1900: American billionaire William Boltyn uses American technology and the power of mediums to try to become master of the world. (Gustave Le Rouge & Gustave Guitton - La Conspiration des Milliardaires) A new crime fighter appears on the French scene, Docteur Mystère. (Paul d'Ivoi - Docteur Mystère) 1901: Arsène Lupin is arrested at last. (Maurice Leblanc - Les Aventures d'Arsène Lupin) Delightful scientist Zephyrin Xirdal finds a way to cause a meteor made of gold to fall to Earth. (Jules Verne - La Chasse au Météore) 1902: Sagas of the Conquerors of the Sea and of the Sub-Marine Jules Verne. (Gustave Le Rouge & Gustave Guitton - Les Conquérants de la Mer, Le Sous-Marin Jules Verne) Beginning of the adventures of investigative reporter Joseph Josephin, aka Joseph Rouletabille. (Gaston Leroux - Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune) 1903: A scientist unwittingly works on nefarious projects in a secret scientific city in the Sahara. (Jules Verne - L'Étonnante Aventure de la Mission Barsac) 1904: Robur the Conqueror returns. (Jules Verne - Maître du Monde) SEE ARTICLE The adventures of the villainous Face Stealer. (Gustave Le Rouge - Le Voleur de Visages)

Following on the footspeps of the Lidenbrock expedition, French adventurers discover a race of peaceful, scientifically advanced bat-like humanoids living inside vast, underground caverns. (Commandant Gaston de Wailly - Le Monde de l'Abîme)

1905: Rouletabille investigates the Scent of the Lady in Black -- his mother, Mathilde Sangerson. (Gaston Leroux - Le Parfum de la Dame en Noir); He then travels to Russia to help the Tsar. (Rouletabille chez le Tsar) Doctor Omega travels to Mars aboard the spaceship Cosmos. (Arnould Galopin - Le Docteur Oméga) SEE ARTICLE

1906:
Another crime fighter appears on the French scene, Miss Mousqueterr (Paul d'Ivoi - Miss Mousqueterr)

1907:
French aviators discover a race of peaceful, reptilian humanoids living in a secret valley at the North Pole. (Charles Derennes - Le Peuple du Pôle)

1908: Arsene Lupin fights Sherlock Holmes repeatedly, and is finally ousted from his secret lair of the Hollow Needle. (Maurice Leblanc - L'Aiguille Creuse) Robert Darvel, a young American engineer, builds a spaceship and, with Hindu help, travels to Mars. A war of the world ensues, during which Earth is attacked by Martian vampires. (Gustave Le Rouge - Le Prisonnier de la Planète Mars - La Guerre des Vampires) SEE ARTICLE Serge Myrandhal's adventures on Mars. (Henri Gayar - Les Aventures Merveilleuses de Serge Myrandhal sur la Planète Mars) SEE ARTICLE Earthmen are abducted by Mercurian Flying Saucers. (Jean de La Hire - La Roue Fulgurante) SEE ARTICLES The mad Docteur Lerne experiments with organ transplants, controlled mutations and mind transfers. (Maurice Renard - Le Docteur Lerne) The adventures of Monsieur Rien, an invisible man. (Louis Boussenard - Monsieur Rien) The adventures of teenage Parisian detective, Toto Fouinard. (Jules Lermina - Toto Fouinard, le Petit Détective Parisien) First Appearance of The Nyctalope. (Jean de La Hire - L'Homme Qui Peut Vivre dans l'Eau)

Young Dicky, "King of the Reporters", travels aboard super-powered dirigibles armed with nuclear grenades. (Louis Boussenard - Les Gratteurs de Ciel)

Professor Lionel-Prospero Macduff performs a heart transplant operation during a perilous mission to the Pole. (Pierre Giffard - Le Tombeau de Glace)

Mad scientist Professor Bro creates a perfect android, Dajann-Phinn, then kills him. (Michel Corday - Le Mystérieux Dajann-Phinn)

