Mistress Dolly Branican, originally from San Diego, CA, found herself on the hunt for her long lost husband, Captain Branican of the U.S.S. Franklin,  in the deepest “Outback” of Australia! Once thought to be clinically insane (long since disproved by her peers), Mistress Branican became an advocate for the aboriginal peoples of Australia. She has made a study of these amazing people and their culture, and hopes to bring her knowledge to the people of the world by joining Legion Fantastique.

Her charter in Legion began when she was attempting a return voyage to North America aboard the ship, The Magelania, and she found herself amongst the rescuers of Captain Cyrus Harding and his fellow castaways. After nursing the men back to health, it was Harding and Branican who learned that a mysterious man that Harding  encountered on Lincoln Island was not the infamous “pirate”, Captain Nemo – but an impostor! The real Captain Nemo was found on the shores of Jamaica, already crafting a small, sea-worthy vessel. 

As the Magelania reached the harbor in Monterey, California, Branican & Nemo soon found themselves in the company of Mr. Phileas Fogg and his valet, Passepartout. After intense debates, Fogg convinced Captain Nemo to join his quickly growing brotherhood of explorers and thinkers. But it was Branican who convinced Nemo to finally provide Legion with the means to create the Nautilus Mark III – a fearsome machine that, at first glance, looked like it was armed for war…but was, in fact, the ultimate undersea exploration vehicle.

Mistress Branican’s tough exterior hides a nurturing soul – determined to bring understanding between the peoples of the world. Her skill with a firearm is formidable, as is her abilities with an aboriginal boomerang. Any man who underestimates Branican’s stalwart nature is doomed to feel the sting of her tongue…or the heel of her boot.

Professor Abner Perry, one of Prof. Phineas J. Flockmocker III’s comrades in the secret labs of Legion Fantastique, reactivated his patented Time Pack and attempted to send Legion’s test pilot, Captain Nicholas Dakota forward in time. Unfortunately, Nick overshot his mark and sucked the entire lab through the time stream – into 2009!

"Damn you, Dakota!"

The team soon found themselves at the Maker Faire in San Mateo, California – surrounded by thinkers, inventors, craftspeople and just plain freaks! It was apparent, that Perry’s Time Pack had also pulled dozens of sister scientific organizations through the vortex as well. The Neverwas Haul, Kinetic SteamWorks, and many others found themselves clustered together for safety amid the rabid denizens of the 21st Century.

Photo courtesy of "pewtersmith"... Thanks, Kevin!

The natives were restless as they hunted our team down with their maniacal chant of “Kin-I-Takur-Piktur! Kin-I-Takur-Piktur! Kin-I-Takur-Piktur!” – forcing our team into the various exhibit halls for safety!

Robur the Conqueror, Agent John Strock, Sara Paz, Miss Kitty Taylor, Princess Aouda, Master Evan Wever, Nova Robb, Lady Munro, Impey Barbicane, and Michael Ardan scoured the Maker Faire for an appropriate power source to refuel Perry’s Time Pack … but only finding giant mouse traps, fire artists, fancy lights for bicycle wheels, sparking electrical towers, and automated cupcakes! 

Finally, with the help of the crew of the Neverwas Haul, and the ever resourceful Master Wever, found an appropriate power source for the birilium sphere in the Time Pack – Mentos & Diet Coke! With a woosh they were all returned to present time – 1871. With such a disturbing glance into the future, one wonders what amazing inventions may come to life in the halls of #7 Saville Row.

Master Evan - The Hero of the Day!

Senora Paz has come to England to seek military protection and financial assistance for the native people of The Republic of Peru. A tumultuous courtship brought the plight of the common people to her attention, and she decided to dedicate herself to improving their lives after what may be decades after Peru’s participation in the War of the Pacific.

She has grown fond of Phileas Fogg’s interest in cultural diversity and understanding, as well as his love for exotic food. Together they have introduced British society to some of the amazing dishes from Peru.  

Senora Paz has also established ties with Princess Aouda and Lady Munro – both of India. These three women, all influential in their respective cultures, have become a progressive force of feminine equality. 

Her love for games, food, and social graces have brought a unique world view to social gatherings of Legion Fantastique.

After valiantly thwarting a traitorous coup against the Tsar of Russia, this brave and burly Cossack found himself hired as Phileas Fogg’s guide through Siberia during Fogg’s fifth world tour. Fogg was impressed with Strogoff’s strength, bravery, and drinking prowess! He quickly hired the Russian as a staff bodyguard and Chief Messenger.

