Introduction On Racism Epigraphs A History of the Pulps A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Glossary and Character Taxonomy Breakdown by Country of Origin Bibliography Table of Contents The Best of the Encyclopedia
A Glossary for this Site and a Taxonomy of Character Types
Updated 28 September 2021
As you've no doubt noticed, I use some specialized terminology (some of it coined by Yr. Humble Correspondent) in this website. This was not done to confuse, but rather to help shorten the text. (Which, at longer than three quarters of a million words, needed all the shortening it could get!) While researching and writing this book/website, I rather rapidly noticed that a lot of characters were duplicates of each other in all but name, and easily fit into one archetypal category. Wise-cracking hardboiled detectives, for example, were numerous, and to be honest fairly interchangeable with each other. So I slapped the label "Bellem" on this character type, as an homage to Robert Leslie Bellem, whose Dan Turner is the paradigmatic example of the type. I found that if I did this with all the interchangeable characters, it saved me a lot of typing. Of course, doing that runs the risk of confusing the reader, which is why this page is here: so when I call someone an Afghani Fighter or speak of SCIENCE! you'll know what I mean.
That wasn't enough, of course; I wanted to include in this list every example of the character types appearing anywhere in the Encyclopedia. So I'm including here every Brain in a Jar villain and every Lost Race a protagonist encounters; they are included here in parentheses, so that, under the Brain in a Jar entry, they are listed as (for example) Olaf K. Abelsen (misc.).
Afghani Figher | Africa Hand | Armchair Detective | Bellem | Big-Headed Dwarf Genius | Brain in a Jar | Cape-and-Epee Hero | Celebrity Pulp | Con Man | CONQUER THE WORLD! | Costumed Avenger | Cowboy | Disabled Detective | Evil Surgeon | Femme Fatale | Fop | Gentleman Bandit | Great Detective | Gun Moll | Hobo | Jungle Hero | Killer Vigilante | Legionnaire | Lost Race | Loving Enemy | Lupin | Mad Scientist | Nuxia/Wuxia | Occult Detective | Planetary Romance Hero | Prehistoric Adventurer | Primates | Protagonists of Color | Rootless Veteran | SCIENCE! | Scientific Detective | South Seas Adventurer | Spinster Detective | Superhuman | Tall Tale Teller | Unlucky Inventor | Wanted Man | What's All This, Then | White Peril | Yellow Peril
Afghani Fighter. A certain kind of pulp story, always set in the North-West Frontier--the area of land between Afghanistan and what is now Pakistan--features a recurring type of protagonist, what I’m calling the Afghani Fighter. These men are always agents of British Intelligence, and wander in disguise among the locals gathering intelligence. They are always outnumbered and outgunned and have only a loyal native sidekick and possibly a handful of British and Indian troops to pit against the enemies of Great Britain. And their enemies are always powerful threats to the stability of the British Empire: Russian spies or local Napoleons allying with hostile Pashtun tribes to invade and conquer India. The Wolf of Kabul is the archetypal Afghani Fighter.
Steel Callaghan, Derek Carrington, Michael Garvie, Victor Gaunt, Colin Gray, Major Hazelrigg, John Rawlinson, Bart Shane, Bugs Sinnat, Aurelius Smith, Thorne, Timber Sahib, Wolf of Kabul
Africa Hand. Great Britain’s colonies in Africa were many and varied, and each colony was ruled by a Governor, with District Commissioners ruling individual sections. Each Commissioner’s district could be thousands or even tens of thousands of square miles in area, and the Commissioner was assisted by only a handful of white officials and a few squadrons of (non-white) soldiers. These officials were expected to enforce local and Imperial laws, collect taxes, prevent international crimes (like slave-trading), and above all prevent any conflict, between local peoples or between nations. In fiction, these officials were Africa Hands: experienced veterans of Foreign Service in Africa; intimately familiar not just with flora, fauna, and native cultures of Africa; deeply patriotic; and convinced that colonialism is the best thing for the natives—that British “civilization” can and will create a kind of moral uplift on the natives. To help this uplift and the peace and success of the Empire, the Africa Hands are willing to commit a wide range of acts, whipping natives for disrespecting a white man or hanging a corrupt native king without hesitation. Africa Hands have a great deal of respect for Africans, but in the same way that a hunter respects a lion—for its ferocity and power, but not as an equal. Curiously, most Africa Hands are Britons active in the jungles of West Africa, where Great Britain had no colonies. Sanders is the archetypal Africa Hand.
Batouk (misc.)
Trader Carson, Captain Christmas
Lobangu (Sir Richard Loseley), Bruce Logan
Kenneth O'Brien, Old Ebbie (Captain Hicks)
Peace Officer, Prempeh (Barry Carson)
Sanders, Jim Scott, Ned Shackleton, Swamba (Roddy Clarke), Swopper Bob (Trader Bone), Commissioner Sykes
Tigre (Deputy-Commissioner Jim Stewart), Claus Timm, Rolf Torring (crooked British), Trooper Useless, Tim Tyler (white settlers)
Armchair Detective. The Armchair Detective is a man (rarely a woman) who is sufficiently brilliant that he can solve crimes from the comfort of his armchair, without doing any on-site research or depending only on an assistant to do the research for him. There were Armchair Detectives before the character type's archetype, the Old Man in the Corner. Arguably Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin was an Armchair Detective. Closer to the Pulp Age were Armchair Detectives like Paul Feval's John Temple (from Jean Diable (1862)). Certainly through most of the 19th century, when a real-life gentleman amateur detective would have had to do his deducting in the privacy of his own flat or home and when Poe was the dominant writer of detective and mystery fiction, the imaginative horizons of writers was limited to the Armchair Detective archetype. But the Old Man in the Corner really started the craze (such as it was) for fictional Armchair Detectives, and those Armchair Detectives who followed the Old Man were influenced by him to a greater or lesser degree.
Inspector Allhoff, Oliver Armiston, Disher, Dr. Duque, Joseph Leborgne, Nelson Lee, Linley, Old Man in the Corner, Don Isidro Parodi, George Washington Troxell, Kristian White, Nero Wolfe
Bellem. The hard-boiled, cynical private detective is a pervasive pulp archetype, beginning at least with Race Williams, although the archetype’s roots lie in the English casebooks of the mid-19th century, which is where the hardboiled character type really originated. But the wise-cracking, two-fisted, hardboiled, hard-drinking, womanizing cynical crime-solver, usually but not always a private detective--the kind of character who is as quick with a quip as with his fists--is a character type that emerged in the pulps only in the 1930s, although it became a cliché within a few years. The hardboiled characters of the 1920s were cynical, two-fisted, hard-drinking, and womanizing, but they were emphatically not wise-cracking and generally lacked the sort of existential joie de vivre that Bellems have. The greatest of Bellems was Dan Turner, he of “a roscoe coughed Ka-Chow.” In honor of Dan Turner's creator, the prolific pulpster Robert Leslie Bellem, I’ve dubbed this character type the Bellem.
Galahad Baxter, Steve Borden, Mr. Bowles, Homer Bull (Macandrews), Chan Buzzell
Killer Cain, Carmady, Johnny Carr, Bill Carter, Johnny Cass, Johnny Castle, Peter Chance, Dr. Chung (Mr. Bacht), Daniel Cluer, Shean Connell, Crawley Cool, Danny Coyle (Harvard Donovan), Cliff Cragin, Bill Crane, Alphabet Crisp
Ken Daly, John Dalmas, Dion Davies, Bill Disley, Johnny Dolan, Donny Donahue, Edward D'Strange, Joseph Dugan
Bacchus Hallahan, Johnny Harding, Daniel Harwin, Clay Holt, Little Jack Horner, Mark Hull, Tony Hunter
Ben Jardinn, Jarnegan, Dan Jordan, Jack Jordan
Gerry Kells, Mugs Kelly, Tony Key, George Killeen, K-67
Kip Lacey, Bob Larkin, Simon Lash, Bill Lennox
Dick Marlow, Philip Marlowe, Anthony Martin, No-Shirt McGee, Captain McGrail, Jack McGuire, Mariano Mercado, Matt Mercer, Lafayette Muldoon
Bill Peepe, Casey Peters, Miss Pinkerton, Duke Pizzatello
Ed Race, Nick Ransom, Richard Rogue, Nick Rongetti, Kiriti Roy,
Shag & Bones, Ben Shaley, Ben Slabbe, Tim Sloan, John Steel
Pete Taylor, Pat Thompson, Peter Trapp the Second, Joe Trimo, Dan Turner
Big-Headed Dwarf Genius. A classic trope of popular literature, going back at least to the Gothics if not to the Egyptian and Olmec myths, is the evil dwarf—that is, a literal dwarf, rather than some fairy tale creature—whose wicked brilliance is so overwhelming that, in a prime example of the symbolic-made-literal, his head is enormous. Before the 19th century, the dwarf used magic or a more mundane form of evil to work his ends, but beginning in the mid-19th century the dwarf began to use technology, usually advanced or even forbidden technology, as a weapon against heroic men and women. In the 20th century, the dwarf became a form of the Mad Scientist, usually the villain of a story but occasionally a protagonist in search of redemption. There's not really an archetypal Big-Headed Dwarf Genius--none of them really struck enough of a chord with other writers and with the pubic to become iconic--but most of the ones listed below are good examples of the character type.
Atalanta (Lemurian albinos)
Narcisse Barbidon (Martians), Reginald Blake, Professor Brandon (aliens), Ivan Brodsky, Harry Brunton (the Conquerors)
Jonas Fjeld (Ilmari Erko)
Dr. Hackensaw (future humans)
Jed (the Masters)
Konserson (children), Professor Kurganov
Brutus Lloyd, Everson Lumley (Dr. Alonzo Kelpie)
Tommy Malins (misc.), Gaston Max (Anubis), Baron Montavo (Hollow Earth representatives), Doctor Munsker
Nano 48, Jack Nelson (Ta Clo)
Nat Pinkerton (Li Lo Tsching)
Joel Quaite (humanity)
Vernon Walsh (Pelathon, Si-Lafnor), Don Winslow (the Dwarf)
Brain in a Jar. The Brain in a Jar—the living brain (usually disembodied), floating in a jar of fluid, still sentient and somehow communicating with the outside world—is a classic trope of science fiction and horror films and pulps. The version most readers are familiar with is 20th century version, but the predecessor of the Brain in a Jar can be said to have been the Cumaean Sibyl, who in Petronius’ Satyricon is a withered body, cursed with immortality but no youth, who is seen in a hanging jar. The Brain in a Jar character type didn't really emerge until the 20th century, when science fiction and horror films and the pulps, with their incessant demand for new material, combined to influence writers of fantastika to create the Brain in a Jar. If there can be said to be an archetypal Brain in a Jar, it's Richard Donovan, but he came relatively late, well after other Brains in a Jar had appeared.
Olaf K. Abelsen (misc.), Brain, Captain Future (Simon), Hawk Carse (misc.), Charlie Chan (misc.), Robert Darvel (Great Brain of Mars), Richard Donovan, Ethan Drew (Wise One), Harald Harst (misc.), Nez Hulan (misc.), Jed, Professor Kern (Dowell), The Man with Two Heads, Mark Nevin (Russians), Vincent Renolf (misc.), Tom Shark (Caligula), Dan Williams (masters of Unidom), Wing Loo (students)
Cape-and-Épée Hero. Cap et épée, or “cape and épée,” is the traditional term in French literary criticism for novels of the Three Musketeers sort, in which the swashbuckling heroes wear capes and fight with rapiers in Europe during the 17th century. Dumas had his predecessors in European fiction--hell, the Spanish loved cap et épée fiction for two centuries before the French really took to it--but The Three Musketeers and its sequels were so popular and influential that they became the archetypal cap et épée novels, with the titular characters (plus D'Artagnan) becoming iconic. Twentieth century Cap et épée stories and heroes are inarguably in the shadow of Dumas, and are generally happy to be there--nearly a century and a half after The Three Musketeers first appeared, the influence of Dumas is still strong enough to help sell stories and novels based on his work.
Athos, Porthos & Aramis, Black Mask (II), Boy Musketeers, Captain Lucifer, Captain Sin Miedo, Carot, Cleve & d'Entreville, The Courier, The Dagger, Comte de Chavagnac, Estelle de Lys, M. de Mintard, Five Invincibles, Florian, Four Spaniards, Ghost Duke (I), Ghost Duke (II), Captain La Chesnaye, Messenger (II), Montbars (V), Musketeer of the Sea, Musketeers, Pardaillan, Raul (I), Red Cape, Santana, Three Cat Musketeers, Three Crusaders
Celebrity Pulp. Pulps or novels or texts whose protagonists are real-life, living celebrities (Charlie Chaplin, for example) portrayed as having very fictional adventures. The trend predates the pulps, of course; fanfiction is an old tradition, and by the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when modern celebrity culture really began, celebrity fan fiction (about Lord Byron, for example) was a going concern. The Celebrity Pulps are merely the pulp version of that type of fanfiction.
Cliff Aeros, Luciano Albertini, Carlo Aldini, Evno Azef
Clyde Beatty, Frank Buck (I), Frank Buck (II), Buffalo Bill
Al Capone (I), Al Capone (II), Charlot, Jackie Coogan (I), Jackie Coogan (II)
Father Gapon, Gomecillo & Peliculez
Jack the Ripper (I), Jack the Ripper (II), Jampulinkam, Billy Jenkins, Buck Jones
Lampiao, Gypsy Rose Lee, Elmo Lincoln, Max Linder, Harold Lloyd
Nestor Makhno, Georges Manolescu, Jimmy Mattern, Ken Maynard (I), Ken Maynard (II), Patjar Merah, Mistinguett, Tom Mix (I), Tom Mix (II), Tom Mix (III), Tom Mix (IV), Tom Mix (V), Tom Mix (VI), Antonio Moreno, Jack Mylong
Lee Parry, Joe Petrosino, Edmond Pezon, Harry Piel, Eddy Polo (I), Eddy Polo (II), Eddy Polo (III), Eddy Polo (IV), I.D. Putilin
Shi Jianqiao, Antonio Silvino, Sonya, Savanyu Soska, Hans Stosch-Sarrasani
Con Man. One of the more popular character types in the pulps, the Con Man or Swindler was usually (but not always) portrayed as having a sentimental side and as willing to help those who are being victimized, and to prey on other criminals. Those who were not were usually too incompetent to succeed at their chosen profession.
Doctor Alcazar, Astro the Seer
Otis Beagle, Beggars' Club, Paul Beggarstaff, Ostap Bender, Natasha Blackwell, Blue Sky Company, One Eye Brannigan, Jabez Bunker, Smiler Bunn, Otto Burlingame
Chucho el Roto, Amos Clackworthy, Baltimore Criddle, Danby Croker
The Dean, Doc Comanche, Dandy Dyson
Easy Street Experts, Elegant Edward, Buttons Evans
JimGrim (Chullunder Ghose)
Lefty Feep, Jeremiah Finch, Colonel Humphrey Flack, Johnny Fletcher, Art Furber, Elmer Furbush
Ivy Lane ("Senator" Joe Greer), Rosalie Le Grange, Lester Leith, Pekka Lipponen
Isidore Mac-Aron & Anatole Fricotard, Pete Manx, Ed Migraine, Major Miles
Jeff Peters, Doc Pierce, Paul C. Pitt, Napoleon Prince
Sagadaung-za, The Salesman, Mister Simpson, Slattery & Bender, Saxophone Smithers, Miss Smythe, Squaredeal Sam, Serge Stavisky
John Wade, "Get Rich Quick" Wallingford, Mr. Windle
CONQUER THE WORLD! Just like monkeys, few things so embody the pulps so much as the over-the-top Mad Scientist (see below) or (usually Germanic) tyrant who delivers a speech—to a monstrous henchmen, to fanatical troops, or to a bound and helpless enemy, usually the hero of the story—in which the villain finishes with “und zen ve vill CONQUER ZE VURLD!” Sadly, most of these characters failed, few had much success at all or, to be honest, were a great deal of fun to read about, and only a handful had the spark of gleeful, joyous wickedness that sets the immortal villains apart from the ordinary bad guys. But even the dullest of these would-be world conquerers has at least one moment which will reward the reader.
