Dividends of Doom

DIVIDENDS OF DOOM

This is the second appearance of The Leopard Lady! In her first appearance, Legion of The Living Dead, Felice Vincart was a typical Agent X adversary, a woman thrown into a life of crime for excitement or adventure. However, now she appears to be the embodiment of evil, using her pets, two savage leopards to kill at her command.

         Although again, she is a secondary character in the story, Fleming-Roberts had a way of making his femme fatales shine above the other players in the drama. It isn't the mastermind the reader is interested in, but the Leopard Lady. We don't really care who the mastermind is we just want to follow this girl and her vicious pets.

         She is three dimensional, and feels hate - or love. As we see in this scene from Dividends of Doom, when she has captured Agent X:

         " I could have loved a man like you madly," she whispered. "But I am easily turned to hate. Now you shall know the agonizing fear of the electric chair, even as I have known it because of you." Her voice seemed very far away now. X could no longer see those tantalizing red lips.

         "Goodbye, Agent X," came the distant whisper. Then he knew no more.

         When her end came, it wasn't Agent X who killed her, but her boss, the mastermind. Stuart Gray, alias Achmet Karahmud, who was attempting to escape with the loot, leaving the girl behind. The Leopard Lady caught up with him over a burning theater, along a batten for supporting stage drops. Gray tripped her on that narrow batten, and Felice Vincart, the Leopard Lady, fell to a fiery doom in the inferno below.

         Thus ended the life of the only foe to face Secret Agent X more than once.

         At least in the pulps. I might make a side note here, concerning Felice Vincart. In a story dated December 1996, Steve Mitchell writing in CLASSIC PULP FICTION STORIES as Brant House, wrote a sequel to Dividends of Doom, in which the Leopard Lady survived the burning flames of the theater. In The Choice, she is assisted by Ravenwood and the Nameless One, and turns her life around. A second story, The Leopard Lady Strikes Back, also by Steve Mitchell, appeared in the January 1997 issue of CLASSIC PULP FICTION STORIES, and this time she meets Secret Agent X again, who accepts her change. Unfortunately, that seems to be her last appearance anywhere.

         With the new pulp movement, we may not have seen the last of The Leopard Lady yet. Happy reading

A Couple Femme Fatals

A COUPLE FEMME FATALES

One of the things I like most about the Secret Agent X novels are the femme fatales that filled the pages. There is a rumor that Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond was a fan of Secret Agent X, and I can easily imagine where he got the ideas for some of his Bond girls. Let's take a look at a few of them and see what you think.

         Edna Cory from Slaves of The Scorpion: The lighting brought out the red-gold glint in her dark hair. Her dark eyes gleamed with excitement. She was bored with her riches and soft life and wanted excitement, even if it meant joining the criminal gang. She thought that she loved the mastermind, but it was only the love of excitement and danger, which surrounded him. She even holds admiration for the Agent:

         "The girl came toward him with lithe, swaying steps. Her eyes were shining, her wondrously soft lips smiling lazily. When she was so close that the bosom of her dress touched his with every breath she drew, she whispered, "This is the greatest moment of my life. I have hunted the world over for such a man as you. Mr. X. The Scorpion. Feared by police and criminals alike, the most powerful figure in the world … yet a lonely figure. That should not be, Mr. X." She raised her head; her eyes warm pools of passion. She swayed slightly forward."

         Perhaps hers was not the complete desire for danger and excitement, as was Vina Tremaine from Horror's Handclasp, but rather the loneliness she felt and the need to be with a strong, exciting man.

         Jane Lenox from Satan's Syndicate: A tall, slim girl with a pretty face and dark, wondrous eyes. Secret Agent X found her to his liking:

         " … Wait!" Jane Lenox put a detaining hand on X's arm. "You … you're going?"

         He nodded. "I must. There's more ahead - more adventure more criminals."

         "Can't I …" she dropped her eyes and whispered … "Would you take me with you? I mean, perhaps I could help."

         X took both her hands in his. "No," he said gently. "You've done more than your share already. I have my duty - you have yours. Some day, perhaps, our paths may cross again. Until then … "

         Sheila Landi - The Moll from The Assassin's League: She was wearing a low-cut evening dress of flame-colored material that hugged her tall, svelte figure. Blonde, the waves of her straw-gold hair were unusual. Her eyes were so deep a blue that in the parchment-shaded lights of the lounge they appeared almost black. She was known as The Moll and was always involved in high crime, political intrigue or espionage. When secret police of Europe smelled scandal in high places, or heard of smoldering revolt, they sought her out. This woman could identity Agent X no matter what new disguise he wore. Her job - identify the Agent to her boss or Sabin the revolutionist. She knew him but would not reveal him to the criminals. She turned out to be innocent and was permitted to go free. Agent X was to miss her beauty and loyalty.

         There were many others, like Madam Death, the Leopard Lady, and Erlika, the daughter of Satan. They could be found in the pages of Secret Agent X.

         Happy reading.