Andrea Beaumont


Andrea Beaumont, also known as the Phantasm, is a fictional supervillain and antiheroine in the DC animated universe created by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini. Beaumont first appeared as the main antagonist in the 1993 animated film , where she was established as the ex-fiancée of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Dana Delany provided the voice work for Andrea and Stacy Keach provided the electronically modified voice of her "Phantasm" alter ego. Andrea Beaumont has made occasional cameo appearances in various DCAU Batman titles in her Phantasm guise, often as a freelance spy, thief, and assassin.
In 2020, Beaumont will make her main DC Universe comic book debut in Tom King's upcoming Batman/Catwoman 12-issue maxiseries.

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 similarity that the Joker mentions in the film. Timm went through approximately 20 different character designs for the Phantasm before creating a version that would evolve into the final design. Five alternate designs for the Phantasm's costume were featured in HBO's "First Look" television preview for Mask of the Phantasm.
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, artificial fog-generating device that the Phantasm uses for stealth, combat, and intimidation. At various points in Mask of the Phantasm, the Phantasm's manipulation of fog makes it appear that the character has supernatural 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 masculine voice provided by Stacy Keach, which was digitally altered in post-production to be deeper and echo. Portions of Keach's unmodified performance can be heard in Mask of the Phantasm's theatrical trailer, including the Phantasm's signature phrase: "Your angel of death awaits." The Phantasm's on-screen presence is accompanied by an eerie theme composed by Shirley Walker that prominently features the theremin.

''Mask of the Phantasm''

The screenwriters of ' 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 the Joker. Andrea is based loosely on a combination of Judson Caspian and his daughter Rachel, characters from the ' comic book mini-series.

Role

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. I wanted a story that got into his head." Burnett centered Andrea in his conception of the film's story: "We wanted to make a big movie story. We were telling a story about 'the girl who got away'. The one woman who could have stopped Bruce from ever becoming Batman." The resulting narrative, which dealt with Bruce's decision to become and remain Batman, hinged on Bruce and Andrea's relationship.
Andrea's role in Mask of the Phantasm corresponds with that of the femme fatale from hardboiled detective fiction and film noir. Burnett felt that the film's narrative should be removed from Batman's traditional rogues gallery. The fact that Andrea is revealed as the main villain in a plot twist is another convention of the femme fatale stock character.
Andrea 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. The paralleling of their characters — most importantly the death of their parents at the hand of criminals — highlights how different they are: Though they both became vigilantes, Andrea chose to become a killer, following a warped code of "eye for an eye" justice, while Bruce chose a code of ethics that forbids killing.

Plot 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 Bruce Wayne, and they fall in love. Bruce vacillates between 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 what will eventually become the Batcave.
Andrea discovers that her father is in business with the Mafia, and set up dummy corporations for some of the most powerful mob bosses in Gotham: Chuckie Sol, Sal Valestra, and Buzz Bronski. When they learn that Carl has embezzled from them, they demand immediate repayment. Unable to quickly access the money he has stolen and invested, Carl and Andrea flee to Europe, forcing Andrea to break off her engagement with Bruce.
A few years later, Carl Beaumont refuses to make campaign donations to Arthur Reeves and in retaliation Reeves sells information on the Beaumonts' whereabouts to the mob. Although Carl has repaid them, the vengeful gangsters plan to have him killed. They send a hitman, who would later become the Joker, to do the job. Andrea encounters the hitman as he leaves her villa, and discovers her murdered father moments afterward.
Consumed with hatred, Andrea waits patiently for many years, planning to destroy the men who ruined her life. When she returns to Gotham, she dons a terrifying 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 taunting them by saying "Your angel of death awaits." Soon after killing Bronski in the graveyard, Andrea visits her mother's grave, where she first met Bruce. Batman, also drawn to his parents' grave after investigating the crime scene, is shocked to see her. He quickly flees, but Andrea immediately guesses his secret identity. Batman later discovers the link between the mobsters and Carl Beaumont and questions Andrea on the topic, but she rebuffs him.
The Phantasm attempts to kill Valestra, but in doing so nearly falls into a trap laid by the Joker. She escapes unharmed, but Batman attempts to apprehend her. After a brief rooftop skirmish, the Phantasm absconds in a cloud of smoke as the police arrive on the scene. When Andrea realizes that the police will arrest Batman in her stead, she quickly changes out of her costume and helps him escape. At Wayne Manor, in a final attempt to conceal her vendetta, Andrea tells Bruce that the Phantasm is her father and that she has returned to Gotham stop his killing spree. Unaware that Carl was murdered, Bruce believes her.
Andrea tracks the Joker to his hideout at the derelict Gotham World Fairgrounds, but he has guessed her identity and anticipated the attack. The two battle in the "Home of the Future" exhibit, before the Joker lures Andrea to a giant turbine. He attempts to kill her by sucking her into it, but Batman intervenes, breaking the machine before its blades would have crushed Andrea. She 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!" Batman attempts to reason with Andrea and begs her to leave, and she disappears in a cloud of smoke. After a stalemate battle between Batman and the Joker that sees both men on the brink of exhaustion, the fairgrounds - rigged with explosives - detonate and begin to crumble. Andrea reappears and explains that "one way or another, it ends tonight." With the defeated Joker in her power, Andrea bids farewell and disappears with her captive before Batman can stop her.
After barely escaping the fairgrounds' destruction through a series of sewers, Batman assumes that Andrea and the Joker have perished. However, Andrea survives and leaves a locket for Bruce in the Batcave as a keepsake. In the penultimate scene of the film, Andrea stands alone at night on the deck of an ocean liner.

