History TheGhost / ComicBooks

** Polly Polly Tinker Boy is the only one of Dorothy Spinner's imaginary friends to never physically appear, his existence only confirmed by Dorothy mentioning him.

** Dorothy's parents remained off-screen when she made her debut in Paul Kupperberg's run and continued to be unseen when Dorothy discussed her childhood in Creator/GrantMorrison and Rachel Pollack's subsequent runs. While Margaret Spinner would eventually [[UnseenNoMore make a physical appearance]] in John Arcudi's run (which retroactively established that the Spinners were Dorothy's ''adoptive'' parents), her father remains unseen and unnamed and is revealed to have died a short time before Dorothy Spinner and Kate Godwin were removed from the story in compliance with the Doom Patrol's tradition of discarding members the writer behind the current roster didn't want to use.

* ComicBook/GastonLagaffe's aunt Hortense.
* ComicBook/TheJoker was given this treatment in the ''ComicBook/{{New 52}}''. After the events of Batman: Detective Comics #1, he ''apparently'' "retired", and the only thing left of him is his ''face'' after he had another psychotic criminal surgically remove it for some reason. He still manages to cause trouble for Gotham -- in the wake of his disappearance, he gets in-universe DracoInLeatherPants treatment from a bunch of idiots who dress up like him to form angry mobs that accuse Batman of murdering the Joker. His face (which is currently being held by Gotham police) is also being treated as an object of worship by the Joker's crazier fans. The few times Joker appeared, it was either in a flashback or an impostor. He finally returns in Batman #13, where he retrieves his face. This leads to [[BatFamilyCrossover an event]] called ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', in which he goes after every member of the Bat-Family.

* In ''ComicBook/MisterMiracle2017'', '''[[ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} Darkseid is]]''' played as this. The overarching GodOfEvil of the ''ComicBook/NewGods'' mythos, his presence looms over the story, [[PaintingTheMedium with frames being repeatedly intruded]] with [[NothingIsScarier nothing but dark proclamations]] that '''[[ArcWords Darkseid is.]]''' Despite this, '''[[EldritchAbomination Darkseid is]]''' almost never seen, only mentioned or represented through his emissaries that act on his behalf. The only times he appears are [[spoiler:at the end of issue #6 after having murdered Orion (though [[InterfaceScrew the highly distorted framing of his depiction]] makes it ambiguous if he's actually physically there), and in issue #11, which takes place entirely in his throne room.]]

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Before her first appearance in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #42'', Mary Jane Watson was sort of a RunningGag by the writers, someone who Aunt May and Mary Jane's own aunt were trying to have Peter meet, but never succeeding. The first time she appeared, her face was hidden. When she and Peter finally met, it came as quite a shock to Peter.

** As of ''Batman #36'' [[spoiler: Joker has made his official return with a new, albeit tight to the point of looking UncannyValley, layer of skin on his face.]]

* Father Time, a character from ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' cartoon show, is this type of character in ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' comic book adaptation of "The Smurflings." His workshop does appear in the comic book universe, but although mentioned, he himself does not appear in the story.

* ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson was this until her first appearance in ''Amazing ComicBook/SpiderMan #42''. Before that, she was sort of a RunningGag by the writers, someone who Aunt May and Mary Jane's own aunt were trying to have Peter meet, but never succeeding. The first time she appeared, her face was hidden. When she and Peter finally met, it came as quite a shock to Peter.

* In ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' story ''ComicBook/TheJungleLine'', Superman talks the names of [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]] and [[ComicBook/LoisLane Lois]] as ovewhelmed by feverish hallucinations, but otherwise they are not seen.
* The Thirteenth Prime in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise''. His identity and existence are shrouded in mystery. Mistress of Flame believes that Optimus is the Thirteenth which matches the characters identity in ''Franchise/TransformersAlignedUniverse'', but the book never confirms or denies this.

* Little Ego's therapist.

* Lawrence and Mobile of ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'', both of whom the story teases by mentioning why they are just barely offscreen as a RunningGag. [[spoiler:Until they both appear near the end of volume five. When they do, Scott initially confuses them for Gideon, as they all have dark hair and glasses.]]
* Little Ego's therapist.

* ''ComicBook/TheCartoonHistoryOfTheUniverse'' portrays Mohammed this way, out of respect for mainstream Islam's prohibition on visual representations of historic Muslim figures.

* The "Enemy" in ''ComicBook/{{Sturmtruppen}}'' is never ever shown, except for one single strip (which is still pitch black).

