Andrea Beaumont

Andrea Beaumont (The Phantasm)
File:Phantasm-costume.jpg "Sal Valestra, your Angel of Death awaits."
Publication information
Publisher	Warner Bros. DC Comics
First appearance	Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (December 25, 1993)
Created by	Alan Burnett Paul Dini
In-story information
Alter ego	Phantasm
Notable aliases	Andi (pet name)
Abilities	Adept in martial arts, access to high tech equipment, master of illusion (speciality: artificial fog manipulation).

Andrea Beaumont, also known as the Phantasm, is a fictional character in the DC animated universe. Conceived of by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, she first appeared in the 1993 animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm as the ex-fiancé of Bruce Wayne. The Phantasm has made occasional cameo appearances in various Batman titles, often as a freelance assassin.

The character's voice work in Mask of the Phantasm was performed by two actors: Dana Delany provided her normal speaking voice and Stacy Keach her altered Phantasm voice.

The character Reaper formed the inspiration for the Phantasm, though the character was changed to the Phantasm because scythe-killings were considered too gruesome for the film.

Character design

The Phantasm's costume was designed by Bruce Timm as per Alan Burnett's initial description of a Grim Reaper-esque character. Burnett wanted the villain to be reminiscent of the Ghost of Christmas Future, a parallel which made it into Mask of the Phantasm's script as one of the Joker's observations. Timm went through approximately twenty different character designs for the Phantasm before creating a version that would evolve into the final design.

Described by Timm as resembling a "tall, gaunt Death character", the Phantasm's costume is hooded and features a metal, skull-like mask. The Phantasm carries a large blade, reminiscent of a scythe, in her right hand. The blade was not part of Timm's original design, and was added later at Burnett's insistence. The character's left glove houses a chemically-based smoke-generating device, which the Phantasm uses to conceal herself in a shroud of fog or to blind enemies. At various points in Mask of the Phantasm, the Phantasm's manipulation of fog makes it appear that the character has paranormal powers, such as intangibility and the ability to disappear. These smoke-filled appearances were influenced by the Marvel Comics supervillain Mysterio. The Phantasm's facade is completed by a voice provided by Stacy Keach, which was digitally altered in post-production to create deep and menacing tones that would echo at times.

Mask of the Phantasm

The screenwriters of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm included Alan Burnett, Martin Pasko, Paul Dini, and Michael Reaves. Pasko wrote many of the flashback sequences and Reaves the final showdown between Batman, the Phantasm, and Joker.

Role

The Phantasm unmasked.

In Mask of the Phantasm, producer Alan Burnett "wanted to do a big love story with Bruce because we hadn't really done it on the TV show. I wanted a story that got into his head." He also felt that the film's narrative should be removed from Batman's traditional rogues gallery. The resulting narrative, which dealt with Bruce's decision to become and remain Batman, hinged on the love story between Bruce and Andrea.

Andrea's role in Mask of the Phantasm corresponds with that of the femme fatale from hardboiled detective fiction. Like classic femme fatales such as Brigid O'Shaughnessy from The Maltese Falcon, Andrea is a beautiful, deceptive, and strong-willed love interest for the main character. The fact that Andrea is secretly the main villain is another convention of this stock character.

Andrea also serves as a foil for Batman. The characters are very similar; they both don an intimidating costume and speak to the gravestones of their parents (as if holding a conversation with the deceased). The paralleling of their characters - most importantly the death of their parents at the hand of criminals - highlights how different they are: After her father's death Andrea chose to become a vigilante and killer, following a warped code of "eye for an eye" justice. Bruce instead chose to capture criminals and hand them over to the authorities, refusing to play judge, jury, and executioner.

Synopsis

Andrea Beaumont is the daughter of wealthy businessman Carl Beaumont and his deceased wife, Victoria. In her youth, while attending Gotham University, she meets and falls in love with Bruce Wayne. He is internally conflicted by his desire to lead a normal life with Andrea and keep the promise he made to his murdered parents to fight crime. He finally decides to abandon crime-fighting - instead pledging part of his inheritance to the Gotham City Police Department - so he can marry Andrea. As Bruce proposes to her at his estate, the two discover the cave that would later become the Batcave.

