I don’t really need to introduce the Phantom Stranger to most of you, I think, so I just want to say something about him.
The reason the Phantom Stranger is great is because he is the elemental expression of something we all, deep down, want to believe is true (even if we don’t), and that is that the universe gives a shit about us.
In recent years, the Phantom Stranger has gotten more exposure than he ever has since his series (which he shared with Dr. 13 – man, that was some awesome old-school comics), but with that exposure has come – not surprisingly – the need to explain the Stranger a little more than he has been. This is the biggest mistake that could possibly be made with him. The Phantom Stranger is remote and unknowable. That’s not a minus; that’s who he is and who was designed to be. There’s a reason his issue of Secret Origins contains not one but four separate possible origins: we aren’t supposed to know who the Phantom Stranger is, and it doesn’t matter who he is.
What matters is what he is: he’s the purest possible expression of hope in superhero comics. He only shows up when things are at their absolute worst, when it looks like there’s no possible way the good guys can win, whether those good guys are the Justice League or a single mother and her only child stuck in a house of horror or a lonely policeman on the brink of personal despair, and he helps. He never outright saves the day; he just gives the good guys a bit of a nudge, exactly as much help as they need to get themselves out of trouble, and then he disappears again before he can even be thanked. Oftentimes he doesn’t do much more than remind the heroes of how strong they really are.
And it’s cool because you know that the Phantom Stranger is crazy-go-nuts levels of powerful. He could solve all of the heroes’ problems for them. But he doesn’t, because to do so would be to take away the opportunity to triumph from them, and what kind of help would that be?
That’s a wonderful thing. That it comes in one of the best superhero costumes ever is only a bonus.
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I always thought I was alone in loving the Stranger’s costume. And that Aparo art in Who’s Who is great. He’s one of those characters I found primarily through Who’s Who that I immediately liked and started looking for back issues for. Which is why DC needs to bring Who’s Who back and not their mediocre Secret Files whatevers.
Are you reading Madame Xanadu? Matt Wagner used the Stranger a lot in the first ten issues in what I think was a really awesome way that gels with what you’re saying here. And Amy Reeder Hadley does some fun stuff with his iconic costume as he and Xanadu go from Arthurian England to Kubla Khan’s court to the French Revolution to Victorian England and finally the 30s.
Given all that, it’s fitting that three of his four origins in that issue of Secret Origins tied him into the Bible. He is essentially the Christian Holy Spirit in a hat. (One has him as the Wandering Jew, another as a semi-fallen angel who waffled during Lucifer’s rebellion and thus belongs to neither heaven nor hell, and the third had him as the Lone Good Man in Gomorrah, condemned by an angry angel to walk the earth forever for refusing to be rescued alone.)
The Stranger is indeed truly excellent. His “secret origin” in Gomorrah had a great line from the outraged angel that sums him up. In refusing the angel’s offer of escape, he asks if it would not be better to turn the evil into the good, rather than destroy them. Mocking him later, the angel says, “Very well — go forth and turn them from evil. Convert them to good, one by one. Save them all, if you can.”
And that’s exactly what he does.
Brad Reed: As much as that makes the Stranger out to be a great man, it makes God look like a dick.
Anyway, after reading it a couple of times it he does sound like the Holy Ghost or Jesus or whoever is supposed to come to you when your born again.
Though all that really does it remind me of an Eddie Izzard bit: “Hoooly Ghoooast. Hoooly Ghooooast!” “Holy Ghost, this isn’t an episode of Scooby-Doo!”
Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Phantom Stranger/Rex The Wonder Dog teamup.
PaulW: Oddly enough, yes I was thinking that. Luckly The Phantom Stranger appeared before me and told me if I kept thinking about it the awesomeness of it would cause my head to explode.
One must live thier life by this simple mantra…
WWPSD?
Following Brad Reed’s comment (sort of): I like the idea of contradictory origins, as it seems to be the best way to keep your cake open to interpretation, but have a backstory too. I especially like the religious connotations they gave him–just because the first thing I read that had the Phantom Stranger in it was the Books of Magic series, and I assumed from the context that he WAS the DC Universe’s God, or at least a reasonably equivalent manifestation. Looking back, there was nothing to really support that view, but there was nothing to contradict it either. And while I suppose giving the Phantom Stranger divinity status kind of limits what you can do with the character, I’m always disappointed in an appearance that precludes the possibility.
“As much as that makes the Stranger out to be a great man, it makes God look like a dick.”
Have you read the old Testament? God IS a dick in those stories, especially in ones like the Sodom and Gomorrah story. He doesn’t get retconned into the loving god of Christianity until the New Testament.
You, sir, have impeccable taste in comic book characters.
I have a theory as to what the Stranger represents that differs slightly, that I will expound upon when I get a blog of my own, though.
I was wondering if you’d ever get around to doing a more famous character. Glad you did.
