Doc Savage

March 1933

Trained by his father to be the pinnacle of human perfection, Clark Savage Jr. spent most of his life helping others against criminals, megalomaniacs, insane cults and other threats. Doc Savage's offices are located at the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. He kickstarts his adventures by avenging the murder of his father, and never looked back since.

Savage, however, does not work alone. He is helped by five associates who have pledged themselves to help him in his endeavours:

• Col. John Renwick ("Renny"), engineer extraordinaire.
• William Harper Littlejohn ("Johnny"), world-renowned geologist. 
• Brigadier General Theodore Marley Brooks ("Ham"), noted attorney. 
• Major Thomas J. Roberts ("Long Tom"), electrician pioneer.
• Lt. Col. Andrew Blodgett Mayfair ("Monk"), chemistry specialist. 

Doc Savage was created in the early thirties by publisher Henry W. Ralston, editor John L. Nanovic, both working for Street & Smith Publications. He debuted in his own magazine in 1933. All of Savage's 181 adventures were published under the house name of Kenneth Robeson. In reality most were the work of Lester Dent. Doc Savage starred in his own magazine from 1933 up until 1949. Modern readers became re-acquainted with the hero in the 1960s when Bantam Books reprinted all of his tales, with iconic covers done by artist Jim Bama. 

Like any good character, Doc Savage branched out in other medias. There were two radio serials in 1934 and 1943. He also appeared in several comic book series, from the Golden Age up to the present time. The most recent being the Dynamite Entertainment series beginning in 2013. 

Hollywood also came a-callin'. George Pal produced and directed a film version in 1975: Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze starring Ron Ely (Tarzan). I remember seeing this when I was a kid, but I don't recall much of it. The film was a critical and commercial failure. Shane Black is currently working on a new adaptation.