Rastapopoulos
Encyclopedia
Roberto Rastapopoulos is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin
, the series of classic Belgian
comic books written and illustrated by Hergé
. He is the antagonist in many of Tintin's adventures.
's archenemy
, who first appears in Cigars of the Pharaoh
, serialised in Le Petit Vingtième
from December 8, 1932, to February 8, 1934, initially as a seemingly sympathetic film producer. Tintin first meets him on a boat where he seems angry and says 'It's not the first time we've met.' However he appears to help Tintin later on. There are, however, hints within the story to his villainous identity. When the poet Zloty is poisoned, he stammers that the leader of the criminal organisation has some connection with film. At the end of the book, a newspaper page displays a photo of Thomson and Thompson
falling over a staircase. To the left of the photo an article can be glimpsed revealing that Rastapopoulos is missing. Near the end of the story, the mysterious leader falls off a cliff, and Tintin wonders if he is dead. However, it is not until the dénouement of The Blue Lotus
, the follow-up to Cigars of the Pharaoh
, that Rastapopoulos is revealed to be the head of the sinister opium
cartel against which Tintin has been pitting his wits during the course of two books. Tintin meets him again when investigating the disappearance of a Doctor who goes to the same club as Rastapopulos. He meets Tintin when he has been captured and is about to be eliminated. However the cartel is then arrested by the Sons of the Dragon, who have been hiding inside barrels.
Rastapopoulos is the owner of the studio house Cosmos Pictures (Production in some titles), a front for many of his illegal activities and a good excuse for moving to various locations. Rastapopoulos subsequently resurfaces in the guise of the Marquis di Gorgonzola, a millionaire magnate and slave trader in The Red Sea Sharks
, having been forced to assume a new identity after he was arrested for his previous crimes. When Tintin, Haddock, and Skut end up on his yacht (a caricature of Aristotle Onassis
luxurious yacht Christina), he tricks them into getting on Allan's ship, which he later tries to have torpedoed. Rastapopulos fakes his death by making his boat sink, while escaping in a submarine from the bottom. He later kidnaps the millionaire Laszlo Carreidas in Flight 714
to gain the number of his multi-million Swiss Bank account — concluding that it is easier to steal Carreidas's money than make his own fortune all over again. When he is accidentally injected with truth serum by Doctor Krollspell, he reveals various evil deeds, such as his plan to kill Doctor Krollspell when he does not need him. He is taken hostage by Tintin. Like Krollspell and Carreidas, he is tied up and gagged with sticking plaster. Throughout the course of the story he gradually gets more hurt. First when Haddock breaks his gun chasing Rastapopoulos, he throws part of it away, and it hits the hiding Rastapopoulos on the head. When he continues to run away and is called to by Allan, he is distracted and crashes into a tree. He experiences pain to the face when Allan pulls the sticking plaster off. When Allan is about to throw a grenade at Tintin and Co, he remembers that Rastapopoulos wants Carreidas alive and throws it away. Rastapopoulos is caught in the blast, leaving his clothes in tatters. When Allan pulls Carreidas' hat from under a stone head, he accidentally elbows Rastapopoulos, giving him a black eye. Later his bump on the head goes away, which he takes as a good omen. However a piece of rock falls onto his head just after he notices this as the result of an earthquake, causing another bump. When explosives are used by the gang to break through a stone barrier, a volcanic eruption is set of, forcing them to flee from the Island in a rubber dinghy. He and his gang are hypnotized by Mik Karokitoff and taken onto a UFO. What happens next to them is unrevealed. In the unfinished
Tintin and Alph-Art
, a character often thought to be Rastapopoulos in disguise—under the name of Endaddine Akass—appears. Although a page revealing Akass to be Rastapopoulos was started (and printed in the 2004 Egmont
edition), as the book was never completed, Rastapopoulos' fate following Flight 714 is unknown.
Rastapopoulos also appears in Tintin and the Lake of Sharks
, an animated feature which was adapted into a similarly titled book in which Hergé had no creative input. In this story, Rastapopoulos is depicted as a villain directing operations from a secret underwater base. He is behind numerous robberies of valuable items around the world and plans to steal a duplicating machine invented by Professor Calculus. However while trying to escape by submarine he is captured by Tintin and Haddock, and arrested by the Syldavian Police.
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, the series of classic Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
comic books written and illustrated by Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
. He is the antagonist in many of Tintin's adventures.
Character history
Rastapopoulos is a tycoon also known under the fake name Marquis di Gorgonzola. He is TintinTintin (character)
Tintin is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé. Tintin is the protagonist of the series, a reporter and adventurer who travels around the world with his dog Snowy....
's archenemy
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
, who first appears in Cigars of the Pharaoh
Cigars of the Pharaoh
Cigars of the Pharaoh is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero...
