Vigilantes captivate the literature world
Individuals seeking justice, or their interpretation of it, has been a recurrent motif in fiction for centuries. Whether they fight for truth, protect the innocent, or seek revenge against injustice, vigilantes are a mainstay in literature.
Alexander Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo is a groundbreaking novel about vigilantism. The 19th-century European setting of the novel centers on Edmond Dantes’ quest for revenge after being wrongly imprisoned in the Chateau D’If for 14 years due to false accusations.
While exploring the destructive power of greed and humanity's darker side, Dumas portrays Edmond Dantes as a model of gentlemanly conduct and other virtues. Yet, one has to wonder whether the Count’s actions towards the Villefort, Danglars, Caderousse, and Mondego families were justified. Or did the Count take matters further than what should be acceptable in society? Whether or not you agree, it’s a gripping read.
The story has inspired many film and television adaptations over the years. Most notably, the 1975 TV film starring Richard Chamberlain, the 2002 movie with Jim Caviezel, Richard Harris, and Guy Pearce, and the 2024 adaptation featuring Pierre Niney.
In 1998, a television miniseries starred Gérard Depardieu as the Count. The character also appeared in the sixth season of Once Upon a Time (2016), portrayed by Craig Horner, with several references to key plot points from the original story. Most recently, in 2024, an eight-part series featured Sam Claflin as the Count.
Johnston McCulley: Zorro
After Johnston McCulley introduced Zorro in 1919, the masked vigilante became a fixture in media, appearing in films, TV series, musicals, comic books, and video games.
Don Diego de la Vega, a rich landowner, secretly becomes a champion for the poor and weak, fighting against injustice. The character is often associated with Joaquin Murrieta, a famous bandit active during California's Gold Rush of the 1850s.
In 2007, Isabel Allende wrote an origin story set against the backdrop of Mexican-ruled California. Her rendition covered the early escapades of the masked crusader.
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Taking justice into your own hands-the aspects of vigilantism
Throughout history, individuals, groups, and organizations have taken matters of justice into their own hands. But what exactly are vigilantes, what drives them, and are their actions justified?
Jeff Lindsay: Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan, the main character of Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter series, juggles two very different lives. A forensic analyst by day at the fictional Miami-Metro Police Department, he’s admired by his colleagues and enjoys a seemingly blissful relationship with Rita Bennett. But a sinister inner voice, his “Dark Passenger,” compels him to murder. When night falls, Dexter indulges his true passion: killing.
Dexter's adoptive father, Harry Morgan, a police officer, raised him after a traumatic childhood event. Harry instilled in Dexter a moral code that channels his murderous inclinations toward those who have escaped the law.
Lindsay’s novels inspired the Showtime series, Dexter, with Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter in the lead. The story continues in the prequel Dexter: Original Sin, and the sequels Dexter: New Blood and Dexter: Resurrection.
Lee Child: Jack Reacher
At six foot five and 250 pounds, Jack Reacher, the protagonist of Lee Child's novels, is an imposing figure. Once a distinguished military police officer, Reacher has since adopted a transient lifestyle as a drifter, though he finds himself frequently in various predicaments.
In a departure from typical vigilantes, Reacher isn't driven by a mission to aid others. As he states in Persuader, “I don’t care about the little guy. I just hate the big guy. I hate big, smug people who think they can get away with things.”
Throughout the series, Child portrays civilian authorities as ineffective, corrupt, or absent. Reacher emerges as a blunt instrument that dispenses justice. He materializes seemingly out of thin air and leaves behind a trail of chaos (rarely allowing adversaries to face trial) before he vanishes into the horizon.
The character has been adapted into film and television. Tom Cruise starred in two movie adaptations in 2012 and 2016. Alan Ritchson has portrayed Reacher in two TV seasons since 2022.
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Vigilantes in fiction: The (anti)hero in comics
Since their inception, both DC Comics and Marvel Comics have introduced a vast array of superheroes. A significant number of them are vigilantes.
David Baldacci: The Camel Club
David Baldacci's book series explores the secretive world of a group called the Camel Club. Its members are unique individuals such as Oliver Stone, also known as John Carr, a former government assassin; Reuben Rhodes, a former Defense Intelligence Agency operative turned Vietnam War protester; Caleb Shaw, an employee in the Rare Book Wing of the Library of Congress; and Milton Farb, a child prodigy grappling with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoia.
This unlikely group of outsiders and conspiracy theorists has joined forces to expose government corruption and hidden agendas.
The books explain the curious name "Camel Club," adding an interesting element to the story:
Alex said, “Okay, I need to know something. Why the Camel Club?”
Stone answered, “Because camels have great stamina. They never give up.”
“That’s what Oliver says, but the real reason is this,” Reuben countered. “In the 1920s there was another Camel Club. And at each meeting of that club, they would all raise their glasses and take a vow to oppose Prohibition to the last drop of whiskey. Now, that’s my kind of club.”
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