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
Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professiona ...
, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11 volumes written by Allain alone after Souvestre's death. The character was also the basis of various film, television, and comic book adaptations. In the history of crime fiction, he represents a transition from
Gothic novel
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean ...
villains of the 19th century to modern-day
serial killer
A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone:
*
*
*
*
* (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
s and
supervillain
A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...
s. It was partly influenced by the
Era of Attacks (18921894) and most especially by the figure of
Ravachol
François Claudius Ravachol (; born Koenigstein; 14 October 1859 – 11 July 1892) was a French illegalist anarchist mainly known for his terrorist activism, impact, the myths developed around his figure and his influence on the anarchist moveme ...
.
The books and films were released in rapid succession anticipated current production methods of
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
, in two respects.
First, the authors distributed the writing among themselves; their "working method was to draw up the general plot between them and then go off and write alternate chapters independently of each other, meeting up to tie the two halves of the story together in the final chapter".
This approach allowed the authors to produce almost one novel per month. Second, the
film rights
Film rights are rights under copyright law to produce a film as a derivative work of a given item of intellectual property. In US law, these rights belong to the holder of the copyright, who may sell (or " option") them to someone in the film indus ...
to the books were immediately snapped up, ensuring that the
film studio
A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; how ...
could produce sequels reliably.
The popular depiction of Fantômas as wearing a blue mask and black gloves and using technological devices did not originate in the novels, but is a result of the popularity of the trilogy of Fantômas films directed by
André Hunebelle
André Hunebelle (; 1 September 1896 – 27 November 1985) was a French maître verrier (master glassmaker) and film director.
Master Glass Artist
After attending polytechnic school for mathematics, he became a decorator, a designer, and then a m ...
in the 1960s. The trilogy, which started in 1964 with ''
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 appeared ...
'', departed considerably from the novels by giving the story a more comedic tone as preceded by the first two ''
Pink Panther'' films, and by making Fantômas (played by
Jean Marais) more of a
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
enemy by likewise borrowing from the first two Bond films. Despite these discrepancies, the blue-masked Fantômas is arguably the one that is most easily remembered.
Overview

Fantômas is a criminal genius, ruthless and particularly elusive. As described by Schütt (2003) in her analysis of French crime fiction literature, Fantômas is the cause of almost any unsolved crime, a merciless criminal who can get away with his evil deeds by impersonating pretty much anyone. He is obsessively chased by Inspector Juve, who is generally the only one able to identify Fantômas's tracks.
Fantômas was introduced a few years after
Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin () is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine '' Je sais tout''. The first ...
, another well-known thief. But whereas Lupin draws the line at murder, Fantômas has no such qualms, and is shown as a sociopath who enjoys killing in a sadistic fashion.
He is totally ruthless, shows no mercy, and is loyal to none, not even his own children. He is a master of disguise, always appearing under an assumed identity, often that of a person whom he has murdered. Fantômas makes use of bizarre and improbable techniques in his crimes, such as
plague-infested
rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...
s, giant snakes, and rooms that fill with sand.
Fantômas's background remains vague. He might be of British and/or French ancestry. He appears to have been born in 1867.
In the books, it is established that c. 1892, the man who later became Fantômas called himself Archduke Juan North and operated in the German principality of Hesse-Weimar. There he fathered a child, Vladimir, with an unidentified noblewoman. In circumstances unrevealed, he was arrested and sent to prison.
In 1895, Fantômas was in India. There, an unidentified European woman gave birth to a baby girl, Hélène, whose father might be Fantômas or an Indian prince who was Fantômas' acolyte. The girl was raised in South Africa.
In 1897, Fantômas was in the United States of America and
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. There, he ruined his then business partner, Etienne Rambert.
In 1899, he fought in the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
in South Africa under the name of Gurn. He fought in the
Transvaal
Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; ...
as an artillery sergeant under the command of Lord Roberts. He became aide-de-camp to Lord Edward Beltham of Scottwell Hill and fell in love with his younger wife, Lady Maud Beltham.
Upon their return to Europe, soon before the first novel begins (c. 1900), Gurn and Lady Beltham were surprised in their Paris love nest, Rue Levert, by her husband. Lord Beltham was about to shoot Maud when Gurn hit him with a hammer then strangled him.