Strogoff and Legion Fantastique’s Chief Security Officer, Agent John Strock, have, on many occasions, thwarted several attempts of sabotage and assassination at the hands of agents from the Tong of the Black Scorpion. These two men, Strock and Strogoff, have become a force to be reckoned with as Legion Fantastique’s “fighting force”. Strogoff’s strength is formidable, and has been utilized in the most astonishing ways (he is rumored to have single-handedly fought a bear)! He is a tough, yet jolly fellow, who has brought a much-need joviality to the halls of Legion.

There have been rumors, that during Strogoff’s service to the Tsar of Russia, he was blinded with a hot poker. This was merely rumor spread by the forces behind the coup. Although Strogoff has insisted that losing his eyesight would be a small price to pay for his service to his homeland, his powers of observation have not been diminished in any way.

A little known fact about Strogoff – he loves to wager as much as Phileas Fogg. They have, on several occasions, challenged one another to “last-man-standing” drinking competitions. So far, they remain in a dead heat on victories…but Strogoff is confident he will find the right vodka to topple the unflappable Phileas Fogg!

Master Evan Wever, another one of our Honorary Members, was first introduced to Mr. Phileas Fogg through the man known simply as Robur the Conqueror. This young man has proven himself to be a wizard of research, and a devil with a fencing foil. On his most recent visit to La Legion Fantastique, Fogg was told an amazing story of how Master Evan defended his mother against three members of the Tong of the Black Scorpion in Shanghai. 

Apparently, Master Evan Wever, and his delightful mother – an enigmatic woman named Nova, were traveling through Shanghai when they were confronted by servants of the evil Wu Syn – the leader of the Tong of the Black Scorpion. They had cornered mother and son in a dark alleyway in the fishing district. Evan, ever resourceful, fought off two of the masked men with a fisherman’s grappling hook. Nova, herself, showed great virtue and bravery as she fended off the third man. However, not long after Evan had disposed of his first two opponents, by toppling them into the waters of the harbor, the third man pulled a knife on them. Evan was wounded while defending his mother, yet prevailed by using his size to trip his attacker and disarmed the man! The three would-be assassins ran off into the night, leaving the victorious Robbs alone for the duration of their journey. 

Master Evan Wever showed the scars from the battle to Mr. Fogg, Prof. Lidenbrock, and Michael Strogoff. Strogoff, a burly Russian who once fought a mighty bear single-handed, was very impressed by the young man’s fighting skills. Robur the Conqueror was so impressed with Master Evan Robb, that he has taken him on as part of the weapons crew aboard his flying machine – The Terror.

Having young people like Master Evan Wever as Honorary Members of Legion Fantastique has proven just how influential the virtues of Science, Exploration and Imagination can be on generations to come!

Welcome aboard, Master Evan Wever!

Michel Ardan has proven to be one of Legion’s more adventurous members and a true Renaissance Man. On advice of Mr. Impey Barbicane, Phileas Fogg joined Monsieur Ardan on one of his exciting ballooning expeditions. Fogg marveled at this dandy’s ability as an aeronaut, photographer, businessman, bohemian, scientist and ladies’ man.  Ardan has never exhibited the slightest inkling of fear during his many death-defying feats … a quality that Fogg feels is key to any adventurer’s personality.

It was Michel Ardan who, along with Mr. Barbicane and one Captain Nicholl (and 2 dogs) were launched from a giant cannon, named The Columbiad, and made a complete journey around the moon! There were some rumors, as well, that Ardan was involved in a massive glut of real estate purchases near the North Pole – but no evidence has been presented to corroborate this story.

Ardan is one of Legion’s photographers, and along with being an integral member of many of the group’s expeditions, is the Chief Exploration Preparations Officer. He has also impressed upon his comrades a need for exquisite taste and manners of polite society – virtues that Michael Strogoff has had some difficulty with…but Ardan remains optimistic.

Master Evan Streshinsky (age 10) first joined Legion Fantastique two years ago, as one of it’s “Honorary Members”. These “Junior Legionnaires” are given sponsorship from the roster of adventurers, scientists and explorers, and are given tasks to improve their minds – and perhaps better the world with Science, Exploration and Imagination!

This diligent young man has proven himself an explorer of incomparable ability! During his first interview, Master Evan had foiled Professor Moriarty’s attempts at disrupting one of Phileas Fogg’s lectures, had compared notes with Captain Nemo in undersea navigation, and contemplated the manly art of self-defense with a sword at the hands of Don Diego de la Vega.

