Phantom Force

(Image, 1993-1994)
™ and ©1993 Jack Kirby, Michael Thibodeaux, and Richard French
Image publishes #1-2, Ash 1, Genesis West publishes #0, 3-8

Phantom Force consists of a group of rather randomly assembled super-heroes, including Kung-Fu fighter Gin Seng, cosmic-powered swordsman Apocalypse (no relation to the X-Factor villain), and the mysterious woman named Probe.

After being stranded on Earth, a group of evil aliens led by the villainous Darkfire attempts to gain access to its damaged spacecraft by assuming the identities of the scientists in possession of the vehicle. Unfortunately, the aliens’ new guises are merely public spokesmen, and are of little use in their plan. At least until Darkfire taps into his host body’s special knowledge, and learns of a mysterious band of heroes.

Darkfire soon develops a plan to subvert this powerful group, using his assumed identity to gain their trust to further his own malevolent agenda. But it remains to be seen if Darkfire’s cunning is any match for Probe, Apocalypse, and the other pupils of the mysterious Sensei.

Phantom Force first appeared in Last of the Viking Heroes #4. That title was part of Jack Kirby’s Genesis West line of independent comics. This current title came about as a result of Mike Thibodeux’s display of some unpublished Kirby pencil sketches to Image co-founder Rob Liefeld. Mike had co-created Phantom Force with Jack Kirby and was looking for a publisher. The Image crew, great admirers of Kirby’s, quickly agreed to help out. This title appeared in 1993 as one of Kirby’s last completely penciled stories, and featured inks and colors by virtually everyone at Image. Phantom Force #0 features some of the last work of legendary writer and artist, Jack Kirby. Sadly, Jack Kirby died in 1994 before the story could really develop.

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