Fantômas then impersonated Etienne Rambert and framed his son, Charles, for a murder he had committed. As Etienne, he persuaded Charles to go into hiding, but the young man was soon found out by French police detective Juve, who had become truly obsessed with the capture of Fantômas. Juve knew that Charles was innocent and gave him a new identity: journalist Jerôme Fandor, who is employed at the newspaper ''La Capitale''. Juve later arrested Gurn and, at his trial, brought forward a convincing argument that Gurn and Fantômas were one and the same, though the evidence was too circumstantial to make a real case. On the eve of his execution, Gurn/Fantômas escaped from custody by being replaced by an actor who had modelled the appearance of his latest character after him and was executed in his place.
Lady Beltham remained constantly torn between her passion for the villain and her horror at his criminal schemes. She eventually committed suicide in 1910.
Fandor fell in love with Hélène and, despite Fantômas's repeated attempts to break them up, married her.
Fantômas's evil son, Vladimir, reappeared in 1911. Vladimir's girlfriend was murdered by Fantômas and Vladimir himself was eventually shot by Juve.
Characters
* Fantômas: A criminal genius, known by many nicknames, such as the "master of everything and everyone", the "torturer" or the "elusive", and whose face and true identity remain unknown. A ruthless criminal who'll torture and kill to achieve his goals.
* Juve: An inspector in the
Sûreté of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and the sworn archenemy of Fantômas, whom he pursues obsessively. The intelligent and stubborn Juve is completely devoted to capturing or killing Fantômas.
* Jérôme Fandor: A former victim of Fantômas, he was originally named Charles Rambert until Fantômas killed his parents and framed him for the crime. Juve, the only one to understand his unjust accusation, provides him with the identity of journalist Fandor so as to save him from going to jail and to use his help in capturing the murderer. He falls in love with Hélène.
* Hélène: The beautiful daughter or stepdaughter of Fantômas, whom he protects jealously. She falls in love with J. Fandor, and is engaged to marry him, eventually helping her fiancé to fight the criminal.
* Lady Maud Beltham: The wife of Lord Beltham and the lover of Fantômas, towards whom she feels both passionate love and repulsion for his many heinous crimes.
* Bouzille: A streetwise tramp who often helps Juve and Fandor, and even Fantômas on occasion, and provides comic relief in the series.
* The Beadle: A thug and companion of Fantômas who earns his nickname after his custom of taking the money of passersby by smashing their heads against the pavement, he is the most notorious of Fantômas' gang of
Apaches
The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...
.
* Mother Toulouche: An old woman who is a sort of leader among Fantômas' Apaches. She is portrayed as an equally ruthless killer and thug.
Books
By Allain and Souvestre
* 1. ''Fantômas'' (1911; transl. 1915; retransl. 1986)
* 2. ''Juve contre Fantômas'' (1911; transl. 1916 as ''The Exploits of Juve''; retransl. 1987 as ''The Silent Executioner'')
* 3. ''Le Mort qui Tue'' (1911; transl. 1917 as ''Messengers of Evil''; retransl. 2008 as ''The Corpse who Kills'')
* 4. ''L'Agent Secret'' (1911; transl. 1917 as ''A Nest of Spies'')
* 5. ''Un Roi Prisonnier de Fantômas'' (1911; transl. 1918 as ''A Royal Prisoner'')
* 6. ''Le Policier Apache'' (1911; transl. 1924 by
Alfred Allinson as ''The Long Arm of Fantômas''
K title: ''The Limb of Satan''
* 7. ''Le Pendu de Londres'' (1911; transl. 1920 as '' Slippery as Sin'')
* 8. ''La Fille de Fantômas'' (1911; transl. 2006 by Mark P. Steele as ''The Daughter of Fantomas'') ()
* 9. ''Le Fiacre de Nuit'' (1911)
* 10. ''La Main Coupée''
* 11. ''L'Arrestation de Fantômas'' (1912)
* 12. ''Le Magistrat Cambrioleur'' (1912)
* 13. ''La Livrée du Crime'' (1912)
* 14. ''La Mort de Juve'' (1912)
* 15. ''L'Evadée de Saint-Lazare'' (1912)
* 16. ''La Disparition de Fandor'' (1912)
* 17. ''Le Mariage de Fantômas'' (1912)
* 18. ''L'Assassin de Lady Beltham'' (1912)
* 19. ''La Guêpe Rouge'' (1912)
* 20. ''Les Souliers du Mort'' (1912)
* 21. ''Le Train Perdu'' (1912)
* 22. ''Les Amours d'un Prince'' (1912)
* 23. ''Le Bouquet Tragique'' (1912)
* 24. ''Le Jockey Masqué'' (1913)
* 25. ''Le Cercueil Vide'' (1913)
* 26. ''Le Faiseur de Reines'' (1913)
* 27. ''Le Cadavre Géant'' (1913)
