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''Diabolik'' ( or ) is an Italian comic series created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. One of the most popular series in the history of Italian comics, ''Diabolik'' was created in 1962 and consists of more than 900 volumes, and has led to the birth of the ''
fumetti neri ''Fumetti neri'' (Italian for "black comics") is a subgenre of Italian comics, born in Italy with the creation of the ''Diabolik'' character (1962). Overview The "Fumetti neri" name comes from "cronaca nera", the Italian name for crime news. A ...
'' comic subgenre. The series is named after its protagonist, an
anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...
ic thief, inspired by several previous
pulp fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
characters from
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and other countries. Its stories consist of monthly black-and-white,
digest-sized Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printin ...
volumes. The series takes place in the fictional town Clerville and stars the titular Diabolik, initially represented as a ruthless and cruel thief who does not hesitate to murder anyone in order to accomplish his deeds, aided by his partner and lover
Eva Kant Eva Kant is an Italian comics character who originated in the series '' Diabolik'', issue #3 (3 March 1963). The character is extremely popular in Italy, where she reached the status of fashion icon. Fictional character biography Eva is the girl ...
. Over time, the character evolved his personality, developing healthy roots and
ethical Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...
principles such as
honor Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
, the sense of
friendship Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. In some cultures, the concept o ...
and
gratitude Gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness is from the Latin word ''gratus,'' which means "pleasing" or "thankful." Is regarded as a feeling of appreciation (or similar positive response) by a recipient of another's kindness. This can be gifts, h ...
, and respect for noble souls. He focused on robbing and killing other criminals. Throughout his adventures, he is pursued mainly by the Inspector Ginko. The series sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-known and best-selling comics series from Europe. Live-action film adaptations were made: '' Danger: Diabolik'' (1968) and a film trilogy consisting in ''
Diabolik ''Diabolik'' ( or ) is an Italian comic series created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. One of the most popular series in the history of Italian comics, ''Diabolik'' was created in 1962 and consists of more than 900 volumes, and has led ...
'' (2021), ''Diabolik - Ginko Attacks!'' (2022) and an upcoming feature. Its success had also inspired a radio show, an animated television series, video games, novels, and countless parodies.


Creation and development

The idea for the character of Diabolik was born from seeing commuters every day. Co-creator Angela Giussani, who lived near
Milano Cadorna railway station Milano Cadorna is a commuter railway station located near the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, Italy. History The original station, built in wood in the style of a chalet, was opened in 1879. This was enlarged in 1920, but the station was destroyed du ...
, thought of making comics in a format designed for travelling and carrying in one's pocket. To better understand the tastes of her potential readers, Angela made a survey of the market, from which she concluded that many commuters read mystery novels. Another version of the story claims that the very idea came from her finding a Fantomas novel abandoned in a train. Thus, was born the "Diabolik format" (a small 12 x book), which proved popular with other publications in the same genre. The pocketbook format contributed, in fact, to the success of the character.


Plot

Diabolik is a ruthless master thief. He typically steals from criminals (and has no issue with killing them if need be, but rarely, if ever, kills the innocent or the police), and has a set of lifelike masks which he uses to fool his opponents, assuming every identity at will. He seems to have a deep knowledge in many scientific fields, including chemistry, mechanics, and computers. In his first appearances, Diabolik was a more straightforward villain who did not hesitate to murder anyone in order to accomplish his deeds. He was later given a more "Robin Hood"-like persona and was shown stealing essentially from criminals, in order to soften the series’ violence and amorality. He was raised as an orphan on a secret island hideout of a criminal combine, where he learned all his criminal skills, including developing his special masks, before killing the head of the combine. Diabolik's true name had never been revealed in the series, and he does not know it himself. Diabolik took his name from a dangerous black panther that the head of the combine killed on the secret island. From issue #3 of the series, Diabolik is aided by his " moll",
Eva Kant Eva Kant is an Italian comics character who originated in the series '' Diabolik'', issue #3 (3 March 1963). The character is extremely popular in Italy, where she reached the status of fashion icon. Fictional character biography Eva is the girl ...
, who has gained an increasing role as his partner and lover. Diabolik always drives a black 1961 Jaguar E-type. Graphically inspired by the actor Robert Taylor, he usually wears a skintight black body suit that leaves only his eyes and eyebrows (very distinctive ones) exposed when going "into action". Diabolik does not use firearms: his main weapons are the daggers he throws with uncanny ability, as well as a small dart gun with knockout darts. Eva drives a white Jaguar, and unusually goes into action wearing a heavy sweater and pants, no mask and no revealing clothing. The stories are set in a fictional town, Clerville, loosely inspired by
Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...
, Switzerland. Diabolik's main opponent is Inspector Ginko, known only by his surname, a fierce and incorruptible police officer who is almost always thwarted by astute tricks devised by Diabolik. The only other recurring character is the noblewoman Altea, Ginko's fiancée.


