MARTIN MYSTÈRE is an unusual detective: archeologist, anthropologist, computer expert, he's American by birth, but was culturally formed in Italy.
He doesn't investigate police cases, but deals with the great enigmas which have never been solved; from archeological ones (Who built Stonehenge?) to historical ones (Who was the Man in the Iron Mask?), to scientific ones, to esoteric ones (What is the secret of Graal?), ranging over the field of UFOs, ESP, magic. From his experiences he draws ideas for his successful volumes and for a TV program titled "Mystère's Mystèries".
Although he has an athletic body, is an impressive expert in a thousand fields, and owns an unique, powerful weapon (a ray gun "old of a thousand years", capable of momentarily paralyzing the enemy), Martin is not a superman; he has a great spirit of self-irony (he doesn't take himself very seriously) and many faults (a tendency to be late, a good deal of verbosity, a fear of growing old) that make him "human" and captivating.