Irma Plavatski was a beautiful Russian princess and a cousin to Nick Carter’s old enemy, Olga, Queen of the Russian Nihilists. Irma was periodically possessed by an evil magician named Dazaar, a centuries-old Tibetan Ascended Master who had also possessed seven other bodies before making Irma his permanent vessel. For this, Dazaar had been expelled from the Great White Lodge, and since formed his own satanic organization bent on world conquest. He was expelled because it was forbidden to switch bodies with a female, as females were more likely to feel love and compassion. In fact, Irma had fallen in love with Dazaar’s arch enemy, Nick Carter, and sent an assassin to kill his wife, Ethel. Carter captured Dazaar, and the magician was sentenced to death. However, Irma/Dazaar managed to fake her death with a Tibetan substance and later had Buck Granger, one of her hypnotized minions, dig her body up from its grave and revive her. The hit on Carter’s wife was successful, but some time after Ethel’s death, Carter began dating his beautiful neighbor, Cora Tempest. Irma/Dazaar was furious and kidnapped the girl. Later, she kidnapped Nick Carter himself, with the intention of making him marry her on pain of death. However, it was actually Chic Carter in disguise, and Nick came to the rescue. In the final battle, in a temple of vampires, Irma shot herself, believing it was the only way to free Nick from the most dangerous enemy he ever faced. Dazaar was a master of disguise and was capable of killing a man with a throwing knife from several hundred yards. Dazaar was also a great mystic capable of hypnotizing men and women to act against their will. He was also capable of transferring his mind into the bodies of others. Dazaar may have possessed other mystical powers besides. Dazaar also commanded a worldwide network of satanic fanatics.
| Alias Dazaar, The Arch-Fiend |
| Real Names/Alt Names Irma Plavatski |
| Characteristics Magician, Master of Disguise, Pulp Characters, Street & Smith Universe, Hypnotist, Magic Caster, Belle Époque, Russian |
| Creators/Key Contributors Frederic Van Rensselaer Dey |
| First Appearance New Nick Carter Weekly #372 (“Dazaar the Arch-Fiend”, February 13, 1904) |
| First Publisher Street & Smith [Wikipedia] |
| Appearance List Appearances in New Nick Carter Weekly: #372 (February 13, 1904) Dazaar the Arch-Fiend, #373 The Queen of the Seven, #374 The Sign of the Dagger, #375 The Devil Worshipers, #376 The Cross of Daggers, #377 The Last of the Seven, #394 A Princess of Hades, #395 A Compact with Dazaar, #396 (September 30, 1904) In the Shadow of Dazaar |
| Sample Read New Nick Carter Weekly (Dazaar) [N&D] |
| Description Irma Plavatski was a beautiful Russian princess and a cousin to Nick Carter’s old enemy, Olga, Queen of the Russian Nihilists. Irma was periodically possessed by an evil magician named Dazaar, a centuries-old Tibetan Ascended Master who had also possessed seven other bodies before making Irma his permanent vessel. For this, Dazaar had been expelled from the Great White Lodge, and since formed his own satanic organization bent on world conquest. He was expelled because it was forbidden to switch bodies with a female, as females were more likely to feel love and compassion. In fact, Irma had fallen in love with Dazaar’s arch enemy, Nick Carter, and sent an assassin to kill his wife, Ethel. Carter captured Dazaar, and the magician was sentenced to death. However, Irma/Dazaar managed to fake her death with a Tibetan substance and later had Buck Granger, one of her hypnotized minions, dig her body up from its grave and revive her. The hit on Carter’s wife was successful, but some time after Ethel’s death, Carter began dating his beautiful neighbor, Cora Tempest. Irma/Dazaar was furious and kidnapped the girl. Later, she kidnapped Nick Carter himself, with the intention of making him marry her on pain of death. However, it was actually Chic Carter in disguise, and Nick came to the rescue. In the final battle, in a temple of vampires, Irma shot herself, believing it was the only way to free Nick from the most dangerous enemy he ever faced. Dazaar was a master of disguise and was capable of killing a man with a throwing knife from several hundred yards. Dazaar was also a great mystic capable of hypnotizing men and women to act against their will. He was also capable of transferring his mind into the bodies of others. Dazaar may have possessed other mystical powers besides. Dazaar also commanded a worldwide network of satanic fanatics. |
| Source Dazaar the Arch-Fiend – Public Domain Super Heroes Wiki |
