History Main / TheatrePhantom

* Zizz from the ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'' series is a ''[[OurGhostsAreDifferent literal]]'' phantom that takes many of the cues from the Phantom of the Opera - including an OminousOperaCape, a WhiteMaskOfDoom that covers half his face, and an OminousPipeOrgan for background music - and has MarionetteMaster powers on top of it. Like the original Phantom, he attempts to take control of his own "Christine", [[VirtualIdol ALT]], only he does it [[DemonicPossession with greater force]].

# The character will almost always wear some kind of mask. (Oftentimes people forget the original novel's Phantom had a full black mask; the movies and the play made the popular WhiteMaskOfDoom a staple. Usually this mask covers only half of the character's face, but full masks aren't unheard of.)

* In ''DetectiveComicsRebirth'' #950 Cassandra Cain is shown to live in the attic of the Gotham opera house, giving rise to a rumor that it is haunted due to her [[CreepyGood eerie, stitched-up black mask]], and she has taken a particular interest in a ballerina named Christine. The allusion is very obvious, though unlike usual examples she is both [[TheQuietOne silent]] and entirely benign.

* ''Discworld/{{Maskerade}}'' presents the Literature/{{Discworld}}'s take on ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', with the mysterious 'Opera Ghost' haunting the Ankh-Morpork Opera House. Ultimately there turns out to be two different Opera Ghosts.

If a character like this does appear, don't expect much reference to the original story. The Theatre Phantom may act similar to the TropeNamer in the original story, but often the other characters and the plot of the original work will never be alluded to at all.

* In ''ComicBook/AllGhoulsSchool'', minor student Christine is implied to be the niece of the original.

* The TropeMaker is, of course, ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', with its subsequent film and theatre adaptations keeping the archetype in the public eye.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "The Talons of Weng-Chiang", Magnus Greel is a disfigured genius dwelling the cellars of a theatre; his mangled face concealed by a mask. Occasional sightings of him by the theatre staff give rise to a belief that the theatre is haunted.

* Don Octavio from ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'' is an Opera performer turned MadBomber after music tastes changed when his career was taking off. He takes to dressing as a phantom while running the local mafia and planning to extort the populace into seeing him perform.

* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' has The Catwalk Phantom, which is the main villain of a MoodSwinger starlets mind.

* An abridged version of the original story called "Spooks", featuring the Winkler and Lantz version of WesternAnimation/OswaldTheLuckyRabbit of course has a ghoulish Phantom. After Cornering Oswald he [[GainaxEnding asks "What sound does a chicken make when it lays a square egg?" (Cue Oswald saying "Ow!" from the Phantom slapping him), "Correct!" And then he disappears.]]

* The villainous "Phantom of Vaudeville" and his ventriloquist dummy, Elmo, as featured on ''[[WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters The Ghost Busters]]'' may be a reference to the Phantom, as both are masked, and, as Kong notes, "the only way to send a Phantom back is to unmask him."
* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'': In "A Fright at the Opera", the New York Metropolitan Opera House does have a Phantom, but he never appears until the end of the episode. [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere The guys only met him in passing, just as he was about to vacate the opera house: The appearance of the ghostly Valkyries was too much, even for him!]]
* A brief gag in the ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' episode "The Return of Count Duckula" is that [[ParodyName Dreary Lane]] Theatre is home to the Phantom of the {{Panto}}, although he looks more like some kind of gargoyle.
* An episode of the spin-off series ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'' features a more traditional Phantom who lives beneath the Paris Opera House.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': An episode set in the future said Martin Prince went missing after a science fair explosion and lives beneath the school, playing the piano and wearing a Phantom mask.

# The character will almost always wear some kind of mask. (Oftentimes people forget the original novel's Phantom had a full black mask; the movies and the play made the popular WhiteMaskOfDoom a staple.) Usually this mask covers only half of the character's face, but full masks aren't unheard of.