Characters

Main characters * Diabolik - a legendary thief who follows an ancient code of conduct. *
Eva Kant Eva Kant is an Italian comics character who originated in the series '' Diabolik'', issue #3 (3 March 1963). The character is extremely popular in Italy, where she reached the status of fashion icon. Fictional character biography Eva is the girl ...
- Diabolik's lover and accomplice, she is a skilled and ruthless criminal in her own right. Their relationship begins as adversarial, then he becomes her lover. Later in the series she is reimagined as Diabolik's partner and equal. * Inspector Ginko - a determined and incorruptible Clerville police detective who attempts, unsuccessfully, to capture Diabolik on numerous occasions. Secondary characters * Altea - a titled heiress and Ginko's lover. * King - the leader of a powerful criminal organization, he became Diabolik's foster father and trains him in the skills he will need as a criminal. King eventually betrays Diabolik and plans to murder him, but the infallible criminal kills him first. * Elisabeth "Tina" Gay - a nurse who becomes Diabolik's first love after meeting him in the hospital. When she discovers his true nature, she betrays him to the police. Eventually, Diabolik drives her mad and Tina is confined to an asylum. * Dr. Alberto Floriani - a famous neuropsychiatrist who treats Elizabeth Gay during her stay in the asylum and eventually marries her. Part of Diabolik's assault on Elizabeth's sanity involves him visiting her in the hospital, disguised as Albert. * Bettina - a girl who should become familiar with Diabolik and Eva, until she becomes like a daughter. * Gustavo Garian - son of a wealthy family, which has been decimated by Diabolik; he sought revenge on several occasions.


Clerville

Many of the Diabolik stories are set in the fictional city of Clerville, which is located in a state also named Clerville. However, in the first issues of the series, Diabolik carried out his heists in Marseilles, but the authors decided to invent a new city, so as to avoid having to do continual documentation on the city. It is clear that Clerville is in Europe, since in 2002, it adopted the
Euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
as its currency; the city's previous currency had never been named, but had the same value as the Italian lira. The state of Clerville also includes other cities, such as Ghenf (styled after the German name for Geneva: Genf), the second most important city in the state, which is situated on the sea (Clerville, the city, is located in the interior and is crossed by a river).


Equipment

Diabolik uses a variety of gadgets and equipment which he uses as an aid in his robberies, to wiretap conversations and variety of weaponry.


Suit

The trademark of Diabolik is his black suit, which completely covers his body except for his eyes, eyebrows, and black running shoes. He uses it as an aid in his burglaries or robberies and to protect his identity. He has variety of gadgets and weapons stashed under it. His outfit can be used as a diving suit since it can keep him warm while underwater, and it's also fireproof. However, it cannot protect him from lethal harm (bullets and knives), but he relies on his fighting skills to cover that up.


Drugs

Diabolik and Eva Kant use a variety of drugs to stun, kill, or force their enemies into submission. They mostly use Pentothal as a
truth serum "Truth serum" is a colloquial name for any of a range of psychoactive drugs used in an effort to obtain information from subjects who are unable or unwilling to provide it otherwise. These include ethanol, scopolamine, 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate, ...
to force the victims into obeying and aiding the two in their burglaries or robberies. They also use scopolamine to cause amnesia and a variety of sedatives to stun their enemies. They also use cyanide to kill their enemies during a quick getaway, but mostly for their targets.