* 28. ''Le Voleur d'Or'' (1913)
* 29. ''La Série Rouge'' (1913)
* 30. ''L'Hôtel du Crime'' (1913)
* 31. ''La Cravate de Chanvre'' (1913, transl. 2017 by Sheryl Curtis as ''The Death of Fantomas'')
* 32. ''La Fin de Fantômas'' (1913, transl. 2017 by Sheryl Curtis as ''The Death of Fantomas'')
By Allain
* 33. ''Fantômas est-il ressuscité?'' (1925; transl. 1925 by
Alfred Allinson as ''The Lord of Terror'')
* 34. ''Fantômas, Roi des Recéleurs'' (1926; transl. 1926 by Alfred Allinson as ''Juve in the Dock'')
* 35. ''Fantômas en Danger'' (1926; transl. 1926 by Alfred Allinson as ''Fantômas Captured'')
* 36. ''Fantômas prend sa Revanche'' (1926; transl. 1927 by [Alfred Allinson as ''The Revenge of Fantômas'')
* 37. ''Fantômas Attaque Fandor'' (1926; transl. 1928 by Alfred Allinson as ''Bulldog and Rats'')
* 38. ''Si c'était Fantômas?'' (1933)
* 39. ''Oui, c'est Fantômas!'' (1934)
* 40. ''Fantômas Joue et Gagne'' (1935)
* 41. ''Fantômas Rencontre l'Amour'' (1946)
* 42. ''Fantômas Vole des Blondes'' (1948)
* 43. ''Fantômas Mène le Bal'' (1963)
Notes
* The original covers by Gino Starace are often considered works of lurid genius in themselves and may be seen at the "Fantômas Lives" site. The first Fantômas book cover, showing a contemplative masked man dressed in evening dress and holding a dagger, boldly stepping over Paris, is so well known that it has become a visual cliché.
* The novel ''The Yellow Document, or Fantômas of Berlin'' by Marcel Allain (1919), despite its title, is not a Fantômas novel.
* The last novel written by Allain was published as a newspaper serial, but never appeared in book form.
* During the 1980s, the first two novels of the series were published in revised English translations: ''Fantômas'' appeared in 1986 with an introduction by American poet John Ashbery; and ''Juve contre Fantômas'' appeared in 1987 under the title ''The Silent Executioner'', with an introduction by American artist Edward Gorey.
Film and television
Silent film serials
* 1. ''
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 appeared ...
'' (1913)
* 2. ''Juve Contre Fantômas'' (1913)
* 3. ''Le Mort Qui Tue'' (1913)
* 4. ''Fantômas Contre Fantômas'' (1914)
* 5. ''Le Faux Magistrat'' (1914)
The
silent film
A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
pioneer
Louis Feuillade
Louis Feuillade (; 19 February 1873 – 25 February 1925) was a French filmmaker of the silent film, silent era. Between 1906 and 1924, he directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the crime serial film, serials ''Fantômas (1913 ser ...
directed five ''Fantômas''
serials starring
René Navarre as Fantômas, Bréon as Juve,
Georges Melchior as Fandor, and
Renée Carl
Renée Carl (10 June 1875 – 31 July 1954) was a French actress of the silent era. She was born in Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée, France, and died in Paris, France.
Between 1907 and 1937, she appeared in 186 films. A favorite of film director ...
as Lady Beltham. They are regarded as masterpieces of silent film. His later serial ''
Les Vampires
''Les Vampires'' () is a 1915–1916 French Silent film, silent Crime film, crime serial film written and directed by Louis Feuillade. Set in Paris, it stars Édouard Mathé, Musidora and Marcel Lévesque. The main characters are a journalist an ...
'', which concerns the eponymous crime syndicate (and not actual
vampires
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
) is also reminiscent of the ''Fantômas'' series.
There was a 1920 20-episode American ''
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 appeared ...
'' serial directed by
Edward Sedgwick
Edward Sedgwick, Jr. (November 7, 1889 – May 7, 1953) was an American film director, screenwriter, writer, actor and film producer, producer.
Early life
He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, ...
and starring
Edward Roseman
Edward Roseman (May 14, 1875 – September 16, 1957), sometimes identified as Edward F. Roseman, was an American actor, who worked primarily during the silent film era.
Biography
The son of a pharmacist, Roseman was born in Terre Haute, Ind ...
as Fantômas, which bore little resemblance to the French series. In it, Fantômas's nemesis is detective Fred Dixon, played by
John Willard. It was partially released in France (12 episodes only) under the title ''Les Exploits de Diabolos'' (''The Exploits of Diabolos''). A novelization of this serial was written by David Lee White for Black Coat Press under the title ''Fantômas in America'' in 2007.
