Coincidence? Maybe, Maybe Not

COINCIDENCE? MAYBE, MAYBE NOT

       Richard B. Sale, an expert in herpetology, created an interesting hero for TEN DETECTIVE ACES in 1934; along side such stalwarts as Lester Dent, Emile C. Tepperman, and Norvell Page. Unfortunately, he only wrote three stories in this fascinating series: Terror Towers, January 1934; The House of Kaa, February 1934; and The Grinning Ghoul, March 1934. The hero was an American raised in India. After his parents had died, a Hindu priest raised Dean Bradley. The priest taught him many things, one of which was the ability of creating illusions within men’s minds. Unfortunately, this element was never brought into the stories. I don’t know why, as it would have added much to the adventures. He became a British Intelligence operative working in India, but also became a dreaded avenger known as The Cobra.

In my studies of biology, I have touched heavily on entomology as well as herpetology, so The Cobra has always held a strong interest for me. Richard Sale was highly knowledgeable in herpetology, and knew his venomous reptiles and insects.

The Cobra wore a weird costume with a snakeskin mask covering his face:

When he stepped away from the wall, his hawkish profile was prominent above the black suit and dark shirt. In fact, from head to toe he was dressed all in black, with dark skin and black, piercing eyes.

With an easy movement he placed a strange object in his mouth; it appeared to merely be a cigarette holder until he drew a mask of gleaming, scaly snakeskin from beneath his jacket and placed it over his face, concealing all but his eyes and mouth. Then from a pocket he removed a small packet of black silk that suddenly flared out like a cape, which he slung over his broad shoulders.

Dean Bradley: Turning, the men met the gaze of a tall, dark-skinned man in a quiet gray suit, with a pearl-gray hat sitting atop his black hair, smoking a cigarette in a long queer cigarette holder of an unearthly green hue. 

(Note: The cigarette holder serves two purposes. He does use it to smoke his cigarettes, but it is also a miniature tube that The Cobra uses to blow darts loaded with cobra venom into his victims.)

In the third story Dean Bradley comes to America for the final case published in the pulps. For the most part he had been operating in India prior to this, though we’re told there are many unrecorded tales. I have an idea the author was planning to keep the stories set in New York from this point on, but sadly the series comes to an end in the pulps.

But three months later, June 11, 1934, Lee Falk introduced the world to Mandrake The Magician in a comic strip from KING FISHERS. Mandrake also has a pal named Lothar, which sets him apart from Dean Bradley, but something is still a little fishy here. You see, the new character of Mandrake has this strange ability of hypnotic illusions. He can make people see what he wants them to. I wonder where he got this idea?

Well, I know, if Richard Sale could think it up, so could Lee Falk, no argument there. But here’s where the coincidence comes in. Guess who the main villain of Mandrake is?  Are you ready? The Cobra!

Yes, the two characters could just be a coincidence, but I have my doubts. I think Lee Falk read Sale’s stories and liked the idea, and since Sale didn’t capitalize on the mental illusions, Falk did.

That’s my guess, anyway. And just maybe Falk was paying tribute to Richard Sale by using a character named after Sale’s hero, as the villain of Falk’s stories.

Maybe I’m completely wrong here, but I just don’t believe in strange coincidences. How about you?

Happy reading!