Count Dante: The Deadliest Man Alive (According to Comic Book Ads)

John Keehan was born February 2, 1939, in South Chicago. In 1967, he changed his name to Count Juan Rafael Dante, claiming this was his real name because he was descended from Spanish nobility who fled Spain during the Civil War. Count Dante was actually Irish, and his connection to Spanish royal lineage was, let’s say, greatly exaggerated. But according to him, his family changed their name to protect their lives when they immigrated to the United States.

Needless to say, this was all complete bullshit (Dante is an Italian name anyway).

The Man, The Myth, The Purple Cape

Count Dante was something special. Those who knew him described him as a large man who wore a purple cape (like Superman but in gaudy purple), sleeveless mesh shirts in rainbow colors, and a black kimono. Obviously, he also had a very well-groomed beard and was known for walking with a lion cub on a leash through the city streets.

The Count wore many hats: he was a hairdresser who owned several barbershops, he was invited by Hugh Hefner to the Playboy mansions to style hair for the bunnies, he owned several sex shops, and he was a key figure in what became known as the Chicago Dojo Wars of the 1970s.

The World’s Deadliest Man (Self-Proclaimed)

Count Dante is particularly known for the advertisements he published in comic books to promote his own dojo: “The Black Dragon Fighting Society.” In the leaflets and advertisements it was written, and I quote:

“Yes, this is the deadliest and most terrifying fighting art known to mankind – and nothing compares! This art will maim, cripple, and paralyze your opponent and is known only to a select few people on Earth. A ‘Dim Mak’ expert can easily kill multiple experts of kung fu, karate, judo, and aikido at once with just a light touch of his fingers! Using the ‘Poison Hand Weapon’ technique, you are guided by the deadliest man in the world – Count Dante.”

The Tall Tales

The Count claimed he learned the technique while fighting and participating in secret life-and-death battles in Thailand and China, defeating opponent after opponent in front of audiences of thousands. The Count had a big mouth.

That big mouth indeed helped with lots of publicity and even brought a guest of honor to one of the tournaments he organized: Bruce Lee. But his big mouth often got him into trouble: he once claimed he would fight a giant bull in an arena and kill it with one blow. But when the time came to enter the arena, he chickened out and tried to get one of his students (a 19-year-old kid, by the way) to fight instead. The student refused, and the event was canceled due to “safety concerns” by “the authorities.”

The Ultimate Showdown That Never Happened

Of course, it doesn’t stop there. He challenged Muhammad Ali to a fight, and when Ali refused, Dante claimed the world boxing champion was afraid of him. He obviously challenged the world wrestling champion and the world judo champion in the same way, but both refused.

On April 24, 1970, Dante and several of his students attacked a rival dojo (“The Green Dragon Organization, Black Cobra Hall of Gung Fu” - yes, that’s a real name). A fight broke out, and one of Dante’s students stabbed himself with a sword he brought and died on the spot.

The Anticlimatic End

Count Dante was found by police hiding under a desk in the dojo’s back office. There was a trial, but the prosecution was dismissed by a judge who couldn’t believe what he was hearing and concluded by saying everyone was crazy and really stupid.

The dojos closed, and Dante died a few years later at age 36 from excessive use of alcohol and painkillers.

This story proves that in the 1970s, you could become famous by placing ads in comic books and owning a purple cape. Simpler times.