The Eastern Dark has been one of the Phantoms' oldest and darkest enemies. If one thinks of all the villains faced by the Phantom, the Eastern Dark's name will surely be among the first to come to mind, along with that of the Singh Brotherhood.

Over the four centuries during which a Phantom has walked the planet, these hard-heartened criminals have always been present too. This has been because they are not just a small group of individuals but an entire race by themselves -- if one generation is stopped, another continues with their vile intentions.

The list of the crimes of these people include slave-trading, human sacrifice (to their evil god, Zaal), grand thefts, terrorizing the natives, illegal poaching, and so on. They stop at nothing and fear no one, except the Ghost who walks, who somehow mysteriously appears after years of absence to undo their misdoings and serve punishment. The ruinous idol of Zaal still bears the Skull Mark of the Phantom as a reminder and warning -- a warning that screams out, 'Beware! Beware the Guardian of the Eastern Dark!'