What if the most brutal dictator in history, whose whims had taken away hundreds of millions of lives in World War II, returned as a ghost decades after his death? What would happen when he takes the entire human race as his mental slave through nuclear weapons, modern terrorists and the dangerous biological ‘virus’ that takes over the mind?
And when the world is facing this hour of devastation, how will India’s two greatest and most popular superheroes, Nagraj and Super Commando Dhruv, come together and face the crisis that has befallen the entire world?
Raj Comics’ special issue ‘Tidant’ (No. 110) weaves a web of these hair-raising questions in front of the reader. This comic, based on the story and illustrations by Anupam Sinha, is not just a great action-packed battle, but it offers a brilliant blend of science, tantric mysteries, politics and patriotism.
How did this dreadful maze of devastation begin?
The story of the ‘dictator’ begins with two separate events, which further escalate into a major global crisis:
Surgical Strike on Narora: Plutonium Theft and Declining Serpent-Powers
The story begins with a dangerous attack on the ‘Narora Molecular Power Station’ by ‘Kashmira’ and his terrorist associates. Their aim is to steal ‘active plutonium sticks’ from there, so that they can make a ‘mini plutonium bomb’ to blow up a government function in Srinagar. Nagraj reaches the spot, but due to the strong radiation from the plutonium, his snake powers start weakening, and the terrorists manage to escape with the bomb parts.
The disaster of the satanic ritual: The body of the innocent, the soul of Hitler!
On the other hand, in an old church in Rajnagar, a man named ‘VT’ is conducting a scientific and tantric experiment to summon the soul of his deceased guru ‘Giotto’ into the body of his son ‘Jivo’. But due to the energy becoming uncontrollable during the experiment, Adolf Hitler’s wandering ghost takes over the innocent body of Jivo instead of Giotto.
As soon as Hitler acquires the body, he obtains ‘Virus B’ (mother and child viruses) created by Nazi scientist Schindler. He drinks the ‘mother virus’ himself and spreads the ‘child virus’ in the air throughout the entire city. Any human being who inhales this virus becomes a mental slave of Hitler. Hitler hypnotizes millions of humans into a giant ‘human mass’ (Human Hive-Mind Structure).
Nagraj, Dhruv, Chandika, Black Cat and Giotto’s spirit take to the field together to stop this extremely dangerous crisis.
Warriors of the Great War: When supernatural power and sharp intelligence came together
The biggest strength of this comic is the depth of its characters and their mutual coordination. Let’s understand in detail the characters of the main heroes of the comic and their companions:
(a) Immortal sacrifice and unwavering self-confidence amidst declining powers
Nagraj comes across as a hero in this comic who does not give up despite his physical limitations and weaknesses. When his microscopic snakes start getting destroyed due to plutonium radiation and his poisonous hiss starts freezing in the icy cold, he still searches for new ways with his wisdom (creativity).
1. Sacrifice and selflessness: When defeating Hitler requires the entry of a Holy Spirit, Nagraj transforms his body into a ‘molecule/particle form’ (Particle Form) with his willpower without hesitation and allows Giotto’s soul to enter his body.
2. Strategic Intelligence: To prevent his poisonous hiss from freezing on the snowy hills, Nagraj creates a ‘Bhompu’ (Megaphone)-like shape with his snakes, so that the poison can reach the enemy with hot air.
3. Restraint in difficult situations: Despite suffering from radiation and sinking into the swamp, Nagraj remains calm and makes plans with Dhruv.
(b) Dhruv: A sharp intellect that beats destruction without superpowers
While Nagraj has supernatural powers, Dhruv, without any superpowers, turns the tide of this great battle on the basis of his sharp intelligence, acrobatics and scientific understanding alone.
1. Observation Skills: Dhruv discovers the terrorists’ whereabouts through a wounded vulture. While fighting the ‘Commando Behath’ rocket gun and landmines in the graveyard, he uses a concrete cross to destroy an enemy weapon.
2. Hero of the defining moment: When millions of humans are hypnotized and increasing Hitler’s power, Dhruv discovers the scientific truth that mud and water sludge (Mud) can stop the mental waves emanating from the human mind (Radio/Mental Waves). Dhruv’s coating of mud on humans becomes the biggest reason for Hitler’s downfall.
