Erik (The Phantom of the Opera) Erik (The Phantom of the Opera) Erik (also known as The Phantom of the Opera, commonly referred to as The Phantom) is the title character from Gaston Leroux's novel "Le Fantôme de l'Opéra" (1910), best known to English speakers as "The Phantom of the Opera". He is unique in that he is both the titular protagonist and at times the antagonist of the novel. The character has been adapted to alternate media several times, including in the 1925 film adaptation starring Lon Chaney, the 1943 remake starring Claude Rains and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical. In the original novel, few details
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film) their engagement. The Phantom crashes the ball, who orders his own opera, "Don Juan Triumphant", be performed. Upon seeing Christine's engagement ring, the Phantom flees, pursued by Raoul, but Giry stops him. Giry explains when she was a child, she met the Phantom, a deformed young boy, billed as the 'Devil's Child' in a freak show and abused by the owner. When the Phantom rebelled and strangled the man to death, Giry helped him to evade the resulting mob and hid him within the opera house. Christine visits her father's tomb, the Phantom posing as his angel to win her