The Gladiator

The Gladiator
Start date:	October 6th, 1969
End date:	January 17th, 1970
# of strips:	90 strips (15 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"Rex, the Missing Heir"
Followed by:	"The Missing Daddy"

"The Gladiator" is the 107th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot synopsis

The first strip claims that of many amazing tales in The Phantom's jungle, including Redbeard, Queen Samaris and Gandor, "none [are] stranger than The Gladiator".

After a tough fight with bandits, The 21st Phantom falls asleep in a quiet shady glen. He is woken up by a terrified woman screaming about a thing attacking her husband, who faints. When she returns, the woman leads the Phantom to the corpse of her husband, and nearby Devil notices deep footprints, which the Phantom notes that only a man weighting a ton could leave. The woman explains that after the wedding the day before, the couple was leaving for their honeymoon when a human figure they could not easily see in the dark, aside from eyes "like burning coals", appeared on the road, claiming "None shall pass! Fight me until one of us is destroyed!" The husband did not want to fight, but threw his spear, which broke upon contact, prompting the figure to strangle him, and the woman tried to intervene, only to discover the thing's skin was like stone, injuring her hands before she decided to leave for help. The Phantom decides to escort the woman back to her village, whose terrified inhabitants claim to now be only women, children and the elderly after the same figure attacked during the night asking "fight or be destroyed", killing the males who responded. While everyone else escaped, one woman who tripped said the figure approached and said "Fear not. I only seek warriors. Destroy them or be destroyed". The Phantom leaves Hero in the village and departs to investigate alongside Devil.

Following a trail of dead animals, ultimately Devil barks as a figure with a sword approaches. Avoiding the slashes, the Phantom retreats to a clearing with moonlight to have a clearer view of his adversary, who turns out to resemble a Roman gladiator. The Phantom shoots him to no avail, before firing in the sword to disarm the adversary, and claiming the fight will be fairer bare-fisted. Punching the gladiator hurts the Phantom's hand, who notes it was like punching stone, to which the gladiator claims to be stone, "and you won't live enough to hear the explanation". Avoiding his attacks, the Phantom gets behind the adversary and grabs the back of his neck from behind to discover it has regular flesh consistency, and repeated hits to the nape make the gladiator fall. Threatening the gladiator with his own sword, the Phantom asks who his adversary is, and while noting "it's been so long since anyone asked me anything", he proceeds to tell his story.

Draconius was a native of Pompeii, who even witnessed firsthand the city's destruction by the Vesuvius, and fought as a gladiator in Rome's Colosseum, finding no equal match and becoming an idol of the Romans and vastly rewarded by the emperor. One day, a "barbarian holy man" sentenced to a public execution by beasts was repeatedly insulting the emperor, who proceeded to ask Draconius to execute the prophet. Draconius was reluctant to kill a disarmed old man, who also tried to convince Draconius to not to do so, and once Draconius said he had to do so because his emperor ordered, the old man responded "You have no soul. Like an insect. So be like them. Roam the Earth, destroy... until you're destroyed". Draconius killed him but soon the man's dying words echoed as he felt himself change, including his body getting heavier. Consumed by an urge to go after the strong, Draconius killed the emperor and slaughtered his guards. As Draconius realized he was now stone, he left confused and destroying what was in his path. Draconius spent 1800 years fighting whatever man or animal appeared in his path, none being able to hurt him, and even attempts at suicide through fall, drowning and fire failed. Until the Phantom was the first to find Draconius' weakness, with him explaining that in being cursed to be an "insect without a soul", he was now built like an ant, who for all its protection is vulnerable in its back.

Once he finishes his narrative, Draconius says it is relieving that he finally found the end of his curse. He asks the Phantom to get him back on his feet, and then attempts to strangle to Phantom, saying he won't let himself be destroyed so easily. The Phantom uses martial arts to get released from Draconius' grip and throw the gladiator away, who proceeds to fall on his head. Mortally wounded, Draconius expresses his relief and thanks Phantom for managing to defeat him. Once Draconius dies, the corpse rapidly ages to an old man, then decomposes to only a skeleton, which dissolves into dust, to the shock of the Phantom.

After a moment of confusion, the Phantom awakens in the same glen. He thinks such a weird story must have been a dream. But as he walks back into the jungle, the Phantom finds a deep footprint, making him startled that it might have been real after all.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Hero
• Devil
• Redbeard (mentioned)
• Queen Samaris (mentioned)
• Gandor (mentioned)

One-time characters

• unnamed natives
• Draconius (gladiator)
• wildman (in flashback)
• desert warrior (in flashback)
• crusader (in flashback)

Real-life characters

• Titus (named as "Emperor" only)

Locations

• Bangalla
• Roman Empire
  • Pompeii (in flashback)
  • Mount Vesuvius (in flashback)
  • Ancient Rome (in flashback)
    • The Colosseum (in flashback)

Tribes

• unnamed tribe

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "El gladiador", Fantasía #185 (1972)

Australia

• "The Gladiator", The Phantom #420 (1970)
• "The Gladiator", The Phantom #589 (1976)
• "The Gladiator", The Phantom #785 (1983)
• "The Gladiator", The Phantom #1125 (1996)

