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Doc Savage (Bantam) #16
The Spook Legion
The entire city of New York is swept up in a wave of terror, as an evil international conspiracy devises a crime so sinister that only Doc Savage and his five mighty cohorts can halt its fiendish plan. Led by a phantom master criminal with stupefying supernatural powers, the conspiracy sets trap after trap for Doc. Finally, in a fantastic underground empire, the fearless bronze giant and his courageous crew must fight for their lives against a diabolical enemy that cannot even be seen.
122 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1935
2 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Robeson
915 books134 followersKenneth Robeson was the house name used by Street and Smith Publications as the author of their popular character Doc Savage and later The Avenger. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including:
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 18, 2017
He brought his hands up to his head. Then he discovered something, something so uncanny that he distinctly felt his eyes squeeze out of their sockets and a parade of cold chills travel his spine. He shook his arms to be sure. He even touched his own nose.
“Blazes!” he gurgled aloud. “I just ain’t!”
Monk had found himself to be invisible.
This is a classic Doc Savage adventure and while I probably would not include it in my top 10, it still offers plenty of action, cool gadgets, and pulp-era hijinks. I love it when a Doc adventure contains scientific approaches to what appears to be supernatural events (which often occurs in a Lester Dent penned story such as this one). Mr. Dent, as most Doc fans know, was very much on top of and even slightly ahead of most people’s knowledge of science at that time and so lots of his fiction accurately predicted what would later become commonplace. That is not the case with this one unless some government agency or hi-tech company has perfected a chemical process to render human beings truly invisible that I am not aware of (not stealth tech or bending light rays, but actually invisible). Nevertheless, when Doc and Monk undertake the procedure and are running about fully naked (clothes don’t make the change) throughout much of the novel, you can’t help but grin.
The Spook Legion is counted as number 16 in the Bantam paperback versions but was actually the 26th in publication order. It was first published in 1935, approximately two years after the Universal movie, “The Invisible Man” debuted and one can't help but wonder if an attempt was made to capitalize on that popularity with this story. Of Doc’s five aides, only Monk and Ham put in an appearance in this one; the rest are mentioned as being away on other business.
All in all, another fun Doc Savage adventure.
July 13, 2025
Thankfully, this one, while still a touch silly (then again, really, aren't they all?) managed to be an improvement over the past couple.
As per usual, the science was wonky, but there was enough twisting and knotting of plot and ideas to sell the invisibility aspect, if you squint your eyes hard, put your tongue between your lips at the right angle, and don't think too hard.
Other than that, it's the standard plot with a guess at who the big boss is, the red herrings, Doc being blamed by the police yet again, and Monk, Ham, and Habeas as the only cohorts to Doc this time around.
As per usual, the science was wonky, but there was enough twisting and knotting of plot and ideas to sell the invisibility aspect, if you squint your eyes hard, put your tongue between your lips at the right angle, and don't think too hard.
Other than that, it's the standard plot with a guess at who the big boss is, the red herrings, Doc being blamed by the police yet again, and Monk, Ham, and Habeas as the only cohorts to Doc this time around.
March 20, 2025
Lester Dent wrote The Spook Legion, which was published in the April, 1935 edition of Doc Savage Magazine; I have several Doc Savage adventures in my e-library, “shelved” in my Asus X551 laptop and my Amazon Fire HD tablet. Most of the covers were downloaded from eBay or one of the Doc Savage sites and inserted into a PDF of the downloaded Bantam edition, or in this instance a PDF version of the original Doc Savage Magazine story, complete with its two-column format. So, I’m able to read the vintage text published by Bantam with the original Smith and Street Doc Savage Magazine as a cover. This particular cover is interesting as it shows Monk driving an early 1930’s coupe with Doc riding on the car’s running board.
