Diabolik (TV series)
Diabolik (also known as Saban's Diabolik and Diabolik: Track of the Panther) is an internationally co-produced animated television series based on the Italian comic book series of the same name by Angela and Luciana Giussani. Directed by Charles Corton, Jean-Luc Ayak and Thierry Coudert and wrote by Jean Cheville, Paul Diamond and Larry Brody, the series was produced by Saban Entertainment, Saban International Paris, M6 Métropole Télévision and Mediaset, with the animation made by Ashi Productions and Saerom Animation. It premiered in Europe on Fox Kids on May 5, 1999, and lasted for 40  episodes before ending on January 1, 2001. Although it was co-produced in the United States, it never aired there. The series features master thief Diabolik and his companion Eva, as they fight the criminal organization Brotherhood and its leader Dane, while evading Inspector Ginko. The series differs considerably from the darker-toned comic, making it more suitable for a young audience; the main differences include the rejuvenation of Diabolik and Eva Kant, the introduction of new characters (such as the main antagonist Dane), the replacement of Diabolik's Jaguar E-Type with a fictional modern car, the absence of  murders by the title character, and the setting in the real world rather than fictional locations. Plot. Diabolik is a master thief with a deep knowledge in many scientific fields, including chemistry, mechanics, and computers. He has a set of lifelike masks which he uses to fool his opponents, assuming every identity at will. He was raised as an orphan on a secret island hideout of a criminal organization known as the Brotherhood, where he learned all his criminal skills; as a baby, he was found abandoned on a boat by King, the leader of the organization, and welcomed into  his home like a son. Dane, King's legitimate son, never accepted him as a brother. Years later, Dane, jealous of Diabolik, framed him for a crime he didn't commit (the murder of a man, the father of Diabolik's future partner Eva Kant), and Diabolik remained in prison. Five years later, after King's death, Dane became the leader of the Brotherhood and organized the rescue of his brother, but that was all a cover for his brother's murder, his real plan. Diabolik survived the assassination and swore that he will destroy the Brotherhood and his brother . Together with his partner Eva Kant, who also got personal vendetta against Dane and the Brotherhood, Diabolik manages to make life miserable to Dane and his organization, while being pursued by Inspector Ginko.