Phantom Reporter
Encyclopedia
The Phantom Reporter is a fictional
comic book
character who first appeared in Daring Mystery Comics
#3, published by Timely Comics
, the forerunner to Marvel Comics
, during the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books
.
He appears in The Twelve. He had no known superpowers. His one Golden Age story has been reprinted in The Twelve #0. His origin was told in Daring Mystery 70th Anniversary Special.
, the first Electro and the Black Widow, are in Berlin during the last days of World War 2. The story starts from his perspective. Purely by chance they assemble and investigate the headquarters of the S.S. As part of a plot to reinvigorate the Nazis, they are captured and placed in suspended animation. The scientists responsible are killed in various incidents and the twelve are not found until 2008.
To reduce the culture shock the government agency recreates life from decades ago. Jones notices oddities, such as a female nurse having earring holes and wearing bizarre stockings. This snaps the illusion for the group.
Jones also deals with his growing attraction to the Black Widow.
Soon, he is offered a job with the Daily Bugle
. For the editors at the Bugle, the Phantom Reporter's first-hand experience of America's past — specifically all the good and ill that was present — will be invaluable to their readers. He accepts the job, writing his first article on the sacrifice and patriotism of his generation of heroes.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character who first appeared in Daring Mystery Comics
Daring Mystery Comics
Daring Mystery Comics is an American comic-book series published by Timely Comics, a predecessor of Marvel Comics, during the 1930-1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books...
#3, published by Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
, the forerunner to Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, during the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
.
He appears in The Twelve. He had no known superpowers. His one Golden Age story has been reprinted in The Twelve #0. His origin was told in Daring Mystery 70th Anniversary Special.
Fictional character biography
Dick Jones was ex-All American fullback, ex-collegiate boxing, wrestling and fencing champ. He actually has three identities: Dick Jones, reporter; Van Engen, millionaire; and Phantom Reporter, costumed crime fighter. He put on a mask so he could redress the wrongs he couldn't as a reporter.The Twelve
Jones and eleven other heroes, such as Blue BladeBlue Blade
The Blue Blade is an American comic book character owned by Marvel Comics who exists in that company's Marvel Universe. His only appearance was in USA Comics #5, published in the 1940s by Marvel's forerunner, Timely Comics, during a period that is known as the Golden Age of Comic Books.After the...
, the first Electro and the Black Widow, are in Berlin during the last days of World War 2. The story starts from his perspective. Purely by chance they assemble and investigate the headquarters of the S.S. As part of a plot to reinvigorate the Nazis, they are captured and placed in suspended animation. The scientists responsible are killed in various incidents and the twelve are not found until 2008.
To reduce the culture shock the government agency recreates life from decades ago. Jones notices oddities, such as a female nurse having earring holes and wearing bizarre stockings. This snaps the illusion for the group.
Jones also deals with his growing attraction to the Black Widow.
Soon, he is offered a job with the Daily Bugle
Daily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
. For the editors at the Bugle, the Phantom Reporter's first-hand experience of America's past — specifically all the good and ill that was present — will be invaluable to their readers. He accepts the job, writing his first article on the sacrifice and patriotism of his generation of heroes.
External links
- The Phantom Reporter at Nevins, JessJess NevinsJohn J. Nevins, MA/MS, is an American author and librarian, born 30 July 1966 and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the World Fantasy Award-nominated Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana , and other works on Victoriana and pulp fiction...
, A Guide to Golden Age Marvel Characters. WebCitation archive of latter.