The Gauntlet

Sparks discovers his parents' fate when the Phantom investigates a horrific Maximum medical research project linked to CyberVille.

On the eve of the destruction of an old building in Metropia, Sparks has an astonishing revelation. As a child, he had lived in this building with his parents. He was not abandoned as he had always believed. He learns his parents were kidnapped to be part of a Maximum, Inc. research project on the human mind- Gauntlet. Computer records show they are still alive.

The Phantom and Sparks go inside CyberVille to locate Spark's parents. Sparks sneaks into the central computer banks to find Gauntlet, and is confronted with a "morphing" apparition of his own parents- their minds have been downloaded into CyberVille's computers. They break out of the trance of their Gauntlet mind. They recognize Sparks, and urge him to destroy them so they are not entities that kill for Maximum, Inc. Sparks extinguishes their power supply and they fade away. Before they disappear, they tell Sparks that they love him. Sparks realizes that he is not an orphan at all- his parents now live on inside him.

Sparks, Professor Jack Archer, Kit Walker, Jr./24th Phantom, Mr. Cairo