He kills without motive. He vanishes without trace. And he wears a tuxedo to every crime.

In 1911, the world met a new kind of villain: Fantômas. Master of disguise. Genius of terror. A phantom whose crimes made Sherlock Holmes look like an amateur—and whose shadow still darkens every masked killer, supervillain, and antihero today.

In Fantômas: The Phantom Lord of Crime and the Birth of the Modern Villain, explore how this pulp fiction menace became the template for an entire century of evil. From his origin in French penny dreadfuls to his resurrection by Surrealist poets, from silent film serials to comic books, James Bond nemeses, horror icons, and the Joker himself—Fantômas is not just a criminal. He’s a cultural virus.

This richly researched and irreverently written deep dive uncovers:

• The wild story of Fantômas’s creation by Souvestre and Allain

• His transformation into a cinematic icon by director Louis Feuillade

• His adoption by Surrealists like Magritte and Breton

• His eerie influence on comics, fashion, film, and postmodern horror

• Why this villain with no face, no motive, and no mercy still haunts us

Perfect for fans of true crime, pulp fiction, noir, film history, surrealism, and villain studies.

You may think you’ve seen evil.
But Fantômas was already there.