Air Master, Frank Allan (misc.), Amarbal, Dusty Ayres (Fire-Eyes)
Napoleon Berg, Blue Hawk (misc.), Harry Brunton (the Conquerors)
Captain Justice (Marcus the Mysterious), Nick Carter (I) (Bolivian Amazons), Cecil of Cornwall (Abbe), Deepak Chatterjee (misc.), Connie (Lakhpor), Copperhead (Doctor Satan)
Jack Darrell (alien slugs), Professor Demonico, Don Dixon (Dr. Strunski), Doctor Death
El Fantasma (Man With No Head)
Garin, Bruce Gentry (misc.), Golden Amazon, Walter Goodwin (evil Murians), Professor Grant (Matapal)
Colin Haig (Mme. Vanderdonk), Steve Harrison (Erlik Khan)
Homura Soroku (Dr. Otone)
JimGrim (Dorje)
Kachinskiy (Stierner), Princess Kah (undersea criminals), Dr. Kitsura (the Yellow Wheel), Korak, Kosmacs (Karl Dietz), Kowa, Dr. Cornelius Kramm, Kwo Sung Tao
Bradley Lane (Marnee), Lynn Lash (misc.), The Lightning, Ferrers Locke (Kang-Pu)
Professor Magnus (Dr. Cicuta), Signor Mantini, Gaston Max (Anubis), Professor Merrivale, Miramar
Number 3, The Nyctalope (Baron Glo von Warteck)
Octopus (II), Terence X. O'Leary (Unuk)
Doctor Palfrey (misc.), Ward Platt (Ainsworth), John Prentice (misc.), Professor Pye
Redmask (Purple Emperor), Rinker, Russian Scientist
Ali Singh, Commander Steel, Professor Strang
Thelda (Munan), Jim Tipton (Quichuas)
Don Winslow (Scorpia)
Zig & Puce (misc.), Zolok, Zorak, Alex Zorka
Costumed Avenger. This category includes any character who wears a recognizable and consistent costume while fighting crime or evil. For the purposes of this encyclopedia, “costume” does not necessarily have to be a colorful superhero-style “pervert suit,” to use Warren Ellis’ phrase, but can be simply the same mask or the same set of similarly-colored clothing. Because of this somewhat broad criteria, there are characters included in this list, like the masked cowboy characters, who are not ordinarily thought of as being Costumed Avengers. But in a book like this it is better to be overly inclusive than not enough so.
Ace of Spades (I), Ace of Spades (II), El Alacrán, Furio Almirante, Angel (II), Armored Man, Audreses
The Bat (II), Beati Paoli, Black (III), Black Ace, Black Bandit, Black Bat (II), Black Cloak, Black Diamond, Black Eagle, Black Falcon, Black Hood, Black Jack, Black Knight (II), Black Mask (I) (antagonist), Black Mask (II), Black Mask (III), Black Moth, Black Pilgrim, Black Rider, Black Sapper, Black Whip, Blue Man, Carlos & Marcos Bon, Pelham Bond, Burmese Swordsman
El Caballero, Caballero X, Bob Calem, Capitan Antorcha, Capitan Coraje, Capitan Misterio, Captain Midnight, Captain Mors, Captain Nighthawk, Captain Storm, Cat's Eye, Charro Negro (I), Charro Negro (II), Chucho el Roto, Ciclone, Cobra (II), Red Colt, Copperhead, Corsair X, Cossack, Coyote, Crimson Clown, Crimson Mask, Cruz Diablo, Jim Curry, Cyklon Kid
Daring Damsel, Estelle de Lys, Deccan Queen, Desert Phantom, Detective Nobody, Doctor Coffin, Domino Lady
The Eagle (I), The Eagle (II), Mr. Enigma, El Espectro
El Fantasma, Flaming Avenger, Flying Justice, Miss Fury
Galator, Garibaldi, Ghost (I), Ghost Duke (II), Golden Mask, Green Ghost, Green Hornet, Green Lama, Griffon
El Halcon de Acero, Hansa, Hawk (II), El Hidalgo, Hind Kesari, Fred Hood (Carolina, the "Fury of the Manitu"), Hunterwali
Indian Superhero, Invisible Robinhood
Jack-a-Lantern, Japanese Mad Scientist (scientist's enemy), Judex
Karga, King of Diamonds, William King, Kurama Tengu
Lady Luck, Laughing Mask, Leatherface (I), Leatherface (II), Leatherface (III), Lion Man (I), Lion Man (II), Lone Ranger
Magician (II), The Man in Purple, The Man in the Motor Mask, The Man in the Red Mask, The Man in the Silver Mask, Mas-Ley, The Mask, Masked Cavalier, Masked Detective, Masked Marvel, Masked Phantom, Masked Rider (I), Masked Rider (II), Masked Terror, Masked Warrior, Minnalkodi, Mister Death (I), Mr. Mystic, Mister Nobody (II), Mohan, Moker, The Mongoose, Monk of Ironstone Prison, Moon Man, El Murcielago
Nameless Knight, Jack Nelson, Ninja Boy, Ninja Woman
Park Avenue Hunt Club, Patent Leather Kid, Patsy (Phantom Magician), Phantom (II), Phantom (III), Phantom Detective, Phantom Rider, Phantom Sheriff, Phantom Thief (II), Phantom X, Prince of Gamma, Luis Punales, Purple Hood, Purple Scar
El Rajo, Rakshita, Ravenhill, Red Archer, Red Eagle, Red Lady, Red Rose, Red Shadow, Redmask, Riddle Rider
Scorpion (I), Senor Red Mask, Senorita Scorpion, The Shadow (II), Sigono, Silver Buck, Skulls of Terror, Spider (II), Spider Man, Spirit, Spring-Heeled Jack
Three Vigilantes, Thunderbolt (I), Thunderbolt (II), Two Pistols
Vanishing Rider, Vantolio, El Vengador, Villiod
Mack Wan, Whirlwind, The Whisperer, Whispering Monk, Bob Wilson
Zigomar (III), Zigomar (IV), Zorro
Cowboy. For the purposes of this category any character adventuring in the western half of the United States during the 19th century and the first half of the twentieth century counts as a “cowboy.” A fair number of stories in the western pulps were set in the modern (i.e., 1920s or 1930s) era, and characters in those stories are included here. The rare cowboy active outside of the United States, like Pepe Cortes, is also included.
Ace of the Triple Diamond, Bullwhip Adams, Alabam, Alkali Ike, Lefty Allen, Bar-Nothing Red Ames, Anita, Sailor Anson, Apache & Wagonwheel, Arizona Jim, Arizona Thunderbolt, Garrett Arnold, Arizona Jim, Arizona Thunderbolt, Frying Pan Austin
George Bacon, Duke Bagley, Balaam (sorta), Blackstone Bangs, Jim Bannon, Bar B Boys, Bar U Twins, Rohn Barck, Peaceful Barnes, Black Barr, Charley Barrow, Dan Barry, Tom Bartlett, Buffalo Billy Bates, Judge Bates, Roy Bean, Pike Bearfield, Brazos Bell, Billy the Kid (I), Billy the Kid (II), Black Ace, Black Bill (I), Black Bill (II), Black Horse, Blackie & Red, Killer Blake, Blondy, Bloody Hand, Blue Pete, Guncat Bodman, Calamity Boggs, Swap Bootle, Border Bandit, Border Boys, Border Eagle, Deacon Bottle, Alamo Bowie, Boy Ranchers, Belle Boyd, Jim Brade, Broncho Bill, Broncho Billy, Broncho Rider Boys, Buck & Gumbo, Duke Buckland, Buffalo Bill, Bug Eye, Jim Button Bull, Tex Bulwer, Bumblebee Bill, Andy Burnett, Tug Burton
Cactus Kid, Calamity Anne, Bob Calem, Brad Callahan, Kid Calvert, Lightnin' Calvert, Hunt Canning, Dogie Cantwell, Lucius Carey, Billy Carson, Kit Carson, Lightnin' Bill Carson, Hopalong Cassidy, Slivers Cassidy, Charro Negro (I), Charro Negro (II), Chief (sorta), Circus Cowboy, Cisco Kid, Red Clark, Tom Clark, Dake Clayhorn, Tom Clive, Tempest Cody, Badger Coe, King Collier, Cultus Collins, Comanche Kid, Henry Conroy, Corson, Pepe Cortes, David Costa, Cowboy, Lance Craig, Tuck Creighton, Gospel Cummings, Curly, Currito, Jim Curry, Blant Cutting
Dakota Dan, Deo Daley, Jimmy Dare, Christian Defever, Desert Phantom, Desperate Dan, Preacher Devlin, Dewlap & Wattles, Diamond Dick, Diamond Outfit, Dik, Doc Comanche, Dodge City Kid, Don Muerte, Dapper Donnelly, Ronicky Doone, Dreamy Dorkin, Deker Dow, Gip Drago, Tim Drake, Dick Drew, Drifting Kid, Dan Drummond, Buck Duane, Dugan (I), Durand, Dandy Dyson
Saul Epstein, Estimaco, Buttons Evans, Dug Evans
Doc Faraday, Whizz Fargo, Doug Farney, Firebrand (II), Fitz Roy, Flying U Ranch
Buzz Gainor, Galahad & Lancelot, Grizzly Gallagher, Hep Gallegher, Gallopin' Kid, Peg Leg Garfield, Dex Garrett, Hawk Gentle, Gentleman Jack, James Geraldi, Gila Jack, Freck Gilmore, Arapaho Gilroy, Henri Giraud, Grandpa, Andy Green, Hoss Greer, Cal Gregson, Simon Bolivar Grimes
Glenn Haley, Ham & Egg, Hank & Lank, Happy-Hay, Hardrock, Paint & Pinto Hawkins, Red Harris, Ace Hart, Hashknife Hartley, Jim Hatfield, Bill Hawks, William Hay, Jim Hazel, Howdy Hepburn, High & Short, Bob Hill, Hinges Hollister, Jack Holt (I), Fred Hood, Hooker Brothers, Horsemen, Pa Howdy, Chip Huard, Huckleberry Jack, Hungry & Rusty, Bob Hunter (II), Bull Hunter
Idaho, Injun & Whitey, Andy Irons, Sudden John Irons
Jack the Invincible, Jesse James, Pinky Jenkins, Bat Jennison, Jerkline Jo, Jim Boy, Jingling Kid, Johnny Forty-Five, Buck Jones, Bud Jones, Cal Jones, Doodlebug Jones, Potluck Jones, Salamander Jones, Tubac Jones, Vermilion Jones
Jim Kannah, Kansas Jack (I), Kansas Jack (II), Kansas Jack (III), Kansas Jack (IV), Kyack Kearney, Ken, Kid Buckaroo, Kid Gurney, Kid Montana, Kid Wolf, King Kolt, Kenton King, Madge King, Storm King, Windy Knight
Sheriff Lamont, Rowdy Lang, Joe Langley, Ney Larrigan, Mac Larry, Lassiter, Laughing Kid, Leatherface (I), Black Hawk Lee, Tonopah Lee, Lynx Lesky, Bart Leslie, Liberty Kid, Lightning Jim, The Lion, Bert Little, Long Sam Littlejohn, Lobo Gris, Lone Ranger, Colonel Longarm, Lazy Lucas
Showme Maguire, Mah-Topa, Freckles Malone, Twister Malone, Marshall, Mustang Marshall, Mournful Martin, Pinto Martin, Masked Phantom, Masked Rider (II), Shorty Masters, Maverick Jim, Mavericks, Tensleep Maxon, Ranny McArthur, Bullwhip Bill McCrackin, Shorty McKay, Buckshot McKee, Risky McKee, Buck McLeod, Lonesome McQuirk, Medico, Flapjack Meehan, Kyle Mellott, Tom Mix (I), Tom Mix (II), Tom Mix (III), Tom Mix (IV), Tom Mix (V), Tom Mix (VI), Ham Moody, Flash Moran, Tom Morgan, Tubby Morrison, Sheriff Mullett, Two-Shot Billy Murtol
Bill Navarro, Dick Navarro, Dik Navarro, Pancho Negrete, Dan Norton, Dick Norton
Oklahoma Kid, Old Bill, Old Ironhand, Old Scout, Old Strolla, Funeral O'Neill
Alamo Paige, Mike Palabras, Average Parker, Jim Pat, Pawney Bill, Bronc Peeler, Peaceful Perkins, Peter, Ma Pettengill, Phantom Rider, Phantom Sheriff, Mulehide Pike, Pistol Jim, Juan Poker, Polly of the Plains, Jode Pomroy, Pony Express, Pony George, Pony Rider Boys, John Powell
Quebecois Cowboy, Jimmy Quick, Quick-Draw Kid, Quicksilver, Quiquet
Navajo Tom Raine, El Rajo, Robert Ramm, Rio Rand, Nick Randall, Range Riders, Ranny Kid, Reo Ratt, Rawhide Terror, Rawhide Rawlins, Rickey Raymond, Reata, Red Hawk, Red Wolf, Johnny Reeves, Tom Relampago, Roaming Reynolds, Pete Rice, Riffle Bill, Rim-fire, Rio Kid, Rainbow Ripley, Tex Ripley, Robinsons, Friar Robusto, Tommy Rockford, Rockheart, Rough Riders, Bill Roy, Ruff & Reddy, Rawhide Runyan, Casey Ryan, Red Ryder
Sage-Brush Sally, Sapulpa Slim, Red Saunders, Satan Savage, Scarum, Scoot & Windy, Nogales Scott, Salty Seabright, Bala Segura, Senor Red Mask, Senorita Scorpion, Shelley, Vinegaroon Sherman, Shooting Gallery Kid, Silver Buck, Silver King, Silvertip (II), Simmering Sands, Dad Simms, Len Siringo, Sitting Bull, Six-Gun Gorilla, Six-Gun Sandy, Skulls of Terror, Walt Slade, Slick the Sleuth, Sleepy Sloane, Cinnamon Smith, Cyclone Smith, Dynamite Smith, Sonora Smith, Valentine Smith, Blacky Solone, Sad Sontag, Baldy Sours, Spectacular Kid, Abe Spotswood, Dave Starr, Blue Steele, Flash Steele, Silver Jack Steele, Bob Sterling, Harry Stevens, Pat Stevens, Homer Stillson, Sheriff Stokes, Ted Strong, Strongarm, Sturmvogel, Sudden, Reverend Praxiteles Swan
Sonny Tabor, Jim Tasker, Bob Tayler, Buck Taylor (I), Twist Taylor, Tecumseh, Teddy (I), Tex (III), Tex and Pecos, William Tex, Texas Bill (I), Texas Bill (II), Texas Jack, Texas Tom, Three Cowboys, Three Good Men, Three Judges, Three Mesquiteers, Thunder Moon, Tigress (II), Tid Tinker, Tomahawk, Tombstone & Speedy, Tonny, Tonto Kid (I), Tonto Kid (II), Silver Trent, Trapper Trueheart, Two Gun Kid, Two Orphans, Two Pistols, Tom Tyler
Vanishing Rider, Pit Vercheres, Vincente the Yaqui
Walrus & Wishbone, Ware, Tom Webbs, Billy West, David West, Ben Whipple, Whistler, Whistlin' Kid, Whistling Waddy, White Boy, White Eagle (I), White Eagle (II), White Horseman, White Wolf, Tex Willer, Jack Wills, Jack Wilson, Warwhoop Wilson, Windy Bill
Will Yaeger, Lum Yates, Young Pete, Young Wild West, Yucca Kid, Yuma Bill
Disabled Detective. Traditionally, in the pulps and in criticism of the pulps, the phrase “defective detective” was used to describe the disabled or maimed characters, like Seekay, whose vogue in the pulps was a brief but intense one. Being disabled (or “defective” in the insensitive, inaccurate, and offensive parlance of the time) was what set them apart from other characters. For the purposes of this encyclopedia, blind characters, like Max Carrados, are included in this category. Generally blind characters are written and treated differently than the other "disabled detectives," but in the interests of space-saving they are included here.
Inspector Allhoff, Ben Bryn, Max Carrados, Thornley Colton, Billy Dogg, Edward D'Strange, Joe Gee, Dan Holden, John Howden, Calvin Kane, Eddie Kelly, Patrick Laing, Larry Loman, Duncan Maclain, Malachi Manatee, Lin Melchan, Nat Perry, Queg, Peter Quest, Julian Renard, Seekay, Steve Silk, Nicholas Street, Tom, Dick, & Harry, Ted S. Weaver, Kristian White,
Evil Surgeon. Although the Evil Surgeon is often a Mad Scientist, this is not always the case. The Evil Surgeon is primarily a violator of the human body, whether a crazed vivisector like Dr. Quartz or someone who merely wants to experiment on a living body, like Professor Barter.
Olaf K. Abelsen (Dr. Death), Frank Allan (Doctor Bink), Armando (misc.)
