In the early 16th century, a young boy helplessly witnesses his father's death at the hands of Kabai Sengh, the ruthless leader of the Sengh brotherhood who attacked their ship. The boy jumps overboard and is washed ashore on an island called Bengalla, where he is found by local tribesmen, who take him to their village. There he is given the Skull Ring, swears to devote his life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty and injustice, and as an adult adopts the identity of "The Phantom", a masked avenger. The role of The Phantom is passed on from father to son through centuries, leading people to believe in a single, immortal figure.