Other films
* 6. ''
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 appeared ...
'' (1932), directed by
Paul Féjos, with
Jean Galland as Fantômas.
* 7. ''Monsieur Fantômas'' (1937), directed by
Ernst Moerman is a surrealist silent comedy short subject.
* 8. ''
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 appeared ...
'' (1946), directed by Jean Sacha, with
Marcel Herrand as Fantomas.
* 9. ''
Fantomas Against Fantomas'' (1949), directed by
Robert Vernay
Robert Vernay (May 30, 1907 in Paris – October 17, 1979 in Paris) was a French director and screenwriter.
Career
In 1937, Vernay worked as assistant director to Julien Duvivier on ''Pépé le Moko''.
In 1944, Vernay directed an adaptation of ...
, with
Maurice Teynac as Fantomas.
* 10. ''
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 appeared ...
'' (1964), the first of three films directed by
André Hunebelle
André Hunebelle (; 1 September 1896 – 27 November 1985) was a French maître verrier (master glassmaker) and film director.
Master Glass Artist
After attending polytechnic school for mathematics, he became a decorator, a designer, and then a m ...
; with
Jean Marais as both Fantômas and Fandor,
Louis de Funès
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fi ...
as Juve, and
Mylène Demongeot
Mylène Demongeot (; born Marie-Hélène Demongeot ; 29 September 1935 – 1 December 2022) was a French film, television and theatre actress and author with a career spanning seven decades and more than 100 credits in French language, French, ...
as Fandor's bride, the photographer Hélène. Their tone was generally much more light-hearted than the novels' and the characters were updated in a
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
-like style including Bond-type gadgets like the flying
Citroën DS
The Citroën DS () is a Front-mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations ...
of Fantômas with retractable wings that converts to an airplane.
* 11. ''
Fantômas se déchaîne'' (1965)
* 12. ''
Fantômas contre Scotland Yard'' (1967)
* 13. ''
Macario Against Zagomar'' was a 1944 Italian film that used "Zagomar" when they were unable to obtain the rights of Fantomas.
Television
A ''Fantômas'' series of four 90-minute episodes was produced in 1980 starring
Helmut Berger
Helmut Berger (; ''né'' Steinberger; 29 May 1944 – 18 May 2023) was an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is r ...
as Fantômas,
Jacques Dufilho
Jacques Dufilho (19 February 1914 – 28 August 2005) was a French actor. He was born at Bègles (Gironde) and he died at Ponsampère (Gers).
Life and career
Dufilho appeared in 65 French productions. Moreover, he was frequently seen in Italian ...
as Juve, and
Gayle Hunnicutt as Lady Beltham. Episodes 1 and 4 were directed by
Claude Chabrol
Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...
; episodes 2 and 3 by
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...
's son,
Juan Luis Buñuel
Juan Luis Buñuel (9 November 1934 – 6 December 2017) was a French film and television director, screenwriter, and actor. His films include ''Expulsion of the Devil'' (''Au rendez-vous de la mort joyeuse'', 1973) and ''La Femme aux bottes ...
.
The
French movie version of ''Fantômas'' appears in the
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''ÄŒesko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
n 1979-1981 children fantasy series ''
Arabela'' as well as its sequel series ''Arabela se vracÃ'', performed respectively by actors
František Peterka and
Pavel Nový. In this version, he does not perform a villain's role, but becomes an ally and friend of the protagonists. Fantômas also has a cameo appearance in the Czech children's series ''Lucie, postrach ulice'' as a TV character, where he resembles his original 1911 book serial covers' depiction.
Unproduced and upcoming screen adaptations
In May 2010,
Christophe Gans was revealed to be co-writing and directing a new film version of ''Fantômas'', with
Vincent Cassel
Vincent Cassel (; ; born 23 November 1966) is a French actor. He has earned a César Awards, César Award and a Canadian Screen Awards, Canadian Screen Award as well as nominations for a European Film Awards, European Film Award and a Screen Ac ...
and
Jean Reno
Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez (born 30 July 1948), commonly known as Jean Reno (), is a French-Spanish actor. He established himself as a Leading actor, leading man of French cinema through his collaborations with director Luc Besson, and has w ...
attached to star. Cassel later dropped out, and the film ultimately went unmade.
In August 2022,
Wassim Béji and production company SND acquired the adaptation rights to ''Fantômas'', and are planning both a new film and a series, which is said to return to the character's darker roots.
