Kalimán, the Incredible Man is one of best known superheroes ever created in Latin America (though curiously, the character himself isn't Latino). Originally a Radio Show from the 1960s, it was adapted into a comic book series that lasted until the 1980s, as well as two live-action movies during the '70s.
He may possibly have been inspired by The Shadow and similar pulp-era characters, who also had the same "trained by Tibetan mystics" origins; additionally the format of most of his stories owe a lot to the Cliffhanger-style movie serials. He also physically resembles Superman, down to having blue eyes.
Kalimán is "The Seventh Descendant of the Seventh Dynasty" of Kali, goddess of justice, and thus was predestined to become a hero. Raised in a temple in Tibet, he mastered "the powers of the mind and the body" and then vowed to wander the world fighting evil, a vow he must renew at the temple every seven years. His only regular supporting character was Solin, an Egyptian boy whom Kalimán picked up on his first published adventure to be his sidekick.
(It must be noted that Kali is regularly used in fiction as an evil goddess, partly due to her scary appearance; this is mostly from Western writers not doing enough research. In fact she a form of Mother Nature in Hindu religion.)
Kalimán's stories were very formulaic (again showing his pulp roots): They would start with his visiting a new country, only to find a mystery to solve; in the process, he would run into an evil scheme, often with supernatural elements; there would be at least one beautiful woman (either a Damsel in Distress or a seductive villaines) involved, who invariably fell for him; and a really nasty villain who always died by the end (despite the fact that Kalimán himself never killed.) All the while, Kalimán would not only fight stoically but would spew philosophy as well, making him one of the most idealistic heroes ever.
Despite all the reused trappings, the stories were still thrilling and exotic, and Kalimán was an exemplary hero. Even today, the name "Kalimán" is still known to whole generations of Latino-Americans, and it is likely he will continue to appear in the future, in one format or another.
Kalimán, el Hombre Increíble provides examples of the following tropes:
- The Cape: He was very heroic, always doing the right thing. He never killed, and fought stoically while still spewing philosophy.
- Cartwright Curse: Any woman Kalimán loved invariably ended up dead; maybe that's why he was mostly a Celibate Hero.
- Catchphrase: Several; his most famous ones included "Serenity, serenity and patience, plenty of patience" and "He who masters the mind, masters everything", the latter ones became
memetic in Mexico. - Cliffhanger: In. Each. And. Every. Issue!
- Enlightenment Superpowers
- Informed Ability: Kalimán supposedly had "The strength of 50 men" but rarely made feats of Super-Strength.
- Requisite Royal Regalia: Kalimán's costume resembles a Hindu prince's; apparently he was one.
- Pulp Magazine: Many of the series' tropes came from these.
- Rogues Gallery: Among the villains who came back to torment Kalimán were:
- The Black Spider, a costumed gangster;
- Karma, an evil member of the Kali cult;
- Count Bartok, a vampire.
- Rule of Seven: He is the Seventh Descendant of the Seventh Dynasty of the goddess Kali, and must renew his vow to fight injustice every seven years.
- Sidekick Glass Ceiling: Solin never learned more than telepathy from Kalimán, and even that was used mostly to call for his aid.
- Superpower Lottery: Kaliman's powers included turning into a Human Popsicle, Hypnotism, Telepathy and astral projection. In addition he was an expert at hand-to-hand combat and was familiar with many scholarly topics.
- The Strength of Ten Men: Kaliman was said to have the strength of 50 men.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Kalimán never killed (anything human, anyway); the dagger he carried was only used as a tool. He did carry blowdarts coated in paralyzing poison, however.
- Token Minority: Solin.
- Weirdness Magnet: Regardless of what Kalimán's starting intentions were, he always found himself running into the supernatural, or even flung across time.
