The Forgotten Hero Called MANDRAKE the Magician

The next forgotten Hero is yet another character from a News Paper comics strip. Created by Lee Falk, who also created The Phantom, who I already wrote about a few weeks ago.


Mandrake the Magician first appears in the King Features Syndicated publications in  June 1934

He was not a masked hero like many that where taking to the stage at that time, in fact Mandrake was a very old fashioned looking gentleman even back in the 1930's.

Mandrake Fighting Crime in Style

 

No mask or cape as such, Mandrake dressed in a Top Hat, he wore a Tuxedo all the time, carried a swagger cane... ok he did wear an opera cape, but that completed the look. He dressed like someone going to an evening at the Opera or Theatre. A later addition to Mandrakes back story was that his Hat and Cane were originally his father Theron who had also been a man of great power and magic.

Mandrake lived in a large Mansion called Xanadu which was built in the hills outside New York City. Here he lives with his companion, body guards, man-servant, friend Lothar.

Lothar had met Mandrake in Africa. Lothar was a Prince and heir to the throne of Seven African Nations that had combined to form a greater Nation over years. Lothar  processed great strength, stronger than 10 men and super hard skin what was near impossible to cut of pierse . He also had some natural denfense against magic, both good and evil.   It is unclear if these abilitites were natural or a result of some secret African Magic themselves. Lothar was both protector and friend to Mandrake.

Another person who lived at the Mansion was Princess Narda of the Mystical European country of Cockaigne. Both she and Mandrake became sole mates and completely infatulated with one another at their first meeting. She gave up her like of luxary and travelled with Mandrake as his Stage assistante and love interest. They would later marry.

The African Prince Lothar &  Narda , Princess of Cockaigne

Mandrake was known as a Stage preforming Magican, but his magic was in fact real. Some was illusion and hypnotic suggestion, and some of it was old fashioned slight of hand and smoke and mirrors. BUT on the whole Mandrake was a man of MAGIC. Narda and sometimes Lothar would play a part in Mandrake stage extravaganzas, as well as assisting him in fighting crime. .



Mandrake Performing with the help of Narda with an ever watching Lothar close at hand.  

His powers was his ability to caste illusions, and added to this he had some telepathic abilities too.
He would play up his abilities by saying words and spells he had made up, and gesturing with is hands and cane. His cane was his Magic Wand. It is unsure if the cane had any magical abilities, but it looked good. This was part of his stage persona, but found that this worked well when he fought against evil and its disciples.

He confessed he had learnt his magical arts in a secret hidden College of Magic, or as he called it Collegium Magikos in the Himalayas in his youth.

Although not as famous or as lasting as such, his look and can still be seen today in a few of the modern day heroes from the DC Universe. Manly Zantanna, Daughter of  Zatara, also in  look of the Teen Titans  Zach (Zachary) Zatara cousin of the Justice League Heroine

In his day Mandrake had his own  radio show, his own movie house serial, comic strip, appearances in comic books  and in the 1980's he was featured alongside some of the other characters from the King Features Syndicate as part of the Defenders of The Earth...... And at present a NEW Feature Film is planned to feature the man himself.

It could may be a Magical Time ahead for any Mandrake Fans.

Next Time to round off my look at Heroes from as past age, I will look at The Defenders of the Earth too


Until then    ENJOY !

38,000 and anthor Big THANK YOU from that Modern Stone-aged Family

Sorry not been Blogging a lot recently.

Life tends to get in the way and much of my time is now used in other areas.

However, recently I realised that 38,000 people such as you have so far tuned into my site.

So as I usually do, here is a special THANK YOU


Years Ago I did a Flintstones post, as part of a TV and Movie series,  I did this  back in October 2012.

Here is that Original.

Here is a re do of Wilma Fred and Dino.... along with Betty & Barnie Rubble

THE VERY  MODERN STONE-AGED FAMILY

Until Next Time .......ENJOY and THANKS

He was the thorn in the the side of Dan Dare for Years.... Meet the Evil that is call THE MEKON

Every Hero needs an Arch Enemy. Dr Who has The Daleks, James Bond had Blofelt and Spectre, Superman had Lex Luther,  Batman had The Joker....... and Dan Dare's Nemesis was THE MEKON

The Mekon appeared in the very first Dan Dare story back in the 1950's, and would appear again and again proving to be as popular with the readers as our British Space Hero and his chums.

Dan Dare meeting the strange leader of the Treen Nation

The Mekon was the Ruler of The Treens of the Northern hemisphere of Venus. He was also their Supreme Scientist. The Mekon was the product of genetic engineering. He like others before him was bred for Intellect and Intelligence.  However having been created for mental abilities his physical body was no so well constructed.

The Mekon looking down on high. Like a God or divine  dainty

Unlike the other Treens his head was over sized to allow for his much bigger brain. His body by comparison was weak and showed signs of atrophy. His arms were thin and his legs were unable to bare the weight of his extremely large cranium. His overall frame was considered small, little more than a Treen child. But looks can be deceiving as they say.

The Mekon moved by the used a Hover Chair in which he sat or you could say perched. This Chair which was controlled by his own mind power. His arrogance and self belief that he was the Superior being in existence meant he would always be higher than his subjects, so they would always look up to him, and in turn he could look down on them like an angry God.  If he fell from the chair or was ousted, he was unable to do little but crawl as his feeble body was so weak . The Mekon believed he was the most supreme being in the Universe.... and the most intelligent to boot. There was no Pride attached to this belief, to The Mekon this just the basic fact that he was the only one that mattered.

He controlled the other Treen's with fear and the belief that their Race, his Race was superior to all others. The Treens had always been a war like people, and having a strong leader was all they needed. They followed his orders without question. Even if it meant their certain death in the process.

On the other hand is they did not comply with his orders he would have them killed. Do or Die, or Don't Do, and Still Die should have been the Treen Moto.

Like all dictators The Mekon could never comprehend his was wrong or could ever make a mistake. His advisers would and could only advise him in the manner they were allowed to, Thus meaning Nealy all of his attempts to conquer and destroy would ultimately fail as The Mekon had no concept that anything he though or any way he acted could ever be wrong.

The Mekon main problem that he would over complicate things and over think a solution.

To be honest he was too clever for his own good...... That is why Dan Dare would always win in the end.

The Mekon

Well that brings my tribute to Dan Dare and Co

Next Time another forgotten Hero

Until then enjoy !!!!