OK, Derek is Mandrake's twin brother, who is really more of a lazy nuisance than a real villain, which is fortunate, given that Derek is a lousy villain name. Other Foes: The Clay Camel! The Brass Monkey! And. No, seriously.Īrchnemesis: The Cobra, later revealed to be his half-brother, because: comics. Love Interest: Narda, princess of the tiny European nation of Cockaigne. Lothar is a Prince of Seven Nations (read: jungle tribes), and the Strongest Man in the World. But these powers come and go - mostly, he's a master, instantaneous hypnotist. Over the years, he has inevitably succumbed to power bloat, gaining the ability to fly, turn himself invisible, read minds, etc. More specifically, by combining his powers of mesmerism with ventriloquism and illusion techniques learned in (wait for it) Tibet - he can make anyone believe whatever he wishes him to. Special Skills: Can hypnotize anyone instantly. Think John Waters at the opera.Ī cover of the comic strip Mandrake the Magician from 1972. Look, at least pretend to pay attention.įirst Appearance: June 11, 1934, in a King Features comic strip.Ĭreated By: Writer Lee Falk (who would go on to create The Phantom, just three years later) and artist Phil Davis.Ĭostume: Top hat, tails, vermilion-lined cape. So here's a primer to get you up to speed: He has appeared on radio and in Big Little Books comics by Harvey, Dell, Marvel and Dynamite a 1979 NBC TV movie, and was one of the stars of a fondly remembered '80s animated series, Defenders of the Earth. In 1939 he got himself a 12-chapter Columbia movie serial. Mandrake, for example, initially made his name in daily and Sunday newspaper comic strips. No, that's unfair: Both heroes have displayed remarkable staying power in the decades since they first appeared (Doc in 1933, Mandrake in 1934). So basically it's a been a big couple of weeks for characters whose names are on everyone's lips, if we define "everyone" to mean "your gran-gran's mah-jongg circle." Last night came reports that Sacha Baron Cohen has been attached to Warner Bros.' upcoming big screen adaption of classic hero/gadabout/mesmerist Mandrake the Magician. Last week, Sony Pictures announced that it had signed action star/sirloin slab Dwayne Johnson to star in a Doc Savage film. Finally! Cease your clamoring, millennials!
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