Dr. Bain (Dr. Death), Professor Barter, Dr. Bates, Black Mask (III) (misc.), Dr. Blair
Tom Cardigan (The Surgeon of the Dead), Doctor Caresco, Charro Negro (II) (misc.), Chinese Scientist, Sir Ralf Clifford (Dr. Coletti), Leon Clifton (the Mad Doctor), Paul Coriolos, Dr. Crespi, Walter Crummel (Eric Grausmann)
Pietro Darena, Doctor Phantom, Doctor X, Richard Drake, Dr. Duarte
Dr. Flax, Dr. Forti, Mr. Fox (The Evil Doctor), Frankenstein (Dr. Xavier)
Homura Soroku (misc.), Rex Huxford (Dr. Eric von Schalkenbach)
Zofia Jastrzebka (William Pinkerton), Jim-Joyce (Dr. Satanaz)
Professor Kern, Ethel King (Professor Smith), Konserson, Dr. Cornelius Kramm
Jean Lecoq (Dr. Vincent), Doctor Lerne, Joseph Londe, Arsene Lupien (misc.)
Mad Scientist (IV), Todd Marvel (Karl Kristian), Master Magician (Ching Fu), Captain McTeague (Po Sung, N'Yeng Sen), Miramar, Schuyler Montgomery, M. Mystere (misc. women)
Cyrus North (misc.), Number 13 (Chinese), The Nyctalope (Oxus)
Joe Petrosino (Professor Tom Flax), The Phoenis (Dr. Rosmer), Nat Pinkerton (misc.), Ward Platt (Ainsworth)
Rapax, Dr. Renan, Paul Renault, Robert Renault, Captain Richard (Dr. Marchesi), James Robertson (would-be Frankenstein)
Fedor Ivanovitch Sarraskine, Tom Shark (misc.), Silent Smith (Nazis), Dr. Sovac, Soviet Scientist, Spider (II) (The Wreck), Dr. Stander, Philip Strange (misc.)
Fred Tarmun (Dr. Mepier), Harry Taxon (Dr. Flax), Three Boy Scouts (Dr. Moreau Lite), Professor Tornada, Grigorii Trirodov
Dr. van Niemann, Guy Vercheres (misc.), Andreas Vesalius, Andreas Vollmer, The Vulture (misc.)
Femme Fatale. The femme fatale, the beautiful and deadly woman who uses her beauty and/or sexuality to increase her power, has been a constant in Western culture, although the modern version of the femme fatale began appearing only in the second half of the 19th century. In the pulp context the femme fatale is a different character than the femme fatale of films noir or mainstream mystery fiction. The pulp femme fatale is more often a protagonist than a film noir or mystery femme fatale. And the pulp femme fatale is substantively different than either of the latter two. The film noir or mystery femme fatale uses sexuality as a weapon in order to get what she wants. Sex, for the film noir or mystery femme fatale, is one tool of many in the femme fatale’s toolbox, and if sleeping with a hero, villain, or patsy is what is needed to achieve her aims, the noir/mystery femme fatale will do just that. This is not the case with the pulp femme fatale, who is far more rarely sexually active. The pulp femme fatale promises much but rarely delivers, and meanwhile uses male characters’ desire for her to manipulate them.
Adaptive Ultimate, AgentYZ7, El Alacran (misc.), Roberto Alcazar (misc.), Alraune, Antinéa, Aquilea, Ayesha
John Baxter (the Demon Woman), Red Barry (The Flame), Max Beaumont (misc.), Black Mask (III) (misc.), Black Masks (Lydia), Natasha Blackwell, Sergeant Blair (misc., Belle la Tour), Hannibal Blunt (movie star), Rolf Brand (Lady in Black), Brenty (Aracnida), Albert Brien (misc.),
Hunt Canning (misc.), Le Capitaine (misc.), Captain Stinky (misc.), Bill Carter (misc.), Deepak Chatterjee (misc.), Kayla Cherroff, Chinese Gamine, Hein Class (Rita), Leon Clifton (Devil Woman), Clubs Detective (the Modern Salome), Colette (misc.), Anton Custer (Fedora, Eros Volusia)
Kurt Danner (the She-Scorpio), Daxo (misc.), Ray de Astur (Queen of Ceres), Detective Nobody (misc.), Tania Devereaux, Bill Disley (assassins), Fidelity Dove, Nita Duboin
Frank Faber (Anja), Princess Fantoche, Desiree Forestier, French Aviator (Helene, Countess de Falso), French Commissioner (The Countess)
Gees (misc.), Genuine, Martin Gisander (Jania Faralewski)
Colin Haig (Mme. Vanderdonk), Bob Harder (misc.), John Hargreaves (Countess Olga), Helene (I), Kay Hoog (Lio-Sha), Hooker Brothers ("vampire babies"), Russell Howard (misc.)
Iluko, Iman, Indian Woman, Magda Inescu, Inez Ingle
Japanese Policeman (Night Storm Okinu), Jumelia, Junilla
King Kong VI (Zanya), Ethel King (Salome), Lord Kingsley (misc.), Sun Koh (Lady Houston), Kurama Tengu (poison women)
Edouard Lanier (Nora), George Larkin (Vampire), Jean Larocque (misc.), Terry Lee (many), Simon Legrand (Satania), Miriam Lemaire, Tom Lenoir (misc.), Lilith, Lord Lister (the Lady in Black), Quentin Locke (DeLuxe Dora), Lu Ping (Blue Rattlesnake), Arsene Lupien (the Female Demon)
Madame Sara, Dan Maitland (misc.), Master Magician (Froggie the Vampire), Milton (Queen Androimeda), Mister X (Lady Devil), Moctezuma (Queen Zaye), Maria Molambo, Monsieur V (Princess Y)
Pola Negri, Martin Numa (misc.), Number 13 (Chinese cha-cha dancers)
Larry O'Brien (Tigra), Lady Nora O'Neil, Marcus Orlando (misc.)
Maria Padilha, Pat Peterson (Margot), Mary Pickford (II), Polish Woman (I), Polish Woman (II), Victor Poten (Sonya Rokoff)
Gimiendo Hernandez Quinto (the Mountain of Virtue)
Nila Rand, Rapace (misc.), Rapax (misc.), Kaarlo Rauta (misc.), Ray (misc.), Enevold Rist (Madame Fournier), Carla Romaunt, Nick Rood (misc.), Kiriti Roy (White & Indian)
Allan Scott (Seeress of Luxor), Secret Agent X-9 (Nabura), Tom Shark (misc.), Sonia, Sonya, Spanish Woman, Spirit (P'Gell, Sand Saref, Silk Satin, many others), Spirit of the Broom, Lord Stuart (Lady Tompson), Submarine Boys (Russians)
Fred Tarmun (Lady Heensforth), Harry Taxon (Miss Ruth), Rolf Torring (Lola Montua), Ivy Trask, Turkish Woman
Veronica Vaughn, Madame Verbitskaia, Guy Vercheres (misc.), Rene Vergnaud (leper), Minna von Voehniger
John Wilson (gang leader)
X-14 (Communist spy)
Baek Yeong Ho (Seo Gwang Ok)
Zed-29 (misc.), Zoraja (Madame X), Z-X-5 (Princess Alleja)
Fop. The classic detective Fop is Philo Vance, and most of the detective Fops were to a greater or lesser extent influenced by him. The vanity, the obsession with appearance, dress, and manners, the variety of affectations, the forced languor–they are all Vancean, but they arose from the pose of upper class British men of the 19th century. Of course, detective Fops aren’t really foppish, any more than Vance is. When there is danger to be confronted or a mystery to be solved, Vance et al. drop the foppish pose and become as capable as any Bellem.
Black Spider, Ascanio Bonichi, Benvenuto Brown, Marcus Buller, Albert Campion, Hugh Carding, Dave Clovelly, Arthur Augustus d'Arcy, Reginald de Puyster, Maxwell Fenner, Peter Graham, Maurice Hemyock, Ivy Lane, Francis Mandall-Essington, Yorke Norroy, Christopher Peale, Arthur Stukeley Pennington, Warren Powell, Beau Quicksilver, Enevold Rist, Terry Trimble, Philo Vance, Anthony Vereker
Gentleman Bandit. This category is for all those historical characters who would steal anything from men but would only take a kiss from a woman, and whose sense of honor was more powerful than their greed. The archetype is Dick Turpin, who was as charming in fiction as he was reprehensible in fact.
Ace of Spades (I), Pavlos Argyros, Aimilios Athenaios
Captain Jack Bishop, Buffalo Bill (Gentleman Hank)
Luis Candelas, Caparrota, Captain Montana, Captain Moonlight, Captain Starlight, Cartouche (I), Cartouche (II), Chucho el Roto, Vaska Churkin, Diego Corrientes, Currito
Don Juan de Serrallonga, Claude Duval (I), Claude Duval (II), Claude Duval (III)
Galloping Larry, Ghost Duke (I)
Jesse James, Jampulinkam, Henryk Antoni Jezierski
Nesho Kaik, Ned Kelly, Jan Tadeusz Klimczok, Tadeusz Klimszok, Antonio Kortez, Arno Kraft, Wlodzimierz Kumrow, Aristotelis Kyriakos
Mandrin, Jose Maria (I), Jose Maria (II), Juan Masili, Masked Rider (I), Masked Terror, Si Mirah
Si Pitung, Juan Portela, Luis Punales
Seven Children of Ecija, Antonio Silvino, Savanyu Soska
Texas Jack (misc.), Domenico Tiburzi, Si Tjonat, Trabucaires, Dick Turpin
Great Detective. To most fans of mysteries there is only one Great Detective: Sherlock Holmes. But the popularity of Sherlock Holmes was such that, like Arsène Lupin and the Lupin, Holmes was imitated around the world. The following is a list of characters modeled on Sherlock Holmes and other, similar characters. Holmes was the default model for the Great Detective, but the more action-oriented Sexton Blake and Nick Carter (I) gained their own set of imitations.
Ates Ahmet, Ali, Pawang Ali, American Police Commissioner, Ānantcin, Thomas Ashley, Ashton-Kirk, Harald Ask, Avni
Carfax Baines, Alan Baker, William Baluchet, Joe Bangs, Miss Barclay, Garnett Bell, Gapy Bermudez, M.A. Bertillon, Big Head Detective, Biograph Sleuths, Ove Bjelke, Carlock Bjones, Black Bird, Robert Blake, Sexton Blake, Hannibal Blunt, Mr. Bobby, Hepsibah Bock, Bolava, Harriet Bolton-Wright, Padlock Bones, Emil Born, John Born, Miss Boston, Arindam Bosu, Boy Detective, Felix Boyd, Rolf Brand, Victor Brand, Leo Brandhorst, William Brandson, Derrick Brent, Dixon Brett, Stanley Brooke, Billy Brown, David Brown, Bob Bruce, William Brunning, Bil Bull, John Bull, Mack Bull (Nik-Arter), Jhon Bunns, Yu Bu-ran
Roman Calvo, Jack Carelli, Leo Carring, David Carroll, Charles Carslake, Dr. Carson, Nick Carter (I), Nick Carter (II), Pepe Carter, Dick Cartter, Cascarilla (II), Cat's Eye, Cemal, Sir Walter Chain, Dick Challenger, Chan Li Po, Lambert Chase, Cherlok Cholmes, Dr. Chung, Tony Clark, Walter Clark, Carlton Clarke, Lucien Clay, Jeff Clayton, Arson Clews, Leon Clifton, Barrington Clive, Derek Clyde, Charley Colmes, Sherlog Combes, Curlock Combs, Pat Conner, Le Droit Conners, Pat Connor, Jackie Coogan (II) (misc.), Herr Corpwieth, Gripton Court, Clipper Craig, Crewe (I), Martin Cripps, Burt Cromwell, Anton Custer
Martin Dale, Colwyn Dane, Neil Dare, Paul Daring, Dr. Elias de Jong, Doctor Riccardo de Medici, Joe Deebs, Biro Denes, Clive Derring, Allan Dickson, Harry Dickson, Dinky Dinkerton, Wan Teroena Djaja, Doctor Satan (Ascott Keane), Jack Dollar, Dick Donald, Caleb Drage, Jonathan Drake, Detective Dreslings, Victor Drew, Cassira A. Ducrot, Derwent Duff, Dr. Duque, Drake Durbin
Arne Falk, Jeff Fanchon, Nick Fantom, Farringdon, Fenlock Fawn, Felifax (Sir Eric Palmer), Fabian Field, Filipino Detective, Peter Flint, Thorndyke Flint, John Flood, Timelock Foames, Joe Fock, Jack Forbes, Jack Ford, Kenyon Ford, Sherman Ford, Gordon Fox, Timm Fox, Detective Frank (I), Jack Franklin, Karl Freiburg, Royston Frere, Fuermoshi
Martin Gale, Gentleman Detective, German Detective, Gerst, Gabriel Gibbs, Geoffrey Gill, Nicholas Goade, Enny Gold, Ricardo Gomez, Harry Gould, Royston Gower, Jubal Grail, Digby Grant, Gordon Gray, Grayson Greene, Anthony Grek, Digby Gresham, Carson Grey, Colwin Grey, Knut Gribb, Hector Grinfeld, Sherlock Guck
Tubby Haig, Hanshichi, Charles Harding, Kutt Hardy, John Hare, Paul Harley, Dixon Hawke, Marshal Hawke, A.B.C. Hawkes, Hawkeye (I) (Fenton Drake), Michael Hearne, Lowden Heath, Fred Hellington, Holman Herne, Taddy Hild, Richard Hildebrandt, Gray Hodges, Hok Song, Picklock Holes, Axel Holm (II), Charles Holm, Carter Holmes, Curlock Holmes, Shedlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, Jr., Shirley Holmes, Stanley Holmes, Stuart Holmes, Suburban Holmes, Zinsheimer Holmes, Shairlock Holtes, Sorolakkho Hom, Burstup Homes, Shylock Homes, Unlock Homes, Homura Soroku, Harold Hood, Inspector Hook, Russell Howard, Ivan Hron, Hu Xian, Mervyn Hume, Sheerluck Hums, Hungarian Detective, Michael Hunt, Huo Sang, Sexton Hyde
Kartal Ihsan, Iko Terouka, Ito-Naki, Robby Ix
Jack Jackson, Lord Jackson, Sylvester Jackson, Jan, Jimmie Jansen, Zofia Jastrzebka, Joe Jenkins, Jim-Joyce, Padlock Jones, Sheerluck Jones, Junilla (misc.), Junsun
Maxwell Kean, Gable Keen, Jack Keen, Norton Keen, Russell Keene, Gordon Keith, Harrison Keith, Mac Kena, George Kennedy, Ketelbinkie (misc.), Surelock Keys, Ethel King, John King, Master King, Robby King, Kio-Hako, Cornelis Kleinveldt, John Kling, Kobylkin, Kogoro Akechi, Asbjorn Krag, Doctor Kubb, Kumar, Vicitra Kuta, Sefton Kyle
Sherwood Lang, Jimmie Lavender, Maxim Law, Lê Phong, Nelson Lee, Commissaire Lenormand, Gregory Lewis, Abel Link, Professor Locksley, Sherlock Lopez, Judge Lu, Jack Lynx, John Lyon
John Mac Carty, Maciste (II), Madelyn Mack, Amos Lee Mappin, Maurice Marcel, Till Marks, Pietje Martens, Phinella Martin, McLane, Tiny Meldrum, Bhaskara Menon, Dr. Messina, Miss Clever, Karl Monk, Dr. Morrison, Will Morton, Cikornya Muki
Necati, Tom Nick-Tom, Nicton, Nina, Eva Nina, Branders Noble, Martin Numa
Quintus Oakes, Old Ebbie, Bertil Orn, Dr. Osmont
Billy Pagan, Harry Lytton Paine, Panopta, Jack Patterson, Ady Paulson, Joe Petrosino, Tom Pick, Pick Vick, Fred Pinkerton, Jimmy Pinkerton, Nat Pinkerton, Miss Piriston, Leon Pitaval, Thackeray Place, Vefa Polad, Polish Detective (I), Polish Detective (II), Polish Detective (III), Solar Pons, Nic Pratt, I.D. Putilin
Raff-Card, Rankanatan, Noel Raymond, Vernon Read, Recai (II), Bob Reid, Luis Reimond, Julian Renard, Edgar Ridder, Nat Ridley, Braley Rising, James Robertson, William Robertson, Simon Rolfe, Ros-Koff, Burdock Rose, Gerhard Rotenberg, Joao Roxo, Bob Roy, Max Rudolph, Ruggles, Grant Rushton, Russian Detective, Mr. Ruum
Sabri, Yildirim Sadi, San Sha, Harry Sander, John Sanford, Quincy Adams Sawyer, Rafael Schermann, Allan Scott, Secret Policeman, Bronislaw Sep, Tom Shark, John Sharpe, Holmlock Shears, Sherlocko, Herlock Sholmes, Herr Lock Shomes, Kerlock Shomes, Radford Shone, Sier Djoon, John Siloch, Dr. Silva, Tom Silvan, Ananda Singh, Sir John, Smantor, Henry Smith (I), Raden Soebrata, Song Wuqi, Soroku Komuro, Martin Speed, Speed-Boat Trackers, Professor Sphinx, John Spurlock, Gregor Stadelman, Steel Fist, Martin Steel, Robert Sterling, Harry Stilson, Ben Stockley, Fleming Stone, Christopher Strain, Peter Strangely, Harry Strong, Falcon Swift, Courtenay Sykes
Mac An Tabu, Frank Tarleton, Paul Templeton, William Tharps, Harry Thomson, Thong-in, Hallur Thorsteinsson, Three-Fingered Kate (Sheerluck Finch), Louwrens Tips, Fielding Torrance, Derek Trent, Vernon Trew, Dagobert Trostler, Hector Tumbler
Inspector Wade, Maurice Wallion, Wanda of Brannburg, Harry Ward, Silas Ward, Wat Song, Stuart Webbs, Stefan Wenke, Assar Wern, Pinklin West, Jack White, Ralph Williamson, Bob Wilson, Harry Wilson, John Wilson, Nick Winter, Justus Wise, Nero Wolfe
Sebastian Zambra, Zenigata Heiji, Dr. Zigomar,
Gun Moll. The Gun Moll—the female shootist who acts as sidekick and occasionally lover to a fictional villain—can be traced to the historical bandits which plagued Europe in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The bandits were almost usually male, but female members of their gangs were, while rare, not entirely unknown. As is usually the case with women in a traditionally male environment or profession, these women were forced to be tougher and more deadly than their male counterparts, purely to gain their respect. These women were duplicated in the popular fiction of various countries during these centuries, whether in ballads, broadsheets, or penny dreadfuls. More broadly, of course, these women were following in the path of previous historical women warriors, from the Amazons to Greek myth to the female armies of the Ashanti to the women samurai to the female revolutionaries of Russia and China in the 19th and 20th centuries. Nor was there a shortage of female criminals in most countries during the 1800s and 1900s whose crimes were violent and who used weapons with all the seriousness and skill of their male counterparts. The pulp writers were probably not aware of the specifics of this history, and probably would not have cared if they’d known. For them, the Gun Moll was an alluring symbolic combination of sex and violence, as perfectly a symbol of the Bad Girl for the pulps as the Femme Fatale.
