A long-running comic strip featuring the adventures of The Phantom--created by Lee Falk--got a post-modern makeover by Peter Chung, creator of the groundbreaking animated shorts Aeon Flux. Chung took Falk's character into the near future and snazzed up the character design to create a hit 90s cartoon.

The Phantom had been around since the 1930s and his adventures continued into the year 2040, when environmental disasters and war have all but destroyed the planet's biosphere. The gap between rich and poor is now wider than ever with the privileged living the high life while the not so privileged barely subsist on the streets of city-states. One of the most powerful cities is Metropia (formerly New York City), run by Maximum Inc., a robotics corporation that is building a massive army of "biots" (Biological Optical Transputer System). Biots are now the primary labor force and they are tasked with building and defending Cyberville, an immense fortress that will house the rich and powerful when Earth's ecology fails for good.

Hope for the planet and its inhabitants lies underneath Metropia: a vast jungle of mutant vegetation spreads in the tunnels of city though no one is aware of its existence. No one except for Kit Walker Jr., a college student who inherits the persona of The Phantom from his father who died under mysterious circumstances. Junior is the latest Phantom in a long line of superheroes stretching back to the 16th century. As each generation takes up the Phantom's mantle, the world assumes that the hero is one immortal individual.

Kit has a rocky start because he has been unaware of his heritage and is reluctant to believe he has a destiny when the secret is revealed by Guran, his mentor. Guran and Jack Archer, a scientist, instruct Kit in combat, strategy and technology. Sparks, a young orphan, joins the Phantom crew after Kit saves him from Maximum Inc. Other characters include Sagan Cruz, a policewoman who discovers Kit's secret and becomes his love interest; Aunt Heloise, Kit's only living relative and privy to his dual identity; Rebecca Madison, chairwoman of Maximum Inc. and resident villain; Doctor Jak, the jaded TV reporter who often portrays the Phantom's exploits in a bad light; Mr. Cairo, an information broker playing both sides of the fence; and more cyborgs, biots, genetically engineered animals and sentient computer programs than you can shake a stick at.

The series featured very well developed characters and intelligent plotlines that became an instant hit with fans. Phantom 2040 went beyond the black-and-white debate of good vs. evil, fully exploring subtle themes like individuality, freedom in a cyber age and humanity's tenuous hold on species survival. Despite its popularity, only 35 episodes aired on syndication but the series did spawn video game and comic book franchises.