3. Human Sensibilities: Dhruv not only fights to protect his country but also does not hesitate to risk himself to save the lives of innocent civilians and his comrades.
(c) Chandika: The biggest shield and high-tech warrior of difficult times
Dhruv’s sister Shweta (who is secretly ‘Chandika’) is not just a supporting character in this comic, but she comes out as a warrior who fights from the front.
Chandika numbs the enemies’ minds using the ‘ultrasonic circuit’ (Ultrasonic Circuit) embedded in her belt when Dhruv and Nagraj are surrounded by World War II Nazi tanks. She fully supports Dhruv in destroying the headquarters of the terrorists by operating tanks.
(d) Black Cat/Puma/Richa (Black Cat)
Richa (Black Cat) is suffering from a serious nervous disease, but due to the effect of Nagraj’s poisonous hiss, her disease is cured and her memory is restored.
As soon as she regains her memory, she leaves the group of terrorists and helps Nagraj and Dhruv. Her martial arts skills and agility help in defeating the enemies on the snowy hills.
(e) Spirit of Guru Giotto (Spirit of Giotto) – symbol of spiritual power
Giotto is a great spiritual master. The purpose of his soul is to show the world the path of truth.
When Hitler seizes the earth by disrupting their process, Giotto’s spirit fights a direct spiritual battle (Astral Combat) with Hitler’s satanic spirit in sync with Nagraj’s body. In the end, he drags Hitler’s soul and the ‘mother virus’ with him and takes them to the afterlife forever.
Not just comics, a big warning of modern dangers
‘Dictator’ is not just a fictional battle story, but it also shows a bigger picture of the threats looming over human civilization.
Author Anupam Sinha has included three main ideas in it:
1. Nuclear Terrorism: The theft of plutonium rods and the creation of mini-atomic bombs warn that if security arrangements are weakened, destructive weapons could end up in the wrong hands.
2. Biological Warfare: The idea of controlling the human mind through ‘Virus B’ matches the concepts of ‘bio-weapons’ and ‘mind control’ in today’s modern era.
3. Collision between soul and science: The comic shows that while science provides facilities to humans, if intentions are bad, then the same science and tantric knowledge together can bring the world to the brink of destruction.
The magic of Anupam Sinha’s pencil: thrill and speed in every panel
Anupam Sinha’s sharp penciling and Vitthal Kamble and Vinod Kumar’s steady inking are reminiscent of the golden period of ’90s Raj Comics, where tension and dynamism (Motion) are clearly felt in every panel. Nagraj, scorched by the deadly glow of plutonium at the Narora plant, Hitler’s dreadful ghost appearing amidst tantric smoke and mysterious light in the old church of Rajnagar, and that huge living mound of hypnotized humans—these scenes are not only horrifying but also extremely artistically impressive. The dialogues composed under Sunil Gupta’s excellent editing add depth to the nature of the characters; while Hitler’s every word drips with the arrogance of dictatorship, the unwavering confidence and patriotism reflected in the words of Nagraj and Dhruv awaken excitement in the reader’s heart.
The 3 scenes that made ‘Dictator’ a cult classic
1. The thrill of the swamp: Nagraj and Dhruv sinking into the ground after Hitler turns it into a swamp and using Nagraj’s snake tubes to breathe is one of the most exciting scenes in the comic.
2. Nazi tanks of World War II: In modern times, the movement of World War II tanks with Swastika marks in the valleys of Kashmir gives a different thrill to the reader.
3. Multi-Hero Synergy: Nagraj, Dhruv, Chandika and Black Cat coming together to be each other’s shield proves that teamwork is the greatest strength.
An immortal classic that still gives goosebumps
‘Dictator’ is such a memorable part of the history of Raj Comics that every comics lover must read it at least once. This story keeps the readers engaged from beginning to end and does not slow down anywhere.
This comic not only shows the brilliant jugalbandi of Nagraj and Dhruv but also gives the message that no matter how organized, powerful and dictatorial evil is, it has to succumb to truth, sharp intelligence and selfless sacrifice.
If you are fond of classic Indian comics, superhero crossovers and suspense-thriller stories, then ‘Dictator’ will prove to be the most special gem of your comics library.
