"Fantômas."
"What did you say?"
"I said: Fantômas."
"And what does that mean?"
"Nothing.... Everything!"
"But what is it?"
"Nobody.... And yet, yes, it is somebody!"
"And what does the somebody do?"
"Spreads terror!"
That is our introduction to Fantômas, a ruthless and particularly elusive criminal genius. Known by many nicknames, such as the "master of everything and everyone", the "torturer" or the "elusive", his face and true identity remain unknown. He is a master of disguise, usually appearing under an assumed identity, often that of a person whom he has murdered. He is obsessively chased by Inspector Juve, who is generally the only one able to see Fantômas's tracks.
One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11 volumes written by Allain alone after Souvestre's death. The character was also the basis of various film, television, and comic book adaptations.
