This influential villain was created by French writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre in 1911. Forty-three volumes were written about his exploits. He has also appeared in films, television, and comic book adaptations. The poster is from the 1913 film written and directed by Louis Feuillade. Fantômas, Genius of Crime, is something of an influence on my ideas for the villain of book III in the Poe & Dupin trilogy: Edgar Allan Poe & the Empire of the Dead.
