Danny Chase

Danny Chase (later called Phantasm) is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics, primarily in association with the Teen Titans.^[1]

Phantasm
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	New Teen Titans Annual (vol. 2) #3 (November 1987)
Created by	Marv Wolfman Mike Collins
In-story information
Alter ego	Daniel M. Chase, later the souls of Azarath
Species	Human (originally) Fusion of Souls (currently)
Team affiliations	New Teen Titans Central Bureau of Intelligence
Abilities	Telekinesis Extremely intelligent with a photographic memory

Publication history

Danny Chase/Phantasm first appeared in The New Teen Titans Annual (vol. 2) #3 and was created by Marv Wolfman and artist Mike Collins. Although Wolfman hoped the character would restore the "teen hero" feel to a group composed mostly of characters in their twenties, Danny was also intended as a comic foil for one of the group's foundational characters, Changeling. However, readers responded negatively to the character, leading him to be killed off.

During Jay Faerber's run on Teen Titans, he intended for the villain Epsilon to be a resurrected Danny Chase, but editor Andy Helfer vetoed the idea.^[2]

Fictional character biography

Danny Chase's parents are international spies working for the Central Bureau of Intelligence under King Faraday.^[3] As a result, he is extensively trained in espionage, infiltration, and intelligence acquisition. Failing to persuade Faraday to look into his parents' abduction by Godiva, Danny turns to the Titans and Nightwing for help, eventually joining the group. Following Jason Todd's death, Nightwing orders Danny to leave the Titans for his own safety.^[4]

During the Titans Hunt storyline, Danny is attacked by two members of the Wildebeest Society and presumed dead. He survives and assumes the identity of Phantasm, using a hockey mask and a voice modulator to disguise himself.^[5]

Danny later sacrifices himself to save Raven's homeworld of Azarath, with his spirit fusing with Arella and the souls of Azarath and becoming a new entity called Phantasm.^[6][7] Following his death, Danny's body is resurrected on two occasions, acting as a separate entity from Phantasm. He acted as an undead slave to Brother Blood in the third volume of Teen Titans (2006) and was resurrected as a Black Lantern during the Blackest Night event (2009).^[8][9]

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Phantasm appears as a captive of A.R.G.U.S.^[10]

Powers and abilities

Danny Chase is a metahuman who possesses telekinesis, and is additionally skilled in espionage and has a photographic memory. As Phantasm, he possesses the combined magic of the souls of Azarath.

In other media

• Danny Chase appears in Young Justice, voiced by Jason Marsden.^[11] This version possesses teleportation in addition to telekinesis, both of which he gained from experimentation by the Light, and was further experimented on by DeSaad, who removed his brain and contained it in a robotic box which became known as the Kaiser-Thrall. Danny is forced into serving the forces of Apokolips before being freed by the Team.^[12]
• Danny Chase appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[13]
• Danny Chase appears in Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five #16.^[14]