Jonathan Septimus
His work on human mind control, published under the pseudonym Dr. Wade in the 1920s, was met with considerable opposition and criticism from journalists and the scientific community alike.
In his secret laboratory, he developed the "telecephaloscope", a device that uses the "Mega Wave" to control the brain of Olrik [fr] remotely, commanding him to commit a series of crimes marked with the letter μ in yellow chalk.
His character is situated within a long tradition of literary and cinematic depictions of cursed scientists, evoking figures such as Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Mabuse, and Dr. Caligari.
His publisher, James Thornley, filed a defamation lawsuit but ultimately lost when Judge Vernay ruled that "not only is this book a scientific heresy, but it also endangers public morals.
[N 1][a 5] In response to the directives of the army's health services, Dr. Septimus constructed a shelter beneath his Tavistock Square residence, where he established a laboratory to pursue his research.
[a 5] A highly accomplished scientist, he clandestinely developed the "telecephaloscope", a device using the Mega Wave to regulate Olrik's brain functions from a distance, thereby fulfilling his aspiration for retribution against those who had previously humiliated him.
At the beginning of the narrative, the protagonist spends the evening at the Centaur Club with Leslie Macomber, the editor of the Daily Mail; Hugh Calvin, a judge; and Raymond Vernay, a professor.
[a 7] In the aftermath of the abductions of Vernay, Macomber, and Calvin,[a 8] Captain Blake secures the police protection of Jonathan Septimus and persuades him to depart from London.
[a 9] While Blake and Scotland Yard Inspector Glenn Kendall pursue multiple leads, Mortimer conducts his investigation and discovers a link between the four victims: a 1922 case involving the publication of a book titled The Mega Wave, written by the mysterious Dr. Wade.
Inside, Olrik is abruptly liberated from the doctor's influence by a phrase Mortimer utters, resulting in his betrayal of his master and the use of his apparatus to annihilate him.
This adventure serves as a sequel to The Yellow "M", taking place several months after the preceding narrative and reintroducing numerous characters from Jacobs's album.
[a 15] Meanwhile Captain Blake [fr] investigates a mysterious illness affecting Major Banks's troops, which causes them to experience delirium as if preparing for an enemy attack.
Upon entering the structure, he encounters the image of Dr. Septimus in a giant column of liquid crystals, which subsequently vanishes to reveal a figure clad in a diving suit, presumably in control of the vessel.
Mortimer succeeds in triggering the telecephaloscope's disruptor before being rendered unconscious, while throngs of Septimus doppelgängers swarm outside the warehouse and in London's streets.
This adventure represents the conclusion of a trilogy initiated with The Yellow "M."[6] While Jonathan Septimus's role is minimal, he is referenced on numerous occasions throughout the album.
[7] A series of enigmatic occurrences guides the two men, accompanied by Richard Murray, Francis Blake [fr]'s nephew, to the desolate residence of Doctor Septimus.
For instance, Edgar P. Jacobs drew upon the likeness of his partner's uncle, Arthur Vasselio,[12] while also incorporating the characteristics of actor Conrad Veidt into his portrayal in Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's 1920 film, The Haunted Castle.
[12][10] Semiotician Pierre Fresnault-Deruelle [fr] posits that The Yellow "M" aligns with the "marvelous black" aesthetic, which he characterizes as "an offshoot of Anglo-Saxon Romanticism, where fear constitutes the main driving force of the narrative."
He further suggests that Dr. Septimus echoes the main character in Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Subsequently, the author introduces Professor Miloch [fr] in SOS Météores and The Time Trap, with the role being reprised by Dr. Zong in The Strange Encounter, scripted by Jean Van Hamme.
His first name, Jonathan, directly references a biblical figure, while his surname contains two semantic components: "Sept", a sacred number in numerology, and "mus", a Latin-Germanic ending that alludes to the "murky realm of occult knowledge" of the Middle Ages, as exemplified by the apothecary and astrologer Nostradamus, combine to form the name Septimus.
[1] Septimus's respectability and sociability are merely "carefully maintained appearances", concealing his true personality as a perverse scientist, creator of a "diabolical scheme."
"[17] In the author's universe, audiovisual media play a crucial role in providing protagonists with undeniable and decisive information, which contrasts with the approach taken by another major artist of his generation, Hergé, creator of The Adventures of Tintin.
Ultimately, Dr. Septimus loses control over his creature because he attempts to use Olrik [fr]'s gaze as a mere transmitting lens, thereby forgetting the value images hold for him.
Upon entering Blake and Mortimer's apartment, Olrik is reminded of the enchantment he experienced in The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, which causes him to become "disoriented to the point of diverting him from Septimus's intended goal.
"[17] Additionally, Masson posits that the external environment is merely a "reservoir of empty signs" to Septimus, who ascribes no significance to them other than that they convey a genuine message—his own.
