Marked for murder, the Phantom tackles the puzzling “eight-ball” mystery — in which a sinister clue at the feet of slain Arthur Arden is a harbinger of further violence!
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, having a supporting cast of sorts. 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 taking on a major role as a hero in his own right.
In 1939, Lawrence Donovan added a cast member to the canon. Chip Dorlan was initially a carbon copy of other teenaged sidekicks of the era. Donovan, however, brought an interesting twist with Chip in later stories. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Chip enlists in the Army. Working in intelligence, he is continually mentioned in the stories and even returns for a few tales when the war is over.
The Black Ball of Death was originally published in the Fall 1949 issue of The Phantom Detective Magazine and is read with pulse pounding intensity by award winning voice actor Milton Bagby.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Fatal Sleep
Chapter 2: The Phantom!
Chapter 3: Clues
Chapter 4: Visitors
Chapter 5: Twisted Ear
Chapter 6: Out of the Woods
Chapter 7: Tail
Chapter 8: Behind the Door
Chapter 9: One to Nothing
Chapter 10: In the Bag
Chapter 11: Studio 9
Chapter 12: World of Beauty
Chapter 13: The Number Eight
Chapter 14: Almost Murder
Chapter 15: Factory of Death
Chapter 16: Those Under Suspicion
Chapter 17: Knife-Man
Chapter 18: Dr. Winterly’s Secret
Chapter 19: Con Game
Chapter 20: Space Beneath
Chapter 21: Getaway
Chapter 22: End of the Trail
