He surprises his parents and all other people present by being able to talk, smoke a pipe, drink beer and choose his own name.

Later in the story Adhemar wants to leave to see something of the world, but is halted by Petoetje, adoptive son of Meneer and Madam Pheip.

In Het Rattenkasteel ("The Rat Castle") (1948) Nero is seen with another son, this time a baby with a pacifier, but the child is not referred to again in the story, nor the rest of the series.

From "De Juweleneter" ("The Jewel Eeater") (1963) on he wears a tuxedo and his characteristic baret appears in "Het Groene Vuur" ("The Green Fire") (1966).

In some stories Adhemar returns to his childish state of mind, like "Het Zevende Spuitje" ("The Seventh Syringe") (1963) or "De Wallabieten" ("The Wallabytes") (1968), but most of the times he is the most adult of all the characters.

He is a sceptic who will doubt all instances of magic, wizardry or fantastic elements and claim, in his trademark catch phrase: "Het is wetenschappelijk niet verantwoord" ("It's scientifically not possible").

In "De Witte Parel" ("The White Pearl") (1962) he is humiliated on television when it turns out he doesn't know any nursery rhymes during a quiz.

In "Nerorock" (1990) he also admits liking pop music, including Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers, The Rolling Stones, Don Henley, Tears For Fears, Leo Fabri, Milli Vanilli, Kylie Minogue, Helmut Lotti and Simple Minds.

In "Het Groene Vuur" ("The Green Fire") (1965) he makes a trip throughout the USA as an advanced fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation.

He teaches in German philology, trigonometry, nuclear physics, dynamics,[5] chemical equations,[6] typometry, geomontography, aerial photography and geography.

In "De Driedubbelgestreepte" ("The Three Double Striped One") (1962) the Americans want to use him in the space race against Soviet Russia, an act for which he receives a medal in "De Paarse Futen" ("The Purple Great crested grebes" (1967) after he magically sends two American astronauts to the moon with a wand.

The annual comic book award Bronzen Adhemar has been named after him and is a small statue modelled after his likeness.

[10] A book store in Gent has been named after him too [11] He is included along with other Nero characters on a bas-relief in Sint-Niklaas, made by sculptor Paul Dekker in 1988 to commemorate Marc Sleen's induction as an honor citizen of the city.