Dr. Nikola | |
---|---|
Real Name |
Dr. Antonio Nikola |
First Appearance |
"A Bid for Fortune" in Windsor Magazine (1895) |
Original Publisher |
Ward Lock & Co |
Created by |
Guy Boothby |
Origin[]
Dr. Nikola is a mad genius and criminal mastermind who has two major goals: immortality and world domination. He is hunted by Richard Hatteras and a Mongolian assassin with half of one ear missing. Nikola is originally from Venice, a descendant of Fransisco del Revecce on his mother's side. His mother died when he was young and the two were living in poverty. Don Jose de Martinos, a South American dictator, is Nikola's stepbrother. Nikola is charming and well mannered, but entirely evil, and commands his henchmen by fear, often threatening their families. His henchmen included Baxter, Eastover and William Pendergast.
The doctor is physically described as being slightly above average in height, with a slight build. He has black hair, black eyes, a pale complexion, an oval face and pearly white teeth. He is said to be almost supernaturally alluring to the eye. He wore a gold ring shaped like a snake. Nikola's age and the setting of his stories are facts which are inconsistent, but he seems to have been in his mid 30's in the 1890's.
Dr. Nikola possessed an exceptional intellect and was a master of the sciences and the occult. He was able to create mutant creatures through genetic experimentation and devised a formula that can grant eternal youth. He was also very strong physically, and was extremely well financed, due to his criminal operations. He was a master of disguise and could hypnotize anyone to do his will, even halting an attacker in their tracks with his gaze. Through occult means, he could see the future and the past. He was always accompanied by Apollyon, a black cat of unusual intelligence that sat upon his shoulder.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- A Bid for Fortune (1895)
- Dr. Nikola [Returns] (1896)
- The Lust of Hate (1898)
- Dr. Nikola's Experiment(1899)
- Farewell, Nikola (1901)