DCAU Animation & Comics

''Adventures''

The Phantasm makes her first returning appearance in the comic Batman & Robin Adventures Annual #1 "Shadow of the Phantasm". In a direct sequel to Mask of the Phantasm, Andrea and Batman defeat Arthur Reeves, who – having been driven mad by the Joker – is determined to exact revenge on Beaumont.
In 2004's Batman Adventures: Shadows and Masks, 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 rebukes her, calling her a "killer". She eventually fights Batgirl and tries to kill Black Mask.

''"Epilogue"''

The Phantasm reappears as an assassin in the season 2 finale episode of the television series Justice League Unlimited: "Epilogue". Now an elderly woman, Andrea is hired by Amanda Waller to murder Terry McGinnis' parents. The psychological trauma, Waller reasons, will steer Terry toward becoming Batman's successor. However, the Phantasm abandons the hit moments before she would have slain the young couple. Andrea argues that the murder would defile the Batman legacy by breaking Bruce's paramount rule: to never take a life. Andrea's change of heart marks the official end of Waller's "Batman Beyond project", though chance would compel Terry to eventually become Bruce's successor regardless. In the episode, Andrea has no lines or voice actor. Her sentiments are conveyed through Waller's monologue recounting the event.

''Batman Beyond 2.0''

The Phantasm returns in Mark of the Phantasm, a seven-part storyline in the 2015 digital comic Batman Beyond 2.0. At the secret behest of Amanda Waller, Andrea seeks out the great-grandnephew of Joe Chill, Jake Chill, for the murder of Terry McGinnis' father. Beaumont is charged with killing Jake before Terry learns of Jake's guilt, in an effort to remove any temptation for Terry to attempt the same.
After an initial attempt on Jake's life fails due to Terry's intercession, Andrea visits Bruce in the Batcave. Bruce reveals that he searched for Andrea, and attempts to convince her that it's not too late for them. Andrea acknowledges that despite their similarities, they are at loggerheads: "I do things Batman can't. I always have." Beaumont abandons her second attempt on Jake's life when he accidentally dies from exposure to Joker toxin.

DC Universe

''Batman/Catwoman''

On June 11th, 2019, DC Comics writer Tom King and artist Clay Mann posted an image teasing that the Phantasm would appear in their 2020 Batman/Catwoman comic series. The image of the Phantasm includes Batman and Catwoman reflected in Phantasm's scythe, in addition to the text "She awaits you." and the series title. Batman/Catwoman will be the Phantasm's first appearance in the main DC Universe. King and Mann have since posted additional Phantasm art from the upcoming series on their Twitter accounts.

Minor appearances

In conjunction with the release of Mask of the Phantasm in 1993, Kenner released a Phantasm action figure. The toy was packaged with Phantasm's mask and cloak off, revealing the villain's secret identity, and — apocryphally — spoiling the plot twist for audiences. This model was later re-released as part of a "Rogues Gallery" box set, but with the costume's grey and black coloring transposed.
A subsequent action figure, cast from a new mold, was released by DC Collectibles in 2016. While of much higher quality than the original action figure, this Phantasm figurine does not have a removable mask.