Buffalo Bill (Dell Dauntless)
Al Capone (I) (Eveline), Queen Sue Carlton
El Fantasma (Vera)
Hawk From Hell (Mickey)
Jimmie Lavender (misc.), Jack Lloyd (Sybil Craig)
The Madame, Dizzy Malone, M. Mystere (misc.)
David Napoleon (nameless Gun Moll), Inspector Necker (misc.), Nena Sahib (Anarkalli)
Officer 444 (the Vulture)
Secret Agent X-9 (misc.), Hans Stosch-Sarrasani (Rita Flame-Hair)
Guy Vercheres, Von Kase (Lucy & Irma)
Hobo. There have always been homeless wanderers, from the Romany (Gypsies) to the Vagabonds to the more modern Gentlemen of the Road. But the 1920s and especially the 1930s saw an enormous increase in the number of men and women who roamed across various countries. In the 1920s the usual population of wanderers was added to by the “new poor,” the men and women left jobless by the post-World War One recession, by the deaths of wage-earners in the 1918 flu pandemic, and by the general destruction to infrastructures and economies caused by World War One. In the 1930s, the global depression sent millions from their homes in search of work or simply a new place to farm or even to just start over. In reality, the lives of men and women who were forced to abandon their homes in search of work were harsh, desperate, and dangerous. Work was hard to come by, food almost as difficult to find and rarely nutritious or even safe, townspeople suspicious, police inimical, travel life-threatening, and a greater-than-average percentage of fellow wanderers criminal, violent, or mentally ill. Yet, curiously, the pulps seemed to find the Hobo an attractive character to portray in a heroic and adventurous light.
Bagdad, Bill & Jim, Bob & Bo, G-X, Giglamps, Highway, Honk & Horace, Jimmie Jackson, Kiki, King Charlie, Placido, Boxcar Reilly, Rob Saunders, Slim Jim, Tommy Thorne
Jungle Hero. Tarzan (I) was not the first fictional Jungle Hero. But, while there were a number of characters in fiction who were abandoned as children and grew up as feral children, usually in jungles and usually acquiring the skills of animals–Kipling’s Mowgli is foremost among this group–Tarzan was in most cases the standard on which successive iterations of the Jungle Hero was modeled.
Black Diamond (woman), Bomba (I), Bos'n Hal (Rip)
Hein Class (N'gui), Betty Castleton
Kurt Danner (Jungle Queen), Darwa, Daughter of the Jungle, Tabu Dick, Valerie Drew (misc.)
Dick Hatteras, Hero of the Wilds, Hurricane (misc.)
Jan of the Jungle, Polaris Janess, Jim of the Jungle, Genius Jones, Jongor, Jubal, Jungle Girl, Jungle King, Jungle Queen
Ka-Zar, Ketelbinkie (Zartan of the Monkeys), Ki-Gor, Kioga (I), Kioga (II), Kroom, Kulafu, Kwa of the Jungle
Joan Lawrence, Lion Ruler of the Jungle, Lord of the Jungle, Lothel
Mala, Matalaa, Morgo the Mighty, M. Mystere (Panther Woman)
Sangroo, Savage Woman, Simon, Sindhu, Sojarr, Sorak, Spirit of the Forest, Doreen Stockwell
Tim Tyler (Mary),
Taishan, Tam, Tamar, Tani, Tarcaneta, Targa, Tarsa, Tarzan, Terramarear, Tiger Woman, Rolf Torring (misc.)
Wallner & Ring (misc.), Wama, Wild Boy
Zambo, Zed-29 (Tarzan of Korea), Zobi
Killer Vigilante. Since the 18th century Western adventure fiction has always privileged heroes who do not kill and who show mercy to their victims by allowing the legal system to punish them. The Western genre has the best formulation for the philosophy behind this: a hero fights barbarians, but sometimes a hero must use lethal force to fight barbarians–but in using lethal force, the hero becomes a barbarian. However, there have always been characters who chose murderous vengeance over socially sanctioned justice. The following is a list of these characters in the pulps. (This category does not include characters who are fighting in a war, since by definition they are soldiers or spies rather than vigilantes).
Black (III), Black Barr, Villiers Beethom-Saunders, Paul Bernard, Black Moth, Black Rider, Killer Blake, Guncat Bodman, Jim Buffalo, Ethan Burr
Jack Calhoun, Captain Mesquite, Nick Carter (I), Humphrey Challoner, Frank Clamart, Red Colt, Crimson Mask
Monsieur de Paris, Death Angel, Dormouse, Drago
Major John T. Lacy, Lady Ghost, Leatherface (I)
Marquis of Broadway, Minnalkodi, Mister Death (I), Mister Finis, Schuyler Montgomery, Frank Moran, Douser Mulligan
Octopus (II) (Skull Killer)
Park Avenue Hunt Club, Molly Pepper, Phantasma, Phantom Thief (II), Johnny Pike
Ranny Kid, Raul (II), Rawhide Terror, The Ringer
Satanas (III), Scorpion (II) (the Skull Killer), Senor Red Mask, Sign of the Twisted Tooth, Len Siringo, Spider (II), Stinger Seave
Dodo Temple, Three Vigilantes, Two Pistols
Perry Westbrook, Mr. Whimple, Whispering Monk, Whistler, White Rings, Keightley Wilbur,
Legionnaire. Characters in this category are members of the French Foreign Legion (rarely, the Spanish Foreign Legion), and their stories are about their actions fighting various evil North African (or, more unusually, Southeast Asian) peoples. The classic example of this sort of character is Beau Geste, from P.C. Wren’s Beau Geste. Characters who are members of the Legion but whose adventures are not primarily about fighting with the Legion against the natives, such as Ethan Drew, are not included here.
John H. Barrington, Otho Belleme, Bulldog Blade, Heinz Brandt
Derek Carrington, Rex Cator, Thibault Corday, Curialo & Withers
Danish Legionnaire, Raul de Velasco (I), Dirty Dogs' Club, Dreadnought Donovan, Sinclair Noel Brodie Dysart
Mister Jenkin (misc.)
Legionnaire (I), Legionnaire (II), Legionnaire (III), The Little Legionnaire
Jacques Radoub, Lieutenant Renkonen, Rolf Rodewald
John Silent, Spanish Legionnaires
Lost Race. The following is not a list of Lost Races, but rather of characters who encounter Lost Races or belong to them or rule them. A Lost Race can be defined as a culture or people who continue to exist, usually in geographic isolation, long after their original contemporaries have died out, so that Aztecs, Cro-Magnons, and the Lost Tribes of Israel are encountered in the present day in Lost Race fiction.
Olaf K. Abelsen (Inca), Adelita (Aztecs), Adventure Boys (Inca), Airship Boys (Aztec), El Alacran (Aztecs), Roberto Alcazar (misc.), Tom Anderson (ape-men), Antinea (Atlantis), James Armitage (Inca), Jack Armstrong (misc.), Atalanta (Mayans), Aztoc (Aztecs)
Bain Children (Chinese), Bantan (South Pacific), Barrow Brothers (Vikings), Clyde Beatty (misc.), Alejandro Bello (conquistadors), Knut Berg (misc., Egyptians), Blue Hawk (Aztecs), Hannibal Blunt (ocean floor), Boy Adventurers (El Dorado), Brick Bradford (misc.), John Bradford (Ottawas & Mohawks), Heinz Brandt (Inca), Buffalo Bill (Aztecs, White Indians of the Yucatan, misc.),
Capitan Misterio (African), Captain Justice (Amazon jungles), Carabao Men, Nick Carter (I) (misc.), Helen Chase (blind albino Romans), Sir Ralf Clifford (Inca), Connie (Inca, Tibetans), Pete Crane (white El Doradons)
Joe Dalton (Aztecs), Diana Daw (Egyptians), Deerslayer (Aztecs), Raphael Drale (Lost Tribes of Israel), Drome (Greeks)
Eva (II) (women)
Dick Ferris (dinosaurs)
Walter Goodwin (Persians), Ronald Gowan (misc.), Nicholas Graydon (white Peruvians), Maud Gregaards (city of Ophir)
Halloran (misc.), Ralph Hausen (dinosaurs), Dixon Hawke (misc.), Captain Holton (Teeheemen), Bob Hunter (II) (Aztecs), Hurricane (Aztecs, Maya, numerous others)
Iluko (misc.), Isban Israel (white Africans)
Jack, Doc & Reggie (misc.), Jan of the Jungle (colony of Mu), Polaris Janess (Greeks), Billy Jenkins (Aztecs), Jongor (entire land of Caspak)
Ka-Zar (misc), Kennedy (white Aztecs [sic]), Lord Kingsley (Inca), John Kling (Maya), Richard Knight (misc.), Horst Kraft (white Chinese)
Nelson Lee (white Giants of El Dorado, Romans), Captain Livingstone (misc.), Luvium, Mammoths, Victor Marshall (Mah-Eng), Roderick McKay (white Amazonians), Captain Morgan (Aztec, Inca, Maya, Maori), Francis Morgan (misc.), Phil Morgan (Inca, misc.), Stanley Morton (white Africans), Motor Boys (Seminoles), Motor Rangers (Bolivians), Miss Mousqueterr (Dodekhan), Mystery Boys (II) (Inca)
New Robinson (white Polynesians), Nick (techno utopia)
Larry O'Brien (Mesopotamians), Ozar of the Aztec (Aztecs)
Bronc Peeler (Aztecs), Dick Peter (misc.), Jurgen Peters (Ophir), Harry Piel (Tibet), Nat Pinkerton (escaped slaves)
Radio Boys (I) (Atlantis), Radio Boys (II) (Atlantis), Gail Reddick (misc.), Wanda Redeski (Cro-Magnons), Republica 3000, Rin-Tin-Tin (I) (subterranean techno-utopianists), Tex Ripley (Chinese), Rob the Rover (misc.), Rockheart (white native Mexicans), Rolf Rodewald (Inca, Maya), Romano (North Pole)
Samuel (subterranean super-city), Savaran (Quakers, Amazons), Alan Severn (Vikings), Sherwood (Inca), Sitting Bull (Mound Builders), Sky Buddies (Inca), Skyroads (misc.), Spanish Archaeologist (Maya), Spanish Engineer (Inca), Sam Steele (Atlanteans), Strang the Terrible (various), John Strong (various), Don Sturdy (Maya)
Tahara (blue-eyed Aryans in the Sahara), Tailspin Tommy (Inca), Tarzan (misc.), Texas Jack (Aztecs), Three Boy Scouts (Inca), Three Mesquiteers (misc.), Jim Tipton (white Aryans), Rolf Torring (Tibetans), Larry Trent (misc.), Two Kids (misc.), Tim Tyler (misc.)
Ultus (II) (Neanderthals)
Dick van Brunt (Aztecs), Pancho Villa (Maya)
Thunder Jim Wade (Cretans), Mack Wan (conquistadors), Billy West (Inca), Hal Wharton (Africans), White Horseman (Native Americans), Tex Willer (Maya), Wonder Island Boys (Atlanteans), Jack Wright (misc.)
Yukon (misc.)
Zorak (Andeans)
Loving Enemy. The “Loving Enemy” is the opponent of a story’s protagonist who also has romantic feelings for the protagonist, and who the protagonist is attracted to. But because the Loving Enemy is an enemy, the Loving Enemy and the protagonist cannot be together. In many (though not all) cases the pair are united in love by the end of the story, serial, or series. The quintessential Loving Enemy is Sexton Blake’s Mademoiselle Yvonne de Cartier, who would have been Blake’s wife if not for her criminal ways. (Irene Adler had respect for Sherlock Holmes, but not romantic affection).
Lord Barradine (Mary Fearn), Commandant Benoit (Erna Flieder), Black Masks (Lieutenant van Muhlen), Sexton Blake (Mlle. Yvonne), Blue Jean Billy (Robert Wood), Anna Brandt (Jack Dering)
Kid Calvert (Sheriff Terry), Captain Midnight (Luna White, the Moon Woman), Captain Storm (Muley el-Kadel)
Daring & Co. (Max Matmaddox), Theodore Drost (Seymour Kennedy), Detective Duck (Lady Baffles), Dixon Hawke (the Black Angel)
Jack Hilton (Maruska, Queen of the Time Bandits)
IXE-13 (Taya)
Jumelia (Debendra Bijoy Mitra), Jungle Jim (Shanghai Lil)
Ambrose Lavendale (female spy), Anne & David Layton (Chamorin), Lê Phong (Henriette Mai Hu'o'ng), Nelson Lee (Mademoiselle Miton the Black Wolf), Terry Lee (La Choi San, the Dragon Lady), Lone Eagle (II) (R-47)
Magician (II) (the Tigress), Mandrake the Magician (Narda), Mr. Mystic (Elena), Debendra Bijoy Mitra (Jumelia)
Noel Raymond (Rosina the Baffling), Buck Ryan (Zola Andersen), Ryhmy & Romppainen (Natalia Vengrovska)
Spirit (P'Gell)
Kate Westhanger (pursuing policeman)
Z-X-5 (Princess Alleja)
Lupin. A Lupin is a man (usually) of Society, of good breeding and good manners, who enriches himself, or simply earns his daily wage, through crime, all while carrying himself in a high style and dressing in the most au courant fashion. What separates the Lupin from the ordinary master thief is the joie de vivre with which the Lupin carries himself, and the taunting relationship he maintains with police. (This is why Zenith the Albino is not a Lupin: Zenith is filled with weltschmertz, not joy). The Lupin, like the Bellem and the Great Detective, is named after the archetypal example of the character form: Maurice Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin. Arsène Lupin was not the first Lupin. One can argue that the historical gentleman bandits of the 17th century were Lupins avant la lettre, and Lupin fiction began with Grant Allen’s Colonel Clay (1896-1897). Some partisans will continue to maintain that A.J. Raffles is the quintessential gentleman thief. But Arsène Lupin is a more memorable character, as well as being better written, and ultimately it was Lupin rather than Raffles who better embodied the character type and was more influential on other characters.
Heywood Achison, John Ainsley, Alaska-Jim (Silken Jimmy), Frank Allan (J. Hopkins), Arita Ryuzo, Audax, Avni (misc.)
