In my artwork and in my novels, there exists a phantom character. His name is Dr. Thornapple Seabreez. He is a mysterious fellow, born in the 1860’s, taken into deep space by the ancient Sylvani race of aliens, and mysteriously re-appearing in my stories from the distant future, 7,000 or more years ahead, from the fabled Xandar Empire, a type-5 civilization that spans the Milky Way Galaxy. In these Paffoonies he appears in name only, a doctor’s office sign;
So, What is the purpose of such a character? Sometimes in comedies, you need a totally silly solution, a Deus ex machina to save the day for characters who find themselves in a totally impossible situation. I know this falls into the realm of what a writer should never do, but I am a completely silly writer. So there. 
Catch a Falling Star 