Comic books
French
* "Fantômas contre les Nains", a weekly color page written by Marcel Allain and drawn by Santini was published in ''Gavroche'' #24-30 (1941). This series was interrupted because of censorship; a sequel, ''Fantômas et l'Enfer Sous-Marin'' was written but not published.
* A daily "Fantômas" strip drawn by Pierre Tabary was syndicated by Opera Mundi from November 1957 to March 1958 (192 strips in total), adapting the first two novels.
* Seventeen ''Fantômas'' fumetti magazines adapting books 1, 2, 3, and 5 were published by Del Duca in 1962 and 1963.
* A new weekly "Fantômas" color page, written by Agnès Guilloteau and drawn by Jacques Taillefer, was again syndicated by Opera Mundi in 1969 and published in ''Jours de France''.
* Finally, a series of ''Fantômas'' graphic novels written by L. Dellisse and drawn by
Claude Laverdure were published by Belgian publisher Claude Lefrancq: ''L'Affaire Beltham'' (1990), ''Juve contre Fantômas'' (1991), and ''Le Mort qui Tue'' (1995).
Mexican
During the 1960s the Mexican comics publisher Editorial Novaro produced a ''Fantomas, La Amenaza Elegante'' ("Fantomas, the Elegant Menace") comic book series that became popular throughout
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
. This was apparently meant to be the same character, although rewritten as a hero, perhaps as a way to make the original French character more attuned to Latin American audiences who crave justice avengers in fiction and national politics. It is not known if this was done with or without legal permission.
This Fantômas was a thief who committed spectacular robberies just for the thrill of it, and wore a white skintight mask all the time or a variety of disguises so his true face was never shown to his nemeses. The character was also pursued by the authorities, in his case mainly by a French police inspector named Gerard. His mask in the Latin American version – which was clearly inspired by the black mask worn by the Italian comic book criminal ''
Diabolik
''Diabolik'' () 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 ...
'' — and his use of it, seems to have been influenced by the popular images generated by
Mexican wrestling.
Apparently the series was also influenced by the ''
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
'' films, as Fantômas, equipped with advanced technology created by a scientist called Professor Semo, had all kind of adventures around the world, and even fought other, more cruel criminals. The Latin American Fantômas, created in Mexico, encompassed the aesthetic of both the British James Bond and American
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles. Hefner extended the ''Playboy ...
, who created ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' magazine, with a necessary dose of traditional Latin American machismo. This mixture immediately gained traction with vast Latino audiences, mostly prepubescent and adolescents males.
Latino Fantômas was also a millionaire, owning several corporations under assumed identities, had secret headquarters outside Paris, and was assisted by several secret agents, including the 12 "Zodiac Girls", beautiful women who assisted him personally and dressed provocatively, known only by their codenames – the signs of the
zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...
. The attractive female element was another concession to Latin American audiences familiar with beautiful women as part of male-dominated environments playing key roles without hiding their
femininity
Femininity (also called womanliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and Gender roles, roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as Social construction of gender, socially constructed, and there is also s ...
, and preceding
Charlie's Angels
''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for ABC. It originally aired from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, airing for five seasons consisting of 115 episodes. It was produ ...
by decades.
Although cancelled years ago (Novaro folded in 1985, and a character revival by rival
Grupo Editorial Vid
Grupo Editorial Vid (also known as ''Vid'' or ''Mundo Vid'') was a Mexican comic, manga and books publisher. It was funded in the early 1940s as ''Editorial Argumentos'' (EDAR).
Many of their books are sold from around 30 pesos for comics up to 60 ...
in Mexico in the 1990s did not last long), it is from this Mexican comic that the character is best known in both
Central America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
and South America. Fantômas continues to be one of Latin America's favorite comic characters.
American
A ''Fantômas'' short story by
Paul Kupperberg and
Roy Mann appeared in ''
Captain Action
Captain Action was an action figure created in 1966, equipped with a wardrobe of costumes and facial masks allowing him to become Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Aquaman, the Phantom, The Lone Ranger (and Tonto), Flash Gordon, Buck ...
Comics'' No. 1, published in 2009 by
Moonstone Books
Moonstone Books is an American comic book, graphic novel, and prose fiction publisher based in Chicago focused on pulp fiction comic books and prose anthologies as well as horror and western tales.
The company began publishing creator-owned com ...
.
Polish
The 1979 Polish edition of the novella ''Fantomas contra los vampiros multinacionales'' by
Julio Cortázar
Julio Florencio Cortázar (26 August 1914 – 12 February 1984; ) was an Argentine and naturalised French novelist, short story writer, poet, essayist, and translator. Known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, Cortázar influenc ...