Band of Seven (laughing thief), Count Basil, Stephen Benedict, Luc Berville (Paul Dufresnoy), Black Cat, Black Dragon, Black Knight (I), Black Spider, Blackshirt, Boston Betty, Boston Blackie, Felix Boyd (Karl Sleuger), Rolf Brand (misc.), Anna Brandt, Brenty, Dixon Brett (Black Eagle), Father Brown (Flambeau), Mack Bull, Baron Bunny, Yu Bu-ran, The Burglar
Cabriola, Bill Cannon, Jim Carly, Jim Carter, Cascarilla (I), Fred Caterpink, The Chameleon, Chinese Thief, Chucho el Roto, Samson Clairval, Hein Class (Leng Yok), Hamilton Cleek, Filip Collin, Charley Colmes (Knave of Spades), Cosgrove (Morgan), Crochard,
Daring & Co. (Max Matmaddox), Dark Lantern, Carter de Raven, Juan Del Duero, Lucien Delorme (misc.), Lloyd Demarest, Jack Desly, Daniel Desmond, Count Bindo di Ferraris, Riley Dillon, Dion, Bill Disley (Mr. Black), Doctor Niebla, John Doe (I), Guy Dorian, Dormouse, Valerie Drew (Marcelle Dauphine), Detective Duck (Lady Baffles), Baronet Duncan, Henri Dupie
Female Thief, Lindley Fenshaw (Ferris), Jack Forbes (Robinet), Colonel Forsythe, Mr. Fox, Will Fox, Harry Franklin, Jack Franklin (Jim Hundling), Fresquinho
Gagaklodra, Galaor, Gauner, Father Gomar, Gray Seal, Knut Gribb (Thomas Ryer), Griffard, Gu-Gu
Dr. Hanson, John Harrison, Ben Hassett, Hawker, Hermine, Raffles Holmes, Huo Sang (Lu Ping), Huang Ying
Yves Jarry, Jim-Joyce (Sir Fantasm), Jeremiah Jones, Marc Jordan (Comte de Cazales)
Kadri, King of Knaves, Ethel King (Stanford), William King, Lord Kingsley, John Kling
Robert Lacelles, Sophie Lang, Arsen Lapin, Tilki Leman, Lord Lister, Arsin Loupin, Lu Bin, Lu Ping, Arsene Lupien, Arsene Lupin
Alonzo MacTavish, Dan Maitland (Dan Anisty), Malabar, The Man in Purple, The Man with the Half-Mask, Georges Manolescu, Maud, Lady Mechante, Gerald Meldrick, Dirk Memling, Miss Robin Hood, Mister Nobody (II), Modern Thief, Moker, Inspector Morgan (I) (Gentleman Coggins), Phil Morgan (misc.), Antonio Mussolino, Jack Mylong (misc.)
Fred Parker (Monocle John), Bill Patmore, The Penman, Prince Petroff, Phantom of the Skyscrapers, Phantom Thief (I), Phantom Thief (II), Harry Piel (misc.), Fred Pinkerton (Gostin), Nat Pinkerton (misc.), George Edgar Pipe, Si Pitung, Max Pogge, Nic Pratt (Johnny Four Toes), Ramon Pujol
Dr. Quartz (Gaston Dupont)
Rafferty, A.J. Raffles, John C. Raffles (I), John C. Raffles (II), Lady Raffles, Noel Raymond (Rosina the Baffling), Recai, Red Glove, Red Mask (II), Red Rose, Ricimero, Rigadin, Thomas Robbers, James Robertson (various including Arsene Lupin), Robin, Maximo Roldan, Jens Rolf (Jimmy Brook), Rollanda, Rombadode, Kiriti Roy (Kaalo Bhromor), Clemens Rubby (misc.), Ruggiero
Dr. Salsya (Barney Branton), Saltarelli, Kornet Savinno, Eddie Savoy, Scarlet Fox, Sebastian, Shadow Crook, Tom Shark (Mac Norton), John Sharpe (The Iron Hand), Charity Sheen, Bob Sheridan, Radford Shone, Sigono, John Siloch (Ruder-Ox), Silver King (Spider), Silver Pistol Thief, Ananda Singh (Arasur Lakshmanan), Sir Fantasm, Lord Sister, Raden Soebrata (Patjar Koening), Hans Stark (misc.), Stingaree, John Strobbins, Baron Cesare Stromboli, Lord Stuart, Falcon Swift (Claude Montana)
Tenebras, Texan Wasp, Thief, Thief-Taker, Cecil Thorold, Three-Fingered Kate, Derek Tredgold
Captain Valentine, Paul van der Pool, Mrs. A.J. van Raffles, Guy Vercheres, Virakecari, Von Kase, Graf Harras von Kraft
Tip Walter (Man of Masks), Wat Song (Kang Lam Yan), Willums, John Wilson (various)
Za-la-Mort, Zigomar (III), Zogar, Zoraja
Mad Scientist. This category includes both the malicious and cruel and those who are merely insane and given to joyfully shouting “And they called me mad in school–MAD, I TELL YOU!”
Olaf K. Abelsen (Dr. Death), AC-12 (misc.), Adelita (misc.), Bernard Adrian, El Alacran (misc.), Frank Allan (misc.), Jimmie Allen (Prof. Partenon Proteus), Alraune (Dr. Ten Brinken), Apaches (III) (misc.), Claire Archer, Audaz (misc.), Avenger (II) (misc.)
Alan Baker (misc.), Bakterev, Professor Bandov, Professor Barter, The Bat (I), John Baxter (misc.), Jaime Bazan (misc.), Viola Beech (Franz Borg), Beiker (Dr. Burton), Knut Berg (Dr. Pang, Si Kahn), Big Chief Wahoo (Doctor Weerd), Biogeno (trio), Black Mask (III) (misc.), Dr. Blair, Blue Hawk (misc.), Boireau (misc.), Carlos & Marcos Bon (misc.), Boroff, Bos'n Hal (Doctor Cortex), Brick Bradford (misc.), Brain (Dr. Jaeger), James Brewster, Albert Brien (misc.)
Cameron, Lorenzo Cameron, Captain Justice (Garth Leopold, misc.), Dr. Caresco, Paul Carruthers, Cesar (misc.), Charlie Chan (misc.), Chandu (misc., Roxor), Charro Negro (II) (misc.), Deepak Chatterjee (misc.), Chinese Mad Scientist, Chinese Scientist, Richard Ciruguel, Cutty Clay (misc.), Sir Ralf Clifford (Chinese), Bill Cnox (Devil Professors), Colette (misc.), Copperhead (Doctor Satan), Paul Coriolos, Daniel Craig (misc.), Dr. Crespi, Walter Crummel (Eric Grausmann), Dr. Cusick
Ace Dallas (misc.), Kurt Danner (misc.), Pietro Darena, Jack Darrell (Borgmann), Darwa (Professor Silvio), Gil Dax (misc.), Jules de Grandin (misc.), Department Z (misc.), Professor Dexter, The Doctor (misc.), Doctor Death, Doctor Q, Doctor X, John Doe (I) (Dr. Gold), Richard Donovan (Franz Mueller), Richard Drake, Ethan Drew (Wise One), Colonel Dubois (misc.), Duke (Dr. Death), Paula Dupree (Dr. Walters, misc.), Dr. Dyenis
El Fantasma (misc.), Dr. Farrington, Jorn Farrow (misc., Dr. Singh Nokita), Felifax (Sir Edmund Sexton), Female Spy (Despaix), Dr. Flax, Dr. Forti, French Mad Scientist, French Scientist, Fu Manchu (II) (misc.)
Gadski, Garth (Mme. Voss, misc.), Bruce Gentry (Dr. Benson), Ghanada (Ludvic), Gilroy (misc.), Dr. Gogol, Colin Gray (misc.), Grey Claw, Tommy Grey, G-8 (Herr Doktor Krueger, many)
Dr. Eustace Hailey (misc.), Dr. Hallin, Harald Harst (Doctor Shing Guddai), Dixon Hawke (misc.), Harry Hill (misc.), Homunculus (Edgar Rodin), Homura Soroku (Dr. Otone), Hooded Terror, Hungarian Scientist, Hurricane (misc.), Hurricane Hutch (misc.)
Invisible Speedman (Doctor X), Robby Ix (Li-tang-ho), IXE-13 (misc.)
Jan of the Jungle (Doctor Bracken), Japanese Doctor, Japanese Mad Scientist, Genius Jones (John Harvard)
Princess Kah (Frankensteinian body-constructor), Kennedy, Professor Kern, Lord Kingsley (misc.), John Kling (misc.), Konserson, Korak, Kosmacs (Karl Dietz), Asbjorn Krag (Engineer Barra), Dr. Cornelius Kramm, Anton Krechet (misc.), Doktor Kuba
Arthur Lamb, Anthony Lance (misc.), Bradley Lane (Marnee), Dr. Laurence, Paul Lavond (Marcel), Doctor Lerne, Lord Lister (misc.)
Professor MacBeard, Mad Scientist (I), Mad Scientist (II), Mad Scientist (III), Mad Scientist (IV), Professor Magnus (Dr. Cicuta), James Mallaby (misc.), The Man From Nowhere, The Man with Two Heads (Dr. Lincoln), Mandrake the Magician (Luciphor, misc.), Richard Marlowe, Todd Marvel (Karl Kristian), Masaki, Master Magician (Ching Fu), Dr. Matto, Gaston Max (misc.), Albert Mayo (misc.), Mazalier (Marquis de Saint-Imier), Dan McCormick (Dr. Rigas), Dr. Meirschultz, Professor Merrivale, Ulrich Metz, Donald Millstein (Verensky), Miraculas (Prof. Spurtzheim), Miramar, Miramar, Mister District Attorney (misc.), Burton Montrose, Tom Morgan (Zaroff), Will Morton (would-be Frankenstein), Doctor Munsker, El Murcielago (Senor Z), M. Mystere (Breeder of Women)
Lee Nace (misc.), Yves Nedellec (misc.), New Eccentric Club (misc.), Myra North (Dr. Zero), Martin Numa (misc.), The Nyctalope (Oxus)
Octopus (II), Terence X. O'Leary (Count Joseph von Krassner), Dr. Ord
Doctor Palfrey (misc.), Fred Parker (various), Doctor Patki, Harry Piel (Professor Terlan, misc.), Nat Pinkerton (Doctor Myann), Ward Platt (Ainsworth), Posi & Nega (trio), Victor Poten, Preston, Professor Pye,
Radio-Phone Boys (misc.), John Rand (Velska), Reo Ratt (misc.), Ray (misc.), Dr. Reich, Dr. Renan, Paul Renault, Robert Renault, Douglas Renfrew (Speavy), Captain Richard (Dr. Marchesi), Dr. Rigas, Captain Rob (Lupardi), Robert & Sheyla (Katiff), Roberts & Co. (misc.), James Robertson (would-be Frankenstein), Jens Rolf (Doctor Mors), Dr. Rotwang, Kiriti Roy (Doctor Wong), Russian Scientist
Dr. Sangre, Dr. Santro, Fedor Ivanovitch Sarraskine, Dr. Savaard, Scorpion (II), Shark (Dr. X), Tom Shark (misc.), Ali Singh, Silent Smith (Nazis), Soviet Scientist, Spider Man (misc.), Spirou (Zorglub), Fritz Stagart (owner of the Horror Machine), Dr. Stander, Nick Starr (misc.), John Steel (Thuringian), Stegil, Madame Storey (misc.), Professor Strang, Philip Strange (misc.)
Tailspin Tommy (misc.), Harry Taxon (Indian), Thelma and Patsy (misc.), Doctor Thorkel, Three Boy Scouts (Dr. Moreau Lite), Toby (Lord Pety), Professor Tornada, Rolf Torring (Wonder Doctor, various), Pearl Travers (would-be Frankenstein), Terry Trimble (misc.), Grigorii Trirodov
Ultus (II) (misc.)
Jean Valhardi (misc.), Dr. Van Altermann, Dr. van Niemann, Guy Vercheres (misc.), Virus, The Voice (I), Andreas Vollmer
Mack Wan (misc.), Whitney Wheat (misc.), Tex Willer (the Master), John Wilson (Long Ben), Don Winslow (Dr. Centaur)
X-14 (Soviets)
Yuma (misc.)
Zed-29 (Microbe Maker), Dr. Zin, Dr. Ziska, Zolok, Alex Zorka, Dr. Zucco
Nüxia/Wüxia. A wüxia is a wandering Chinese knight errant, with nüxia being the female version. There were historical wüxia, emerging during the chaos of the Warring States period (403-221 B.C.E.), and protecting the weak and oppressed against the powerful and unjust. Wüxia appear in the historical record through the centuries and dynasties, only disappearing during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 C.E.). In Chinese fiction the nüxia and wüxia are as common, and symbolically potent, as the cowboy is in Western fiction. The nüxia/wüxia is a highly skilled warrior and martial artist. Often (though not always) their mastery of qi has allowed them to “fly over eaves and walk on walls,” hence the description of wüxia as “flying swordsmen.” Martial artists who lack these superhuman skills are not included in this category.
Bai Suying, Judge Bao (assistants), Black Cloak, Black Peony
Chang Mei (assistants)
Fang Yuqin, Fei Long, Feng, Five Nuxia, Flying Swallow, Flying Tiger, Fong Sai Yuk
Guan Xiugu, Gui Wu (I), Gui Wu (II)
He Yufeng, Hero of the Air, Hong Xiaoyuan, Huo Yuanjia
Jiangnan Swordswoman, Jigong (friends)
Lady in Red, Li Ch’ih-chün (misc.), Li Feifei, Li Mu Bai, Long Menghua (misc.), Louw Tjheng Tie, Aunt Lu
Ma Yongzhen, Magic Eye, Mistress of the Spear
Judge Peng (assistants), Pirate Queen (I)
Red Beauty (misc.), Red Butterfly, Red Lady, Rural Swordsman
Sam-neung, Seven Monks, Judge Shi (misc.), Shi Jianqiao
Wang Brothers, Wang Daolong, White Swallow
Yang Yuchun, Yi Zhimei, Yun Mei
Zhan Mubai, Zhao Lin (misc.),
Occult Detective. Occult detectives are those investigators, usually gentlemen amateurs rather than professionals, who specialize in cases involving the supernatural. Although the occult detective first appeared in the 19th century–the character usually described as the first major occult detective is J.S. Le Fanu’s Doctor Hesselius (1869-1872)–it was in the 20th century, and in pulp fiction, that the occult detective became a distinctive character type.
Baroda, Luna Bartendale, Ivan Brodsky
Thomas Carnacki, Lucian Carolus, Francis Chard, Rex Cole, Jr., Cranshawe, Sheila Crerar
Dr. Danton, Jeffery Darke, Jules de Grandin, Dr. Elias de Jong, Sar Dubnotal, Doctor Dyn
Karamahati, Dr. Karnac, Moris Klaw, Kram
Michael Leigh, Dr. James Livingstone
Dr. Martinus, Mascar the Mystic, John Meredith, Mesmer Milann, Minx, Mister X, Doctor Muncing
Miles Pennoyer, Psychic Detective, Hugh Docre Purcell, Judge Keith Hilary Pursuivant
Professor Raveleigh, Ravenwood, Arnold Rhymer, Jens Rolf
Derek Scarfe, Semi-Dual, Mark Shadow, Doctor Silence
Aylmer Vance, Teddy Verano, Rene Vergnaud, Norton Vyse
Scarsdale Waring, Pick Winkler, Dr. Xavier Wycherley
Planetary Romance Hero. A planetary romance can be defined as a romance (in the traditional sense) in which a human in the modern day travels to another planet or moon and has an adventure there, in much the same way that wanderers in more traditional folktales went into Faerie, adventured there, and returned home. (In a sense Peter Pan can be seen as a kind of Planetary Romance Hero). As used in this encyclopedia, it refers specifically to characters who go from Earth to only one planet during the story, rather than touring the solar system, which is why Mr. Absurdity is not a Planetary Romance Hero, tempting though it was to include him here. Arguably the archetypal Planetary Romance Hero is John Carter.
Frank Alison, Lester Allison, Professor Arnoux, Awlo of Ulm
Narcisse Barbidon, Bel (Tyman Currio), Bell, Bigelow, Doctor Brande
Philip Carewe, John Carter, Jason Croft
Joe Dal, Robert Darvel, Ray de Astur, Mark Dexter, Dash Dixon, Doctor Omega
Five Greeks (I), Admiral Fudge, Daniel Futrell
Fred Harding, William Haverfield, Hodomur
Karl Lindner, Professor Longhorn, Los
Martians (misc.), Milton, Mortimer and Summers, Serge Myrandhal
Jack Paladin, Professor Palmer, Professor Planetarios
Spaceman (I), Spaceman (II), Ned Spencer, Edmond Stonewall
Barton Thunder, Tintin (I), Tom (I)
Prehistoric Adventurer. Any character whose adventures take place before recorded history. (I.e., cavemen and cavewomen).
Ak, Alley Oop, Hok, Og, Tharn, Toka, Ug, Uk
Primates. Because, in the classic formulation of Chris Roberson, everything is improved by the judicious application of primates. (A.k.a., everything's better with monkeys). Also because primates are iconic creatures of the pulps.
