Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night

Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night (1866)

This illustrated penny dreadful follows Ivan, a murderer and criminal overlord, through supernatural and violent encounters in rural Cornwall during the reign of King James II. The opening chapter depicts a midnight duel in the dark between two travelers at an inn—Ivan, wielding a poisoned dagger, murders a French spy named Goutril in a silent, desperate struggle. A mysterious disembodied voice calling itself "Dreadnought" then summons Ivan, leading him through a storm-wracked landscape to a wizard's cave. There, the sorcerer Dreadnought presents Ivan with a diabolical compact: ten years of supernatural protection in exchange for servitude and slavery to the wizard's will, with vulnerability only to "a simple maid" as the condition's weakness. Ivan signs the contract in his own blood, apparently viewing the bargain with dark humor and indifference. The narrative emphasizes Gothic atmosphere—supernatural elements, the wizard's mysterious powers, menacing animals, and the supernatural stakes binding the protagonist to his master.