, published as ''Fantomas przeciw wielonarodowym wampirom'' (''Fantomas Against the Multinational Vampires'') featured a series of illustrations by painter Jerzy Skarżyński, which formed a mini-comic book about Fantômas, largely independent from the plot of the novella. Fantômas's depiction in the comic was based on the appearance of
Jean Marais in the 1964 film.
New fiction
"Yes Virginia, There is a Fantomas" by William Patrick Maynard was published in ''
Tales of the Shadowmen
''Tales of the Shadowmen'' is an American anthology of short fiction edited by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier and published by Black Coat Press. The stories share the literary conceit, conceit of taking place in a fictional realm, fictio ...
'' Volume 6, published in 2009 by
Black Coat Press
Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier ( ...
. Fantomas has appeared in several stories in the series.
The first third of the novella, "Reign of Terror" by R. Allen Leider was published in ''Awesome Tales'' No. 3, published in 2016 by Bold Venture Press. The second third of the novella was published in ''Awesome Tales'' No. 9, with the final third coming.
Cultural influence
Partly influenced by the
Era of Attacks (1892-1894) and most especially by the figure of
Ravachol
François Claudius Ravachol (; born Koenigstein; 14 October 1859 – 11 July 1892) was a French illegalist anarchist mainly known for his terrorist activism, impact, the myths developed around his figure and his influence on the anarchist moveme ...
, an unknown - then known - 'people's avenger' who was glorified and whom the police hunted down, the ''Fantômas'' novels and the subsequent films were highly regarded by the French avant-garde of the day, particularly by the
surrealists
Surrealism is an art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike scenes and id ...
.
Blaise Cendrars
Frédéric-Louis Sauser (1 September 1887 – 21 January 1961), better known as Blaise Cendrars (), was a Swiss-born novelist and poet who became a naturalized French citizen in 1916. He was a writer of considerable influence in the European ...
called the series "the modern
Aeneid
The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...
";
Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire (; ; born Kostrowicki; 26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist and art critic of Poland, Polish descent.
Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the ...
said that "from the imaginative standpoint ''Fantômas'' is one of the richest works that exist". The painter
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgium, Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature ...
, the surrealist poet and novelist
Robert Desnos
Robert Desnos (; 4 July 1900 – 8 June 1945) was a French poet who played a key role in the Surrealist movement.
Early life
Robert Desnos was born in Paris on 4 July 1900, the son of a licensed dealer in game and poultry at the '' Halles'' ma ...
and the cubist painter
Juan Gris
José Victoriano González-Pérez (23 March 1887 – 11 May 1927), better known as Juan Gris (; ), was a Spanish painter born in Madrid who lived and worked in France for most of his active period. Closely connected to the innovative artistic g ...
produced works alluding to Fantômas.
The films were also popular in the Soviet Union. After their success Fantômas had a short appearance in two popular Soviet comedies: ''
Seven Old Men and One Girl'' (1968) and ''
Grandads-Robbers'' (1972). In 2007, Russian author
Andrey Shary published the book ''Sign F: Fantomas in Books and on the Screen'', dealing in particular with this phenomenon.
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 appeared ...
is an American heavy metal supergroup formed in 1998 in California. It features vocalist
Mike Patton
Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The ...
(Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), drummer
Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer), guitarist
Buzz Osborne
Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and golfer. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas (band), Fantômas and Venomous Concept.
Biog ...
(Melvins) and bassist
Trevor Dunn
Trevor Roy Dunn (born January 30, 1968) is an American composer, bass guitarist, and double bassist. He came to prominence in the 1990s with the experimental band Mr. Bungle. While performing with Mr. Bungle, he would dress similar to the S ...
(Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk).
Pastiches, homages, and related characters
* ''Fantômas'' may well have been influenced by its less well remembered predecessor, ''Zigomar'', the creation of Léon Sazie, which first appeared as a serial in ''Le Matin'' in 1909, then as a pulp magazine (28 issues) in 1913, and again in ''Zigomar contre Zigomar'' for eight more issues in 1924.
* In France alone, Fantômas spawned numerous imitators. Among those are
Arnould Galopin's ''Tenebras'', Gaston René's ''Masque Rouge'',
Arthur Bernède's ''
Belphégor'', R. Collard's ''Demonax'' and Marcel Allain's own ''Tigris'', ''Fatala'', ''Miss Teria'' and ''Ferocias''.
* The 1915 adventure film ''
Filibus'' was probably inspired largely by the popularity of ''Fantômas'', although the film's title character, a female
air pirate
Air pirates (or sky pirates) are a class of stock character from science fiction and fantasy. The characters are pirates who use aircraft or airborne aircraft carriers as their primary vehicles instead of ships. They target other aircraft for l ...