Bernard Adrian (gorilla), Furio Almirante (Serafino), Tom Anderson (ape-men), Ape, Ariaman (de Mangro)
Babar (Zephir), Balaoo, Professor Barter (brain-swapped ape), Bazarada (apes of Gibraltar), Johnny Black (McGinty), Boireau (monkey), Bomba (I) (Doto the monkey), Bos'n Hal (intelligent ape-men), Boy Adventurers (missing link), Boy Explorers (Ape-Man of Sumatra), James Brewster, Beau Brummel
Charka, Helen Chase (strangler monkeys)
Professor Dangerfield (various), Kurt Danner (ape-men), Darwa (ape), Bruce Dayton (various), Mark Dexter (carnivorous intelligent apes), Doctor Satan (Girf), Doctor Dolittle (Chee-Chee), Drome (bat-winged apes), Robert Dupont (murderous ape-man), Paula Dupree
French Scientist (monkey-men), Fu Manchu (I) (Abyssinian man-baboon), Fu Manchu (II) (cigar-smoking monkey soldiers)
Gorilla King (Sun Wukong), Gorira, Colin Gray (Tibetan ape-men), Vrouw Grobelaar (were-baboons), G-8 (Herr Grun, Dr. Schlemmer's flying gorilla-men)
Wade Hammond (poisoner ape), Harkness & Bullard (ape-men)
Isaak & Benjamin (giant ape)
Jungle Girl (pet monkey)
Kennedy (Genghis Khan), Ki-Gor (monkey pal), King Kong (I), King Kong (II), King Kong (III), King Kong (IV), King Kong (V), King Kong (VI), Kinko, Coffin Kirk (Tank), Kulafu (various), Kwa (various)
Dr. Laurence (monkeys), Legionnaire (II) (ape-men), Pekka Lipponen (murderous apes), Lila Lisle (assistant monkey), Bruce Logan (talking apes), Jonathan Lowe (pet monkey)
Maenden, Master Magician (murderous Man-Monkey), Captain McTeague (Tricky Turner, McTeague), Mac Milford (missing link ape men), Kirk Montgomery (Zungu the missing link), Salto Mortale (I) (Jaxa the ape-man), Miyamoto Musashi (giant white ape of the mountains)
Dr. Ord (gorilla/ape-man)
Pao-Pao, Phantom X (gorillas), Nat Pinkerton (murderous orangutan), Princess Iron Fan (Su Wukong)
Sanford Quest (ape-man)
Reo Ratt (Kaku), Robert Renault (Noel), Clemens Rubby (murderous orangutan)
Sankichi, Ned Shackleton (missing links), Tom Shark (Ape of Benares), Sylvia Silence (Jacko), Sojarr (Truags), Spider Queen (Sun Wukong), Doreen Stockwell (Samson), Edmond Stonewall (telepathic Venusian primates), Madame Storey (Giannino)
Tahara (missing link ape-men), Targa (gladius-wielding gorilla gladiators), Tarzan (I) (various)
Wama (various), Whispering Gorilla, White Ponga, Woman in Scarlet (giant apes)
Dr. Ziska (Caliban)
Protagonists of Color. A half-truth that persists in popular and academic discourse about the pulps is that they were an all-white affair, with no people of color shown in them. To a limited degree this is true: certainly many pulps were deeply whitewashed. But as mentioned in my On Racism piece, there were a surprising number of POC characters in a large number of pulps--non-stereotypical POCs, the ones written to be as free of negative stereotypes as the writers could manage. In this the pulps were the superior of their more mainstream contemporaries, who usually never bothered to show POC at all, or did so in the most limited and racist of ways.
The following list--by no means exhaustive--is intended to show the range of Protagonists of Color in the pulps--by which mean all the pulp protagonists & all of their their sidekicks (and the pulp antagonists who have their own entry in this encyclopedia) who aren't considered white by white American society's current (extremely screwed-up) standards. So peoples from the northern coast of the Mediterranean are considered "white" and peoples from the eastern and southern coasts of the Mediterranean are not, despite the historical mixing of the two.
(Unfortunately, a number of the characters included in this list are racist stereotypes. That, too, was the nature of the pulps, and denying it does nobody any good).
Yayne Ababa, Abadahalla-Fan, Mr. Absurdity, Mr. Abukir, Ace of Spades (I), Adelita, Agent YZ7, Tsang Ah-bou, Air Bandit, El Alacran, Alaska Jim (Old Crow), Hassam Ali, Pawang Ali, Frank Allan (Sam), Amarbal, Amat, Mynheer Amayat, Ishmael Ameer, Aminah, Anantcin, Angel (I), Angrad, Jim Anthony, Antinea, Apache & Wagonwheel (Apache), Apaches (II), Arita Ryuzo, Colonel Robert Lee Ashley (Shag), Avenger (II) (Josh & Rosabel Newton), Ayesha, Aztoc
Miss B, Sundar Babu, Bahama Bill, Bai Suying, Byomkesh Bakshi, Judge Bao, Bara, Inspector Barkatullah, Baroda, Bimbashi Baruk, Abdulkasim Basri, Teofilo Batanes, Batouk, Johannes Baumgart, Dr. Belsidus, Yusuf ben Yakoud, Bengali Inspector, Kishkish Bey, Big Chief Wahoo, Big Head Detective, Bill (Chon), Bimal, Biogeno (Ortiz), Black Abbot, Black Bandit, Black Cat, Black Cheetah, Black Cloak, Black Dragon, Black Horse, Black Knight (I), Black Mask (I), Black Peony, Monsieur Blackshirt, Bloody Hand, Blue Blaze (Eagle-Eye), Blue Hawk (Sheba), Blue Man, Blue Pete, Bokulmoon, Bomba (II), Napoleon Bonaparte, Border Bandit (misc.), Arindam Bosu, Botak, Leo Brandhorst, Bugwine Breck, Yu Bu-ran, Buffalo Bill (Lung Hi, misc. native friends), Burmese Swordsman, Ethan Burr (Sam Ming)
Cagayous, Steel Callaghan (Khan Sahib Yusuf Latif), Ethel Calvert (Dr. Oshida), Lightnin' Calvert (misc.), Roman Calvo, Campu, Cankarlal, Capitan Misterio (Pancho), Captain Mors (misc. crewmen), Captain Storm (Muley el-Kadel), Tom Cardiff (misc. Onondaga), Dr. Caresco, Ken Carr (Julep), John Carruthers (Krishna), Hawk Carse (Friday), Nick Carter (I) (Ten-Ichi), Pepe Carter (Coco), Cha Erlang, Chaka, Charlie Chan, Chan Li Po, Chanda-Lung, Chandu (Nadji), Mr. Chang, Chang Mei, Charlie, Charro Negro (I), Charro Negro (II), Deepak Chatterjee, Cheng-Tu, Chibisuke, Chinese Detective, Chinese Gamine, Chinese Ghosts, Chinese Mad Scientist, Chinese Pirates, Chinese Scientist, Chinese Settlement, Chinese Spies, Chinese Spy, Chinese Thief, Chinese Woman, Chinese Vampire, Chinese Vampires, Chinese Zombie, Charlie Chong, Chu-Sheng, Chucho el Roto, Chuda (his twin), Dr. Chung, Ciclon (II) (Mootar Bin), Cigale (Doctor Mystery), Cisco Kid, Terry Clane (Yat T'oy), Jeff Clayton (Pong), Clifford (Chandra Pal), Conch Island, Le Droit Conners, Vincent Connor (Chang), Corson (Nueces), Pepe Cortes, Dr. Cranfield, Cranshawe (Japanese valet), Baltimore Criddle, Fabian Crum (Aga Aslan), Walter Crummel, Cuban Man, Werumeus Cuyk
Dakota Dan (Chief Kicking Horse), Dankichi, Dr. Danton (everyone), Dare-to-Die Fighters, Daring Damsel, Robert Darvel (Hindu Prince), Darwa (Lotec), Daughter of the Jungle, Abel Daunt (Itoya), Daxo, Deadly Peasant, Deccan Queen, Deerslayer (Eagle Eye), Detective Nobody (Keigo), Detective No. 55, Detective's Wife, Devi, Savita Devi, Diamondstone (Absalom), Lieutenant Diego, Digambara Monk, Wan Teroena Djaja, Doctor Q, Dreamy Dorkin (Chato), Abdul Dost, Drabczyk (Cherokee Al), Dragoman, Dragour (Kotman Dass), Dr. Duarte, Nita Duboin, Derwent Duff (Chin-Chin), Dukun, M. Dupont (Koufo), Dr. Dyenis, Dynamite
Eagle Eyes (White Feather), Tom Eagle, Easy Street Experts (Chinese valet), Ebony, Egyptian Clerk, Eight Immortals, Dr. Gar el Hama, Elang Emas, Pieter Elberveld, Electrical Expert, Enggang Enggap, Engineer, Estimaco, Chew Evans
Professor Fabricius, Falcon (II), Jeff Fanchon, Fang Yuqin, Fascinax (Hadaly), Fei Long, Felifax, Feng, Gordon Fife (Ali), Filipino Detective, Five Nüxia, Flying Boys (Bohunkus Johnson), Flying Swallow, Flying Tiger, Fong Sai Yuk, Dr. Forti, Frankenstein, Fu Manchu (I), Fu Manchu (II), Fu Manchu (III), Fuermoshi, Fuhrman Chu, Fuji, Fukuchan
Gagaklodra, Dr. Gallardo, Gand'oki, Jo Gar, Gatunga, Crispin Gaunt (porters), Ge Nenniang, Ghanada, Ghost Face, Glen Gibson (Harry Lee Sung), Gobindoram, Golden Jackal, Golden Mask, Gong, Gotya, Gray Phantom (Dulla), Colin Gray (Limbu), Green Hornet (Kato), King Green, The Griffin, Battling Grogan (Ah Im), Guan Xiugu, Sherlock Guck, Gui Wu (I), Gui Wu (II), Guna & Cidra, The Guru
Hansa, Hanshichi, Dick Hard (Toto), Hawk (III), Marshal Hawke (Pompey), Hawkeye (II), He Yufeng, Amos Henderson (Washington White), Hercules (Dr. Diego Arroyo), Hermine, The Hero of the Air, Hero of the Wilds, Isaac Heron, Pablo Herrera (nameless African sidekick), Sam Hilton (Sosepsis), Hind Kesari, Hindi Inspector, Hiroshi, Maung Hmaing, Hok Song, Sorolakkho Hom, Homura Soroku, Hobart Honey (Tibetan lama), Hong Xiaoyuan, Mortimer Hood ("gigantic negro" assistant), Hu Luting, Hu Xian, Mr. Huang, Huang Ying, Huang Zhisheng, Huapactzin, Hukkakashi, Professor Hunshiyarer, Bob Hunter (II) (Red Ben Hunger), Hunterwali (everyone), Huo Sang, Huo Yuanjia, Hurricane (Lost Race Aztecs), Rex Huxford (Zipp)
Nikolai Ignatiev (Yellow Peril mandarin), Iko Terouka, Alhaji Imam, Indian Pilot, Indian Policeman, Indian Superhero, Indian Thief, Indian Vampire (I), Indian Vampire (II), Indian Vampire (III), Indian Woman, Injun & Whitey (Injun), Invisible Man (II), Iron Man, Iron Mask, Ishmeddin, Ito-Naki
Jampulinkam, Janaki, Japanese Doctor, Japanese Farmer, Japanese Inventor, Japanese Mad Scientist, Japanese Patriots, Japanese Policeman, Japanese Scientist, Billy Jenkins (Hunting Wolf), Jinx Jenkins, Jiangnan Swordswoman, Jigong, Jim Big-Knife, JimGrim (many), Jin Yaose, Jupiter Jones (I) (Sylvester), Shagbark Jones (Black Pete), Unofficial Jones, Vermilion Jones (White Mule), Zig Jones (Bolshevik Sparks), Juan Sin Miedo, Jumelia, Jungle Jim (Kolu), Jungle King, Jungle Queen, Junilla, Julio Jurenito
Princess Kah, Kai Lung, Kaibutsu, Nesho Kaik, Kala Naag, Kam Fung Chi, Kamizu Kyosuke, Solomon Kane (N'Longa), Ala Kasarib, Kee-On-Ee, Keiichi & Susumu, Ken (Pago), Dick Kent (Toma), Khabir, Chin Kwang Kham, Asaf Khan, Kharduni, Khlit, Khyzil Kaya, Ki-Gor (Timbu George, N'Geeso), Kid Montana (Rubriz), Kimo, Kindaichi Kosuke, King of Diamonds, King of the Cliffs, Ken King (Koko, Danny), Socks Kinsella (Eddie), Kio-Hako, Kioga (I) (Mokuyi), Dr. Kitsura, Kituk, Moris Klaw (Isis), Loke Klingsor, The Knight, Ko Daung, Komako Koa, Kogoro Akechi, Sun Koh (Jack Holligan), Koji, Korean Boys, Kovintan, Kowa, Koyala, Horst Kraft (Mokitu), Doktor Kuba, Kulafu, Kumar, Kunlun Monks, Kurama Tengu, Kuroda Morio, Vicitra Kuta, Kwan Ah Hing, Kwo Sung Tao
Lady Cavalier, Lady Ghost, Lady in Red, Lady of the Roses, Ladyland, Narayan Lal, Lampiao, Lao Can, Leatherface (II), Lee Fu Chang, Gaff Lee, Lucio Leon, Leyak, Li Ch’ih-chün, Li Fei, Li Feifei, Li Ku Yu, Li Lung, Li Meng, Li Moh, Li Mu Bai, Li Shoon, Li-Sin, Lim Quong, Lion Man (II), Lion Ruler of the Jungle, Little Orphan Annie (Punjab), Lo-Peng, Lobangu, Lone Eagle (I), Lone Ranger (Tonto), Long Menghua, Lord of the Jungle, Arsin Loupin, Louw Tjheng Tie, Aunt Lu, Fourth Madam Lu, Judge Lu, Lu Bin, Lu Ping, Luis
Ma Yongzhen, Mabo, Mad Scientist (IV), Jose Manuel Madero, Magic Boy, Magic Eye, Magician (I), Magician (II), Mah le Sinistre, Mah-Topa, The Major (Jim), Mala, Mandrake the Magician (Lothar), Frank Manley (Inow Sato), Mary Manners, Margaret, Pablo & Sidney (Sidney), Richard Marlowe (Nicholas), Martians (misc.), Masaki, Juan Masili, Masked Cavalier, Masked Rider (I), Masked Rider (II) (Blue Hawk), Masked Terror, Jigger Masters (Mitsui), Idon Matambayi, Sadiu Mattchu, Jan Mayen (Clive), Violet McDade (Nevada Alvarado), Captain Craig McKenzie (Simba), Mendax (II), Bhaskara Menon, Patjar Merah, Mariano Mercado, John Meredith (Yussuf Khan), Frank & Dick Merriwell (Young Joe Crowfoot), Padre Metri, Mr. Middleton (Emir Achmed Ben Daoud), Minnalkodi, Si Mirah, Mister E (Ling Su), Mr. Mystic (Council of Seven), Mistress of the Spear, Debendra Bijoy Mitra, Moab, Moctezuma, Mohan, Maria Molambo, Momotaro (I), Momotaro (II), Dr. Morel, Dr. Ralph Morgan (misc.), Mister Moto, Motor Cycle Chums (Wing Lung), Mu-Fa, Muththaiyan
Nameless Hero, Nan, Nan Guotai, Nancy, Nanuk, Nara-Nara, Natas, Eyene Ndongo, Neera, Pancho Negrete, Nena Sahib, New Leatherstocking (Tungas), Ng' Kee He, Ninja Boy, Ninja Woman, Niu Bi Zi, Harold Noice (Keyto), Dick Norton (Wanagu), November Joe, Nyctalope (Gno Mitang)
Oceyolotl, Oda Kazuenosuke, Officer 777, Ogino Shigeji, Ogon Batto, Oka-Shima, Oka-Yuma, Sadipe Okukenu, Old Mandy, Pat O'Maley (Loup), Omar, Omar the Black and Omar the Red, Onogawa Kisaburo, Ooka Echizen, Terrence O'Reilly (Prince Vinnie), Osman
Pa-Phu, Quentin Pace (Henry Fuller), Maria Padilha, Padmavati, Padmini, Mike Palabras, Joe Palooka (Smoky), Park Avenue Hunt Club (Wu), The Parson, Patmacani, Patoruzu, Pawney Bill, Pedro & Lourenco, Bronc Peeler (Little Beaver), Pel Pelham (circus folk), Peluk, Judge Peng, Pete (I), Pete (II), Dick Peter, Eric Peters, Ma Pettengill (Lew Wee), Phantom (II), Phantom (III) (Jungle Patrol, Guran), Phantom Crook (Soo Hoo Duck), Phantom Thief (II), Phaster Phene, Pirate Queen (I), Si Pitung, Placido, Plum Blossom, Juan Poker, Victor Poten, Prempeh, Peter Prime (Ahnotah), Prince of Gamma, Princess Iron Fan, Prosecutor, Purple Hood, Maung Pyon Cho
Qiao Mao, Gimiendo Hernandez Quinto, Quong Lee
Ragabouche, Navajo Tom Raine (various Dine'), The Rajah, Rajput, Rakshita, Swami Ram, Pepe Ramirez, Rankanatan, Chander Rao, Raul (II), Ravenwood (Nameless One), John Rawlinson (Khorasan), Prince Raynor (Eblik), Red Archer, Red Beauty, Red Butterfly, Red Dragon, Red Falcon (Sika), Red Lady, Red Plume, Red Raider (Fu Ching), Red Shadow (Riff warriors), Red Whirlwind, Red Wolf, Gail Reddick, Dr. Renan, Reporter, Republica 3000, Carlos Ribera, Roberto Ricardo, Rifle Certero, Rio Kid (Celestino Mireles), Prince Ritudhwaja, Friar Robusto, Roeslan, Rokambul, Maximo Roldan, Nick Roldan, Rombadode, Si Ronda, Rural Swordsman, Captain Rybnikov, Red Ryder (Little Beaver)
