Pao Tcheou is a fictional character

Fictional character

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 from a series of French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 novels. Referring to himself as "Maitre de L'invisible" ("Master of the Invisible"), due to his ability to turn himself invisible

Invisibility

Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...

, Pao is a megalomaniacal Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 villain, evocative of the Yellow Peril

Yellow Peril

Yellow Peril was a colour metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with immigration of Chinese laborers to various Western countries, notably the United States, and later associated with the Japanese during the mid 20th century, due to Japanese military expansion.The term...

 and similar to the famous Fu Manchu

Fu Manchu

Dr. Fu Manchu is a fictional character introduced in a series of novels by British author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century...

; indeed he is supposedly his cousin.

Pao Tcheou was created by "Edward Brooker", the nom de plume for a French writer who has never been identified, and the series was continued by the equally pseudonymous "Sam P. Norwood". The first series of novels ran from 1946 to 1947, and the second from 1953 to 1956.

The Pao Tcheou series was massive in its scope, spanning all of the Earth and beyond, including a journey to Mars

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...

. The evil conqueror Pao is opposed by the heroic team of Lapertot, a stalwart adventurer, and Professor Faustulus, a learned doctor who assists with the scientific aspects of the adventures. Pao's efforts to take control of the world are many and varied, including robot

Robot

A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...

s, atomic bombs, and giant monsters.