Richard Jones is a reporter working for the Daily Express in 1940 who is also secretly the masked vigilante called the Phantom Reporter
History[]
When Richard Jones' father died during World War I, he left Richard fifty million dollars and a heroic resolve for justice to follow. He was friends with Billy Sullivan, a newspaper boy, during his childhood. Unfortunately, their friendship was destroyed when Hugh Jones, rich industrialist and the head of the Roxxon Corporation, shamed Billy for his life in poverty. Dick's failure to defend Billy ended their friendship and Billy would later fell into crime, joining the Maggia and becoming a triggermen. Richard Jones became an All-American fullback and college boxing, wrestling and fencing champion. After graduating from Yale, he became a Daily Express cub reporter, learning every nook and cranny in the city, where the corruption was, and who was behind it. When he learned that Billy died in suspicious circumstances, Dick investigated. Finding evidence of arson, Dick Jones found a link between crime boss Silvio Mannino and the Roxxon CEO, Hugh Jones. He found that the two sent Billy to assassinate the scientist Abraham Erskine, who was supposed to give a speech at Columbia University. Dick Jones visited the campus, being given a purple mask by a drunk student. Inspired by pulp heroes, Dick wore the mask and defeated Maggia goons using it. He tracked down the two men who killed Billy and accidentally killed Mannino. Hugh Jones was bailed out and declared not guilty by a fixed jury. Later on, Dick Jones decided to become a costumed crimefighter, wearing the mask and a cape, with the press calling him the Phantom Reporter.
The Phantom Reporter later on investigated a corruption case involving the Roxxon Corporation, funding criminals to break into people's homes so that they would sell their land to Roxxon. He discovered a conspiracy involving the park commissioner, police chief and the editors of The Record and News Telegram. The Phantom Reporter attacked the gang members and forced them to confess, ending the case. After the United States entered World War II, the Phantom Reporter fought spies and saboteurs on the home front, before joining the Allies in Europe on 1942. Briefly fighting together with Captain America and Bucky Barnes, Phantom Reporter eventually invaded Berlin. He was captured by HYDRA scientist and was frozen in a cryo-tube in 1945. The Phantom Reporter remains frozen in time for 76 years, until he was freed in 2023 by German construction workers. The Phantom Reporter is housed by the US government while he acclimatizes to his new surroundings. The Phantom Reporter joins the newly-reformed SHIELD as an agent and continues his crime-fighting activities.