Just be patient. I'll cut, I'll caress, I'll tear, I'll suck... and then I'll blow you out. 
- — The Phantom of the Fair src
The Phantom of the Fair was a masked figure who terrorized the New York World's Fair from the very day of its opening on April 30, 1939.
History
The Phantom first appeared when he swooped down on Mayor Fiorello La Guardia during the opening ceremonies. After overcoming a number of policemen, the Phantom seize a microphone and declared to the audience: "Men and women of New York City—this World's Fair is now declared officially haunted by the Phantom of the Fair!" Then he made his escape.
Although the police suggested to La Guardia that the fair be close until the Phantom was captured, the mayor declined as he realized the Phantom had not seriously harmed anyone, and that the Phantom's presence would make good publicity for the fair. On June 10, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Britain visited the fair. The Phantom attacked the British royals using the giant World's Fair robot Elektro. But the Sandman and Crimson Avenger fought the Phantom, disabling the robot, and the king and queen were unharmed.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
It is not yet known whether the Phantom's own body possessed superhuman abilities or whether it was his costume that was bulletproof and gave him great strength and leaping ability.[1]
Abilities
- Acrobatics
- Stealth
- Electrical Engineering: he was able to reprogram Elektro to his goals.
- Firearms
Other Characteristics
- Mental Disorder: Zimmerman appears to have childhood trauma related to his sexuality, which leads him to kill homosexuals.[2]
Notes
- This character was originally published by Centaur Publications as a hero.
- When his appearance in Secret Origins (Volume 2) #7 was as a saboteur whose identity was unknown, with possibly innate or gadget-based superpowers, he received a name (Gerald Zimmerman) and was turned into a sadomasochist/homoerotic serial killer in Sandman Mystery Theatre #41-44, without showing any superhuman abilities.
- His profile in The World at War Sourcebook has comments from Crimson Avenger and Sandman where they suspect the Phantom of the Fair was a Nazi saboteur.
Related
- 9 Appearances of Gerald Zimmerman (New Earth)
- 1 Images featuring Gerald Zimmerman (New Earth)
- 2 Quotations by or about Gerald Zimmerman (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Gerald Zimmerman (New Earth)
External Links
Footnotes