Getting to know: Doctor Satan

In an interview earlier this week, writer/publisher Ron Fortier mentioned that he had written a lengthy Black Bat story in which that character butted heads against one Doctor Satan.

I think it's safe to say that Doctor Satan is not among the better known characters from the pulp era. For that matter, everything I read about him seems to indicate that he's among the least popular. There were eight stories published about him in 1935 and 1936 in total. So we'll take a moment to find out more about him in anticipation of the Black Bat anthology to which Mr. Fortier referred.

"Doctor Satan. A man who took pride in his fiendishness! A man who robbed and killed, and broke the laws of man and God, not for gain, because he already had more than any one person could spend, but solely for thrills! A being jaded with the standard pleasures of the world, and turning to monstrous, sadistic acts to justify his existence and give him the sense of power he craved!" - Paul Ernst, The Consuming Flame, (Weird Tales, Nov. 1935).

The above was copied from the Vault of Evil message board.

So basically, if Bruce Wayne was a complete dick...

Apparently, Doctor Satan did have occult-based powers as opposed to being some stage magician charlatan who preyed on the superstitious. He had a nemesis of his own, a detective named Ascott Keane, as well as a couple of unusual assistants. I won't say any more about them in the event that Mr. Fortier plans on using them in his story but they may make a good counter to The Black Bat's entourage. This guy may end up being a perfect villain for The Black Bat if handled properly, and I certainly have no reason to doubt Mr. Fortier's ability to do so.

The cover above is from Altus Press' complete reprint of the character's adventures.  Click on it to be taken to their page.