Wikimedia Commons/The Phantom TV series Celebrity Before Superman, there was The Phantom. Discover the iconic hero's legacy and his upcoming TV revival, directed by Reginald Hudlin. April 18, 2026 AceShowbiz - While Superman is widely recognized as the first true superhero, credited to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, there are several characters who appeared before him, even if their powers and stories were less developed. Among these early heroes is Lee Falk's The Phantom, a pulp adventure character who first appeared in 1936, two years prior to Superman's debut in Action Comics #1.