Now you’re making me wonder how other famous DC characters would do on the RtHFWD percentage scale. How would Batman do? Or the Flash?
That should be RtMFWD.
karellan: Oh, I’m well aware of the difference between Old Test. God and New Test. God. Doesn’t change the validity of my statement any though.
“He doesn’t get retconned into the loving god of Christianity until the New Testament.”
This statement makes me think two things: 1) I find it hilarious that we can talk about God as if he’s a comic book character and 2) What was the bigger religious retcon? The mellowing out of God in the new testament or the renaming of the Greek gods when the Romans got them?
What about the renaming of the Egyptian gods when the Greeks got them?
Or for that matter, the grand mashup of the Upper Egyptian and Lower Egyptian pantheons, along with their respective cosmologies.
Religions and their gods don’t just pop up out of nowhere – they evolve over time, getting pieced together and tweaked by various authors, editors and cultural factors. The comparison to the evolution of comic book characters is actually pretty apt.
moose n squirrel: There’s a thesis in there somewhere.
And as if all that weren’t enough, Madame Xanadu has a school girl crush on him, which he handles with as compassion as he is able to manage while ducking thrown objects. He is the DCU’s Time Lord without a TARDIS.
My first encounter with Phantom Stranger was in Hellblazer, so I always had the impression that he was a bit of stuck-up dick. But now I feel kind of bad giggling over the time Constantine accidentally pissed on his shoes.
this is the highest you have rated anybody.
I think Katzedecimal is onto something with the Doctor Who comparison. I’ve always viewed the Stranger as an even more enigmatic version of the Doctor — an individual who can travel anywhere and see anything, but who is less about taking direct action and more about inspiring others to do so.
For my part, this is why my favorite take on the Stranger is actually one that DOESN’T portray him as crazy powerful — less omnipotent and more omnipresent.
Love the Phantom Stranger, hands down one of my fav comic characters of all time.
The original book he starred in with Dr. 13 was a text book example of how to do awesome horror comics, and I find myself laughing to this very day about the huge tonal shift the book got once Robert Kraighner took over. Originally, we got one story from the PS which implied something magical happened, and one from Doc 13, which exposed something as just scientific trickery, and then the reader is generally left to decide on their own what the case is in the third, overarching story. Then within the space of one issue, PS is transformed from a kinda weird old man who may or may not have super powers and who myseriously shows up whereever he’s needed (and also where ever Dr. 13 happenes to be, I might add), into a blatently magical dude with glowing eyes, flying around fighting evil sorceresses and turning back thunderstorms so the poor hippy kids could get to the evil mansion and have their pecan ice cream without too much of a fuss.
And even then, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
Katzedecimal and Patrick C.: I was getting a Doctor-ish vibe from the Stranger myself a little more so of the revamp then the classic series (mainly because that’s the way “Love and Monsters” portrays the Doctor). Which for the Doctor bothers me as he’s usually a very proactive person, though I’m sure from an outsider’s point of view he just pops up and things happen (again, kind of the point of that story). Actually, the Guardian characters from Doctor Who are a lot more emblematic of the Stranger then the Doctor himself, as they have the power or at least guile to influence people and are hinted at having great power, but that power is barely shown and only subtly hinted at.
Yea, the Phantom Stranger needs a dog.
If he gave out free kittens and/or cupcakes to the people he saved, he’d get a 150%.
The Alan Moore version — that’s the one where the Stranger is a half-fallen angel — is interesting because it’s an awesome origin story, but a so-so origin.
The story itself is eight pages of pure Moore goodness, from back in the days when Moore could actually write something in eight pages. That was, what, 1985? Happier times, man. Happier times.
Anyway. It puts the Stranger’s origin firmly in Lucifer’s rebellion. He gets invited to join, dithers, and when the hammer comes down he can’t choose. And at the end, there’s a gruesome scene where the newly-minted demons reject him by ripping his wings off. It’s awesome. One of the best origin stories ever.
But it’s a weak /origin/ because it doesn’t really lead anywhere. Is the Stranger trying to climb back into heaven? Is he still a ditherer? (Moore wrote him so in Swamp Thing, but it’s a minority opinion.) Is he still angelic, and if so, what does that mean? There aren’t really clear, compelling and cool answers to this. It’s not a /bad/ origin, but it’s not as good as you might think.
Anyway. I agree that the Stranger is cool, but he has to be used right. In fact, it’s a little surprising that he hasn’t been used wrong more often.
Doug M.
“He doesn’t get retconned into the loving god of Christianity until the New Testament.”
Having a kid can really mellow someone a bit.
I love reading these Who’s Who pieces. It makes me feel better about the ton of them I have in bags down in the basement.
If we put a dog collar on him, would he earn the extra 3%?
1. What do you mean “as if”? Has God ever been shown to be anything else?
2. Renaming a brand name to sell the same product in a different region is not a retcon. That’s just marketing.
The Mike W. Barr-written origin story is the best in that Secret Origins annual, for two reasons.
