The Phantom Stranger (Volume 4) #4 is an issue of the series The Phantom Stranger (Volume 4) with a cover date of March, 2013. It was published on January 9, 2013.
Synopsis for "Abduction"
Phillip Stark is not enthused by the prospect of clothing shopping with his wife Elena, who has decided that it is a necessary venture given how pathetic his style is. She promises, besides, to reward him later, if he goes through with it. Before entering the change-room, he catches the stare of a small dog, and becomes worried. In the change-room, his worries are fulfilled when he feels a shift in both the perceptual and energetic plane. It is an abduction, and it is not appreciated.
He is summoned away to the House of Mystery by John Constantine and the Justice League Dark. Constantine shows no remorse for yanking the Phantom Stranger away from his other life, pointing out that the idea that he is a human with a family is merely a façade. In fact, John has called him there not because he has reconsidered joining the him in the upcoming War of Three, but because he wants the Phantom Stranger to join his group.
Dismissively, the Stranger intends to leave before John embarrasses himself further, but Constantine is not done with him yet. Frankenstein lays a hand on the Stranger's shoulder, attempting to prevent him from leaving, but angrily, he uses magic to rip the patchwork man's hand from his arm. Deadman tries to possess the Stranger, but the man's purity and divine guidance cannot be corrupted by the ghost's efforts.
Seeing that his companions will be of no help, John sends them outside so that he and the Stranger can talk privately. In Frustration, John warns that his guest is making too many enemies, including the Spectre himself. He warns that his team doesn't want to be the ones who have to clean up the mess while the Stranger keeps "turning up the heat on the cosmic soup," so to speak. As such, they would prefer that he join them.
Regardless of the Stranger's answer, John has some incentive to make the Stranger join: the missing silver coin from the chain around his neck. Without it, he can never obtain redemption. Angrily, the Stranger lunges for the coin, but John uses his magic to send his guest back to his own reality before he can get his hands on it.
Though he expects to have returned at the moment he was taken, twenty minutes have passed, and Phillip's wife has gone. She is not merely gone from the store, but from the mall itself - unlike her. Teleporting straight home, he immediately senses a strangely familiar air. Looking around, he soon finds the body of Chris, his children's baby-sitter, hanging above the fireplace.
He searches through the ether for his family's presence, but cannot find them, swearing to seek them out wherever they may have gone - even if they have gone over to death. He is hardly surprised when Pandora appears, claiming not to be responsible. She suggests, though, that he might cast his suspicion on the Spectre.
Appearing in "Abduction"
Featured Characters:
- Phantom Stranger ("Philip Stark") (Impersonates Philip Stark)
Supporting Characters:
- Elena Stark
- God (As a dog) (Cameo)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Allie Stark
- Chris (First appearance; dies)
- Pandora
- Tim Stark
- Death (Mentioned only)
- Jesus/"The Lamb" (Mentioned only)
- Justice League Dark's villains (Mentioned only)
- Enchantress (Unnamed)
- Cain (Unnamed)
- Felix Faust (Unnamed)
- Philip Stark (Mentioned only)
- Raven (Mentioned only)
- Trigon (Mentioned only)
- Trinity of Sin (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Multiverse (Behind the scenes)
- The Crossroads of Time and Space
- House of Mystery (Displaced)
- Prime Earth
- United States of America
- Valley Stream
- Stark House
- Valley Stream
- United States of America
- Sphere of the Gods (Unnamed)
- The Crossroads of Time and Space
- Hypertime
- Timestream/"The Chronal Flow" (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Cloak of Phantom Stranger
- Frankenstein's Sword
- Judas' Silver
- Silk Cut
Events:
- Betrayal of Judas (Mentioned only)
- "The Incoming War" (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
Concepts:
- The Green (Behind the scenes)
- Magic
- Metahumans
- The Red (Behind the scenes)
Notes
- This story takes place after the war in Epoch but before the rise of Doctor Destiny, between the events of Justice League Dark #18 and Justice League Dark #19.
- This issue is reprinted in Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger: A Stranger Among Us.
Trivia
- Constantine reminisces his conversation with the Stranger about the "incoming war" from the epilogue of Justice League Dark #14.
See Also