Brazil

• "O Gladiador", Almanaque do Fantasma (1972)
• "O Gladiador!", O Fantasma #4 (1970)
• "A Trilha Da Morte", Fantasma #303 (1981)
• "O Gladiador!", Fantasma - Edição Histórica #5 (1994)
• "O Gladiador!", Almanaque do Fantasma #3 (1997)
• "Gladiador", Ataque ao Orfanato e Outras Histórias (2025)

Canada

• Le Nouvelliste October 18, 1969 – February 2, 1970

Denmark

• Aalborg Stiftstidende March 27, 1971 – July 16, 1971
• Horsens Folkeblad November 19, 1971 – March 3, 1972 (first strip missing)
• Hejmdal December 6, 1971 – March 22, 1972
• "Gladiatoren", Fantomet #133 (1980)

Finland

• "Gladiaattori", Mustanaamio 7/1971
• "Taistelijat tulevat!", Mustanaamio 9/1979
• "Gladiaattori", Mustanaamio 12/1999
• "Gladiaattori", Ilta-Sanomat May 9, 2012 – May 30, 2012
• "Gladiaattori", Mustanaamio 1971 (2014)

France

• "Le dernier gladiateur", Le Fantôme Spécial #4 (1974)

Greece

• "Ο τρομερος μονομαχος" (romanized as "O tromeros monomachos"), Fantom #49 (1976)

Iceland

• Tíminn April 14, 1970 – August 5, 1970

India

• "The Gladiator", Indrajal Comics #151 (1972)
• "The Gladiator", The Phantom #39 (2025; colored by Avishek Biswas)

Italy

• "L'ultimo gladiatore", L'Uomo Mascherato #179 – #180 (1970)
• "L'ultimo gladiatore", I Quaderni del Fumetto #21 (1975)

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970

Mexico

• El Informador February 21, 1970 – May 31, 1970

Norway

• Aftenposten May 28, 1971 – September 10, 1971
• "Gladiatoren", Fantomet 21/1971
• "Gladiatoren", Fantomet 10/1979
• "Gladiatoren", Fantomet Spesialalbum #11 (1991)
• "Gladiatoren", Fantomet 22/1999
• "Gladiatoren", Krønikebok #30 (2006)
• "Gladiatoren", Fantomet Kronologisk #25 (2023)

Portugal

• "O Gladiador", Condor #1 (1972)

Spain

• "El gladiador", El Hombre Enmascarado #7 (1974)
• "El gladiador", El Hombre Enmascarado #22 (1980)
• "El gladiador", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #13 (2022)

Sweden

• Svenska Dagbladet September 19, 1970 – January 7, 1971
• "Gladiatorn", Fantomen 20/1970
• Göteborgs-Tidningen January 4, 1971 – April 20, 1971
• Nerikes Allehanda October 14, 1971 – November 27, 1971
• Katrineholmskuriren April 9, 1974 – July 29, 1974
• "Gladiatorn", Fantomen 1/1979
• Upsala Nya Tidning January 11, 1983 – April 28, 1983
• "Gladiatorn", Fantomen 22/1999
• "Gladiatorn", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1970, Del 4 (2021)

Turkey

• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske #41 – #42 (1974)
• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske Albüm #11 (197?)
• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske Albüm #103
• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske Albüm #64 – #65
• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske #58 – #59 (198?)
• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #17 – #18
• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #2
• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske Büyük Albüm #1
• "Gladyatör", Yeni Kızılmaske Süper Maceralar #5 (2013)
• "Gladyatör", Kızılmaske #4 – #5 (2013)

United Kingdom

• Birmingham Evening Mail January 21, 1970 – May 6, 1970

USA

• The Greensboro Record October 6, 1969 – January 3, 1970 - without the last two weeks
• The Alabama Journal October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Alliance Times-Herald October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Appleton Post-Crescent October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Asheville Times October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Atlanta Constitution October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Bangor Daily News October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Beaver County Times October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Beckley Post Herald October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Birmingham News October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Bradford Era October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Bucks County Courier Times October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Buffalo Courier-Express October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Charleston Daily Mail October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Charlotte News October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Chippewa Herald October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Courier-Post October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Daily Advance October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Daily American October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Daily Item October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Daily Journal October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Daily Standard October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Delaware County Daily Times October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Evening News October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Gadsden Times October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Gloucester County Times October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Green Bay Press-Gazette October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Herald News October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Indianapolis News October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Jersey Journal October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Johnson City Press October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Laurel Leader-Call October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Leaf-Chronicle October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Ledger-Enquirer October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Lima News October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Morning Press October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Morning Sentinel October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The News Item October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The News Journal October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• News-Press October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Observer-Reporter October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Oneonta Star October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Orlando Sentinel October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Philadelphia Daily News October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Portage Daily Register October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Reading Eagle October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Red Bank Register October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Republican Herald October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Rome Daily Sentinel October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Rome News-Tribune October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The State October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Tampa Times October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Uniontown Morning Herald October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Washington Reporter October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• The Winchester Sun October 6, 1969 – January 17, 1970
• Suffolk News-Herald October 6, 1969 – January 18, 1970
• "The Gladiator", The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume Twenty-Two 1969–1971 (2021)
• "The Gladiator", Comics Revue #451-452 (2023)

West Germany

• "Der Mann aus dem nichts", Phantom #43 (1976)
• "Der Mann aus dem nichts", Phantom Super-band #3

Yugoslavia

• Večernje novine May 30, 1970 – October 5, 1970
• "Gladijator", Denis #81 – #82 (1977)