The Spook Legion opens as a complicated mystery with Lester beginning the story in the middle of the action. An invisible “spook” has entered a telegraph office in Boston and sent a mysterious telegram to Doc advising him to travel to Boston and return to New York aboard a certain flight. The telegram sets the stage for the mystery as its author claims the situation, “is a “matter of vital danger to thousands and merits your attention.” After discussing the situation between themselves, the telegraph operators decide to send the telegram to Doc, “cash on delivery” meaning Doc will have to pick up the tab. Evidently, the mysterious telegram “spooked” Doc's curiosity as he did catch that particular flight from “Bean Town” to the “Big Apple."
Upon receiving the telegram, the Man of Bronze calls the office for further information and informs the operators that the telegram’s author is using an anonymous “name” and listed a non-existent address. Doc, Ham, Monk, and Habeas show up in the first four chapters of The Spook Legion, as a passenger traveling incognito and two innocent bystanders. I enjoyed Lester's method of introducing Doc and his guys in the story’s early paragraphs as it made for an interesting beginning to this “spooky” Doc Savage adventure. The bad guys are also introduced, and according to the group's “lieutenant,” whatever they are involved with is, “too big for mugs like this palooka.” Of course, the “palooka” was none other than Doc Savage disguised as a “palooka,” or translated from the vernacular of the day as a “has been” prize fighter, complete with numerous battle scars that more than likely include two “cauliflower ears.”
The story line for The Spook Legion is set in the first four chapters; I’m reading a reprint of the original story as it appeared in the April, 1935 edition of Doc Savage Magazine. The promotional lead-in states, “a horde of invisible men attack New York! Millions in cash and jewels move through the air as if dangled on unseen threads! But the power of one man is overlooked— Doc Savage! So, it appears Doc and his guys will match wits with another evil mastermind who somehow has enabled his gang to practice their craft literally without being seen. Can Doc solve the mystery of this “spook legion "?” It remains to be seen, but I have the utmost confidence The Man of Bronze will prevail against these invisible adversaries.
And, Doc and his crew do prevail against this invisible legion of spooks, but not before several people are murdered and twenty million in loot is stolen by these unseen criminals. The “field lieutenant,” as one of the characters referred to him, was a cold-blooded but rather intelligent former “con man” by the name of Telegraph Edmonds. Obviously, Lester paid homage to his former career as a telegraph operator with his unique name.
I guessed the identity of the mastermind, who is revealed in the story's final chapter, which also describes the demise of the entire invisible gang; as usual, they perish due to their own actions … Doc tried to reverse their actions, but was unable to do so, so they got what they deserved. There’s a sprinkling of humor in The Spook Legion as Doc and Monk find themselves incorporated into the gang and suffer the humorous consequences of being invisible.
Lester managed to cross into the science fiction genre with his theme of invisibility in The Spook Legion; he must have enjoyed reading H. G.Wells’ 1897 classic, The Invisible Man. Doc offers a theory of how the mastermind accomplished this amazing scientific feat in Chapter XIV… it had something to do with changing the electronic composition of the body. As I mentioned in other science fiction story reviews, the reader doesn’t necessarily have to understand the science in the fiction to enjoy reading the story.
So, Doc, along with Ham, Monk and Habeas, who plays an expanded role in the story, solve the mystery of the invisible thieves without the aid of Renny, Long Tom and Johnny, who were busy working at their day jobs in other parts of the world. Lester ends The Spook Legion with a preview of the next thrilling adventure for Doc and the guys, which will be The Secret In The Sky and will be published in the May, 1935 edition of Doc Savage Magazine; he billed it as the next menace that will confront Doc Savage and his aides. I’ll be sure to read it since I’ve just finished this five-star rated Doc Savage adventure aptly titled The Spook Legion. *****
The Spook Legion opens as a complicated mystery with Lester beginning the story in the middle of the action. An invisible “spook” has entered a telegraph office in Boston and sent a mysterious telegram to Doc advising him to travel to Boston and return to New York aboard a certain flight. The telegram sets the stage for the mystery as its author claims the situation, “is a “matter of vital danger to thousands and merits your attention.” After discussing the situation between themselves, the telegraph operators decide to send the telegram to Doc, “cash on delivery” meaning Doc will have to pick up the tab. Evidently, the mysterious telegram “spooked” Doc's curiosity as he did catch that particular flight from “Bean Town” to the “Big Apple."
