Sumuru
Female supervillain leading a matriarchal world order.
Sumuru is a female supervillain created by Sax Rohmer, who also wrote the Fu Manchu novels. She debuted in a BBC radio serial that aired from 1945 to 1946, and this serial was later turned into a novel in 1950. Like Fu Manchu, Sumuru is a criminal mastermind who runs a secret group called the Order of Our Lady. Her organization recruits attractive women to seduce and take advantage of men, with the goal of creating a world ruled by women.
Rohmer wrote the radio series for the BBC after World War II. Because the BBC did not want to offend the Republic of China, a wartime ally, Rohmer reused similar plots but replaced the villain with Sumuru. The series, *Shadow of Sumuru*, aired in eight half-hour episodes on the BBC Light Programme, featuring actors Anna Burden and Robert Beatty.
The radio serial was published as a novel in 1950 under the title *The Sins of Sumuru* in the UK. The American publisher Fawcett Gold Medal released it as *Nude in Mink*, against Rohmer's wishes. After a quick second printing, the publisher commissioned a series of books. Four more novels followed, with different titles in the UK and US: *The Slaves of Sumuru* (UK) / *Sumuru* (US) in 1951, *Virgin in Flames* (UK) / *The Fire Goddess* (US) in 1952, *Sand and Satin* (UK) / *Return of Sumuru* (US) in 1954, and *Sinister Madonna* (both countries) in 1956. A compilation, *The Sumuru Omnibus*, was released in 2011.
At his American publisher's request, Rohmer added more explicit sexual content to the Sumuru books than in his earlier work. Fawcett editors also made changes to some editions, such as altering the ending of *The Slaves of Sumuru* and omitting a key paragraph from *The Fire Goddess*. Later editions by Bookfinger restored Rohmer's original texts.
Critic Anthony Boucher called the 1954 book "melodrama almost as entertainingly Perelmanesque as the exploits of the evil Doctor" and praised *Sinister Madonna* as "outrageously enjoyable" and "critically indefensible, but my God, such fun." However, the 1988 *Dictionary of Literary Biography* judged the Sumuru novels as second-rate, noting they often recycled themes from Rohmer's better work. Unlike the Fu Manchu books, they lack a main hero like Nayland Smith, though a character from Rohmer's 1929 novel *The Emperor of America* reappears. Broken by Sumuru, he struggles back in *Sinister Madonna*, which ends on an uncertain note an
- created_by
- Sax Rohmer
- first_appearance
- 1945–1946 BBC radio serial
- first_novel
- The Sins of Sumuru (1950)
- field
- Fictional supervillain
- known_for
- Leading the Order of Our Lady to establish a matriarchal world order
- media
- Radio, novels, films
Lore & Background
Sumuru was created by Sax Rohmer after the BBC approached him for a radio serial following World War II. Because the BBC did not wish to offend the Republic of China, Rohmer reused basic plots from his Fu Manchu stories but substituted a female mastermind. The serial, Shadow of Sumuru, aired on the BBC Light Programme from 1945 to 1946 in eight half-hour episodes, featuring Anna Burden and Robert Beatty. In 1950, Rohmer published the serial as the novel The Sins of Sumuru; the American edition was retitled Nude in Mink against Rohmer's wishes. Four more novels followed between 1951 and 1956, with different titles in the U.K. and U.S. for the first four books.
Reader's Guide
Sumuru's significance lies in her role as a female counterpart to Sax Rohmer's earlier villain Fu Manchu, embodying a matriarchal threat in mid-20th-century popular culture. The novels, published by Fawcett Gold Medal, included more explicit sexual content at the publisher's request, and some editions featured textual alterations. Critical reception was mixed: Anthony Boucher praised later installments as 'outrageously enjoyable,' while the 1988 Dictionary of Literary Biography dismissed them as second-rate recyclings. The character was adapted into three films: The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967) and The Girl from Rio (1969), both starring Shirley Eaton, and a 2003 film set in the far future. Critics noted that the films subverted Sumuru's matriarchal goals by reinforcing traditional gender roles. Sumuru remains a distinctive figure in pulp fiction, though her legacy is overshadowed by Rohmer's more famous Fu Manchu series.
Did You Know?
- Sumuru first appeared in a 1945–1946 BBC radio serial, not in a novel.
- The American edition of the first Sumuru novel was retitled Nude in Mink against Sax Rohmer's wishes.
- The 1967 film The Million Eyes of Sumuru subverts the character's matriarchal goals by having her melt into a man's arms.
- The 2003 Sumuru film took its basic plot from the books but set it in the far future.
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