Master Evan’s first year assignment was to bring back a field report from one of his explorations.  After months of preparation, Evan, and his family, departed for Tibet. There they encountered a vast, mountainous wilderness, and strange cultures. However, they were not alone on their journey. Here, for the first time, is Master Evan’s first-hand account of what actually happened!

I was on a holiday in the Himalayas, but actually, we were in a Tibetan monastery. There were strange rumors about a so-called “Yeti” I was hearing. It amazed me so much I wanted to find out the truth. So I asked the head monk. Since he said “humbug” (which reminded me of Mr. Scrooge), I asked Mum & Dad to go hiking. Luckily they agreed. We went to Mount Everest. I went as far as I could from the trail with a sketchbook to the nearest cave on purpose. For some strange reason I heard growling & saw Tibetan masks. There were also white fur skins. When I looked back I saw the real thing. A yeti! I was so scared I didn’t even hear it say, “How do you do?”. When I realized what it said I stopped. This yeti was not evil & man-eating but kind & polite, so I sat on a tall ice-block & and gave it a survey. Here is my Q & A:

Q: Are you male or female?

A: Male

Q: How do you tell the difference?

A: For color. Male is white & female is brown.

Q: Why are people so afraid of you?

A: It must be my appearance. I’m not bad.

Q: Do you have an idea of how we could stop people from being afraid of you?

A: Well, maybe you could get the word out with the newspapers. Then important adults would hopefully do something about it.

So you see, I would like to ask you (Legion Fantastique) to help me start H.A.G.G.I.S. (Help Abominable Beings Get Good In Snow). It’s every Yeti’s only hope.

After his initial presentation, Master Evan was awarded a brass compass for his efforts by Mr. Phileas Fogg and was, indeed, granted the proper funds to found H.A.G.G.I.S., and is currently living among his newfound friends in Tibet with his parents. Fogg has since requested that Master Evan labour on some sort of invention that would benefit H.A.G.G.I.S., and looks forward to seeing what this brave young man will create.

Professor Otto Lidenbrock, formerly of Hamburg, is now one of the veteran members of Legion Fantastique. Lidenbrock gained worldwide notoriety for his journey into the center of the earth his his nephew Axel Lidenbrock and Icelandic farmer/ mountaineer Hans Bjelke. He  joined Legion Fantastique with the intention of dissuading Phileas Fogg from retracing the Lidenbrock Expedition’s route into our planet’s interior. He may have failed in stopping Legion’s daredevil President on taking a near fatal journey, but he has agreed to remain as Legion Fantastique’s chief Minerologist.

A man of extreme impatience, Prof. Lidenbrock has come to near blows with certain members of Legion over the faintest suggestion of the team returning to the center of the earth on a third journey!  However, Fogg and his supporters have assured that there will be no return trip…for now.

Many of our visitors at #7 Saville Row have been captivated by our magic lantern presentation of  our “Return to the Center of the Earth” – in which Phileas Fogg ventures into the anti-diluvian world of ancient creatures and strange subterranean landscapes! As our educational department has pointed out to us, merely showing them on a screen limited the public’s access to these fascinating discoveries. So we have published a photographic journal of our adventure!

If you would like to purchase a copy of “Return to the Center of the Earth”, please visit our storefront by CLICKING HERE.  Proceeds from the sales of these books help Legion Fantastique further their explorations into SCIENCE, EXPLORATION, & IMAGINATION!

Even Reese Calhoun of The Ozarks has purchased a copy of this exciting scientific journal! Mostly because he could barely remember any of his own adventures…but that’s another story…

After a near-fatal adventure in China (involving the fragments of a golden meteor), Mr. Phileas Fogg and his comrades of La Legion Fantastique are home – safe and sound.

This journey was undertaken by Robur (“The Conqueror”) and several others, not long after their month-long recruitment gathering at #7 Saville Row, in London. During what has been dubbed “The Dickens Christmas Fair”, Legion Fantastique (or LF as its members lovingly refer to it), the ranks of Legion were doubled with the likes of Michel Ardan, Edith Edgerton, and Mistress Dolly Brannican (member profiles soon to be posted) …

Even Her Majesty,  Queen Victoria, paid a brief visit to #7 Saville Row to honor this band of proud adventurers. In the weeks to come, we will be updating our journal to share some of our experiences with you (after a long, and unfortunate, sojourn).

Please keep checking back as we delve further into “Science, Exploration, and Imagination!”