Upon receiving the telegram, the Man of Bronze calls the office for further information and informs the operators that the telegram’s author is using an anonymous “name” and listed a non-existent address. Doc, Ham, Monk, and Habeas show up in the first four chapters of The Spook Legion, as a passenger traveling incognito and two innocent bystanders. I enjoyed Lester's method of introducing Doc and his guys in the story’s early paragraphs as it made for an interesting beginning to this “spooky” Doc Savage adventure. The bad guys are also introduced, and according to the group's “lieutenant,” whatever they are involved with is, “too big for mugs like this palooka.” Of course, the “palooka” was none other than Doc Savage disguised as a “palooka,” or translated from the vernacular of the day as a “has been” prize fighter, complete with numerous battle scars that more than likely include two “cauliflower ears.”
The story line for The Spook Legion is set in the first four chapters; I’m reading a reprint of the original story as it appeared in the April, 1935 edition of Doc Savage Magazine. The promotional lead-in states, “a horde of invisible men attack New York! Millions in cash and jewels move through the air as if dangled on unseen threads! But the power of one man is overlooked— Doc Savage! So, it appears Doc and his guys will match wits with another evil mastermind who somehow has enabled his gang to practice their craft literally without being seen. Can Doc solve the mystery of this “spook legion "?” It remains to be seen, but I have the utmost confidence The Man of Bronze will prevail against these invisible adversaries.
And, Doc and his crew do prevail against this invisible legion of spooks, but not before several people are murdered and twenty million in loot is stolen by these unseen criminals. The “field lieutenant,” as one of the characters referred to him, was a cold-blooded but rather intelligent former “con man” by the name of Telegraph Edmonds. Obviously, Lester paid homage to his former career as a telegraph operator with his unique name.
I guessed the identity of the mastermind, who is revealed in the story's final chapter, which also describes the demise of the entire invisible gang; as usual, they perish due to their own actions … Doc tried to reverse their actions, but was unable to do so, so they got what they deserved. There’s a sprinkling of humor in The Spook Legion as Doc and Monk find themselves incorporated into the gang and suffer the humorous consequences of being invisible.
Lester managed to cross into the science fiction genre with his theme of invisibility in The Spook Legion; he must have enjoyed reading H. G.Wells’ 1897 classic, The Invisible Man. Doc offers a theory of how the mastermind accomplished this amazing scientific feat in Chapter XIV… it had something to do with changing the electronic composition of the body. As I mentioned in other science fiction story reviews, the reader doesn’t necessarily have to understand the science in the fiction to enjoy reading the story.
So, Doc, along with Ham, Monk and Habeas, who plays an expanded role in the story, solve the mystery of the invisible thieves without the aid of Renny, Long Tom and Johnny, who were busy working at their day jobs in other parts of the world. Lester ends The Spook Legion with a preview of the next thrilling adventure for Doc and the guys, which will be The Secret In The Sky and will be published in the May, 1935 edition of Doc Savage Magazine; he billed it as the next menace that will confront Doc Savage and his aides. I’ll be sure to read it since I’ve just finished this five-star rated Doc Savage adventure aptly titled The Spook Legion. *****
January 29, 2022
A fine yarn this Doc Savage adventure. Doc, Monk and Ham along with Habeus are in a mystery going against invisible men. New York City is being robbed and pilfered. The bad guys are getting away with millions. Who are these guys? Can Doc and his crew find these guys? Can they even see them? Doc will have his hands full that’s for sure. After all, who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men….oh wait, wrong pulp fiction good guy.
