The Book of Criminals

The Book of Criminals
Start date:	April 20th, 1992
End date:	December 5th, 1992
# of strips:	198 (33 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The Mirror Mystery"
Followed by:	"Narda's Dream"

"The Book of Criminals" is the 211th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

The Police Chef phone Mandrake, asking if Mandrake could help the famous writer Mr. Somers with his new book on unusual criminals. Mandrake invited Mr. Somer telling him about the five ganglords "Fatts", "Big Louie", "Crazy Mort", "Gunner" and "Big Red". Then Mandrake guided him through the Rogue's Gallery telling the stories of the Mole, The Clay Camel, The Time Traveller, Octon and Luciphor. When leaving Xanadu Mr. Somers was kidnapped by Luciphor, who want to know what Mandrake had told him. Luciphor removed all memory from Mr. Somers mind and let him go. With help of hypnotic kinetic shock and telepathic projection Mandrake manage to bring back Mr. Somer's memory at the hospital.

While at the Police Chief's office - suddenly a sleeping gas. Five minutes later Mandrake has disappeared, kidnapped by the Cobra. In captivity the Cobra told Mandrake that he had started a new career, to take over all crime gangs in America as he had done with gang of 8. Then a mental battle between Mandrake and his half-brother. Mandrake almost thought he had won the battle but Luciphor manage to escape once more.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Hojo
• The Police Chief
• The Cobra

One-time characters

• Mr. Somers, a famous writer.

Locations

• Xanadu

Organizations

• Octon

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

India

• "Some Unusual Criminals", Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #17, #18, #19 and #20 (1994)
• "Some Unusual Criminals", Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #66 (1998) missing first part

Italy

• "Luciphor, detto Cobra o Octon", Mandrake #367 (1997)