15 Comic Book 'Firsts' You Didn't Know
1. The Phantom - First Superhero
Lee Falk created the first superhero, The Phantom, in 1936 - two years before Superman debuted. Amazingly, Falk worked on the Phantom comics up until his death in 1999.
The first Phantom, Christopher Walker, was a sailor born in the 16th century in the country of Bengalia. After his father was killed by a pirate, he made this pledge - "I swear to devote my life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty, and injustice, in all their forms." If the Phantom dies, his son will dawn the costume and become the new Phantom.
Because the Phantom has been a consistent presence in Bengalia for centuries, the natives believes he is immortal and call him The Ghost Who Walks. The stories are usually set in modern times and revolve around the current Phantom, Kit Walker.
He may not be well-known (and his live-action film was so very, very bad), but the Phantom is the first official superhero to appear in comics. He is also the first crimefighter to wear a white-eyed mask and a skintight costume - a visual motif later adopted by dozens of superheroes in the years following.
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