* ComicBook/GastonLagaffe's aunt Hortense.
* Boneville from ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'' is a whole ghost '''town'''. Despite all the references the Bone cousins make to it, creator Jeff Smith has never actually depicted it, saying because Boneville isn't the focus of the story. Whatever Boneville looks like is up to the reader's imagination. Averted in the Spin-off novels "Quest for the Spark" which was written by Tom Sniegoski (Jeff Smith still illustrated it) starts off at the Boneville adventurer's guild. Yet true to the original story, it still doesn't describe anything of what Boneville actually looks like.
* The Director General in ''ComicBook/UnionJack'' is never seen, even though she's being scapegoated for British government's lackluster response to the R.A.I.D. attack.
* The Thirteenth Prime in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise''. His identity and existence are shrouded in mystery. Mistress of Flame believes that Optimus is the Thirteenth which matches the characters identity in ''Franchise/TransformersAlignedUniverse'', but the book never confirms or denies this.
* ''ComicBook/TransformersVsGIJoe'' at one point mentions a Decepticon chef named Confektor, but he never physically appears.
* ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}'': Spider's book editor is never shown, never described, never gendered and only referred to as "The Whorehopper".
* Father Time, a character from ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' cartoon show, is this type of character in ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' comic book adaptation of "The Smurflings." His workshop does appear in the comic book universe, but although mentioned, he himself does not appear in the story.

* Lawrence and Mobile of ''Comicbook/ScottPilgrim'', both of whom the story teases by mentioning why they are just barely offscreen as a RunningGag. [[spoiler:Until they both appear near the end of volume five. When they do, Scott initially confuses them for Gideon, as they all have dark hair and glasses.]]
* ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'' has several:
** Bob's sister (who is the mother of Croix and Hunter)
** B.A.'s mother (although she does become TheVoice occasionally)
** Crutch's 'old lady', Casey Mae
** Crowbar, Switch's partner-in-crime was this for years until he finally appeared on-panel in Hawg Waller's.
** Brian's uncle (and former guardian)
** Dave's father and brother.

* [[Comicbook/{{Empowered}} Empowered's]] mother. (They sometimes talk on the telephone, but we never hear what she says.)

* [[ComicBook/GastonLagaffe Gaston Lagaffe's]] aunt Hortense.
* Boneville from ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'' is a whole ghost '''town'''. Despite all the references the Bone cousins make to it, creator Jeff Smith has never actually depicted it, saying because Boneville isn't the focus of the story. Whatever Boneville looks like is up to the reader's imagination.
** Kind of averted in the Spin-off novels "Quest for the Spark" which was written by Tom Sniegoski (Jeff Smith still illustrated it) starts off at the Boneville adventurer's guild. Yet true to the original story, it still doesn't describe anything of what Boneville actually looks like.

* ''ComicBook/StarTrekEarlyVoyages'': The Tholians are never shown even though they are mentioned as being a major enemy of the Federation throughout the series. When they launch an attack on the Federation in the two-part story "The Fallen", their Chakuun shock troops do all the fighting.

* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker was given this treatment in the ''ComicBook/{{New 52}}''. After the events of Batman: Detective Comics #1, he ''apparently'' "retired", and the only thing left of him is his ''face'' after he had another psychotic criminal surgically remove it for some reason. He still manages to cause trouble for Gotham -- in the wake of his disappearance, he gets in-universe DracoInLeatherPants treatment from a bunch of idiots who dress up like him to form angry mobs that accuse Batman of murdering the Joker. His face (which is currently being held by Gotham police) is also being treated as an object of worship by the Joker's crazier fans. The few times Joker appeared, it was either in a flashback or an impostor. He finally returns in Batman #13, where he retrieves his face. This leads to [[BatFamilyCrossover an event]] called ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', in which he goes after every member of the Bat-Family.

* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfWonderWoman2016'': The Candy family has a huge impact on the story as their actions spur Etta into action and eventually give her a convenient excuse to escape to an active war zone, but they're never seen, only her little brother Mint is ever named, and none of them are ever even in the same state as our characters during the comic.

* Believe it or not, Mary Jane Watson was this until her first appearance in ''Amazing ComicBook/SpiderMan #42''. Before that, she was sort of a RunningGag by the writers, someone who Aunt May and Mary Jane's own aunt were trying to have Peter meet, but never succeeding. The first time she appeared, her face was hidden. When she and Peter finally met, it came as quite a shock to Peter.

* Believe it or not, Mary Jane Watson was this until her first appearance in ''Amazing Spider Man #42''. Before that, she was sort of a RunningGag by the writers, someone who Aunt May and Mary Jane's own aunt were trying to have Peter meet, but never succeeding. The first time she appeared, her face was hidden. When she and Peter finally met, it came as quite a shock to Peter.

* The Thirteenth Prime in ''ComicBooks/TransformersRobotsInDisguise''. His identity and existence are shrouded in mystery. Mistress of Flame believes that Optimus is the Thirteenth which matches the characters identity in ''Franchise/TransformersAlignedUniverse'', but the book never confirms or denies this.

* Father Time, a character from ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' cartoon show, is this type of character in ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' comic book adaptation of "The Smurflings." His workshop does appear in the comic book universe, but although mentioned, he himself does not appear in the story.