Weapons and gadgets

Diabolik uses a variety of weaponry and gadgets to stun or kill his enemies. He never uses firearms or owns one, and prefers stealth. He mostly uses stun gas if necessary, but avoids it when he can. He also uses daggers to kill his enemies in seconds. He has a variety of gadgets for quick usage, some of them momentarily as an aid in his robbery. Also, Diabolik carries various radio-controlled equipment, that trigger specific objects into helping him, placed over Clerville (traffic lights to create green waves, sprinklers that spray black paint onto incoming police cars, train ramps, etc.). He even once inserted a device in Ginko's car to activate his airbag during a police pursuit. He also has a variety of weapons inside his Jaguar to aid him, such as Gatling guns or heat-seeking missiles. He uses wiretap bugs and mini cameras to spy on others, and he communicates with Eva via a walkie-talkie hidden in his watch.


Masks

Another of Diabolik's trademarks is his photorealistic masks of a specially designed plastic that he uses to impersonate his victims or enemies, and he has used a multitude of them to help him. Diabolik uses the masks in almost every burglary he attempts, and Eva sometimes uses them while directly acting with him. He has used the masks to impersonate people that are of great use to him, and sometimes only to hide his looks. Diabolik and Eva also use them while going somewhere out in public to avoid being recognized (they used false looks once while going out to dinner).


Publication

Diabolik was published as a succession of series, most of them one year long. The Giussani sisters wrote many of the stories until the 1980s, passing them gradually to
Patricia Martinelli Patricia is a female given name of Latin origin. Derived from the Latin word ''patrician'', meaning "noble"; it is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick. The name Patricia was the second most common female name in the United Stat ...
’s - and others' - hands. The main bulk of the artwork is executed by
Sergio Zaniboni Sergio Zaniboni (4 August 1937 – 18 August 2017) was an Italian comics artist and writer. He was especially known as the artist of numerous stories for '' Diabolik''. Career Born in Turin, Zaniboni started his comics career after working in t ...
, who has been drawing Diabolik since 1969 (lately sharing the role with Giorgio Montorio) until his death. Other artists working on the series include Brenno Fiumali, Franco Paludetti, Enzo Facciolo and Lino Jeva.


Comic series

; Prima Serie, 1962-1964. Issues #1-24. : The first issue, ''Il Re del Terrore'' (in
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
: "The King of Terror"), appeared in print on 1 November 1962. This was issue #1 of the first series. The next issue appeared on 1 February 1963, followed by monthly issues up to issue #24 in December 1964. ; Seconda Serie, 1965. Issues #25-50. : Publication switched to one issue every two weeks, with each series being one year and 26 issues long. ; Anno V, 1966. Issues #51-76. : The series began to be named for the year of publication since the first issue. ;Anno XII-XVI, 1973-1977. Issues #233-351 : The first 12 issues of Prima Serie started to be re-released, 2-4 a year, in place of regular issues. "Il Re del Terrore" was rereleased as Anno XII, No. 6 ;Anno XVII-XIX, 1978-1980. : 24 issues a year, published twice a month. ;Anno XX-XXV, 1981-1986. : 14 issues a year: published monthly, plus an extra issue in July and August. ;Anno XXVI-XXVII, 1987-1988. : 12 issues a year, published monthly. ;Anno XXVIII-XXXII, 1989-1993. : 7 issues a year ;Anno XXXIII, 1994. Issues #566-574 : 9 issues were published this year. Starting in July 1994, publication returned to once a month. ;Anno XXXIV-XLII, 1995-2013 : 12 issues a year, published monthly. In October 2013, the 800th issue was published.


Reprints and digests


United States

In 1986, Pacific Comics Club published 2 digest-size issues. Since 1997 a series of annual books with more complex stories has been released. In 2000, Scorpion started to publish digests, reaching 6 issues before stopping. Some American reprints have appeared.


