Remember The Phantom? That Billy Zane superhero flick from the '90s where he dressed in a purple leotard and did super hero things? Me neither. But Zane's character is not just the star of a '90s, pre-MCU blockbusters flop; his character is one of the longest-running serial superheroes in history who is single handedly responsible for a large chunk of the superhero aesthetic.
And he does not put up with homophobic shit!
In a recent comic, the Swedish version of The Phantom had the titular character at a gay pride parade, and when things started to go sour after a bunch of Polish nationalists showed up and began chanting homophobic rhetoric, he didn't hesitate to take action.
"I have to act quickly before blood flows on the streets!" And with that, The Phantom (or as he’s called in Sweden, Fantomen) grabs a rainbow-colored Pride flag (literally) and starts swinging.
If you haven’t been paying attention lately (we don’t blame you, it’s depressing), Poland has recently been criticized lately for a growing, far-right wing, white nationalist movement. Thousands of the movement's followers marched in the Warsaw, the Polish capital, this past November (it’s just as worrying as what’s happening on this side of the pond), and they were not happy about it.
The Polish broadcast Telewizja Republika was chuffed at the comic, saying "Sweden is once again being ridiculed for its attempt to be the vanguard of (the) global social justice movement."
Stateside, the only anger I could find was over at Breitbart (and honestly, that gives you an idea of the type of people who are upset by The Phantom kicking homophobic ass).
Other than that, the response to the latest issue of The Phantom has been very positive. In response to criticism, writer Philip Madden pointed out that he was inspired for the story from living in Poland and seeing the treatment of those around him. The editors agree that this was an issue that a superhero like The Phantom should address. (It isn’t the first time he has been political, after all.)
According to The Phantom editor Mikael Sol, "Basically, The Phantom is always about to do the right thing and to stand on the vulnerable side. It may be against companies that for economic gain ruin our environment or eradicate animal species, and it may be to fight slave trade or stand up for religious freedom."
"I thought it became a nice symbolism with the colorful flag, which stands for tolerance, against the colorless gray dressed villain who stands for intolerance," said Sol in an interview with Expressen. "I understand clearly that the cover is controversial, but sometimes you have to feel comfortable and stand safe in your choice."
Despite the outcry, the issue has been doing well in Sweden, receiving a more popular than normal reaction. And be honest…when did YOU last read an article about The Phantom?? Or even think about him??
And what about the haters? As The Phantom says while swinging his pride flag around: "It's useless to try to argue with the unreasonable."
