Phantom comic strip, and is the Phantom's best friend since childhood. According to Lee Falk's novel The Story of the Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks, he is ten years older than Kit Walker, aka the Phantom. The two grew up together in the deep woods of Bangalla, where...
of the Bandar tribe, had run away from his aunt and uncle, Sid and Bessie, due to strong homesickness. Diana, only eight years old at the time, convinced the ten year old Kit to stay together with his aunt and uncle.
Some time later, Kit rescued Diana from a panther, which had recently escaped from the local Zoo, and was now running freely around in Clarksville. Kit, with his years of jungle training, shot the animal dead with a bow and arrows he had taken from his sports-teacher.
After the dramatic events with the panther, the two did not see each other for years, before they were unexpectedly reunited at a Christmas party several years later, both around the age of eighteen to twenty. Kit was already a celebrated sportsman in almost every field, and Diana had broken records for her diving.
Kit and Diana fell in love with each other that Christmas holiday, the relationship going as far as Kit considering proposing to her.
However, his plans were interrupted by Guran, who came back to USA from Bangalla
Bangalla
Bangalla, also known as Bengali and Bangolia, is a fictional African country that features in the Lee Falk created comic series The Phantom. Bangalla is the home of the Phantom, who resides in the Deep Woods of the jungle in the fabled Skull Cave...
to tell Kit that his father was dying after being stabbed in the back by Rama Singh, leaving Kit with no other choice than leaving Diana and travelling back to his homeland to take over the mantle of the Phantom.
Marriage
Kit and Diana married in 1977. The wedding took place in the legendary Skull CaveSkull Cave
The Skull Cave is the hideout of The Phantom. The Skull Cave is hidden behind a largewaterfall in the Deep Woods of Bangalla.To find the cave, one must go through the waterfall...
. President of Bangalla, Lamanda Luaga, and President of Ivory-Lana, Goranda, were both present at the wedding, and so were Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician is a syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk , which began June 11, 1934. Phil Davis soon took over as the strip's illustrator, while Falk continued to script. The strip was distributed by King Features Syndicate.Davis worked on the strip until his death in 1964,...
and Diana's mother and uncle, Lily and Dave Palmer.
Career
After a short career as a nurse, Diana is today working in the UN. She also has an Olympic medal in diving and a black belt in karate.In other media
Diana was portrayed by Jeanne BatesJeanne Bates
Jeanne Bates was an American radio, film and television actress. She signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1942 which began her career in films both in bit parts and larger roles.-Career:...
in the 1943 Phantom movie serial. However, in the serial, she is the niece of Professor Davidson, and she is not romantically involved with the Phantom, but is intending to marry a man named Byron in the beginning of the story.
In 1996, Kristy Swanson
Kristy Swanson
Kristen Nöel "Kristy" Swanson is an American actress best known for playing Buffy in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she also played Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger in the movie version of the V.C...
portrayed her in Paramount's big budget film The Phantom, featuring Billy Zane
Billy Zane
William George "Billy" Zane, Jr. is an American actor, producer and director. He is probably best known for his roles as Caledon Hockley in Titanic, The Phantom from The Phantom, John Wheeler in Twin Peaks and Mr...
as The Phantom. Diana is here sent out by her uncle Dave, in the film a wealthy newspaper publisher, to Bangalla
Bangalla
Bangalla, also known as Bengali and Bangolia, is a fictional African country that features in the Lee Falk created comic series The Phantom. Bangalla is the home of the Phantom, who resides in the Deep Woods of the jungle in the fabled Skull Cave...
to help with the search of a fabled weapon of doom, the Skulls of Touganda. When she is trapped by the henchmen of bad guy Xander Drax, she is saved by the Phantom, who unbeknownst to her is really her college boyfriend, Kit Walker. Towards the end of the film (according to the novelisation) she works out the Phantom's true identity based on the fact that he appeared just after Kit disappeared.
In the 2009 SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
miniseries, Diana Palmer Walker is seen in the opening sequence fleeing with young Kit from Singh Brotherhood
Singh Brotherhood
The Singh Brotherhood is a fictional global crime syndicate. They are the best known adversaries of the Lee Falk created superhero The Phantom, and have made many appearances in Phantom comic books and comic strips throughout the years...
assassins in a desperate car chase through New York. She uses an automatic (possibly one of the Phantom's .45's) to fight back, but is killed (presumably drowned) when her car is driven off the street into the river. Kit manages to escape the sinking car, but because of a concussion from the crash develops slight amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
but dreams of her for many years while not knowing who she really is.