Mandrake

Mandrake the Magician is a master conjurer and stage illusionist who uses hypnosis and sleight of hand to battle villains, aided by his loyal companion Lothar. He is one of comics' earliest adventure heroes, predating the superhero genre itself.

Few characters can claim a Platinum Age debut and still be turning up in comics eight decades later, but Mandrake is exactly that kind of enduring figure — a conjurer of the old school who first stepped onto the page in Feature Book #18 back in 1938 and never quite left. Born from an era when comics were still finding their footing, Mandrake went on to share adventures with some of the most iconic names in classic comics, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lothar, The Phantom, and even Superman himself. His longest home in the catalog is The Menomonee Falls Gazette, a testament to a devoted readership that kept coming back across generations, and his appearance in King: The Phantom places him firmly in that regal circle of adventure-strip royalty. For collectors with a taste for the Platinum and Golden Age roots of the medium, Mandrake is a name worth seeking out — a living thread connecting comics' earliest days to the modern era.