* Uncle Deadly in ''Series/TheMuppetShow''. In episode 121, he is "the Phantom of the Muppet Show". One by one, the Muppets tell Kermit that they have seen a phantom, but Kermit refuses to believe them until he sees Uncle Deadly with his own eyes. Once revealed, Uncle Deadly explains that he used to perform at the Muppet Theater, where he played Othello until he was killed... by the critics.
* The villainous "Phantom of Vaudeville" and his ventriloquist dummy, Elmo, as featured on ''[[WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters The Ghost Busters]]'' may be a reference to the Phantom, as both are masked, and, as Kong notes, "the only way to send a Phantom back is to unmask him."

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* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'': In "A Fright at the Opera," the New York Metropolitan Opera House does have a Phantom, but he never appears until the end of the episode. [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere The guys only met him in passing, just as he was about to vacate the opera house: The appearance of the ghostly Valkyries was too much, even for him!]]

# The character will almost always wear some kind of mask.(Oftentimes people forget the original novel's Phantom had a full black mask; the movies and the play made the popular WhiteMaskOfDoom a staple.) Usually this mask covers only half of the character's face, but full masks aren't unheard of.
# The Theatre Phantom will often haunt a place of entertainment, with live action theaters being the most commonly used as the characters stomping grounds because the Phantom can potentially harm the people who attend, as well as damage the establishment's revenue and reputation. Sometimes, they aren't associated with a single location at all.
# The Theatre Phantom will either be depicted as a BadassNormal, or actually BE a supernatural creature when finally confronted.

* The Trapdoor Daemon in ''The Vampire Genevieve'' by Creator/KimNewman, who haunts Detlef Sierek's theatre, and has his own box. This being ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' he is ''much'' more deformed than the original, with warpstone having transformed him into something utterly inhuman.

* The {{Elseworlds}} story ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: Masque'' has 1890s version of Batman fighting a villain called the Phantom who is terrorising the ballet. The Phantom is Harvey Dent, once a proud and accomplished dancer, who was horribly scarred on stage when his costume caught fire from one of the stagelights. He is now obsessed with up and coming ballerina Laura Avian, and will do anything to make her happy. Even commit murder.

* In ''Rolplay/ItsCurtains'', Winslow becomes one in his revenge plot, hence his PlagueDoctor mask and clothes.

''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925'', based off the book and play, is a considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time due to its gripping combination of drama and horror. The title character himself is very intriguing, being a masked madman with a lot of [[AlasPoorVillain tragedy]] and sadness has made him one of the most iconic villains (if not characters) in movie lore.

''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', based off the book and play, is a considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time due to its gripping combination of drama and horror. The title character himself is very intriguing, being a masked madman with a lot of [[AlasPoorVillain tragedy]] and sadness has made him one of the most iconic villains (if not characters) in movie lore.

[[quoteright:317:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/theatre_phantom.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:317:Elegance and terror in one package]]

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[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/PhantomOfTheParadise'', a disfigured composer writes his music for a woman he loves so that she will perform his music. However, a record producer betrays him and steals his music to open his rock palace, The Paradise. Betrayed, the composer dons a new appearance and exacts revenge on the producer.

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* Jason and Marcus of ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' once wanted to go to start attending the opera. Andy saw they were up to this, since they made the mistake of applying the Phantom's well-known mask before asking her for permission.
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* ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'': In ''The Phantom of the Auditorium'', Brooke Rogers and Zeke Matthews are chosen to play Esmeralda and The Phantom in their school's version of ''Thatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', but a chain of accidents impede production and threaten to have Zeke kicked off the cast.

Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera, based off the book and play, is a considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time due to its gripping combination of drama and horror. The title character himself is very intriguing, being a masked madman with a lot of [[AlasPoorVillain tragedy]] and sadness has made him one of the most iconic villains (if not characters) in movie lore.

* A brief gag in the ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' episode "Count Duckula Returns" is that [[ParodyName Dreary Lane]] Theatre is home to the Phantom of the {{Panto}}, although he looks more like some kind of gargoyle.

* The {{Elseworlds}} story ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: Masques'' has 1890s version of Batman fighting a villain called the Phantom who is terrorising the ballet. The Phantom is Harvey Dent, once a proud and accomplished dancer, who was horribly scarred on stage when his costume caught fire from one of the stagelights. He is now obsessed with up and coming ballerina Laura Avian, and will do anything to make her happy. Even commit murder.