Monsieur Ampere

With a certain flair of European style and nobility, Monsieur Ampere oozes a refinement born of aristocratic breeding. From the very beginning, he demonstrated his complexity of character, and ability to tackle dual roles. His somewhat “Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde” nature means he is equally comfortable when cast in the role of a hero or a villain. Either way though, his finesse and charisma always shine through.

Although not a central character in any series, Ampere has had a host of supporting and cameo roles. His first and namesake appearance was in The Wonderful Journey (1950) where he debuted as an aristocratic treasure hunter who also moonlights as the captain of a smugglers ship. While his masterpiece appearance is arguably in the Black Jack (1973-83) chapter “Recollections of a Spinster” (1977), where he showed his power to tighten up a story with even just a single appearance in the final panel. Over the course of his career, he also made memorable appearances in Next World (1951), Astro Boy (1952-68), The Adventure of Rock (1952-54), Lion Books (1956-57), Rainbow Parakeet (1981-82), and many others – with roles ranging from drug smugglers, to bandits, to sailors to the President.

Visually modeled on the French actor Charles Boyer, Monsieur Ampere is recognizable by his sloping nose, square jaw, cleft chin, and the small black mole on his left cheek.

(Source: Tezuka in English)