, strongly resembles
Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin () is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine '' Je sais tout''. The first ...
.
* After the success of the first
''Fantômas'' film serial directed by
Louis Feuillade
Louis Feuillade (; 19 February 1873 – 25 February 1925) was a French filmmaker of the silent film, silent era. Between 1906 and 1924, he directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the crime serial film, serials ''Fantômas (1913 ser ...
,
Gaumont produced another serial directed by Feuillade in the same style, ''
Les Vampires
''Les Vampires'' () is a 1915–1916 French Silent film, silent Crime film, crime serial film written and directed by Louis Feuillade. Set in Paris, it stars Édouard Mathé, Musidora and Marcel Lévesque. The main characters are a journalist an ...
'', about a gang of criminals. As Feuillade had been criticized for glorifying outlaws, his next serial for Gaumont, ''
Judex
Judex (real name Jacques de Trémeuse) is a fictional French vigilante hero created by Louis Feuillade and Arthur Bernède for the 1916 silent film '' Judex''. Judex (whose name is Latin for "judge") is a mysterious avenger who dresses in black ...
'', starred this time a positive hero, a mysterious avenger conceived as an honest version of Fantômas.
Judex
Judex (real name Jacques de Trémeuse) is a fictional French vigilante hero created by Louis Feuillade and Arthur Bernède for the 1916 silent film '' Judex''. Judex (whose name is Latin for "judge") is a mysterious avenger who dresses in black ...
was himself featured in various adaptations, sequels and remakes. The original ''Judex'' serial was released in the United States and appears to have been an inspiration for the American pulp character
The Shadow
The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...
, who was himself an inspiration for
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
.
* Fantômas has appeared in an unauthorized fashion in two French stage plays: ''Nick Carter vs. Fantômas'' (1910) by
Alexandre Bisson and
Guillaume Livet (translated, ) and ''
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
vs. Fantômas'' (''La Mort d' Herlock Sholmes, ou Bandits en Habits Noirs'', 1914) by Pierre de Wattyne and Yorril Walter (translated, ).
* A number of Italian dark villains of the 1960s were clearly influenced by Fantômas. Among the most famous are
Diabolik
''Diabolik'' () 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 ...
,
Kriminal,
Killing, and
Satanik.
* The British film critic and writer
Kim Newman
Kim James Newman (born 31 July 1959) is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. He is interested in film history and horror fiction – both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's ''Dracula'' at the age of eleven & ...
has argued that ''Fantômas'' inspired the ''
Pink Panther'' film series starring
Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show''. Sellers featured on a number of hit comi ...
.
In the initial 1963 ''
Pink Panther'' film, Fantômas was transformed into Sir Charles Lytton (the Phantom), and Inspector Juve became Inspector Clouseau. The Phantom's aversion to killing places him closer to Arsène Lupin.
* One of the antagonists on ''
Lupin III Part 2'' is Fantomas the Third, who is depicted as a terrorist with a gremlin-like appearance inspired by
Jean Marais' version, who threatens to flood the world unless Lupin hands over a precious ruby in his possession.
* ''Fantômas'' also has many plot points in common with the 1969 Hong Kong film ''Temptress of a Thousand Faces''.
*
Paperinik
Paperinik (), also known as PK (Italy, ), Superduck (UK and Digicomics) or Duck Avenger (US), is a comic book-costumed vigilante and Donald Duck's alter ego. The character was created in Italy by Elisa Penna, Guido Martina and Giovan Battista ...
(Duck Avenger) alter-ego of
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shirt and cap with ...
created by
Guido Martina
Guido Martina (9 February 1906 – 6 May 1991) was an Italian comic writer, documentarist and author. Martina is well known for his Disney comics stories, including the first of the "" story "L'inferno di Topolino", and the creation of Paperini ...
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 ...
in 1969, is partly based on Fantômas. His predecessor, Fantomius (Fantomallard) was obviously also named after Fantômas. In France, the character is known as Fantomiald; in Germany as Phantomias; in Greek as Phantom Duck and in Spain as Patomas.
* ''Fantômas'' inspired
Julio Cortázar
Julio Florencio Cortázar (26 August 1914 – 12 February 1984; ) was an Argentine and naturalised French novelist, short story writer, poet, essayist, and translator. Known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, Cortázar influenc ...
's 1975 novella ''Fantomas Contra Los Vampiros Multinacionales''.
* A character in the
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
novel ''
The Man in the Velvet Mask'' (1996) is named Fantômas.
