Phantom Stranger #4
A World Full of Voices
Summary
Volume: 1
Issue: 4
Month: January
Year: 1988
Credits
Editor in Chief: Paul Levitz
Head Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Cover Artists: Mike Mignola
Pencilers: Mike Mignola
Inkers: P. Craig Russell
Colourists: Petra Scotese
Editors: Mike Carlin and Denny O'Neil
Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
- Phantom Stranger
- Bruce Gordon
- Eclipso
- James Gordon
- Lords of Order
- Lewis
- Lycaon
- Negative Woman
- Thomas
Locations:
- Temple of the Divine Light
- WGBS News affiliate station
First Appearances: Lewis (a cultist); Thomas (a cultist)
Final Appearances: Lewis; Lycaon; Thomas
Synopsis: Eclipso has prepared for three possible means by which he intends on blanketing the Earth in darkness. His first failed attempt was through geological disaster. His second was through nuclear Armageddon. Now he enlists the service of a televangelist named Lycaon of the Temple of the Divine Light. He wants Lycaon to unite the minds of the world thus creating a portal into the mystical realms.
Lycaon has arranged with WGBS to broadcast his televangelist special over their affiliate networks from Gotham City, thus reaching millions of people. Colonel Valentina Vostok, working behind the scenes in an effort to ferret out Eclipso's master plan, sneaks into the studio. But Lycaon finds her and uses his own mystical powers to render her Negative being inert.
The Phantom Stranger travels to Stonehenge in England to confront Eclipso. He calls out to the sky taunting Eclipso to face him. Eclipso arrives and the Stranger tries to attack him physically. But the de-powered Stranger is no match for Eclipso.
Meanwhile, Lycaon begins his special ritual. Using mystical powers of persuasion, he unites the minds of all who watches the program and channels the power to create a rift designed to swallow the sun and plunge the universe into the darkness that Eclipso covets so heavily.
The increased global energy concentrates in places of mystical power, including Stonehenge. This is why the Phantom Stranger traveled to England. Using Stonehenge as an amplification tool, the Stranger absorbs the energy taken from the people watching Lycaon's broadcast. He turns that energy back upon Eclipso, sealing the spatial rift and destroying him (for now anyway). At the studio, Valentina Vostok revives and sabotages the broadcasting equipment cutting off the channel to Lycaon's mass hypnosis. Lycaon is apprehended.
Having relied upon the love and trust of humanity, the Phantom Stranger now realizes his place in relation to those he seeks to protect. The Lords of Order grant him his full spectrum of powers once again.
Notes
- The Phantom Stranger appears next in Millennium #8.
- Negative Woman appears next in Secret Origins (Volume 2) Annual #1.
Trivia
- None
Recommended Readings
- Phantom Stranger (Volume 1)
- Phantom Stranger (Volume 2)
- Phantom Stranger (Volume 3)
- Vertigo Visions
Related Articles
- Phantom Stranger cover art gallery
- Phantom Stranger image gallery
- Phantom Stranger appearances list
- Eclipso appearances list
- James Gordon appearances list
- Negative Woman appearances list
External Links
- Phantom Stranger article at Wikipedia
- Phantom Stranger biography page at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
- Phantom Stranger (Volume 3) series index at the Grand Comics Database
- Phantom Stranger index at Dark Mark's Indexing Domain
References
- Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe (chronology)
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