An auction will be commencing over the next few days on the USA-based Heritage Auctions, featuring a Captain Action figure containing the Phantom costume.

The Captain Action figure was first introduced by the Ideal Toy Corporation in the United States during the spring of 1966. This action figure was conceived as a direct competitor to Hasbro’s highly popular 12-inch GI Joe. Rather than adopting the military theme prevalent among other action figures of the era, the Ideal Toy Corporation opted to center their action figure on comic book characters and television heroes.

The Ideal Toy Corporation devised a strategy to promote a fundamental action figure, subsequently offering fully equipped outfits and accessories for individual sale. This strategy proved effective, as the basic Captain Action action figure experienced significant sales success, accompanied by robust demand for the various character outfits which included the Phantom, Superman, Batman, Sgt. Fury, The Lone Ranger, Captain America, Steve Canyon, Flash Gordon, and Aquaman.

The Captain Action figure, featuring the Phantom costume and available through Heritage Auctions, can be seen below. With its vibrant colors and nostalgic design, it embodies the legacy of Captain Action and a true representation of themed action figures available in retail stores in the 1960s.

The auction advertisement reads:

The Phantom was among the licensed identities available when Ideal introduced Captain Action in 1966, bringing Lee Falk’s masked jungle hero into the company’s novel “one figure, many heroes” concept. The uniform and equipment set transformed Captain Action into the Ghost Who Walks through the character’s purple costume, mask, boots, weapons, and other specialized accessories. Its inclusion placed a newspaper-strip hero with roots in the 1930s alongside the leading comic-book and adventure characters of the 1960s, reflecting the remarkable breadth of licenses united under the Captain Action banner. This set received an AFA Qualified grade of Q85 NM+, with individual marks of B80 W90 F85. The population report contains only two graded examples. For generations, the Phantom’s enemies believed they faced an immortal guardian, never realizing the mask had passed from father to son. This preserved set carries that enduring illusion into the toy aisle, offering collectors a chance to answer the call of the Ghost Who Walks.

The Phantom costume exhibited a commendable resemblance to the depiction of the Phantom as seen on comic book pages, with the ensemble comprising a fabric jumpsuit, a purple cowl, a facial mask, a belt equipped with holsters, two automatic pistols, a rifle with a scope, a knife, brass knuckles adorned with a skull insignia, and boots.

The Captain Action figure containing the Phantom costume on the Heritage Auctions website can be found HERE

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