Sudden, mysterious death stalks in the gory wake of a sinister symbol of doom in this action-packed epic of The Phantom Detective’s exciting struggle against diabolical crime. The arch-enemy of progress, the chief obstacle in the march of civilization, is Crime — the hydra-headed monster which grasps humanity in savage tentacles of terror. Ever in the forefront in the grim war on lawlessness, is the Phantom Detective! Thrill to his dauntless pursuit of a sinister fiend dedicated to blood-curdling activities of murder and pillage.
Truly a one-man force against evil, The Phantom Detective did not follow the trend of other Pulp heroes and build a team around him or utilize a network of agents. That being said, he did not work completely alone, either. The most important ally to the masked sleuth was his surrogate father figure, Frank Havens. The only person to know his true identity, Havens used his newspaper empire to help the Phantom Detective whenever necessary, including summoning him for cases with a red beacon atop the newspaper building. Havens’ daughter, Muriel, also lends a hand in various stories. In love with Richard Curtis Van Sloan, Muriel does not know that he and The Phantom are one and the same. Still, she assists where she can when the hero needs it. Another character, also a result of Havens’ connection to the Detective, that helps out occasionally is Steve Huston. Hard boiled and tough as they come, Huston has a bit of hero worship for the Phantom and this often leads to him not only getting involved in some of the masked man’s cases, but even taking on a major role as a hero in his own right.
‘The Silent Menace’ was originally published in the August 1934 issue of The Phantom Detective Magazine and is read with pulse pounding intensity by award winning voice actor Milton Bagby.
