Forged in war, The Phantom Detective wages a one-man battle on crime! Solving impossible mysteries and delivering his own justice, he is the underworld’s masked nightmare!
Follow the Phantom Detective on a perilous trail of murder in the wake of the dreaded fer-de-lance in this mystery of blood-curdling crimes perpetrated by a sinister band of fiendish killers! Among the underworld’s greatest foes is Richard Curtis Van Loan — The Phantom Detective! Pitted against diabolical forces dedicated to deeds so dastardly, daring and destructive that only he can stop them!
Desperate to find his place in the world and to help others, millionaire and war veteran Richard Curtis Van Loan follows a suggestion made by Frank Havens, his father’s friend, solving a crime that local police can’t seem to unravel. Inspired by his success, Van Loan sets himself on a path to become the world’s greatest crimefighter. Following a regimen of his own design, Van Loan not only trains himself to be in excellent physical shape, he also pursues the skills necessary to deal a crushing blow to the underworld. Learning all that he could about crime detection and the various sciences associated with investigating it, including forensics and psychology, Van Loan turned himself into a master detective. He also went to great lengths to become an expert in both escaping any situation and in concealing his identity through disguises, making him a veritable phantom, impossible to identify. Hence, The Phantom Detective was born, although he was referred to only as ‘The Phantom’ in the stories. After undertaking several cases that were as much adventures he survived with luck and disguises and then delving into mysteries that tested his abilities, The Phantom became world renowned amongst men on both sides of the law.
‘Spawn of Death’ was originally published in the September 1934 issue of The Phantom Detective Magazine and is read with pulse pounding intensity by award winning voice actor Milton Bagby.
