Captain Nemo

Captain Nemo (Prince Dakkar) is a pirate vigilante. A scientific genius who roams the depths of the sea in his submarine, the Nautilus, which he helped build on a deserted island. Nemo tries to project a stern, controlled confidence, but he is driven by a thirst for vengeance, and wracked by remorse over the deaths of his crewmembers and even by the deaths of enemy sailors. In The Mysterious Island, a still mysterious but gentler Nemo secretly helps the castaways off the island and in the end warns them that the island will be destroyed in a volcanic eruption. Nemo dies of a mysterious illness just before the eruption and is buried in his ship that is then sunk.

"Nemo" is Latin for "no one", and also (as νέμω) Greek for "I give what is due" .

Life

Nemo is Prince Dakkar, the Sikh son of the Raja of Bundelkund. He was deeply antagonistic to the British Raj of India. Nemo had a European education, as he states that he had spent his youth studying and touring Europe.

After the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857, in which he lost his family and his kingdom, he devoted himself to scientific research and develops an advanced submarine, the Nautilus. He and a crew of his followers cruise the seas, battling injustice, especially imperialism. They derive bullion from the various shipwrecks that dot the ocean, the most notable plundering ground being the Spanish wrecks in the Bay of Vigo.

He claims to have no interest in the affairs of the world above, but occasionally intervenes to aid the oppressed, giving salvaged treasure to Cretans revolting against their Turkish rulers, by saving (both physically and financially) an Indian pearl hunter who was the unfortunate victim of a diving accident, or by saving the castaways from drowning and covertly watching over the castaways in Lincoln Island.

Captain Nemo in 1867

In his first meeting with Professor Aronnax and his companions, the latter speak to him in French, English, Latin and German, all of which Nemo later reveals he is fluent in. Aronnax goes on to comment that Nemo's French was perfect and unaccented, and relies on his intuition and knowledge of ethnology to assess that he was from Southern latitudes. However, he was unable to determine the country of his origin. The Nautilus's library and art collection reveal him to be familiar with European culture and arts. Further he was an accomplished player of the organ.

He is said to have died of old age in 1883, on board the Nautilus, at Dakkar Grotto on Lincoln Island in the South Pacific. The last rites were administered by Cyrus Harding, one of the castaways on the island who had been saved by the Captain himself, and the vessel then submerged in the waters of the grotto. The French authorities believed him dead ever since, but the truth was known by the British secret service.

Nemo would travel Antartica in 1897 out of disappointment that his wife gave birth to a daughter, rather than a son as he had wanted. Nemo returns eventually from Antartica, and is later graced by Campion Bond asking for Prince Dakkar to join the new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Nemo joins from excitement at the prospects of having another adventure.

Nemo forms a friendship ironically with British Imperialist Allan Quatermain. Nemo and the League secure the stolen Cavorite from Fu Manchu, only to discover that M is Professor Moriarty. Nemo uses a dirigible to go to Moriarty's flying machine, and works with Mr. Hyde with a machine pistol to handle Moriarty's Men.

Nemo is seen again the following year joining with the League in trying to combat the Martian Invasion. While the Nautilus does succesfully destroy several tripods, the traitorous Hawley Griffin, informs the Martians of the Nautilus. The Martians counter Nemo with a strange blood mixture that makes the Nautilus useless.

Nemo abandons the League when he discovers that the British Government used Germ warfare to combat the Martians.

Nemo spends the rest of his days on Lincoln Island, raising his daughter Janni Dakkar hoping that she will succeed him. Janni angrily rebukes the idea, remarking on his constant mistreatment of her and loathing her father's life. Nemo angrily states that she is a spoiled child that needs a spanking.

Nemo dies shortly after in 1910 bequeathing the Nautilus and it's crew to Janni. He has Ishmael place his skull on the Nautilus.

Personality

Captain Nemo is considered by most around him to be a madman, Mina Murray remarked that he was even worse than Mr. Hyde, who could be controlled at least. Murray recalls that her father and grandfather often had discussions on whether Captain Nemo or Napoleon Bonaparte was a greater scourge to Great Britain.

Nemo's reputation is mainly due to his sinking of British vessels, his motivation being to protect the ocean from humans as well as his revenge on the British Empire for their conquest of India. Nemo states that he is above judgment of humans for his many actions. Nemo's utter loathing of British runs deep as he compares the British women to dressing like whores. Nemo is even slightly misogynistic in general as he greatly resents his daughter's sex as he wanted a male heir. Despite his daughter's percieved ill treatment of her, Ishmael contends that Nemo loved Janni deeply.

Despite Nemo's piracy and vindictive attitude he has an immense love of adventure, it is because of this that he ironically agrees to aid the British government. He also forms a friendship with Allan Quatermain for their mutual love of adventure and similar personalities.

Nemo's lifestyle and reputation would carry on to his daughter Janni Dakkar and his great-grandson Jack Dakkar.

Inspiration

In Verne's works, Nemo is not mentioned to be of any distinct ethnicity or attire, until the Mysterious Island where his backstory is revealed. Nemo is not nearly so distinctively Indian in dress but in the era of the League he seems to have adopted his ethnic attire. Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill noted that this element was overlooked by most adaptations of the character, and they sought to stay true to Verne's image of the character as he "actually looked nothing like James Mason", who played the character in the 1954 film.

Nemo was sixty during the events of Mysterious Island, which would make him considerably older during League. Also, according to the novel he died on 15 October 1868 but in the League the Mysterious Island affair happened "15 years ago", making it 1883. However there are some inherent chronological inconsistencies even in Vernes' novels.

Nemo's religious background is unclear, and could be either Hindu or Sikh.

Film version

Nemo appears in the critically-panned film adaptation, played by Naseeruddin Shah. Due to what Kevin J. Anderson percieves as executive "political correctness", Nemo's less attractive qualities are less prominent. He is far more hospitable and less confrontational with his English associates in the League and his growing understanding of Allan Quatermain concludes much quacker than in the graphic novel. His religious background is more clear by his worship of a statue of Shiva.