, serialised in Le Petit Vingtième
Le Petit Vingtième
Le Petit Vingtième was the weekly youth supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle from 1928 to 1940. The comics series The Adventures of Tintin first appeared in its pages.-History:...
from December 8, 1932, to February 8, 1934, initially as a seemingly sympathetic film producer. Tintin first meets him on a boat where he seems angry and says 'It's not the first time we've met.' However he appears to help Tintin later on. There are, however, hints within the story to his villainous identity. When the poet Zloty is poisoned, he stammers that the leader of the criminal organisation has some connection with film. At the end of the book, a newspaper page displays a photo of Thomson and Thompson
Thomson and Thompson
Thomson and Thompson are fictional characters in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé. Thomson and Thompson are detectives of Scotland Yard, and are as incompetent as they are necessary comic relief...
falling over a staircase. To the left of the photo an article can be glimpsed revealing that Rastapopoulos is missing. Near the end of the story, the mysterious leader falls off a cliff, and Tintin wonders if he is dead. However, it is not until the dénouement of The Blue Lotus
The Blue Lotus
The Blue Lotus , first published in 1936, is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated by Hergé featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero. It is a sequel to Cigars of the Pharaoh, with Tintin continuing his struggle against a major gang of drug...
, the follow-up to Cigars of the Pharaoh
Cigars of the Pharaoh
Cigars of the Pharaoh is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero...
, that Rastapopoulos is revealed to be the head of the sinister opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
cartel against which Tintin has been pitting his wits during the course of two books. Tintin meets him again when investigating the disappearance of a Doctor who goes to the same club as Rastapopulos. He meets Tintin when he has been captured and is about to be eliminated. However the cartel is then arrested by the Sons of the Dragon, who have been hiding inside barrels.
Rastapopoulos is the owner of the studio house Cosmos Pictures (Production in some titles), a front for many of his illegal activities and a good excuse for moving to various locations. Rastapopoulos subsequently resurfaces in the guise of the Marquis di Gorgonzola, a millionaire magnate and slave trader in The Red Sea Sharks
The Red Sea Sharks
The Red Sea Sharks is the nineteenth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated by Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero...
, having been forced to assume a new identity after he was arrested for his previous crimes. When Tintin, Haddock, and Skut end up on his yacht (a caricature of Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Sokratis Onassis , commonly called Ari or Aristo Onassis, was a prominent Greek shipping magnate.- Early life :Onassis was born in Karatass, a suburb of Smyrna to Socrates and Penelope Onassis...
luxurious yacht Christina), he tricks them into getting on Allan's ship, which he later tries to have torpedoed. Rastapopulos fakes his death by making his boat sink, while escaping in a submarine from the bottom. He later kidnaps the millionaire Laszlo Carreidas in Flight 714
Flight 714
Flight 714, first published in 1968, is the 22nd and penultimate complete volume of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums by the Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero. Its original French title is Vol 714 pour Sydney...
to gain the number of his multi-million Swiss Bank account — concluding that it is easier to steal Carreidas's money than make his own fortune all over again. When he is accidentally injected with truth serum by Doctor Krollspell, he reveals various evil deeds, such as his plan to kill Doctor Krollspell when he does not need him. He is taken hostage by Tintin. Like Krollspell and Carreidas, he is tied up and gagged with sticking plaster. Throughout the course of the story he gradually gets more hurt. First when Haddock breaks his gun chasing Rastapopoulos, he throws part of it away, and it hits the hiding Rastapopoulos on the head. When he continues to run away and is called to by Allan, he is distracted and crashes into a tree. He experiences pain to the face when Allan pulls the sticking plaster off. When Allan is about to throw a grenade at Tintin and Co, he remembers that Rastapopoulos wants Carreidas alive and throws it away. Rastapopoulos is caught in the blast, leaving his clothes in tatters. When Allan pulls Carreidas' hat from under a stone head, he accidentally elbows Rastapopoulos, giving him a black eye. Later his bump on the head goes away, which he takes as a good omen. However a piece of rock falls onto his head just after he notices this as the result of an earthquake, causing another bump. When explosives are used by the gang to break through a stone barrier, a volcanic eruption is set of, forcing them to flee from the Island in a rubber dinghy. He and his gang are hypnotized by Mik Karokitoff and taken onto a UFO. What happens next to them is unrevealed. In the unfinished
Unfinished work
An unfinished work is creative work that has not been finished. Its creator may have chosen never to finish it or may have been prevented from doing so by circumstances outside of their control such as death. Such pieces are often the subject of speculation as to what the finished piece would have...
Tintin and Alph-Art
Tintin and Alph-Art
Tintin and Alph-Art was the intended twenty-fourth and final book in the Tintin series, created by Belgian comics artist Hergé. It is a striking departure from the earlier books in tone and subject, as well as in some parts of the style; rather than being set in a usual exotic and action-packed...
, a character often thought to be Rastapopoulos in disguise—under the name of Endaddine Akass—appears. Although a page revealing Akass to be Rastapopoulos was started (and printed in the 2004 Egmont
Egmont Publishing
The Egmont Group is a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark. The business area of Egmont has traditionally been magazine publishing but has over the years evolved to comprise media generally....
edition), as the book was never completed, Rastapopoulos' fate following Flight 714 is unknown.
Rastapopoulos also appears in Tintin and the Lake of Sharks
Tintin and the Lake of Sharks
Tintin and the Lake of Sharks is a Tintin animated film, directed by Raymond Leblanc . It was not written by Hergé, who supervised, but by the Belgian comics creator Greg , a friend of Hergé...
, an animated feature which was adapted into a similarly titled book in which Hergé had no creative input. In this story, Rastapopoulos is depicted as a villain directing operations from a secret underwater base. He is behind numerous robberies of valuable items around the world and plans to steal a duplicating machine invented by Professor Calculus. However while trying to escape by submarine he is captured by Tintin and Haddock, and arrested by the Syldavian Police.