1909: First appareance of supervillain Zigomar. (Léon Sazie - Zigomar) First appearance of super-detective Jean Flair. (José Moselli - Les Aventures Fantastiques d'un Jeune Policier) The enigmatic King Mystery rules the Paris Underworld. (Gaston Leroux - Le Roi Mystère) First appearance of the super-powered crime fighter known as the Sar Dubnotal. (Norbert Sevestre - Sar Dubnotal) Mad scientist Professor Tornada unleashes a plague of giant microbes on Paris. (André Couvreur - Une Invasion de Macrobes) 1910: Fantômas is arrested and almost guillotined. (Marcel Allain & Pierre Souvestre - Fantômas) The conspiracy of the Queen of Sabbath is exposed. (Gaston Leroux - La Reine du Sabbat) The two-year long extraordinary voyages of Little Parisian Tintin begin. (R. M. de Nizerolles - Les Voyages aériens d'un Petit Parisien à Travers le Monde) 1911: Balaoo the Man-Ape spreads terror. (Gaston Leroux - Balaoo) First appearance of Tenebras. (Arnould Galopin - Ténèbras le Bandit Fantôme) A secret sect of immortals, founded by the Count of Saint-Germain, who steals others' life-forces through electro-chemical means in order to preserve their own immortality, is exposed. (Claude Farrère - La Maison des Hommes Vivants) Harry Dickson meets Sherlock Holmes. The Nyctalope saves Mars from the conquering schemes of mad Dr. Oxus. (Jean de La Hire - Le Mystère des XV) SEE ARTICLE Scientists communicate with Mars through a radio-telescope-like device. (Abbott Théophile Moreux - Le Miroir Sombre) SEE ARTICLE 1912: Arsène Lupin solves the secret of 813, then joins the Foreign Legion. (Maurice Leblanc - 813)

First Appearance of Dr. Cornelius Kramm, the Sculptor of Human Flesh, and of his secret criminal organization, the Red Hand. (Gustave Le Rouge - Le Myterieux Dr Cornelius) First investigation of Maigret. (Simenon - La Première Enquête de Maigret) A scientist succeeds in growing androids in a glass egg. This may well be the the world's first "androids", predating Karel Capek's R.U.R. by nine years. (Jean de Quirielle - L'Oeuf de Verre) "Close encounters" with invisible creatures from the upper strata of Earth's atmosphere, the "Sarvants". (Maurice Renard - Le Péril Bleu) SEE ARTICLE The adventures of the Undersea Corsair. (Jean de La Hire - Le Corsaire Sous-Marin) The first adventures of "Red Mask". (Gaston René - Le Secret du Masque Rouge) 1913: After being framed, the amazingly strong Cheri-Bibi is sent to Devil's Island, but he manages to escape; Dr. Kanak grafts another man's face on Cheri-Bibi's, who hopes to start a new life. (Gaston Leroux - Cheri-Bibi) Fantômas is believed to have died at sea. (Allain & Souvestre - La Fin de Fantômas) The Illusion Knight fights for justice. (Paul d'Ivoi - Le Chevalier Illusion) French aviator Fifi fights in Indochina. (Arnould Galopin - Les Nouvelles Aventures de Fifi)

Miramar, a villainous super-powered scientist with cat-like eyes, spreads terror. (Guillaume Livet - Miramar)

A portion of the light spectrum is temporarily destroyed by a mysterious alien force. The same event was chronicled in somewhat different terms by Arthur Conan Doyle in The Poisoned Sky. (J. H. Rosny Aîné - La Force Mystérieuse) SEE ARTICLE

1914-1918 (WORLD WAR I):
A new crime fighter appears on the scene -- the mysterious Judex. (Arthur Bernede - Judex)

Rouletabille gets married, then goes on to spy for France at Krupp's. (Gaston Leroux - Le Chateau Noir; Rouletabille chez Krupp)

Arsene Lupin (using the alias of Don Luis Perenna) helps France by securing a gold treasure, then a radioactive "god-stone". In the meantime, he also helps pacify French Sahara. (Arsene Lupin - Le Triangle d'Or; L'Île aux Trente Cercueils)

The first investigations of Gaston Max. (Sax Rohmer - Gaston Max)

The sub-mariner Captain Hyx, and his submarine the Avenger, fight for France in prodigious undersea battles. (Gaston Leroux - Les Aventures Effroyables de Herbert de Renich) SEE ARTICLE

First cloning experiments -- the bipartition of a human being into two totally similar individuals. (J.H. Rosny Aîné - L'Énigme de Givreuse)