Diabolik in India

Diabolik was translated into Tamil and introduced to India in Dec 1987 by Prakash Publishers under their imprin
Lion Comics
His very first adventure was aptly titled ''Danger Diabolik''. Though the story and the character got tremendous response, for various reasons, this was the only story that got published until 2013. In June 2013, Diabolik made his comeback via the same publisher, but this effort had more impact. It was launched in the Comic Con 2013 in Bengaluru with the storyline titled ''Kutra Thiru Vizha'' (''A Carnival of Crime''). Based on the positive response for the story arc and the style, in December 2013, Diabolik made his third appearance in ''Operation Tornado''. Lion Comics publishes these books in high standard digest format and they are priced at INR 40.


Other countries

Diabolik was translated into Croatian on several occasions. First appearance was in ''Superstrip biblioteka'' #43 published by Vjesnik - 25 episodes were published (1968-1971). New episodes were published by Art Print - 1 episode in 1999, Slobodna Dalmacija - 18 episodes (2000-2002) and Ludens - 4 annuals (2007-2010), 4 episodes (2017-still in print). A Serbian translation was launched by Maverick Kraljevo in 2002, with 2 episodes being published. In
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
56 stories were published.


Adaptations


Films

* Italian
filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...
Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the M ...
adapted three ''Diabolik'' stories for a
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...
feature film, '' Danger: Diabolik'', produced by
Dino De Laurentiis Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He ...
and starring
John Phillip Law John Phillip Law (September 7, 1937 – May 13, 2008) was an American film actor. Following a breakthrough role as a Russian sailor in ''The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming'' (1966), Law became best known for his roles as gu ...
as Diabolik, Marisa Mell as Eva, and
Michel Piccoli Jacques Daniel Michel Piccoli (27 December 1925 – 12 May 2020) was a French actor, producer and film director with a career spanning 70 years. He was lauded as one of the greatest French character actors of his generation who played a wide vari ...
as Ginko. The film was used in the final episode of the 10th season of the long-running television series, '' Mystery Science Theater 3000''. Initially it received generally negative reviews from ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' and ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', but with the re-evaluation of Bava's filmography in subsequent years, retrospective reception of the film has been more positive, with its visuals and the score by Ennio Morricone receiving praise. In studies of the film, critics and historians have focused on Bava's use of mise-en-scène to replicate the imagery and stylization of comic books, and the film's reflection of the socio-political upheavals of the 1960s in its characterization and narratology. The credibility of the onscreen chemistry shared between John Philip Law and Mell also received large praise. In 2008, it was chosen by ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' magazine as one of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time''. * ''Diabolik sono io'' ("Diabolik is me"; 2019), a docudrama directed by Giancarlo Soldi about the comic and its first designer Angelo Zarcone. In addition to showing rare archive materials from the publishing house, the docu-film also seek a possible explanation of the mystery linked to Zarcone, who disappeared without leaving contact details after completing the tables of the first issue. * A trilogy movie directed by
Manetti Bros. Marco (born 15 January 1968) and Antonio Manetti (born 16 September 1970), collectively referred to as Manetti Bros., are Italian filmmakers, famous for their musical comedies. Biography After having directed more than a hundred video clips, fo ...
: **''
Diabolik ''Diabolik'' ( or ) is an Italian comic series created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. One of the most popular series in the history of Italian comics, ''Diabolik'' was created in 1962 and consists of more than 900 volumes, and has led ...
'': a 2021 adaptation. It was announced in December 2018 by RAI Cinema president Paolo del Brocco; the Manetti Bros. directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Michelangelo La Neve and Gomboli. The cast includes Luca Marinelli as Diabolik,
Miriam Leone Miriam Leone (born 14 April 1985) is an Italian actress, presenter and model, winner of the Miss Italia beauty contest in 2008.(14 September 2008)Miss Italia è Miriam Leone Siciliana dai capelli rossi ''La Repubblica'' (in Italian) Biography M ...
as Eva,
Valerio Mastandrea Valerio Mastandrea (born 14 February 1972) is an Italian film, stage and television actor. Life and career He was born in Rome. While being a student of philosophy, in the early 1990s Mastandrea enjoyed some success thanks to the semi-regular pa ...
as Ginko, and
Serena Rossi Serena Rossi (born 31 August 1985) is an Italian actress, singer and television personality. She has acted in films and on stage, but is best known for her performance in the long-running Rai 3 soap opera ''Un Posto al Sole''. Biography Born ...
, Alessandro Roja and
Claudia Gerini Claudia Gerini (; born 18 December 1971) is an Italian actress and singer. Life and career Born in Rome, Gerini won the National Competition of Miss Teenager in 1985. She got her first part in a film, ''La ballata di Eva'', at 14. She subsequ ...
. The film was originally scheduled to be released on 31 December 2020, and then postponed to 16 December 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Italy The COVID-19 pandemic in Italy is part of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was first confirmed to have spread to Italy on 31 January 2020, when ...
. **''
Diabolik - Ginko Attacks! ''Diabolik'' ( or ) is an Italian comic series created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. One of the most popular series in the history of Italian comics, ''Diabolik'' was created in 1962 and consists of more than 900 volumes, and has led ...
'' (''Diabolik - Ginko all'attacco!''): scheduled to be released on November 17, 2022, starring
Giacomo Gianniotti Giacomo Keaton Gianniotti (born 19 June 1989) is an Italian-Canadian film and television actor. He studied theater at Humber College and made his acting debut in the Italian television series ''Medicina Generale'' in 2010. He went on to play rec ...
instead of Marinelli. **A third untitled movie is set to be released on 2023.


