Sâr Dubnotal


Sâr Dubnotal is a fictional character and pulp hero who starred in 20 pulp magazines published in France in 1909–1910.
The Sâr Dubnotal stories were published anonymously. Some scholars believe they were written by Norbert Sévestre, a prolific author of popular adventure series, many of which included similarly fantastic elements, although this has never been proven.

Overview

The Sâr Dubnotal is a sorcerer and a superhero not unlike Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange.
He is a learned Master of the Occult, nicknamed the "Great Psychagogue", the Napoléon of the Intangible, the Master of Psychognosis, the Conqueror of the Invisible, El Tebib, or merely the Doctor.
Despite his stylish oriental guise, Sâr Dubnotal is a westerner, schooled by the Rosicrucians, who has then learned the ancient secrets of the Hindu mystics. He is capable of telepathy, levitation and hypnotism. He was born in Mumbai. His exact age is unknown, but he is very likely much older than he seems.
Sâr Dubnotal owns houses in Trez-Hir in Brittany, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris and in Cheyne Walk in London. He also owns several yachts, including the Brahma and the Derviche. He also owns an atoll called Redemption Island located along the Tropic of Cancer in the Pacific Ocean, where he sends villains to be reformed.
Two recurring enemies include rival evil hypnotist Tserpchikopf who turns out to be Jack the Ripper and Russian revolutionary Azef, based on a real-life figure.

Stories

All 20 magazines were published by Eichler, starting in January 1909 – at the same time in France and translated in Germany.
  1. Le Manoir Hanté de Creh'h-ar-Vran
  2. La Table Tournante du Docteur Tooth
  3. Le Puits Fatal
  4. Le Médium Tragique
  5. La Grêve Sanglante
  6. La Détraquée du Passage Rimbaut
  7. Tserpchikopf, le Sanglant Hypnotiseur
  8. La Piste Astrale
  9. L'Écartelée de Montmartre
  10. Jack l'Éventreur
  11. Haine Posthume
  12. La Fiancée de Gibraltar
  13. Les Vampires du Cimetière
  14. L'Empreinte Rouge
  15. La Somnambule du Gué Sanglant
  16. L'Affaire Azzef-Poloukhine
  17. Un Complot Terroriste
  18. Dans l'Enfer Sibérien
  19. Azzef, le Roi des Agents Provocateurs
  20. Double-Taf, le Dernier des Pentyerns
Episodes 1, 7, 9, 10 and 11 were published in English in a translation by Brian Stableford under the title Sâr Dubnotal vs. Jack the Ripper by Black Coat Press in November 2009.

Other appearances

Sâr Dubnotal has appeared in several short stories published in the anthology Tales of the Shadowmen, Doctor Omega and the Shadowmen.
Sâr Dubnotal is mentioned in Volume 2 of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.