Vic, who had the misfortune to be somewhat different from most of their classmates, was a little bit slower than most children. He could figure out his homework and his assignments, given time. But in playground activities, his disadvantage made him the last kid picked for games, and the first to be picked on at other times.

One day after school, a group of little urchins ganged up on Vic and took his good luck charm. After making him chase after the vial for a while, one of the kids removed the stopper and grabbed Vic, and made him imbibe the contents. Vic promptly turned pasty white and collapsed on the ground; the other kids fled. One of them did tell a teacher, but when the teacher arrived Vic was gone.

He had awakened after the bullies left, gathered his good luck charm and carefully restoppered it, and walked home. That night, he crept out of his room to watch M*A*S*H in the den. He did this a lot, hiding behind his father's chair and peeking around it to see the screen. That night's episode featured Hawkeye and Trapper wearing gorilla suits for a gag. That made an impression on Vic that proved pivotal in his life, though he didn't realize it.

Over the next couple of weeks, the young bullies who had attacked Vic received nighttime visits from a very dark-furred gorilla, who spoke clear and deep English. Leave little Vic alone, the beast warned, or I'll carry you off to the jungles never to return. Vic had no knowledge of these visits, for as you've worked out by now the good luck charm he was forced to drink was actually an elixir of power. The elixir allowed the imbiber to turn into a powerful ape, but the magic of the potion also permitted an enhanced intelligence and the capacity for speech.

Vic made it through school without any more difficulty, though he was no more accepted than before. Despite his difficulties, he had an aptitude for mechanics, and soon made as much money fixing devices like appliances and vehicles as his brighter contemporaries made in designing them! He lived in a private condominium called Park Place, where a maid did his cooking and cleaning. Vic saved his money carefully, and enjoyed his life and his work.

Though he didn't realize it, Vic took a special notice of crimes and other happenings in his part of the city. And in the evenings, with the city cloaked in creeping darkness, the Park Place Phantom (named for an early sighting near the condos) took to the streets in search of justice. The same justice he was frequently denied as a child.

When the Park Place Phantom doesn't need to be subtle, he will come in with fists swinging and screaming a primal battle cry that can chill the most hardened criminal. After beating the offender unconscious, the Phantom will take him to the nearest parked squad car and drop him there.