Animated series

On 1 January 2000, an animated series, animated by
Ashi Productions is a Japanese anime studio, located in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan, known for its four magical-girl anime, especially ''Magical Princess Minky Momo''. It was established by Toshihiko Sato and other artists on December 20, 1975, as ''Ashi Productions ...
and produced by
Saban Entertainment Saban Entertainment, Inc. (along with Saban International; currently operating under the legal name is BVS Entertainment, Inc.) was a worldwide-served independent American-Israeli television production company formed in 1980 by Haim Saban and ...
and Saban International Paris, premiered in Europe and Latin America on Fox Kids, and lasted for 40 episodes before ending on 1 January 2001. The series featured Diabolik and his companion Eva, as they fought and gradually exposed the Brotherhood and Dane, while evading Inspector Ginko. It was directed by Jean Luc Ayach with Paul Diamond and Larry Brody as head writers. Ownership of the series passed to
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
in 2001 when
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
acquired
Fox Kids Worldwide ABC Family Worldwide is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Television that is responsible for the operations of the U.S. cable network Freeform. The company was originally formed as International Family Entertainment, a spin-off of the Christian Broad ...
, which also includes
Saban Entertainment Saban Entertainment, Inc. (along with Saban International; currently operating under the legal name is BVS Entertainment, Inc.) was a worldwide-served independent American-Israeli television production company formed in 1980 by Haim Saban and ...
. Although it was co-produced in the U.S., it never aired there in that country.


Live-action TV series

In 2012, Sky TV in conjunction with Sky France and Sky Italy, started work on a TV version of ''Diabolik''. A teaser trailer was made for the production, but by 2015 the production had not been released and there was no further information released by the studio.


Video games

A total of 12 ''Diabolik'' games were developed and released in 1993 by
Simulmondo ''Simulmondo'' was an Italian software house from Bologna. Specialized video game developer and publisher, it has produced about 150 videogames for Commodore 64, Amiga, PC and Atari ST. Originally founded in 1988 by Francesco Carlà and Ricca ...
for the Commodore 64 and Amiga. The games were in Italian and were made specifically for the Italian domestic market, seeing only limited distribution elsewhere. '' Diabolik: The Original Sin'' is a 2009 video game developed by
Artematica ''Artematica Entertainment'' (known as Artematica) is an Italian developer of software, especially video games, established in the comune of Chiavari, near Genoa. The company develops on the platforms: Android (operating system), Android, Apple I ...
and published by
Black Bean Games Black Bean Games was an Italian video game publisher based in Gazzada Schianno in northern Italy, founded in 2004. Established as a European publishing arm of video game distributor Leader S.p.A., it was best known for publishing a number of ra ...
for Wii, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation 2 systems.


