Bruce Makatza

Bruce Makatza was the first hero to use the mantle, The Phantom. The name was given to Bruce during the First World War when his entire platoon was wiped out as they were protecting a building. When a group of German soldiers with experimental tech way ahead of it's time attacked the building, led by the immortal villain General Terror. During the ensuing attack, Bruce wore a makeshift mask to protect himself from the toxic gases that the Germans were shooting into the building. A bullet shot by the Germans, hit a crate full of very early version Superium that wasn't meant to be used on humans. Out from the crate, spilled the liquid that fell into a bullet wound on Bruce's arm. His encounter with the Superium granted him a multitude of powers which he used to kill the attacking German squad, except their leader General Terror. From this event, Bruce was given the nickname "The Phantom" because he was seemingly unkillable.

Following this event, Bruce joined the secret American military group called Task Force Lazarus. He would work with this group until the mid-1920s when they disbanded following the deaths of 3 operatives during a battle with General Terror who was developing the technology he had previously used. After leaving Task Force Lazarus, Bruce moved back to where he was born and lived before he was sent to fight in World War One and Task Force Lazarus, Atlas City. Here he would become one of the city's first costumed vigilantes.

In 1931, Bruce joined America's first superhero team, a group called the The Atlas City Crime Fighters that was formed by the famous and skilled hero, The Spirit. He would work with the group until they dissolved following the Spirit's retirement in 1947 due to him not having any superpowers and him becoming old.

In the years since, Bruce has been a street level hero, stopping crimes in his area of Atlas City and occasionally being a member of a military task force. Bruce retired in the 1960s when he was in his 80s, even though his body was still in the form of a 40 or 50 year old. Only ever fighting the occasional villain who was in his neighbourhood. The retirement was more of a calming thing than anything, because he needed rest after fighting constantly for 40+ years.

Like most heroes during it, Bruce returned to fight against WarLord and his armies in his second invasion of Earth and since this he has been an on again off again hero working with The Super Human Society and The Meta-Human Enforcement Agency. He also sometimes trains super soldiers for the US Military, due to him being their first. However, in the years since his initial retirement, he hasn't used The Phantom name, because as he says it's someone else's turn to be The Phantom and he has just been going by simply Bruce. By this, he is talking about the other people who he has inspired and have used the Phantom as a crime fighting name for a period, all of which have taken up new aliases like the third Phantom being called Ravager now, the fourth now being Quake and his great-granddaughter who was the fifth and most recent now being called Huntress.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

* **Superhuman Strength**
* **Superhuman Durability**
* **Superhuman Reflexes**
* **Superhuman stamina**
* **Enhanced Speed**
* **Superhuman Healing Factor**
* **Advanced Longevity**

### Abilities

* **Master Tactician and Strategist**
* **Master Martial Artist**
* **Weapons Proficiency**