He is the main character of the radio drama bearing his name, which depicts the adventures of Kalimán, a descendant of the Egyptian Pharaohs, and his young companion, Solín.
Kalimán's true origin is unknown, and never revealed in any media, which adds to the sense of mystery that surrounds his character.
He is supposedly an Indian orphan, who was found abandoned in a river and adopted by Prince Abul Pasha, who hails from one of the kingdoms in the Valley of Kalimantan.
However, Kalimán not only has Caucasian features, but also intense blue eyes, one of his most notorious characteristics, which only adds more mystery to his true identity.
Kalimán wears an all-white outfit (except for the reverse of his cloak, which is dark red), with just one mark: a jeweled-encased "K" in front of his turban.
[1] Being a master of all martial arts, he does not use any kind of weapons, except a blow-gun with tranquilizer darts, and a ceremonial dagger that complements his costume.
He also possesses extraordinary mental powers: levitation, telepathy, remote viewing, telekinesis, astral projection, control of the involuntary functions of the body (which allows him to feign being dead), hypnosis, ESP, and self-healing, among others.
Kalimán's dramas were a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Tintin, and James Bond-style adventures, with him acting as a skilled detective, and using his incredible mental abilities to solve the ongoing mysteries; however, he also fights spirits, monsters, supervillain organizations, and supernatural threats with magic and martial arts.
Kalimán himself refused to use any kind of gun, continuously insisting that firearms in general were the last resource of the weak, although he eventually used arrows, swords, or daggers to disarm his enemies.
If compared with modern-day superheroes, Kalimán could be described as a combination of Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange and Iron Fist[citation needed].
However, he needs to be trained both physically and mentally prior to reconstructing his kingdom, in order to become a great ruler, hence the reason why Kalimán was sent to locate and protect him until the day he is ready to fulfill his destiny.
Count Bartok, as well as battling Kaliman, also served as the host in his own title, presenting one-off horror stories, akin to Cain and Abel in DC Comics or The Crypt-keeper in Tales from the Crypt.
Karma: Originally, he was Kalimán's rival for the Red Dragon title, which is granted by Tibetan monks to the most perfect incarnation of a man of peace on Earth, who will become the official Protector of the World.
It is stated that Karma is almost equal to Kalimán in every aspect and sense, but fails due to a minor flaw in his soul.
Angered after being rejected for such an insignificant detail, Karma decides to embrace that flaw and falls into darkness, becoming Kalimán's nemesis.
He is the exact opposite of the Incredible Man (even his name is Kalimán spelled backwards), and is always dressed in a black version of the hero's costume.
The radio drama has been continuously on air several times along the years in different regions of Mexico and Spanish America.
"Malevolent Power" Two years after his radio debut, Kalimán's popularity grew so much that the decision was made for Promotora K to publish his adventures in comic book format.
The first issue of Kalimán, written by Clemente Uribe Ugarte, was published on December 4, 1965, with the first to tenth parts of the story "Los Profanadores de Tumbas" ("The Tomb Raiders").
Later, the special editions "Kalicolor" and "Kalimán de Lujo" were done in full color, using the same printing process as in America, but they were less popular than the original magazine and never sold well.
The Kalimán comic book was published in Colombia as well, starting with the eleventh issue of the Mexican run, the beginning of the second story, "The Valley of the Vampires".
From Colombia, the comic was also exported to most South American countries, contributing to the expansion of Kalimán's popularity across Latin America.
In 2010, the Ecuadorian daily newspaper El Comercio (Quito, Ecuador) acquired the rights to reprint "Mysteries of Bonampak" and "The Triangle of Death" as a serialized comic strip.
Most of Kalimán's first adventures in comic book format were adaptations of the original radio drama scripts; some even had the same titles, but eventually developed their own independent stories.
After several months, the court ruled in favor of Promotora K with the reasoning that Marvel did not use the subtitle "El Hombre Increible" until 1968, years after Kalimán was sold in the United States.
As a result of this ruling, Marvel Comics had to pay royalties to Promotora K to legally use "El Hombre Increible" in the Hulk's titles.
[citation needed] Due to the popularity of the character, two movies were produced in Mexico, with Canadian actor Jeff Cooper as Kalimán.
The movie is loosely based on the first story, "Los Profanadores de Tumbas" ("The Tomb Raiders"), but added a science fiction theme.
[4] In 2016, to commemorate the first fifty years of Kalimán, the first radio drama script, "Los Profanadores de Tumbas" ("The Tomb Raiders"), was rewritten and adapted to a novel format.
The book also includes new illustrations specifically made for it by René del Valle, one of the artists who collaborated with the comic in its final years of publication.