Creation
Solomon Kane was first published in 1928 and was the creation of author Robert E. Howard, more famous for creating the character Conan the Barbarian. Famous for his quest to rid the world of evil in all its forms, Solomon vanquishes evil not only to protect the world but to atone for his past misdeeds. He is often depicted as a stern, pale man in his forties. Being an Elizabethan Puritan, he looks upon all magic as being of devious origin and a phenomenon he has to fight by all means. This fight also allows him to quench his inner rage and unleash his berserker-like temper onto beings he shall feel no regrets for exterminating.
It is a reasonable supposition to believe that Robert. E Howard originally named this character Solomon Kane so that his name reflects both aspects of his personality: Solomon standing for the Biblical judge and Kane (Caïn) for the first assassin in the history of humanity. The result being a man endlessly looking for justice and using his extremely violent inner self to punish evil whenever he encounters it.
Character Evolution
Solomon is a 16th century Puritan, and as such he believes mainly in discipline, order and an almost ascetic life, all things that reflect on his long, pale face. There is though another side of his character that he doesn’t like to remember but comes regularly in handy through his various adventures: Solomon Kane is prone to rage and can enter a state of trance similar to the one experienced by berserkers. This uncontrollable rage often allows him to defeat enemies supposedly stronger than he is and even on one occasion to grasp upon a creature from the ethereal realm and shred it to pieces.
Powers & Abilities
Solomon possesses no superpowers, but he is a grandmaster swordsman and has strength and stamina far above that of the common man. His fanaticism makes him impervious to temptation and sometimes triggers his legendary rage. When in a state of rage, Solomon seems to be capable of relentlessly pounding and slicing on natural and supernatural creatures with an extreme efficiency, feeling virtually no pain until the fight is over.
Solomon is originally depicted as carrying two one shot pistols and a “Spanish blade” – a rapier of excellent quality steel.
Staff of Solomon
At one point During his adventures, an ancient African shaman named N’Longa offered Solomon the Cat-Headed Staff, rumored to be older than the Earth itself; a powerful magical item holding enough power to scare away vampires or strike an immaterial ghost like it would be any average creature. Solomon is initially wary about the staff, but he also reckons it as being a potential evil that he can use to fight other evils. After learning the staff’s origins and past uses (such as being wielded by King Solomon to drive away djinn and evil spirits), he comes to view it as a holy weapon.
Possessing the staff seems to have granted Kane some level of sensitivity to supernatural forces, such as when he heard a spirit pacing within a tomb that sounded silent to other men.
Other Media
Solomon Kane
A movie titled Solomon Kane was released in 2009. The actor James Purefoy played the role of Solomon.
It has to be noted though that the story and character depicted in the movie differed a great deal from the original novel and reportedly disappointed many of Robert E. Howard’s fans.