Influence

The popularity of Diabolik spurred a long series of characters directly or indirectly inspired to him, generally noticeable by the "criminalizing K" in their name; some of them are a kind of satire. *
Max Bunker Max Bunker, pen name of Luciano Massimiliano Secchi (born 24 August 1939), is an Italian comic book writer, and publisher, best known as the co-author of '' Alan Ford''. Bunker's career started in 1960 when he co-founded, together with his brothe ...
(writer) and
Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
created in the 1960s two of these "K" characters, Kriminal and
Satanik ''Satanik'' is an Italian noir comic book created in December 1964 by Max Bunker (writer) and Magnus (artist), also the authors of the popular series '' Kriminal'' and '' Alan Ford''. Synopsis Satanik is Marny Bannister, a skilled female chemis ...
, the second being a feminine and horror version. Both are distinguished for their greater realism and for a more substantial sexy style. * '' Killing'', an Italian comic book. *
Paperinik Donald Duck, a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company, is today the star of dozens of comic-book and comic-strip stories published each month (in certain parts of the world, each week) around the world. In many European countries, ...
(Duck Avenger) is the volatile superheroic alter-ego of Donald Duck created by Elisa Penna, Guido Martina and
Giovan Battista Carpi Giovan Battista Carpi (; November 16, 1927 – March 8, 1999) was a prolific Italian comics artist, illustrator, and teacher from Genoa. Carpi worked mainly for Disney comics, mostly on books featuring Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck, although h ...
in 1969. Initially an antihero parody/homage to
Fantômas Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914). One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appear ...
and Diabolik, he quickly became a crimefighter. * Cattivik is a humorous version of Diabolik created by Franco Bonvicini in 1967: ''cattivo'' means evil/bad in
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
, while ''diabolico'' means diabolical. * '' Dorellik'' is the name of a film starring singer and actor
Johnny Dorelli Johnny Dorelli (real name Giorgio Guidi; born 20 February 1937) is an Italian actor, singer and television host. Early life Dorelli was born in Meda, Italy. In 1946 he moved to New York City with his family, where his father, Nino D'Aurelio ...
. *
Fantomex Fantomex is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is commonly associated with the X-Men titles. Fantomex first appeared in '' New X-Men'' #128 (August, 2002) and was created by Grant Morr ...
is a character created by
Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...
during their run writing ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...
''. He is a master thief using technological gadgets and his uniform is similar to Diabolik's, but coloured white. He is assisted by an
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
called E.V.A. *
Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techni ...
had decided on either
Fantômas Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914). One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appear ...
or Diabolik for his avant-garde metal band, ultimately called
Fantômas Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914). One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appear ...
. * The Beastie Boys music video for the song "Body Movin’ " is a direct parody of '' Danger: Diabolik'' and features many clips from the movie itself. * '' Millar & McNiven's Nemesis'' * A racing driver named ''Diabolik'' who races in the
Superstars Series The Superstars International Series was a production-based touring car racing championship held between 2004 and 2013. It was managed by the "Superstars World of Racing SpA", SWR, a company of FG GROUP with headquarters in Rome and sanctioned by t ...
, who never takes off his balaclava. In real life,
Matteo Messina Denaro Matteo Messina Denaro (; born 26 April 1962), also known as ''Diabolik'', is a Sicilian Mafia boss. He got his nickname from the Italian comic book character of the same name. He is considered to be one of the new leaders of Cosa Nostra after t ...
, a prominent figure in the Sicilian Mafia considered to be a candidate to become the next ''
capo di tutti capi ''Capo dei capi'' (; "boss of hebosses") or ''capo di tutti i capi'' (; "boss of all hebosses") or ''Godfather'' ( it, Padrino) are terms used mainly by the media, public, fiction writers and law enforcement community to indicate a supremely po ...
'', is nicknamed "Diabolik", after the comic book character.


References


External links

* * * *
Diabolik’s entry at International Catalogue of Superheroes

Beastie Boys Body Movin' video featuring excerpts from Danger: Diabolik!





Pilot for Sky TV series
{{Diabolik Italian comics titles Italian comics characters 1962 comics debuts Comics characters introduced in 1962 Fictional Italian people Italian comics Crime comics Fictional professional thieves Comic book digests Italian comics adapted into films Comics adapted into television series Comics adapted into animated series Comics adapted into video games Comics set in Europe Comics set in a fictional country