Indian Joe Saddle, Sagadaung-za, Rama Sahib, Captain Sakuragi, Sam-neung, Samsoel'bahri, San Mao, San Sha, Sanders (Bosambo), Sandokan, Domingo Santos, Loreto Santos, Saotome Mondonosuke, Dr. Lao Sars, Sarutobi Sasuke, Saudamini, Rob Saunders (Rufe), Doc Savage, Savage Woman, Secret Agent X-9 (Filipino valet), Secret Policeman, Seiichi Moriyama, Semi-Dual, Seven Monks, The Shadow (I) (Ming Dwan, Jericho Druke), Shankar, Shen Fu, Judge Shi, Shi Jianqiao, Shooting Gallery Kid, Baron Shtyurk, Sier Djoon, Silver Pistol Thief, Antonio Silvino, Simba, Simmering Sands (Ah Wong), Jim Sin, Sindhu, Ali Singh, Ananda Singh, Rama Singh, Virendra Singh, Sir John, Sitting Bull, Skulls of Terror, Walt Slade (Estevan), Florian Slappey, Smilin' Jack (Fat Stuff), Aurelius Smith (Langa Doonh), Don Alvarado y Miraflo Smith, K.C. Smith (Mohammed Ali), Say-and-see Smith (Ninh Bang), Ugly Smith (Kamaka), Raden Soebrata, Song Dangping, Song Wuqi, Sonia, Sorak, Soroku Komuro, Souw Lian Eng, Spider (I) (Togo), Spider (II) (Ram Singh), Spider Queen, Spirit (Ebony White), Spirit of the Broom, Red Steele, John Steppling (Hi Ling), Bob Sterling (Pancho), Ed Stone (One), The Stranger, Street Thug, Strongarm, Dick Sttirling, Sturmvogel (Old Grey), Sugata, Sugita, Raden Sukarman, Los Supersabios, Allan Swain (Ho Fou), Swamba, Tom Swift (Eradicate Sampson, Koku)
Abu Tabah, Tahara (Mahatma Sikandar), Taishan, Takuji, Pancho Talero, Talia, Tam (Lozong), Tanavan, Tange Sazen, Tao Ger, Tecumseh, Thet-pyin, Chuck Thompson (Jigaboo Jones), Three Good Men (Diego de Abules), Three Samurai, Thunderbolt (II), Tim & Tom (Tom), Ting-a-ling, Si Tjonat, Togo Fujio, Tokichi Kuginuki, Tom (II), Tong-Khan, Rolf Torring (Pongo), Ted Towers (Ali), Martin Track (Grip, Japanese servants), Silver Trent (Gracia, Pablo the Pious), Sir George Llangolen Trevor (Abdool Mohammed), Mark Turner (Wu Sing), Billy Two-Fox, Two Swords Nuxia, Hugh Tyrone (Babe Jefferson)
Uha, Uirassu, Umlosi, Umon Kondo
Vaiti, Vantolio, Vincente the Yaqui, Virakecari
Wa Lee, Wan Tengri (Bourtai), Wat Song, Sparky Watts (Yoo Hoo), Dick Welland, Wen Suchen, Wennonga, Wenonah, Harry Wharton (Hurree Jamset Ram Singh), White Eagle (I) (various Indigenous Americans), White Eagle (II) (No Thunder), White Phantom (various Indigenous Canadians), White Swallow, White Twister, Lee White (seven Bambegna), Wildcat (I), Wildcat (II), Tex Willer (Tiger Jack), Hurricane Williams (various Samoans & Tongans), Jack Wilson (Native companion), Wing, Wing Loo, Winoga (I), Winoga (II), Wo Fan, Wolf of Kabul (Chung), James Lee Wong, Mister Wong, Peter Wong, Wong Sun, Wu Fang (I), Wu Fang (II), Wu Fang (III)
Yalishi, Yama Koto, Yang E, Yang Yuchun, Mr. Ye & Ms. Huang, Yellow Ghost, Doctor Yen Sin, Yi Zhimei, Yika Trio (Komm), Maung Yin, Yorga (Indian yogi), Young G-Man, Young Samurai, Young Wild West (Charlie Watson, Hop Wah, Wing Wah), Mock Don Yuen, Yuha, Yun Mei
Zalor, Zambo, Zeng Fuchou, Zenigata Heiji, Zhan Mubai, Zhao Lin, Zhong Kui, Zigomar (I) (Romany), Zigomar (II), Zigomar (III), Zigomar (IV) (Chi Yang), Khun Zivan, Zobi (various)
Rootless Veteran. The global economy underwent a recession following World War One. Such things usually happen after wars—wartime economies shift to peace economies, returning soldiers swell the ranks of the unemployed, and so on—but the war had badly damaged the industries and infrastructure of the European countries, caused countries to borrow money to pay for the war effort (which led to inflation), wiped out a significant percentage of the labor force, caused countries to incur large war debts, and removed the Russian market entirely. The post-WW1 recession lasted until the mid-1920s in Europe.
Because of this recession, many soldiers newly returned home were unable to find work and became the “New Poor.” Beyond their poverty and inability to get a job, they also suffered from a disconnection from society and a perceived lack of purpose or place. In reality many of these joined politically activist organizations, left-wing, right-wing, pacifist, or (in the United States in the early 1930s) the Bonus Army. In fiction, these soldiers, the Rootless Veterans, became adventurers, master thieves, and vigilantes. Unlike most of the other categories in this appendix, the Rootless Veteran is usually only the starting point for the character, rather than the eventual destination. (Demobbed veterans who return to the comfortable lifestyle they had before the war, like Colonel Cloudsdale and Victor Caryll, are not included here).
Tommy & Tuppence Beresford, Brigand, Wireless Bryce, James Clarkson-Perry, Jimmie Cordie, Harry Dangerfield, John Davies, Clive Dorry, Bulldog Drummond, Gang-Smasher, Peter Kerrigan, Major John T. Lacy, Roderick McKay, Tiny Meldrum, Phantom Detective, Scarlet Fox, Steeley, Substitutes, Limited,
SCIENCE!. In pulp fiction there is science, which is usually related however tangentially to ordinary physics, chemistry, and biology, and there is SCIENCE!, which involves fantastic inventions, creations, and conceits which are entirely impossible but which would be explained by the characters involved with their creation by a hand-wave and a triumphant “I created it using SCIENCE!”
Ace Ainsworth, Wenzel Aporius, Armando (misc.), Atalanta (Professor Dodd)
Professor Barter, The Bat (I), Dr. Belsidus, Victor Blake, Boy Inventors
Captain Future, Captain Justice (Science City), Doctor Caresco, Fred Cawthorne, Chinese Mad Scientist, Clev, Doctor Conklin
Dr. de Brutel, Derrickson Dene, Professor Diel, Doctor Death, Doctor Satan
Thomas Alva Edison, Elektropolis, Ell, Tom Emerson, El Espectro (Professor Zacary)
Dr. Flax, Timm Fox (Captain Black), Dr. Fulminate
Gadget Man, Sparkington Gapp, Gentleman of the Air, Ben Gleed, Walter Goodwin (Murians), Gorm (Uraniden), Sam Graves
Hidden Hand, Homura Soroku (Dr. Otone)
Jack, Jerusalem, JimGrim (Atlantean city in the Gobi Desert), Jin Yaose (gyno-utopia)
James Kestner, John Kling (misc.), Loke Klingsor, Sun Koh
Ladyland, Bradley Lane (Marnee), Lemurian Documents, The Lightning
The Man From Nowhere, MariPepa, Mazalier, Captain Craig McKenzie, Mentorians, Miraculas, Charlie Moran (Professor Moran), Phil Morgan, El Murcielago
Nan Guotai, Number 3, The Nyctalope (Baron Glo von Warteck)
Terence X. O'Leary (captive scientists)
Padmavati, Pharaoh, Harry Piel (Professor Terlan), Victor Poten, Professor Powerby
Professor Radium, Reo Ratt (misc.), Lance Reardon (Reardon & Captain Mephisto), The Red Circle (various), Republica 3000, Rin-Tin-Tin (I) (Chinese), Buck Rogers (Dr. Huer)
Sankro (Professor Crucius Henneken), Doc Savage, The Shark (Dr. X), Scientific Silas, Spanish Explorers (Polar Vampire), Stanley Stanfield (Ward Barnett), Professor Strang, Sunbeam Valley
Titan (II) (father of Bruce)
Fernando Zabal, Khun Zivan, Zolok, Zorak, Alex Zorka co
Scientific Detective. A “scientific detective” is a detective who uses the most modern scientific devices–a point the stories emphasize, repeatedly and at often tedious length–to solve crimes, and whose solutions to mysteries comes as a result of his or her scientific theories and devices. The archetypal Scientific Detective is Craig Kennedy.
Charles Dagett, Detective Duck
Dr. Feather, Charlie Fenwick, Alan Ford, Kenyon Ford
Dr. Daniel Goodrich, Panther Grayle
Arnold Keene & Bernard Young, Craig Kennedy, Blackstone Kent
Professor Armand Macklin, Magnum, Till Marks, Dr. Jeffrey McNeill
Doctor Thorndyke, Luther Trant
The Voice (I) (Shirley),
South Seas Adventurer. The “South Seas adventurer” is a wandering character, usually a sailor, who travels around the islands of the South Pacific and finds adventure there.
Bantan, Captain Barrett, Bellow Bill, Binnacle Jim, Typhoon Bradley, Bob Braybrooke, Coppernob Buckland
Jack Cameron, Captain Careless, Hein Class (Chinese & Americans), Cock-Eye, Corrigan
Jorn Farrow (misc.)
Ponga Jim Mayo, Gwenn McKay, Captain McTeague, Tod Moran
Sam, Sigurdson, Singapore Sammy, Captain Slocum, Ugly Smith, Stinger Seave
Rolf Torring (Java Jim)
Spinster Detective. The “spinster detective” is an elderly, unmarried, female amateur detective whose crime-solving acumen is larger than the male police who fail to solve the crimes she succeeds at. The archetypal Spinster Detective is Jane Marple.
Adelaide Adams, Amanda & Lutie Beagle, Minnie Birch, Hester Gregg, Jane Marple, Daisy Jane Mott, Rachel Murdock, Matilda Perks, Miss Phipps, Maud Silver, Jane Sprood, Ethel Thomas, Matilda Townsend, Lace White, Hildegarde Withers,
Superhuman. This category is broadly defined as including any human being who has abilities which are impossible in our world, from various psychic abilities to greater-than-human physical abilities to magic powers. This category does not include individuals who rely on tools or weapons to grant them superhuman abilities. (Which is why Kimball Kinnison is not here). Casual observers of the pulps have traditionally been under the impression that a large number of pulp characters were superhuman, while certain pulp aficionados have stridently denied that any pulp characters had superpowers. As can be seen from the following list, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
AC-12 (misc.), Dr. Payson Alden, Hassam Ali, Alraune, Amarbal, Atalanta, Avenger (II), Aztoc
Baldies, Dan Barry, Luna Bartendale, Beiker, Bel, Black Bat (II), Black Diamond, Black Mask (III) (mesmerist), Black Raven, Blue Man, Bokulmoon, Shirley Bowman, Old King Brady, Victor Brand, Mister Brent, Billy Brown, Ben Bryn
Cagliostro, Capitan Misterio, Captain Hazzard, Captain Zero, Max Carrados, Dr. Carson, Celestia (Stilleter), Chandu, Mr. Chang, Chibisuke, Chu-Sheng, Ciclon (I), Ciclone, Hamilton Cleek, Colossus, Cat Colt, Le Droit Conners, Norman Conquest, Corsair X, Sheila Crerar, Dr. Theodore Cunliffe
Hugo Danner, Daxo, Dr. de Brutel, Major Dean, Lucien Delorme, Doctor Dolittle, Dexter Drake, Drude, Sar Dubnotal, Robert Dupont, Paula Dupree, John Durston, Dr. Dyenis
Pussy Fane, El Fantasma, Fascinax, Felifax, Phil Flash, Solange Fontaine, Frankenstein
Gagaklodra, Dr. Godfrey, Golden Amazon, Golden Mask, Jubal Grail, Green Lama
Colin Haig (Mme. Vanderdonk), Hugo Hercules, Robert Herne, Harry Hill, Jack Hilton, Hodomur, Hogbens, Hiram Holliday, Kay Hoog (Lio-Sha), Horse-Sense Hank, Tom Hypnos
Phileas Immanuel, Invisible Man (I), Invisible Man (II), Iron Man (opponents)
Jolly Jack Johnson, Eddie Jones, Marc Jordan (Comte de Cazales), Jumelia
Kachinskiy, Ketelbinkie, Athelstan King (mahatma), Hugo Kipp, Klara, Moris Klaw, Loke Klingsor, Richard Knight, Koyala, Kram
Lady Ghost, Andrew Latter, Pippi Longstocking, Lothel, Letty Lou, Lubineski
Doctor Mabuse, Magic Boy, Magic Eye, Magician (I), Magician (II), Mala, Man with a Thousand Faces, The Man with the Molten Face, Frank Manley (Inow Sato), Mary Manners, William Manners, Diana Marburg, Dr. Martinus, Dan McCormick, Captain Craig McKenzie, Squeakie Meadows, Patjar Merah, Warren Mercer, Olga Mesmer, Mesmerist, Mexican Man, Miramar, Mr. Mystic, Mister Nothing, The Mocker, Momotaro (I), Momotaro (II), Phil Morgan, Dr. Ralph Morgan, Aarn Munro, El Murcielago, M. Mystere (WW2 veterans)
Andre Narcy (Living Men), Natas, Neera, Jack Nelson (Ta Clo), Night Wind, The Nyctalope
Ogon Batto, Omar, Scarlet O'Neil, Neils Orsen, Owl Witch
Pao Tcheou, Fred Parker (mesmerist), Doctor Patki, Patsy (Phantom Magician), Dr. Brian Pellie, Miles Pennoyer, Phantasma (murderous mesmerist), Phantom (I), Pharaoh, Phaster Phene, Pa Pinkelman, Si Pitung, Popeye, Prince of Gamma, Princess Radost, Psychic Detective
Swami Ram, Chander Rao, Raul (II), Ravengar, Ravenwood, Vera Ray, Red Knight, Dr. Rigas (gangster test subject), Rolf Rodewald (misc.), Jens Rolf, Joe Rollon, Janos Rukh, Russian Strongman
Sankro, Dr. Santro, Sarutobi Sasuke, Alexander Sejr (Dr. Stefan Grange), Semi-Dual, The Shadow (I), Doctor Silence, Herve Silenrieux, John Smith (II), Still Face, Philip Strange
Tahara, Targa, Tarsa, Dr. Taverner, Rolf Torring (Tibetans, Indian shah), Silver Trent, Don Triqui, Grigorii Trirodov
Aylmer Vance, El Vengador, Andreas Vesalius, Virus, Dotty Virvelvind, The Voice (I), Dr. Voluntas, Claire Voyant, Norton Vyse
Waldo the Wonder Man, Artie Waters, Sparky Watts, Pam Wayne, White Twister, Tex Willer (Mefisto), Wilson, George Witherspoon, Wolf-Devil, Dr. Xavier Wycherley
Zalor, Zara, Dr. Zarkov, Khun Zivan (mystic lamas of Tibet)
Tall Tale Teller. As long as men have been interested in sex, fishing, and drinking, there have been tall tale tellers, whose stories are as rich in entertainment as they are poor in truthfulness. As far as pulp fiction is concerned, the archetypal Tall Tale Teller was Karl Friedrich Hieronymous, Baron von Münchhausen (1720-1797), immortalized in Rudolf Raspe’s Baron Münchhausen's Narrative of His Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia (1785) and imitated by characters in this book in various ways, including Baron Münchhausen (II).
