The target area for the punch was all wrong!
They were aiming for the top of the head, were the punch was actually defected off due to the curve of the skull.
Was shown in the comic book, it should have been on the flatter and more fleshy cheek area!

I agree with the others that the ring was an incomplete test due to incorrect target (placement and living tissue) as well as the ring which most likely had raised edges to leave the mark. But I do not think MB will try it it on any living person or animal. I suggest using a skull covered in ballistic gel and then the skin. It does not consider the blood and bruising but it's about as best as they can get on a non-living entity. Also to try different rings, one with a raised edge and one with small bumps on the outline.

I have been hit with a baseball and the imprint of the laces was on me for days, so i know that the ring impression is definetly possible. Also they just tried hitting skin on skull, there would be muscle between. I think for it to truly leave a mark it would have to bruise the skin and break capilaries, and for that they would have to hit something living. Can the MB do that? I'm sure Torrey would volunteer.

I would like a redo, because the way they did it bothers me, but I can't quite put my finger on what exactly it is.

quote:

Originally posted by rauske:
When doing the "Phantom punch", I noticed that a large mistake was made when "Pork-Loinio" was made; he had no fat.

Do not think it had to be alive, just not skin on bone like your forehead, which it appears they were hitting. "Punisher" usually punched the "badguy" in the cheek where there is lots of soft parts to leave his "brand"

The testing on the Phantom’s ring is flawed. As previously stated the lack of living tissue made this test inaccurate. I know for a fact that it can happen. When I was about 12 years old I was hit with a baseball pitch (~ 60 mph) and while it did give me a hairline fracture in two places of my jaw, it also left an indentation of the baseball threads in my jaw which lasted for a good 7-10 days. It was definitely not a bruise but an indentation. I don’t know what the psi of a baseball being thrown at 60 mph is, but it must be less than 3,000 psi which is what they tested and smashed the skull.

I founded 2 things wrong. The shin wasn't tight and the ring wasn't right. The ring should have been more like a coin. You should have see the engraving up instead of down. It would have been better if you used a quarter then the ring you chose.

part of the problem behind the ring, leaving a mark, was the skull was empty, there wasn't any brains, or mass, for the rig and skin to push against. if you do a revisit, you should use a fully intact pigs head brains and all
~Keavy

ONE MAJOR MISTAKE!!!!!!!

You guys overlooked the fact that there are little blood vessels under the skin (the capillaries) which break under pressure - this causes bruises, hickeys, and definitely ring imprints; whether atmospheric pressure or pressure applied by force; that ring would leave a mark, not a permanent scar, but nevertheless it would leave your forehead looking different then before

Man, I am SO glad to see so many people think the Phantom Ring myth needs to be redone. My husband and I kept saying that you needed circulation and fat to make it work...and the Mythbusters proved it on their "Ninja Bullet Deflection" episode. When Tory lifted up his shirt and showed the perfectly round bruises on his abdomen from the paint ball pellets, he showed that it's completely possible to have something leave a pefect mirror impression. Now if they can just figure out a way to mount some kind of design on something that can be fired at Tory (or someone else) at the same speed the paint ball pellets fly, they'll have their proof that the Phantom Ring myth is plausible.

I'm with everyone else. WHAT THE ****! the skin was dead, there was no blood, no tissue, just skin and bone. LAME! I love this show, but you guys blew it, hardcore.

Another variable that might aid is heat. If the superhero had a heated ring it could leave a burn scar. Also, the blood vessels in the skin would leave an imprint.

Ok, I always thought it was a tattoo I seem to remember the comic strip always had the phantom decide at the end of the fight to give the skull mark, or use the other ring for people he liked
I just assumed it was a tattoo possibly with a cover during the fight.
as to a target why not just use a live pig and a hog slapper with a custom die like at http://www.enasco.com/ProductDetail.do?sku=C08092N
I would suggest purple tattoo ink in keeping with the phantom's general color scheme.

Perhaps I've misread the comics, but I thought the Phantom's ring was coated with a chemical agent that caused a brand, more than an impression from the force of the punch. The punch was just because they were bad guys and deserved it.

This is supported by the fact that he also had a "good" ring (four letter "P"'s) that he would also use to mark friends/allies and he didn't go around punching them, but pressed it against them.

So, anyone up for a chemical burn?

I worry about the testing methods of the myth busters team sometimes. Perhaps a little more expert research is needed for the show. I am not saying that they are in any way stupid or incompetent, but experts in the field of what is being studied should be consulted for each experiment. The superhero ring imprint test for example. I see many views commenting on the reliability of the testing methods used and the conclusions made for this investigation.

Take a look at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew67-XrGM9g . Here you hear about Rick James punching Charlie Murphy in the face and the imprint of Rick James’ ring being on Charlie Murphy’s face.

I can also tell you about a personal experience. I was attacked by these guys one time (Attempted mugging). Being a martial artist I fended them off rather well. I managed to kick one rather hard in the chest with a thrusting sidekick. When the police apprehended this guy he was identified easily by the rather clear imprint of the bottom of my shoe on his chest (lower chest area).

All I am saying is that the viewers are very smart to question everything. And, more experts in the field should be used as guest myth busters to make the investigations more through.

Well if you're interested, I looked up a couple of foresenics peoples and people who have assualted others HAVE been identified by the impressions left from their rings on their vicitms. (i.e. dude A, punches dude B, and it leaves an impression from his fraternity ring.)

"DIRECT VERTICAL IMPACT ABRASION Causes crusing of the epidermis, The causitive object may stamp its shap or surface pattern on the skin. IMPRINT ABRASION e.g. Rope weave in hanging or ligature in strangulation; Fabric weave of seat belt, clthes, whip; Tire tread" etc.

The ring wasn't the problem, the p[g skin was the problem. They basically took leather and streatched it over a hard surface. Living human skin is not leather. There's a lot of muscle, soft tissue, and blood vessels between the outer layer of human skin and bone.

I find it extremely disheartening that they don't spring for a science advisor, since none of the cast has a science background and in any given episode they could be wrong half the time.

Checking the comic strips 2/20/49 has Killer Styx saying that he had the mark for 40 years.
3/4/49 he is asked if it is a tattoo.
later 4/3/49 the mark was seen on a axe blade.
The skull/good mark story line I found was 12-28-58.
Most if not all of the skull marks are done off screen, the criminal is punched and at least once chloroformed and then later seen with the mark.
On 1/18/59 Dr Worth gets the good mark could be a ring could be a ordinary stamp 1/25/59 "The ring contains a harmless dye from a jungle plant"
I suppose it could be something like DMSO mixed with ink, but why bother...
The hog slapper and a live pig would work nicely as a demo and could even be made into a ring.
Since the mark can just be pressed onto the pig it would not hurt it.
Note that tattoos style deaths head should work on leather/pig skin also.

I agree with people so far-especially about the blood vessels. The other thing is that a ring wont leave an impression unless the design is extended beyond the ring base.

quote:

Originally posted by apollysis:
The test for the ring impression was not complete, it did not take into account the underlying blood vessels, it may not be a brand but a mark would remain. I know this from experience as a child when while playing I was kicked by someone else in the face and I was left with a clear imprint of the sole of the shoe on my face.

The blood vessels are a big thing but they also need some sort of under padding to represent the fat and muscle. the ring has to have the chance to sink into the skin. Try pushing the ring into your arm. Did it leave a mark? With force behind it, even if it is only pushed into the skin for a split second, it should leave an imprint.

once i was hit in the head by a baseball and the thred pattern was inpinted in my head but it wasnt perminent ,it lasted about a week and was gone, very funny tho