You can tell that the author never actually rode in an aero plane before. This book was originally published in 1935. There is one laughable gaff, however. Early in the narrative, people are traveling by plane from Boston to NYC. The author writes that one of the passengers want to get some air. That passenger then opens his window, sticks his head out of the window to get a better view of the NYC skyline. Really? Did passenger planes really have windows that could open and big enough to stick ones head out of? Maybe the Shadow knows.
You can tell that the author never actually rode in an aero plane before. This book was originally published in 1935. There is one laughable gaff, however. Early in the narrative, people are traveling by plane from Boston to NYC. The author writes that one of the passengers want to get some air. That passenger then opens his window, sticks his head out of the window to get a better view of the NYC skyline. Really? Did passenger planes really have windows that could open and big enough to stick ones head out of? Maybe the Shadow knows.
May 9, 2019
Doc Savage is written under the name Kenneth Robeson but most were in fact written by Lester Dent. Several other authors also wrote some of the books. Many of these books were in the realm of Science fiction as well as being mystery/detective novels. This one is no exception. In this one Doc, Monk and Ham are tasked with an intriguing mystery. It seems that a series of robberies are being conducted by ghosts. The actual reason is even more fantastic. The robberies are in fact being conducted by a gang of invisible men! It will take all of Doc's incredible skills and the help of his companions, Mon and Ham, to solve this one! Classic Pulp Fiction! A very enjoyable read!
October 15, 2019
Doc Savage and two of his crew (Monk and Ham) go up against a criminal gang of invisible men. A fun read, and when the action really picked up, I kept thinking, "What an entertaining movie this would make!"
October 8, 2017
Read this Doc adventure in the 70s
May 16, 2020
Pulp novel featuring Doc Savage. Doc and his crew battle a gang that has discovered the secret of invisibility. Much chaos ensues.
July 27, 2020
3.5 / 5
September 25, 2016
The first Doc Savage story appeared in 1933 and the series ran in pulp and later digest format into 1949. Bantam reprinted the entire series in paperback with wonderful, iconic covers starting in the 1960's. Doc was arguably the first great modern superhero with a rich background, continuity, and mythos. The characterizations were far richer than was common for the pulps; his five associates and their sometimes-auxiliary, Doc's cousin Pat, and the pets Chemistry and Habeas Corpus, all had very distinctive characteristics and their byplay was frequently more entertaining that the current adventure-of-the-month. The settings were also fascinating: Doc's Fortress of Solitude, the Hidalgo Trading Company (which served as a front for his armada of vehicles), and especially the mysterious 86th floor headquarters all became familiar haunts to the reader, and the far-flung adventures took the intrepid band to exotic and richly-described locations all over the world. The adventures were always fast-paced and exciting, from the early apocalyptic world-saving extravaganzas of the early days to the latter scientific-detective style shorter works of the post-World War Two years. There were always a few points that it was difficult to believe along the way, but there were always more ups than downs, and there was never, ever a dull moment. The Doc Savage books have always been my favorite entertainments... I was always, as Johnny would say, superamalgamated!
April 28, 2023
Monk gulped, "Well, for--" and could think of no adequate finishing phrase.' Yeah, I'm at a loss for words too.
I don't know what it is but like the last book, I just didn't care for this adventure at all. It just seemed confusing to me. I do have to admit I liked the part where the guy was in an airplane and wanted to look outside so he rolled down a window. That and a guy just pulls out a gun, shoots in the airplane and no one seems too worried about it.
Even with his adventure being disappointing it still gave us these gems:
'At five minutes past ten Leo's disbelief in spooks received a rude jarring.' (The clock on the wall says its 10:05, rude Spook jarring time!)
'The hidden gun banged again.' (The sequel to "The Hidden gun banged")
What a liar she is! The hussy!" (Hey! Leave my hussie outta this!)
"She carried it in an emerald hand bag." (You know--a hand bag what is green, almost emrald you might say.)
We had one (insert your own joke here) moment:
"Do as they do," Doc decided. "Shed your clothing." (Ok, you're the Doc)
For those counting along on their fingers, this superamalgamated count was 0.