Bobby Benson (Windy Wales), Thibault Corday, Curly, Baron de Crac, Doctor Dogbody, Lefty Feep, Ghanada, Henry Gibson, Boomer Jones, Cal Jones, Joseph Jorkens, Karmesin, Colonel Heeza Liar, Murchison Morks, Baron Munchhausen (II), Mr. Pagett, Rawhide Rawlins, Red Saunders, Josh Stebbins, Windy Willy,
Unlucky Inventor. A recurring character type in science fiction of the pulp era is the brilliant inventor whose creations never quite work out as planned, with wacky zaniness resulting.
Bagley, Professor Branestawm, Archibald Catfitz, Centerbe Ermete, Mr. Fosdick, Harley Gale, Sparkington Gapp, Dr. Hackensaw, Mr. Hawkins, Professor Hicks, Professor Homer Higginbottom, Henry Horn, Professor Jephtha Jonkin, Mendax (I), Jerome Mudgewood, Pat Pending, Professor Persikov, Hiram Pertwee (I), Tubby, Uncle Silas, Haskel van Manderpootz, Professor van Wagener, Professor Wagner, Oscar Wilbury, Tadbury Wimple, Dr. Xenophon Xerxes Zapt,
Wanted Man. A stand-by of pulp fiction (in any medium) is the Wanted Man, the innocent man (or woman) wrongly accused who has to forever wander, one step ahead of the police.
Olaf K. Abelsen, Nick Albert, Apache & Wagonwheel (Apache)
Captain Montana, Hawk Carse (Leithgow), Comanche Kid, The Convict, Jim Curry
Dick Darrell, Terry Dennis, Dodge City Kid, John Doe (II), Bert Donaldson, Buck Duane
Firebrand (II), Flying Justice, Captain Frass, Nick Fury
Rowdy Lang, League of Avengers, Leikhveis, Long Sam Littlejohn, Arsene Lupien
Pinto Martin, Masked Rider (II), Rod Mason, Mavericks (Flint Maddox), Tensleep Maxon
Secret 6, Sigurdson, Silver Buck, Spring-Heeled Jack, Flash Steele
Sonny Tabor, Tonto Kid (I), Two Pistols
What's All This, Then. The What’s All This, Then is a specific type of policeman usually seen in British detective fiction, although they are not unknown to American mysteries. The What’s All This Then is blundering, blithe, officious, not overly intelligent but cunning, cheerful, and close to (if not stepping over the line into) bullying–the type of policeman who will intrude into any situation with a loud “What’s all this, then?”
William Beef, P.C. Belbin, John Boddy, Bloodhound Brant, Inspector Byrne
Laurence Gilmartin, Inspector Gramport
Superintendent Hannasyde, Inspector Headcorn, Cuthbert Higgins, Inspector Hornleigh
Mr. Macauley, Superintendent Mallett, P.C. McGinty, George Meatyard, Inspector M'Guire, Superintendent Minter, Inspector Mitchell
Sergeant Scarfe, Detective Inspector Shane, Inspector Shelley, Jack Slade, Smithy
Inspector Widgeon, Inspector Wren
White Peril. It is perhaps unfair to make this a separate entity, as it implies some sort of equivalency with Yellow Perils, but there is a tendency in genre pulp fiction produced by Asians (and occasionally Europeans—see Sandokan) to portray white people, either individually or as a group, as cartoonishly evil and filled with lust, spite, malice, and a desire to subjugate all the non-white races, in much the same way that the Yellow Peril stereotype portrays Asians individually and as a group. There is not the same distinct evolution in the White Peril stereotype as there is in the Yellow Peril stereotype, but it is a recurring trope. The White Peril character isn’t simply an evil white man or woman, but someone whose evil is so over-the-top, so ludicrously overdone, so full of evil plans for non-whites, that they are as ridiculous, unrealistic, and the product of bigotry as the Yellow Peril character.
Agent YZ7 (British), American Spy, John Andrews
Dankichi (Europeans)
Fuhrman Chu (misc.), Fuji (misc.)
Gand'oki (British)
Hiroshi (US & UK), Huang Zhisheng (European countries, USA)
Japanese Inventor (USA), Japanese Patriots (the entire West)
Koyala (Dutch, misc.)
Mabo (British), Patjar Merah (Dutch)
Eyene Ndongo (colonialist whites)
Ooka Echizen (misc.)
Prince of Gamma (misc.), misc.)
Captain Sakuragi (every Western government), Sandokan (James Brooke), Seiichi Moriyama (white men from the east), Silver Tiger (US, UK), Sugita (US, UK, France, etc)
Takuji (USA), Togo Fujio (foreign spies)
Wen Suchen (European "restorationists"),
Yellow Peril. The racist, anti-Asian stereotype of the Yellow Peril encompasses both Asians as an undifferentiated group and individual Asians (usually Chinese or Japanese but occasionally even Indian). The Yellow Peril stereotype has its roots in the anti-Spanish, anti-Catholic “Black Legend” of the 14th and 15th centuries, and in various fictional Asians in late 19th and early 20th century popular fiction. These individuals had four elements: military threat to the West, magical/sorcerous menace, revenge from wounded pride (either cultural or sexual/romantic), and crime lord living in the West. Fu Manchu (I) was the first Yellow Peril to combine all of these elements, and most (though not all) Yellow Perils following him were modeled on him more or less directly.
Abdahalla-Fan, AC-12 (misc.), Ace of Spades (II) (misc.), Agent J (Chinese), El Alacran (misc.), Alaska-Jim (Opium Kings), Roberto Alcazar (misc., Fu Manchu (I)), Hassam Ali, Frank Allan (misc.), Amarbal, American Army (Chinese), Arizona Jim (Fu Manchu (I)), Harald Ask (misc.), Awlo of Ulm (Kau), Dusty Ayres (Fire-Eyes)
Bain Children (misc.), Alan Baker (Black Dragon), Red Barry (The Flame), Rex Baxter (Lerzal), Jaime Bazan (Red Dragon), Max Beaumont (misc.), Bellow Bill (Chinese), Rex Bennett (Prince Haruchi), Knut Berg (Si Kahn), Bill (Sect of the Buddha), Bill and Samuel (Chinese), Black Abbott (Prince Wu Fang), Black Bird (misc.), Black Mask (III) (Chinese-Canadians), Black Sapper (Khansu), Rudolf Black (Chinese), Sexton Blake (Prince Wu Ling), Botak, Jack Bowden (Chinese opium den master), Old King Brady (Hi-Lo-Jak), Heinz Brandt (Chinese), Derrick Brent (misc.), Dixon Brett (Fan Chu Fang), Bronson Beta (Dominion of Asian Realists), Arthur Brooke (Chinese), Buffalo Bill (Lung Hi), Dick Bullitt (Shu Ling)
Inspector Cadman (Doctor Deo), Al Capone (I) (misc.), Captain Justice (Yong Huey), Captain Midnight (Barracuda, Ivan Shark, misc.), Captain Mors (Japanese airmen), Curtis Carr (Tibetan), Hawk Carse (Ku Sui), Dr. Carson (Tongs), Fred Cawthorne (misc.), Chanda-Lung, Chandu (misc.), Mr. Chang, Cheng-Tu, Chip (Tao Ling), Chu-Sheng, Cigale (Emperor Tsou-Hsi), Mr. Clare (Indian plane builders), Hein Class (Buddhist stranglers), John Class (misc.), Winthrop Clavering (misc.), Jack Clayton (Chinese & Japanese), Clifford (Yuki), Sir Ralf Clifford (Chinese), Crash Corrigan (Unga Khan), Stony Craig (Tania), Captain Crouch (Chinese)
Joe Dal (Li-Ping), Ace Dallas (misc.), Bartholomew Dane (misc.), Colwyn Dane (misc.), Kurt Danner (misc.), Gilbert Davison (Japanese), Dr. Nancy Dayland (Golden Scorpions), Ray de Astur (Queen of Ceres), Death Angel (Tong assassins), Michael Dene (misc.), Detective Nobody (Baron Nogi & the Yellow Dragons), Devi, Diamond Dick (misc.), Dikar (Japanese), Riley Dillon (Mr. Takashi), Dinky Dinkerton (misc.), Elaine Dodge (Wu Fang), Dick Donovan (misc.), Richard Drake (Wang Wu), Royston Drake (Wen Lun), Valerie Drew (misc.), Ace Drummond (Chinese), Ford Duane (Baron Odon), Duke (Dragons of Confucious), Dan Dunn (Wu Fang), Marcel Dunot (Mme. Eventail), Ted Dustin (P'an-Ku)
Val Easton (Carl Zaken, Chang Ch'ien)
Frank Faber (misc.), Fred Faber (Chinese pirates), Norbert Falk (Chinese), Jorn Farrow (misc., Dr. Singh Nokita, Lu Wang), Jack Fenton (Ming-Fu the Merciless), Ferry (Wu-Li), John Flood (Chinese crimelords), Flying Tramp (misc.), Four Musketeers (Yellow Dragon), Dan Fowler (misc.), Timm Fox (Sect of the Radiating Sun), French Aviator (misc.), French Commissioner (Chinese drug gang), French Pilot (Chinese warlords), Fu Manchu (I), Fu Manchu (II), Fuhrman Chu
Gales & McGill (Chinese mandarins), Claude Galloway (Chinese), Billy Gard (Chinese opium dealers), Captain Gardiner (Wu), Victor Gaunt (misc.), Captain Gauthier (Orienta), Captain Goodwin (Japanese), Flash Gordon (Ming the Merciless), Mr. Greenleaf (Japanese master spy), Maud Gregaards (misc.), Griffin, G-8 (misc.)
Halloran (misc.), Francis Hardant (Natas), Bob Harder (Shih Yu, Fu Manchu (I)), Neil Hardin (misc.), Jimmy Harding (Wang-Hi), Kathlyn Hare (Umballah), Harald Harst (Doctor Shing Guddai), David Haslup (misc.), Hazard & Partridge (Koshinga), Helene (I) (Dr. Tokeramo), Harry Hill (opium den operator), Carter Holmes (Yellow Octopus), Stuart Holmes (opium kings), Martin Holt (misc.), Kay Hoog (Lio-Sha), Lt. Jarvis Hope (Tatsuma), Humanity (Chinese)
Nikolai Ignatiev (Chinese mandarin), Italian Adventurer (Mr. Wang, Gentleman of Color), Robby Ix (Li-tang-ho), IXE-13 (Taya)
JimGrim (Dorje), Joao of Portugal (Zamar the Monster), Captain Jones (misc.), Ted Jones (Coral Prince, misc.), Genezyp Kapen (Murti-Bing), Ala Kasarib, Gable Keen (misc.). Oliver Keene (Japanese), Nick Kennedy (Fang Wu), Khyzil Kaya, Ethel King (Long Ho), Frank Kingston (misc.), Cameo Kirby (Wah Foo Wah), Dr. Kitsura (the Yellow Wheel), John Kling (atomic-powered Chinese), Richard Knight (Japanese), Koji (Chang Fow), Kowa, Horst Kraft (Shanghai opium kings), Kwo Sung Tao, Lynn Lash (misc.), Nelson Lee (Foo Chow), Terry Lee (La Choi San, the Dragon Lady), Vivian LeGrand (Hoang Fi Tu), Selston Leigh (misc.), Li Ku Yu, Li Lung, Li Shoon, Li-Sin, Lim Quong, Taffy Llewellyn (Yellow Dragon), Lo-Peng, Ferrers Locke (Tang Wang, Kang-Pu, many others), Rex Lonergan (misc.), Arsene Lupien (the Monster of Chinatown)
Maciste (I) (Japanese spy), Mah le Sinistre, Tommy Malins (misc.), Mandrake the Magician (The Octopus), Capitan Maravillas (Gold Scorpion), Marduk ("the East"), Till Marks (opium lords), Sean Marlin (Li Guer), Todd Marvel (Wang Tai), Masked Marvel (Sakima), Masked Warrior (misc.), Master Magician (Ching Fu), Joe Master (The Sphinx), Gaston Max (Mr. King), Captain McTeague (Po Sung, N'Yeng Sen), Mendax (II), Burton Meredith (Wu Fang), Miss Nobody (opium den operators), Mister Nobody (I) (Yellow Dragon), Mister X (misc.), Moker (One-Eyed Tibetan), Morel (Japanese), Phil Morgan (Ohi-Fu), Will Morton (opium lord, Japanese militarist), Miss Mousqueterr (Hindu priest), El Murcielago (ally of Senor Z), Jack Mylong (supernatural Chinese)
Natas, Jack Nelson (Ta Clo), New Buffalo Bill (Chinese), New Eccentric Club (Parisian Chinese), New Leatherstocking (opium dealers in San Francisco), Dorus Noel (Chu Chul the Cricket), Myra North (Ming Sin), Martin Numa (misc.), Number 13 (Chinese), The Nyctalope (Leonid Zattan)
Operator #5 (Moto Taronago), Oscar-Bill (Chinese), Michael O'Shea (The Painted Joss and the Sect of the Fatal Obligation)
Pao Tcheou, Fred Parker (misc.), Captain Donald Parr (Baron Huroki), Pearl (Silent Menace), Jack Pearson (misc.), Pelican (Blue Dragon), Peter the Brazen (numerous), Jurgen Peters (misc.), Phantom Detective (Li Hung), Harry Piel (misc.), Fred Pinkerton (Li Tschung), Nat Pinkerton (Chinese Karl, Li Lo Tsching), Pirate Queen (II) (Saba), Leon Pitaval (misc.), Eddy Polo (II) (misc.), Solar Pons (Fu Manchu (I), others), Victor Poten (Sonya Rokoff)
Biff Quade (various)
John C. Raffles (II) (misc.), Miller Rand (misc. Chinese), Noel Raymond (misc.), James Reading (Chen Yung), Red Dragon, Red Whirlwind (misc.), Redmask (Purple Emperor), Claudio Reni (Falchi Grigi), Gifford Renwick (Dr. Tsarka), Bob Reynolds (various), Rin-Tin-Tin (I) (Chinese), Tex Ripley (Lost Race Chinese), Captain Rob (Chinese), James Robertson (opium dealers), Rock (misc.), Rolf Rodewald (superhuman Chinese), Buck Rogers (Mongols), Kiriti Roy (Dr. Wong), Clemens Rubby (Hindus & Chinese), Grant Rushton (Malaysians), Captain Rybnikov
Rama Sahib (Ti-Chang-Liu), Satanas (I) (misc.), Allan Scott (Seeress of Luxor), Secret Agent X-9 (Nabura), Captain Seehorst (death cult), Seward of Sacatone (Blue Mandarin), The Shadow (I) (Shiwan Khan), Tom Shark (misc.), Tate Shevlin (Wu Shang), Baron Shtyurk, Sign of the Crimson Dagger (misc.), John Siloch (Fun-Kiau), Singapore Sammy (various), Ali Singh, Sonia, Speedy Spencer (Kwee Wong), Spider (II) (Ssu Hsi Tze), Fritz Stagart (opium dealer), Clipper Stark (Mongolian pilot), Hans Stark (Chinese), Stanton Stern (Ah Fang), Hans Stosch-Sarrasani (Chinese, Japanese), Lord Stranleigh (Japanese), Percy Stuart (misc.), Captain Fred Sturmer (Chinese pirate), Submarine Boys (Japanese spy)
Taine (Wing Loo), Talia (Australian Chinese), Fred Tarmun (Tea King of Peking), Harry Taxon (various), Texas Jack (misc.), Tim-Oteo (Chim-Chim), Mac Todd (Limehouse Chinese), Tong-Khan, Rolf Torring (half-African half-Chinese opium king), Derek Trent (misc.), Two Kids (misc.)
Ultus (II) (misc.)
Mr. Vandewater (Hussain Khan), John Vedders (misc.), Capitan Velez (Wizard of Shanghai), El Vengador (misc.), Venhez (Mongulions), Guy Vercheres (opium lords), Victor (Fu-Ching), Pancho Villa (Japanese spy), Victor Vincent (Fu-Mandchou)
Tip Walter (Man of Masks), Mack Wan (misc.), Mr. Wang (I) (misc.), Robert Watt (Tongs), Sgt. Jimmy Wentworth (Kong Gai, the Nameless One), Joe West (Chinese pirate), Mrs. Caywood Weston (Chu-Sheng), Dan Williams (Japanese), Wing Loo, Wo Fan, Wu Fang (I), Wu Fang (II), Wu Fang (III)
X-3 (Chinese)
Yellow Ghost, Doctor Yen Sin, Young German (Fu Chang)
Zarnak (Mongols), Zed-29 (misc.), Khun Zivan
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