* ''Fantomas'' was the inspiration for the character Mr. Ixnay, who appears in ''The Chuckling Whatsit'', a 1997 graphic novel by writer/artist
Richard Sala
Richard Sala (June 2, 1954 – May 7, 2020) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, and comic book creator with a unique expressionistic style whose books often combined elements of mystery, horror and whimsy.
Biography
Richard Sala was born i ...
, creator of ''Invisible Hands'', an animated homage to old-fashioned mystery thrillers which aired on
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
.
* In 1999,
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
singer
Mike Patton
Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The ...
named his
metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
group
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 appeared ...
after the fictional character.
* There is a
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
character named
Fantomex
Fantomex is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Igor Kordey, the character first appeared in '' New X-Men'' #128 (August 2002). Fantomex is an escaped experiment fr ...
, first appearing in August 2002. He was created by
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
and
Igor Kordey for the title ''
New X-Men''.
* In one of the
back-story sections of the graphic novel ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II'', Fantômas is described as being a member of "Les Hommes Mystérieux", the French counterpart of the League, alongside
Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin () is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine '' Je sais tout''. The first ...
, the sky-pirate
Robur, and the
Nyctalope
The Nyctalope, also known as Léon "Leo" Saint-Clair, is a pulp magazine, pulp fiction hero and explorer created in 1911 by French writer Jean de La Hire. Along with being an athletic man with great wealth and strong scientific knowledge, the Sai ...
. In the follow-up, ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier'', the League's encounter with Les Hommes is halted once Fantômas detonates a bomb which destroys the
Opera Garnier, after saying in unaccented English, "I win".
* The character of Spectrobert in
Gahan Wilson
Gahan Allen Wilson (February 18, 1930 – November 21, 2019) was an American author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations.
Biography
Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois, and was inspired by th ...
's book ''
Everybody's Favorite Duck'' is a direct parody of Fantômas.
* Fantômas is a partial inspiration for the character of
Phantom Limb
A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached. It is a chronic condition that is often resistant to treatment. When the cut ends of sensory fibres are stimulated during thigh movements, the patient feels as ...
on the
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
cartoon ''
The Venture Bros.'' His last name, in fact, is Fantômas. A picture similar in appearance to the masked villain can be seen hanging on the wall of his office at State University in "
The Invisible Hand of Fate". It is revealed that Phantom Limb is actually the grandson of the famous criminal. Fantômas himself briefly appears in the series during a flashback in the season 3 episode "ORB" as one of the original members of ''The Guild,'' a precursor of the
Guild of Calamitous Intent.
* Fantômas has a German cousin in the person of the (supposedly British)
Lord Lister
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventive healthcare. Joseph Lister revolutionised the craft of s ...
.
* In the story "Fantômville" by Nick Campbell, in the book ''
Wildthyme in Purple'', Fantomas meets the time traveller
Iris Wildthyme.
* In the
film adaptation
A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...
and
Kevin O'Neill's ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'', the Fantom (a character resembling the
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
from ''
The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to:
Novel
* The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux
Characters
* Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...
'') owes more than a little to Fantômas, although he is ultimately revealed to be
M, who in turn is revealed to be
Professor Moriarty
Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle could ...
.
* In the Egyptian film, ''Romantic Chase'', produced in 1968, Fantômas is played by Egyptian actor Hasan Mustafa. The role of Fantômas is a butler that wants to steal all the money of his employer. The film itself is an adaptation of ''
What's New Pussycat?
''What's New Pussycat?'' is a 1965 screwball comedy film directed by Clive Donner, written by Woody Allen in his first produced screenplay, and starring Allen in his acting debut, along with Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capuc ...
'' which was produced in 1965.
* In the Czech Fantasy 1980 TV series ''
Arabela'' and the 1993 sequel ''Arabela Returns (Arabela se vracÃ)'',
the French movie version of Fantomas is the leader of the World of Fairy Tales for Adults.
References
Bibliography
*
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
*
Fantômas worksat
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...
French Wold Newton Universe – FantômasPicture of the Fantômas Citroën DS with retractable wings that converts to an airplanevia the Internet Archive
Centenary of the birth of the character of Fantômas: February 10, 2011
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fantomas
Literary characters introduced in 1911
1911 French novels
Book series
Fictional serial killers
Characters in French novels of the 20th century
Characters in pulp fiction
Fictional French people
Fictional French criminals
Male literary villains
Male film villains
America's Best Comics characters
Fictional war veterans
Male characters in literature
French crime novels
Crime novel series
Film serial characters