Doctor Krollspell is a medical doctor and who first appears as an associate of Tintin's enemy Rastapopoulos. While Krollspell is initially eager to help commit crimes, he bails and joins Tintin's side when he realizes his own life is in danger.
Appearance[]
Dr. Krollspell is a very tall, skinny, and lanky man most likely his 40s-50s. His head is shaved, and he has a scruffy black goatee. During his first appearance, Krollspell wears dark sunglasses and a very casual, loose outfit; this includes an oversized red cargo shirt, black bike shorts, a green canvas ball cap, and blue hi-top Converse sneakers.
History[]
Krollspell's surname, "Krolspel", comes from the word "krulspeld" in Brussels dialect, which means "hair curler". This is intended as ironic humour, due to Dr. Krollspell having a shaved head.[1]
Before meeting Rastapopoulos, Dr. Krollspell was the head of a psychiatric clinic in New Delhi, India (changed to Cairo, Egypt in the English translation). Not much is known about Krollspell's career as a doctor, but it is likely he is a psychiatric doctor and not a medical professional. He is thought to have developed his "truth serum" at the clinic, allegedly testing it on some of his patients. Dr. Krollspell is sadistic, at one point having to be told by Rastapopoulos to hurry up and inject Carreidas, saying, "Do hurry, I hate to see people suffer."[2]
It has been suggested that Krollspell is an ex-Nazi scientist, possibly based on concentration camp doctor Josef Mengele. However, this theory was suggested long after Flight 714 was originally produced; Hergé replied during an interview that Krollspell "could very well have" worked in a concentration camp.[3]
Flight 714 to Sydney[]
Captain Haddock and Tintin overtake Dr. Krollspell
Some time before the events of Flight 714 to Sydney, Roberto Rastapopoulos hires Dr. Krollspell to assist in the kidnapping of eccentric millionaire Laszlo Carreidas. The job's objective is to force Carreidas to reveal the number of his secret Swiss bank account, and then drain the account of all funds. Dr. Krollspell is promised $40,000 USD from the account, but had the kidnapping gone right, Rastapopoulos fully intended to not pay out Krollspell and instead "eliminate" him after the job was done.[4]
The plan is put into action, but things begin to go awry when Carreidas invites Tintin, Captain Haddock, Snowy, and Professor Calculus with him on his personal jet, the Carreidas 160. His employees Spalding, Hans Boehm, and Paolo Colombani hijack the jet as per Rastapopoulos's orders, and land it on the shores of Pulau-pulau Bomba. Having already been radioed about Tintin's presence on the plane, Rastapopoulos personally greets them, accompanied by Allan Thompson and Dr. Krollspell.
Krollspell escorts Carreidas to a former Japanese bunker and prepares him for "treatment", which involves having to restrain Carreidas by strapping him to a chair. However, the truth serum fails to work properly: Carreidas is uninterested in talking about his Swiss bank account, and instead rattles on about his past misdeeds as a child - how he first stole a pear at the age of four, framed the family maid after robbing from his sister's handbag, shamed his great-aunt to death, and more - bragging about living a life of greed and underhandedness. Assuming the serum was defective, Rastapopoulos lashes out at Krollspell, but is accidentally stabbed with the serum needle when Krollspell flinches away. The serum seems to have no issue working on Rastapopoulos, who reveals that he and Allan fully intended to double-cross and murder all of his associates, including Krollspell, at the end of the kidnapping job.
Under the serum's effects, Rastapopoulos and Carreidas begin to argue over which of the two is the most evil. Krollspell tries to escape from the bunker, but is captured by Tintin and Captain Haddock, who had come to rescue Carreidas. Haddock ties up Krollspell and the other two men. Krollspell soon shows Haddock and Tintin that he is on their side, getting their attention when Rastapopoulos attempts to escape. Haddock is reluctant to trust Krollspell, but Tintin believes Krollspell has every reason to genuinely help them and evading Rastapopoulos.
Dr. Krollspell is found alive in Agra, India
From there, Krollspell joins the group; he even begins to carefully lead Carreidas around the island's obstacles, in contrast to how much he terrorized Carreidas before. The groups enter one of Pulau-pulau Bomba's caves, where they meet Mik Kanrokitoff. Krollspell, along with Tintin and his other companions, are later picked up by a flying saucer. Tintin's group has their memories of the island wiped, and Kanrokitoff gives them subconscious directions to return home safely. Rastapopoulos's group is taken by the flying saucer for an unknown fate. Meanwhile, Dr. Krollspell is picked up by the saucer but dropped off back in India, with no memory of how he got there.
Tintin and Alph-Art[]
According to Hergé's later notes, Dr. Krollspell was considered for an appearance in Tintin and Alph-Art. One version of the story would have involved Haddock, Tintin, and Ramo Nash accidentally running afoul of a drug trafficking ring with ties to the art world. The ring would have gone through the Sondonesian embassy, and Dr. Krollspell would have become the chemical director of a Sondonesian brown sugar factory.[5] Whether Krollspell would have been Tintin's ally or part of the drug ring is unknown.
References[]
- ↑ "Le Docteur Krollspell", Figurines Tintin: La Collection Officielle. Page 8. Editions Moulinsart, Brussels. 2015.
- ↑ Hergé, Flight 714 to Sydney. pg. 24. Egmont, 2012.
- ↑ "Le Docteur Krollspell", Figurines Tintin: La Collection Officielle. Page 4. Editions Moulinsart, Brussels. 2015.
- ↑ Hergé, Flight 714 to Sydney. pg. 31. Egmont, 2012.
- ↑ Hergé , Lonsdale-Cooper and Turner. Tintin and Alph-Art. pg. 55. Egmont Books, 2007.