1919: Two French officers, Morhange and Saint-Avit, lost in the Sahara, come across the last city of Atlantis, ruled by the cruel Queen Antinéa. (Pierre Benoit - L'Atlantide) A French scientist exchanges images with superior, three-eyed aliens from Venus. (Maurice Leblanc - Les Trois Yeux) SEE ARTICLE The adventures of Invisible Man Joe Rollon. (Jean de la Hire - Joe Rollon, l'Autre Homme Invisible) 1920: A mad scientist succeds in grafting human hands on the famous pianist Orlac -- but WHOSE hands? (Maurice Renard - Les Mains d'Orlac) 1921-22: The Nyctalope defeats Glo von Warteck who was trying to impose his will on Earth using "Omega Rays" (Jean de La Hire - Lucifer) An invisible mastermind named Robur challenges the world; another gang of advanced criminals uses a special ray to turn their victims into metal. (Pierre Desclaux - Les Morts de Bronze, Le Maître du Monde) First appearance of Fascinax. First appearances of supervillain Satanas and crime fighter Miraculas. (Gabriel Bernard - Satanas, Miraculas) Last recorded adventure of Rouletabille. (Gaston Leroux - Rouletabille chez les Bohémiens) Mars attacks Earth again; but this time, our planet benefits from the help of the Jovians. (Théo Varlet & Octave Jonquel - Les Titans du Ciel, L'Agonie de la Terre) SEE ARTICLE Explorer Hareton Ironcastle discovers a fragment of an alien world, with its fauna and flora, attached to Earth. (J. H. Rosny Aîné - L'Étonnant Voyage d'Hareton Ironcastle) The evil Dr. Lorde discovers the soul, which he calls the "odic fluid," and transfers that of a murderer into another man. (Cyril-Berger - L'Expérience du Dr. Lorde)

France is under assault from a variety of master criminals, one using a powerful death ray, others dropping transparent corpses from the air, and another trying to modify the course of the Gulf Stream. (José Moselli - Le Rayon Phi, La Corde d'Acier, Les Conquérants de l'Abîme)

1923: The adventures of Todd Marvel, the billionaire detective. (Gustave Le Rouge - Todd Marvel) The brain of Benedict Masson, a man framed for murder and guillotined, is transplanted into the body of an android. The android then exposes and defeats a vampire cult, led by the Marquis de Coulteray. (Gaston Leroux - La Poupée Sanglante) The Nyctalope flies to Rhea, an unknown satellite of Earth, using a spacecraft patented by Dr. Cavor. (Jean de La Hire - Le Roi de la Nuit) SEE ARTICLES 1925: In an attempt to restore peaceful relations between Earth and Mars, a human crew, the Navigators of Infinity, travels to the Red Planet in the Stellarium; the first interplanetary romance ensues. (J. H. Rosny Aîné - Les Navigateurs de l'Infini) SEE ARTICLES Fantomas returns. (Marcel Allain - Fantômas est-il ressuscité?) Mysterious criminal Belphegor haunts the Louvre. (Arthur Bernede - Belphegor)  The Nyctalope begins his two-tear battle against the evil Leonid Zattan. (Jean de La Hire - L'Amazone du Mont Everest, L'Antéchrist) Two French kids embark on a series of fantastic, globe-spanning adventures. (Arnould Galopin - Le Tour du monde de Deux Gosses) The descendent of an Aztec king compels a misguided scientist to create a new form of coral to divert the Gulf Stream. (Georges G. Toudouze - Les Aventuriers de la Science) Creation of artificial lifeforms through the process of "radiogenesis," a sort of human electrocopying process. (Maurice Renard & Albert Jean - Le Singe) Harry Dickson begins his career in London. 1926: Last recorded adventure of Arsene Lupin: At age 55, Lupin fights the Maffia. (Maurice Leblanc - Les Milliards d'Arsene Lupin) The adventures of famous boy-scout Franc Hardy. (Jean de La Hire - Les Grandes Aventures d'un Boy Scout) The gang of the Mohicans of Babel strike fear in the hearts of Parisians. (Gaston Leroux - Les Mohicans de Babel) A 15-year old aviator travels the world. (Arnould Galopin - Un Aviateur de 15 Ans) 1927: The exploits of master criminal Mister Flow, the Man of a Thousand Faces, puzzle French police. (Gaston Leroux - Mister Flow) The adventures of boy scout crime fighter Paul Ardent. (Jean de La Hire - Les Aventures de Paul Ardent)

The adventures of three three young airmen at the South Pole. (Norbert Sévestre - Trois Jeunes Aéronautes au Pôle Sud).

Last appearance of the Frankenstein Creature, as recorded by Jean-Claude Carrière. (La Cave de Frankenstein)

1928: First appearance of Tigris. (Marcel Allain - Tigris) The incredible adventures of a teenage Parisian Apprentice around the world in a hydroplane. (Arnould Galopin - Aventures d'un Apprenti Parisien) Francis Hardant, a relative of superpowered crime fighter Paul Ardent and space explorer Michel Ardan, defeats the mysterious Natas in the City of Gold and Leprosy. He later marries Louise Descharmes, a relative of the notorious Ducharme. (Guy d'Armen - La Cité de l'Or et de la Lèpre) France is attacked by giant insects. (Norbert Sévestre - La Révolte des Monstres) A man submits himself to a shrinking process that eventually runs out of control, and ends up in a microuniverse. (Maurice Renard - Un Homme chez les Microbes: Scherzo) 1929: First appearance of the famous detective Jules Maigret. (George Simenon - Pietr le Letton)

Harry Dickson is already a famous detective in Baker Street. (Jean Ray - Harry Dickson).