*(1) The Stranger as the Wandering Jew is a fine idea, using a religious concept that hasn’t been overexposed.
*(2) art by Jim Aparo. He gets a lot of love, and rightly so, at this blog tracking every PS appearance EVER:
http://iamthephantomstranger.blogspot.com/
Scroll down a bit to get the good stuff; it’s not the Stranger’s fault Tom Mandrake stinks.
This character is one who inhabits a club of one in my mind – a character who I love but have no desire to see a mini or a series written about, precisely because he only really works as a character in someone else’s story.
My absolute favorite character–I remember reading the original series (with the Dr. 13 back-up stories) when I was little. Yeah, I’m that old. I love it when he shows up, but he’s best when he’s used sparingly.
I can’t think of any other character who deserves such a high rating (other than Rex, of course). It’s great to see all this love for the guy.
MGK, thanks. I always kind of liked him, but I could never put my finger as to the exact reason. And you nailed it.
His appearance in the Zatanna 7S comic is great. It’s mentioned earlier that he went out for bread and hasn’t been seen since, and then when Z is basically resigned to being completely fucked over, he just walks in the door.
And doesn’t, immediately afterward, solve her problems for her.
He’s like the DCU’s grown-up Ged.
that, and once, the phantom stranger’s boots were caught in a john constantine pissstream.
Yes, but he’s weak against little kids loudly singing “Bingo”.
One of the more unique weaknesses in the DCU, to be sure.
So this guy is the same as Dex from Fables?
I’m not sure how that sort of character can work in a traditional superhero genre, but everyone seems to love him. Oh, well, rock on I guess.
Perhaps he’s manifestation of the Third Man (Eliot via Shackleton), as he seems to appear and disappear in much the same way. The difference is that he is, or can be, active rather than passive. He exists in the collective subconscious of the universe and is expressed into being when needed.
I, too, love some Phantom Stranger.
“One day I hope you might call me friend, but until then I fear I must remain … a stranger.”
Gets me every time, you will be un-shocked to hear.
Quick question from someone who doesn’t keep up with comics as much as he’d like to: what’s the best comics in which to find Phantom Stranger?
Whenever I see John Slattery on MAD MEN, I think to myself, “Why is the Phantom Stranger doing ad campaigns for Lucky Strikes?”
Phantom Stranger himself seems to have Rex on his speed dial. He’s called on him multiple times.
The Stranger is, indeed, unfltered awesome of a character.
And if you had rated him any lower, I would have had to end you.
I thought you all might like to know a little secret: I know what he is. Really.
Many years ago I went to a comics convention in NY and spoke to a DC writer. I have always been a serious fan of PS, so much so that I have the whole first series. We chatted, and he told me what DC had in its internal “Bible” about the character. I wish I remember who it was, but I don’t.
What he told me was that PS is the “collective conscience of mankind”. If you think about it, that fits. He “nudges” behavior but respects free will. Ordinarily, (you’ll have to excuse some writers’ actions) he only jumps in when a threat is “other-worldly”, or beyond the powers of personal choice. He cannot be destroyed; he is ignored at an actor’s peril; he “gets it” at a very moral level.
By the way, he deserves his own book.
I’ve actually heard that collective conscience of mankind bit before, around the time of the Paul Kupperberg miniseries. I suspect it’s been ignored since.
I also like the Wandering Jew origin the best in the Secret Origins issue, but the simple fact that that story has been used to justify racism against the Jews so often troubles me enough to think that it probably shouldn’t be the official one. But I genuinely hate the fallen angel origin, so… here’s hoping it’s never confirmed one way or the other.
For the guy who wanted some good Phantom Stranger comics? Just go buy the Essentials issues and his Justice League of America appearances, ESPECIALLY the one that Steve Englehart wrote. Good, good stuff.
Hey, did you notice? Geoff Johns actually gave him an origin now! He’s Judas Iscariot, cursed by some Wizard Shazam analogues (because there’s a bunch of them now! Just like with the Green Lanterns!) to be the Phantom Stranger!
Mystery solved! Thanks Geoff!
Stranger being Judas isn’t really a bad thing. He’s been biblical in several of his origins already and it gives him a reason to do what he does. He’s the same guy, we just know why he’s doing it all now. Besides, if you don’t like the way the new universe is going, my prediction is that Trinity-War will switch things up some more in the aftermath as a way for DC to change new stuff that was stupid, like Red Hood having a book.
It’s not a horrible origin, but it’s worse than the other four or five he’s got by a good margin, and it only really serves to diminish him. Phantom Stranger doesn’t need an origin; he just does what he does because he thinks that anyone can be saved. Adding the whole “thirty silver pieces” deal adds an element of selfishness to his quest that just doesn’t work.
Not everything needs an explanation, and Phantom Stranger is not a main protagonist. He’s just a helper. Just a guide. Just a stranger.