El Borak, otherwise known as Francis Xavier Gordon, is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard.
The character was originally created when Howard was only ten years old,[1] but he did not see print until "The Daughter of Erlik Khan" in the December 1934 issue of Top-Notch.
He is likely to have been inspired by real people such as Richard Francis Burton, John Nicholson, "Chinese" Gordon and Lawrence of Arabia as well as the fiction of Talbot Mundy.
El Borak is the central character of the series, frequently attempting to minimise tribal wars and conflict in the region through guile or direct violence.
It is the name given to him in Afghanistan due to his speed and quickness (similar to Buraq, the swift flying steed who carried the Prophet Muhamad).