Phantom Lady
Personal information
Real Name: Sandra Knight
Residence: New York City, New York
Occupation: Socialite, adventurer
First Appearance (Golden Age): Police Comics #1 (August 1941)
First Appearance (Post-Golden Age): Justice League of America #107 (October 1973)
Character History
Sandra Knight was born in the late 1910's into the Knight Dynasty, a family of wealthy industrialists and politicians in early 20th century America on Earth-Two. In 1941, her father was Senator Henry Knight and she was living in Washington D.C. Inspired to be more proactive in fighting crime, Finding a room of equipment and plans that her father's colleague Dr. Abraham Davis had stored in their home, she constructed a prototype of a "black light" ray. Her initial efforts to operate failed and she shared her work with her cousin, Ted Knight, who was more interested in Davis' "gravity rod". Taking it home to work on, Ted left Sandra to her devices. A few days later, she witnessed an attempted kidnapping of her father which she foiled with an ambush attack on the assailants (All-Star Squadron #41). She chose a code-name "The Phantom Lady" and at some point perfected the black light that became her stock in trade..
Adopting a stylish costume, she began to work primarily in the DC area target Axis agents targeting the government. She meets and eventually becomes engaged to Don Borden, a military intelligence agent who participates in much of her casework (Police Comics #1). Frequent cases revolved around assassination attempts on her father (Police Comics #9 and #17), including one disguised as the Easter Bunny (Police Comics #18). Occasionally, she was active outside of DC including Cuba (Police Comics #8), West Point (Police Comics #14) and Lake Erie (Police Comics #19).
In 1942, she became involved with the All-Star Squadron when the battled the Ultra-Humanite (All-Star Squadron #26-27). An earlier case included her in a struggle with Per Degaton but this case was erased when his tampering with time corrected itself (All-Star Squadron #2-3). A pivotal case occurred when she traveled to Earth-X with the Squadron in pursuit of Baron Blitzkrieg. The removal of three members of Earth-X meant that Uncle Sam, the Black Condor and the Ray had to remain behind, resulting in the later recruitment of a broader array of heroes, including Phantom Lady, to Earth-X permanently (All-Star Squadron #50). On Earth-X, the Freedom Fighters scattered to different cities and set-up operations. Phantom Lady fell in with two other adventurers - the Raven and the Spider Widow (Police Comics #20-22, Feature Comics #69-71) after which is nothing is known of her activities for 30 years and the fate of the Raven and the Widow are unrevealed,
In the 1970's, a transmatter cube accident caused by the Red Tornado resulted in the appearance of the Justice League and Justice Society on Earth-X. After being attacked by Nazis, the Freedom Fighters explain their predictament - rule by Nazi mind control - and the heroes of Earths One and Two pledge their assistance. They split into teams with Phantom Lady joining Green Arrow, Superman and Doll Man in destroying a mind control device hidden in a Japanese volcano. When they and the other teams succeed but the mind-control persists, it reveals the existence of a sentient AI controlling earth from an orbiting satellite. When the Red Tornado destroys it, humanity's free will is restored and the Freedom Fighters celebrated as heroes (Justice League of America #107-108).
Roughly a year or two later, the Freedom Fighters are bored on recovering Earth-X and feel a lack of purpose. Deciding to return their favor to Earth-One, the travel there to begin a life of crime-fighting. Initially welcome, their reputations eventually suffer and they become perceived as outlaws. Moreover, an encounter with demon Homilus causes the Black Condor to manifest telekinetic powers, ultimately mutated him and his fellow Freedom Fighters. The extent to which these powers persist after they are cured of Homilus' influence is unclear. While the eventually clear their names, they still struggle for a role on Earth-One (Freedom Fighters #1-15). In parallel, the Silver Ghost - a long time adversary from Earth-X - seeks a final confrontation by employing the Secret Society of Super-Villains (Secret Society of Super-Villains #15, Unpublished #16 and 17). Though the Freedom Fighters eventually win, the resolve to return to Earth-X and see if they can find a new role in their home dimension,
Little is known of Phantom Lady's life after her return to Earth-X. It is known that parts of the world remained destroyed or afflicted with Axis resistance. In 1982, an entity known as the Adjudicator unleashed the Four Horsemen onto the Multiverse, send War to Earth-X. There it managed to stir up resentment in a largely destroyed Paris until the arrival of Madame Xanadu and Supergirl from Earth-One helped Phantom Lady fend it off (Wonder Woman #292). She was seen active during the Crisis on Infinite Earths but her activities since that time are unknown.
