The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu

The character of Dr. Fu Manchu, a supervillain created by Sax Rohmer, first appeared in novels just before World War I and continued to captivate audiences for four decades. He is depicted as an archetype of the evil genius, influencing various media forms, including film and comics. Rohmer was inspired to create this character after a Ouija board reading. Clive Bloom suggests that Fu Manchu's portrayal was influenced by the music hall magician Chung Ling Soo, who adopted a Mandarin persona.