I’m probably one of the few people that like the 1996 movie, The Phantom. I remember reading the Phantom comic strip as a kid. The character’s disguise is iconic. I can’t help thinking how we all wear disguises when needed. Superheroes are like drag queens – we put a disguise on to make us feel strong or beautiful. We choose the disguise to convey specific messages. As RuPaul reminds us, “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag.”

Disguises

“I’m a superhero in disguise as a ne’er-do-well cad.” - Billy Zane

Kit Walker, also known as the Phantom not only hides his identity behind a mask but the legend that is “the ghost-who-walks.” The Phantom has been fighting crime and injustice since the 16th century (over 500 years). Each generation the legacy is past down through father and son. Kit Walker fights to protect the innocent, the oppressed, and the weak. He has helped the people of India, Africa, and Asia. The Phantom uses his disguise to protect the legacy, his family (wife Diana and twins Heloise and Kit Jr.) and his assistants Guran (the crafty Bandar leader) and Devil (his faithful gray wolf). The secret identity for the Phantom is much larger than a disguise, it is a legacy.

There are times when we feel weak, oppressed, or victimized. It is at these times we wish there were a superhero to protect us. The truth is we all have the power to protect ourselves. We all have the power to do the things we want to do, and all we have to do is recognize that power. Gary Zukov once wrote, “Real power is what you build inside you and that, nobody can take from you.” Imagine yourself with the power and work toward that goal. Take a self-defense course, take a public speaking course, or join a self-help group. Then practice the skills that need to be developed. As we practice and develop we will find that our true power is not a disguise but a legacy easily worn and comfortable.

The Phantom
First Appearance: Daily Strip, on February 17, 1936 (with a Sunday page added in May 1939)

Creators: Originally Ray Moore, but also Wilson McCoy and Lee Falk (writers and artists)