Oh well, on to the next one..
I don't know what it is but like the last book, I just didn't care for this adventure at all. It just seemed confusing to me. I do have to admit I liked the part where the guy was in an airplane and wanted to look outside so he rolled down a window. That and a guy just pulls out a gun, shoots in the airplane and no one seems too worried about it.
Even with his adventure being disappointing it still gave us these gems:
'At five minutes past ten Leo's disbelief in spooks received a rude jarring.' (The clock on the wall says its 10:05, rude Spook jarring time!)
'The hidden gun banged again.' (The sequel to "The Hidden gun banged")
What a liar she is! The hussy!" (Hey! Leave my hussie outta this!)
"She carried it in an emerald hand bag." (You know--a hand bag what is green, almost emrald you might say.)
We had one (insert your own joke here) moment:
"Do as they do," Doc decided. "Shed your clothing." (Ok, you're the Doc)
For those counting along on their fingers, this superamalgamated count was 0.
Oh well, on to the next one..
October 9, 2016
Una avvincente avventura che vede protagonista l'eroe pulp Doc Savage, l'uomo di bronzo, un superuomo intellettuale e dal possente fisico e i suoi compari contro una legione di ladri invisibili che seminano il terrore.
La storia è sufficientemente avvincente e le indagini discretamente minuziose: su tutti i personaggi spicca Doc con il suo genio scientifico e la sua forza, un eroe con il quale è difficile immedesimarsi ma che trasmette il sense of wonder dei fumetti pulp di una volta a cui appartiene.
Vagamente motivato scientificamente - ma d'altronde in secondo piano rispetto all'avventura - il procedimento che genera la legione degli spettri.
Consigliato per gli appassionati del genere.
La storia è sufficientemente avvincente e le indagini discretamente minuziose: su tutti i personaggi spicca Doc con il suo genio scientifico e la sua forza, un eroe con il quale è difficile immedesimarsi ma che trasmette il sense of wonder dei fumetti pulp di una volta a cui appartiene.
Vagamente motivato scientificamente - ma d'altronde in secondo piano rispetto all'avventura - il procedimento che genera la legione degli spettri.
Consigliato per gli appassionati del genere.
August 24, 2016
Out of the 16 Bantam Doc Savage series novels I've read so far, this was a chore to get through. I thought for sure someone other than Lester Dent had written it because it seemed poorly written. The prose seemed stilted and just didn't flow the way the other novels did. The novel started with Doc, Ham, and Monk and never even mentioned the other three members of the gang until half way through, and then just in passing that they were busy elsewhere. I lost interest part way through and that's why it took me almost two weeks to read a 122 page novel.
February 9, 2016
Of all the pulp era heroes few stand out above the crowd, Doc Savage is one of these. With his 5 aides and cousin he adventures across the world. Fighting weird menaces, master criminals and evil scientists Doc and the Fab 5 never let you down for a great read. These stories have all you need; fast paced action, weird mystery, and some humor as the aides spat with each other. My highest recommendation.
July 30, 2014
It was a fun story. I enjoyed the '30s version of science throughout, and it was nice to see an invention that even Doc couldn't duplicate. I was disappointed that the whole crew wasn't on hand though - Monk and Ham are, seemingly, more equal than the others.
June 21, 2012
This was the book that started it all! Introduced me to Doc and I've been reading the adventures ever since.
May 3, 2013
I must admit an affection for these books much like my affection for T-shirts. I shall be collecting them all, but I doubt I will read them all. At least not soon.
January 31, 2014
Solid entry in the series with Doc going up against an invisible gang of criminals. Well-executed.
February 17, 2016
The spook legion was a fun read. I really like the old pulp stories.
February 14, 2016
I loved these books when I was a kid. They are exactly as I remember them, a quick enjoyable read.
November 2, 2016
possibly read in the spring of 1967
January 19, 2014
Dated but enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews