13 Freaky Facts You May Not Know About Comics And Their Creators

11. Superman Was Not The First Costumed Superhero!

Superman may have inspired legions of masked crime-fighters, and jumpstarted an entire industry, but he was NOT the first costumed "superhero"! Sorry, but that distinction goes to Lee Falk's masked jungle hero the Phantom: "The Ghost Who Walks"; "The Man Who Cannot Die"! The Phantom first appeared on February 7, 1936, in a daily newspaper comic strip (illustrated by Ray Moore) - a full two years before the quintessential costumed hero, Superman. Although the Phantom had no fantastic powers beyond his supremely developed physical prowess, his jungle-bred instincts, and a fantastic fear-invoking legend, he was the first "superhero" to wear a skintight costume and a mask that hid his pupils - two distinctive characteristics of the classic comic book hero. The Phantom also has a secret identity, Kit Walker, who swore an oath to avenge his father's murder by battling evil forces.... Hey, if any of this sounds familiar, wait, there's more: the Phantom hangs out in the Skull Cave. We can imagine there's also a few bats hanging out there with him, but alas, no Batmobile. Instead, the Phantom gallops about on a white stallion named Hero, with a trained wolf named Devil for a sidekick. Batman didn't get Ace the Bat-Hound until 1955... The Phantom eventually made the jump to comics, paperback novels and movies. At the peak of the character's popularity, over 100 million readers thrilled to his adventures.