The offspring of a woman inseminated with tiger's sperm becomes known as -- Félifax. (Paul Féval Fils & Henri Allorge - Felifax)

A cosmic cataclysm threatens to destroy Earth. (René Pujol - Le Soleil Noir) SEE ARTICLE

Fédor Ivanovitch Sarraskine uses his mad science to attack the British and American fleets; he also surgically turns his victims into unwilling fish-men. (José Moselli - La Guerre des Océans)

1930s: First appearance of Fatala. (Marcel Allain - Fatala) 1931: First appearance of Miss Téria. (Marcel Allain - Miss Teria) First appearance of Monsieur Wens. (Stanislas-Andre Steeman - Six Hommes Morts) Prof. Iouchkoff, a Russian mad scientist, creates a formidable flying machine called the "Menace." (Hervé de Peslouan - L'Étrange Menace du Prof. Iouchkoff) The Unreachable Shadow, Karma, Lord of the Tulpakhangs, the so-called city of the ice ghosts, threatens the West. (Mettra & Nube - L'Ombre Inaccessible) A super-powered hero -- a living radio -- defeats a German super-villain who was plotting to kick the French out of Vietnam. (Maurice Landay - L'Antenne Mystérieuse) 1932: The Nyctalope battles Gorillard in Tibet. (Jean de La Hire - Gorillard) First appearance of Frederic Belot. (Claude Aveline - La Double Mort de Frédéric Belot) First appearance of Vampiria. (Arthur Bernède - Vampiria) Mad scientist Ambrose Vollmer turns a Pacific atoll into a nightmarish Doctor Moreau-like kingdom of radio-controlled zombies and human experiments. (Jose Moselli - L'Empereur du Pacifique) 1933: Mad scientist Colquorès uses a red diamond star which emits the mysterious "Rays 55" to alter the very shape of Earth and turn Paris into a jungle. (Eugène Thébault - Le Soleil Ensorcelé) First appearance of Police Commissioner Gilles. (Jacques Decrest - Hasard) 1934: First appearance of the adventurer known as the "Chinese Fish". (Jean Bommart - Le Poisson Chinois) First appearance of lawyer Prosper Lepicq. (Pierre Very - L'Assassinat du Père Noël) First appearance of supernatural investigator Rene Vergnaud. (Gilles Hersay - Le Chant des Suicidés) A mad scientist leads an invasion of termites to destroy Paris and almost conquer the world. (Charles de Richter - La Menace Invisible) 1935: Tintin returns (see 1910) and uses the hydrogen-powered spaceship "Bolide" to embark on a three-year-long exploration of the solar system. (René-Marcel de Nizerolles - Les Aventuriers du Ciel: Voyages Extraordinaires d'un Petit Parisien dans la Stratosphère, la Lune et les Planètes) SEE ARTICLE 1936: First appearance of private eye and later supernatural detective Teddy Verano. (Maurice Limat)

In August, Christian d'Ancourt meets Prince Eric of Swedenborg. End of the d'Ancourt Curse. (Serge Dalens - Le Bracelet de Vermeil). Later, Christian saves Eric from a coup by Regent Count Tadek. (Serge Dalens - Le Prince Eric)

1938:
Eric of Swedenborg thwarts Count Tadek again. (Serge Dalens - La Tâche de Vin)

1939:
Mad millionnaire Wasili Tchorok uses the knowledge of scientist Antoine Chantour to build a giant floating city in a geostationary orbit. (José Moselli - L'Île des Hommes Bleus)

WORLD WAR II: 1940: Death of Eric of Swedenborg. Christian d'Ancourt joins the French Resistance. (Serge Dalens - La Mort d'Eric) 1943: First appearance of private eye Nestor Burma. (Leo Malet - 120 Rue de la Gare) 1944: The Mysterious Fen-Chu spreads terror. (George Fronval - L'Énigmatique Fen-Chu) 1945: Last recorded adventures of the Nyctalope. (Jean de La Hire - L'Enigme du Squelette) 1945-48: The dreaded Pao Tcheou, so-called "Master of the Invisible", spreads terror. (Edward Brooker / Sam P. Norwood - Le Maître de l'Invisible) Note: A great number of characters whose adventuring careers began in the immediate post World War II or early 1950s (or even later), such as Bob Morane, OSS 117, Coplan FX-18, Madame Atomos, Leonox, Mephista, S.A.S., and others were born in in the 1930s or 1940s; however they are not listed above but in the next chapter.