Andrea is forced to break off the engagement and move to Europe, however, when she learns that her father has double-crossed the Mafia. Carl Beaumont set up dummy corporations for some of the most powerful mob bosses in Gotham, including Chuckie Sol, Sal Valestra, and Buzz Bronski. When they learn that Beaumont has embezzled from them, they demand immediate repayment. Unable to quickly access the money he had stolen and subsequently invested, Carl flees with Andrea and eventually settles on the Mediterranean coast. By then, he has parlayed the money he'd stolen into a sizable fortune. However, when Beaumont's father refuses to make donations to Arthur Reeves, a politician formerly in his employ, the young politician sells information on the Beaumonts' whereabouts to the mob. Although Carl has repaid them, the vengeful gangsters want "interest compounded in blood" and plan to use the information to have him killed. They send their hitman Jack Napier (who would later become the Joker) to kill Carl Beaumont. Andrea encounters Napier as he leaves her villa, and discovers her murdered father only seconds afterward.

File:Phantasm-locket.jpg

Batman opens Andrea's locket while searching her apartment.

Consumed with hatred, Andrea waits patiently for 10 years, planning the demise of the men who destroyed her happiness. When she returns to Gotham, she dons a costume reminiscent of the Grim Reaper, complete with a smoke-generating device and scythe-bladed gauntlet. Disguised as such, and mistaken by everyone as Batman, she kills Sol and Bronski. After Bronski's death, she learns that Batman is, in fact, Bruce Wayne. Batman quickly discovers the link between the mobsters and Carl Beaumont and questions Andrea, but she rebuffs him. When the Phantasm attempts to kill Valestra, she nearly falls into a trap laid by the Joker, which she escapes. Batman attempts to apprehend her as she flees from Valestra's residence, although she easily evades him and the police. When Andrea realizes that the police will arrest Bruce in her stead, she quickly changes out of her costume and helps him elude the authorities. In a final attempt to conceal her identity, Andrea tells Bruce that the Phantasm is her father, and that she has returned to stop his murderous rampage. The two then spend the night together.

Andrea tracks the Joker to his hideout at the derelict Gotham World Fairgrounds, but the Clown Prince of Crime has deduced her identity, and is ready for her attack. The two fight hand-to-hand in the "Home of the Future" exhibit before he lures Andrea to a giant turbine. He attempts to kill her by sucking her into it, but Batman intervenes, breaking the machine moments before its blades would have crushed her. Andrea attempts to justify her actions: "They took everything, Bruce. My dad, my life, you. I'm not saying it's right, or even sane, but it's all I've got left. [...] They had to pay!" She asks him to let her carry out her vendetta without interference. For once completely helpless, Batman begs her to leave. Andrea agrees and disappears in a cloud of smoke. After a battle between the Dark Knight and the Joker, Andrea reappears to claim the defeated maniac. As the fairgrounds explode, Andrea disappears with the Joker.

After escaping the inferno through a series of sewers, Batman assumes that Andrea and the Joker have perished in the blaze. However, she survives (as, presumably, does the Joker) and leaves a locket for Bruce in the Batcave as a keepsake. In the penultimate scene of the film, Andrea stands on the vespertine deck of an ocean liner, alone.

Franchise

In conjunction with the release of Mask of the Phantasm in 1993, Kenner released a Phantasm action figure. As seen to the right, it was packaged with the removable mask separated from the figure, inadvertently revealing the Phantasm's secret identity.

Comics

The Phantasm makes her first return appearance in Batman & Robin Adventures Annual #1 (1996).

The Phantasm also appears in Batman Adventures: Shadows and Masks, in which Andrea goes undercover in the Black Mask's organization, the False Face Society. During this story arc, she confronts Bruce at Wayne Manor and asks him not to interfere with her operation. He rebuffs Andrea, referring to her as a "killer" and thus unworthy of his consideration. She eventually fights Batgirl, who takes some of her gas pellets. She also tries to kill Black Mask.

Justice League Unlimited

File:Phantasm-argue.jpg

The aged Andrea Beaumont argues with Amanda Waller.

Andrea reappears as a mercenary in Justice League Unlimited (in the 78^th episode, entitled "Epilogue"). Now an old woman, Andrea is hired by Amanda Waller to assassinate Terry McGinnis' parents in front of his eyes. The psychological trauma, Waller reasons, will steer McGinnis toward becoming Batman's successor. However, Andrea cannot go through with the job and abandons it moments before she would have slain the young couple. Andrea argues that the murder would defile the Batman legacy by breaking Bruce Wayne's paramount rule, to never take a life. Her refusal marks the official end of Waller's Batman Beyond project.

In the episode, Andrea has no lines or voice actor. Her sentiments are conveyed through Amanda Waller's monologue recounting the event.