Phone Ranger
Encyclopedia
Phone Ranger is a superhero
in the Marvel Comics
universe
. Initially conceived as a one-off joke character, he has since become a legitimate presence within the comics universe.
, creator of the telephone). He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and made a living as a telephone repairman in New York City
.
One day, Bell was called in to repair a telephone that had been smashed to pieces by its owner, who flew into a rage at the constant prank calls he had been receiving. In reality, the "prank calls" were distress signals from a tiny spaceship that had fled from a subatomic universe
and somehow ended up trapped within the phone receiver. Upon examining the broken telephone, Bell realized that the aliens had left some of their technology behind within the phone. Replicating the technology, Bell fashioned a costume of his own design that allowed him to connect with any telecommunications system in existence, and the Phone Ranger was born.
The Phone Ranger made his official heroic debut when the Lethal Legion
attacked the offices of Marvel Comics (which exist in-universe, publishing the exploits of the heroes with their permission). Desperate for help, writer Kurt Busiek had dialed lots of phone numbers, and on that moment the mysterious Phone Ranger appeared right in front of him. Phone Ranger claimed he was here to fight the Lethal Legion, also claiming that he existed to protect actual telephones.
He fought Legion member Unicorn
who defeated the super-hero. Later, Phone Ranger was apparently shot in the head by the Scourge of the Underworld
and was presumed dead.
event, his survival being explained as the thick layer of optical fiber
s in his headpiece deflecting the bullet. Initially he refused to sign the Registration Act and was arrested by Spider-Man
and Iron Man
in Civil War Front Line, but he accepted registration after the surrender of Captain America
and is listed as pro-registration in Civil War: Battle Damage Report.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the 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...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. Initially conceived as a one-off joke character, he has since become a legitimate presence within the comics universe.
Fictional character biography
The Phone Ranger's real name is A. G. Bell (a reference to Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
, creator of the telephone). He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and made a living as a telephone repairman in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
One day, Bell was called in to repair a telephone that had been smashed to pieces by its owner, who flew into a rage at the constant prank calls he had been receiving. In reality, the "prank calls" were distress signals from a tiny spaceship that had fled from a subatomic universe
Microverse
Microverses are dimensions occurring within the fictional Marvel Universe.The Microverses are often visited by the Fantastic Four in various adventures. They were formerly defined as any universe only accessible through vibrational attunement...
and somehow ended up trapped within the phone receiver. Upon examining the broken telephone, Bell realized that the aliens had left some of their technology behind within the phone. Replicating the technology, Bell fashioned a costume of his own design that allowed him to connect with any telecommunications system in existence, and the Phone Ranger was born.
The Phone Ranger made his official heroic debut when the Lethal Legion
Lethal Legion
The Lethal Legion is the name of five teams of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first version of the Legion appears in The Avengers #78 ; the second version in Avengers #164 ; the third version in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #1 ; the fourth Avengers...
attacked the offices of Marvel Comics (which exist in-universe, publishing the exploits of the heroes with their permission). Desperate for help, writer Kurt Busiek had dialed lots of phone numbers, and on that moment the mysterious Phone Ranger appeared right in front of him. Phone Ranger claimed he was here to fight the Lethal Legion, also claiming that he existed to protect actual telephones.
He fought Legion member Unicorn
Unicorn (comics)
Unicorn is the codename of multiple supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The first Unicorn debuted in Tales of Suspense vol...
who defeated the super-hero. Later, Phone Ranger was apparently shot in the head by the Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
and was presumed dead.
Civil War
The Phone Ranger reappeared during the Civil WarCivil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
event, his survival being explained as the thick layer of optical fiber
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
s in his headpiece deflecting the bullet. Initially he refused to sign the Registration Act and was arrested by Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
in Civil War Front Line, but he accepted registration after the surrender of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and is listed as pro-registration in Civil War: Battle Damage Report.