Phantom Stranger (June 27, 1952) – This Day In Comics
Unusual for a comic book character of such longevity, nothing in the way of personal data about the Phantom Stranger—his real name, his true nature, or his origins—has ever been revealed.
He debuted in Phantom Stranger #1 (June 27, 1952).
In his earliest appearances, the Phantom Stranger would prove supernatural events to be hoaxes perpetrated by criminals. He would directly confront the villains, and displayed no supernatural abilities apart from his uncanny ability to appear where and when he is needed and to disappear just as mysteriously, with nobody ever seeing him coming or going. In later stories, the supernatural events were real and the Phantom Stranger was given unspecified superhuman powers to defeat them. Since he is ultimately an unpredictable force, others often meet the Phantom Stranger’s appearance with distrust. Nonetheless, most heroes will follow him, seeing not only his immense power, but also knowing that the Stranger is, in the end, a force for good.