Powers and Abilities
Originally, Phantom Lady had no particular powers beyond her keen wits and athleticism. Her acquisition of the Black Light Projector allowed her to fashion a number of wrist-mounted implements that allowed her to project and act with in a cone of darkness. The specific mechanisms by which this device worked and the science it is based on are unknown. During her translocation to Earth-One, Phantom Lady, her body was altered in some manner that allowed her to become intangible although the nature of this change is also not clear. It is also unclear whether she retained this ability upon her return to the Earth-X as she was seen bound my plants during the Crisis (Crisis on Infinite Earths #9) which she would have easily escaped in her phantom form,
Weaknesses and Limitations
Early in her career, the Phantom Lady was a normal woman and separated from her devices, could be injured as such. After her transitions from Earth-X to Earth-One and her acquisition of powers of intangibility, her limitations are less defined, tho in her solid state, she remained a normal mortal woman and could be injured and killed in that form.
Multiversity
Earth-0
The history of the Phantom Lady on the merged Earth Post-Crisis is thought to be large similar to the recorded history of the Earth-Two version prior to her diversion to Earth-X. In this timeline, she never migrated and remained active with the All-Star Squadron for the remainder of World War II and the hunted Nazi escapees afterwards (Birds of Pray #14). At some point in this time frame she married and had children with Iron Munro, one of them being out of wedlock and the other kidnapped as a fetus by the Baron (Damage #11-12, Manhunter #23). Later in the 1950's and 60;s, she became less active a a costumed vigilante and worked as a spy, first for Argent and later founding the Universite Notre Dame Des Ombres (the University of Our Lady of the Shadows) as a school for female spies (Action Comics #636). One of her students - Dee Tyler - takes on the role ass Phantom Lady as her successor until she is slain by the Cheetah and Deathstroke (Infinite Crisis #1). Sandra Knight later learns that her son given up for adoption has become a murderer and that his daughter, Knight's granddaughter, is the adventurer known as the Manhunter. The two meet and form a familial bond in the earl 21st century (Manhunter #23). The later activities of Sandra Knight in t his timeline are not recorded and other inheritors including Stormy Knight (The Battle for Bludhaven #2) and Jennifer Knight (Phantom Lady #1) are not known to be related to Sandra Knight.
Earth-10
In a world with many similarities to Earh-X, including Nazi victory in World War II, a lineage of Phantom Ladies has long existed, While a Sandra Knight version is thought to exist, they have not been well documented. The current version is Sophia Becker, daughter of a Nazi Scientist who has adopted the code-name Phantom Lady and joined Uncle Sam's Freedom Fighters (Multiversity Guidebook #1).
Earth-11
A male version - the Phantom Man- exists in this timeline with a similar costume motif but little is known of his history (Countdown: The Search for Ray Palmer: Superwoman/Batwoman #1).
Earth-12
A Sandra Knight version of Phantom Lady exists in this timeline and is a member of the Freedom Fighters. Nothing else of this version is known (Justice League Unlimited #17).
Earth-22
Phantom Lady in the Earth-22 timeline was Sandra Knight and active up until the 1950's when she was present at the gathering of heroes in which popular hero Dyna-Man was revealed to be Adolph Hitler, preserved by the Ultra-Humanite. The extent to which she participated in that battle or survived it is unknown (The Golden Age LS). Whether or not she died then, it is known that she died sometime before the 21st century and her phantom lived on and became part of the Silent Cavalry under Batman. She may hev been caught in the nuclear blast at the Battle of the Gulag but as she is already dead, it is unclear what effect that would have had (Kingdom Come LS).
Golden Age Appearances of the Phantom Lady
Post-Golden Age Appearances
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Issue |
Comment |
Reprinted in |
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As a member of the All-Star Squadron |
Showcase Presents: The All-Star Squadron #1 |
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Vs. The Ultra-Humanite with Infinity Inc. and the All-Star Squadron |
Infinity Inc.: The Generations Saga |
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Cameo |
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First visit to Earth-X |
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Parts of origin revealed |
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With the All-Star Squadron |
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Moves to Earth-X |
Crisis on Infinite Earths Deluxe Companion #1 |
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Crisis on Infinite Earths #5,6,7,10, and 11 |
Participates in Crisis on Infinite Earths |
Crisis on Infinite Earths HC, Crisis on Infinite Earths TPB, Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths HC, Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths HC |
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Freedom Fighters #1-15 |
With the Freedom Fighters on Earth-One |
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First Silver Age Appearance, with the JLA, JSA and the Freedom Fighters
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Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 3 TPB, Showcase Presents: The Justice League of America #6, Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus #1 |
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Targeted by the Silver Ghost with the rest of the Freedom Fighters |
Secret Society of Super-Villains HC Vol. 2 |
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Secret Society of Super-Villains #16 amd 17 (Unpublished) |
Vs the Silver Ghost and his allies in the Secret Society |
Secret Society of Super-Villains HC Vol. 2, Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2 |
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Is caught up the schemes of the Adjudicator |
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