The Scarlet Pimpernel
is a
historical adventure novel
by
Baroness Orczy
, set during the
French Revolution (1792)
. It is one of the earliest and most famous
spy and superhero-like adventure stories
, influencing later heroes like
Batman and Zorro
.
During the
Reign of Terror
in revolutionary France, thousands of aristocrats face execution by the
guillotine
. However, a mysterious English nobleman known only as
"The Scarlet Pimpernel"
daringly rescues them and smuggles them to safety in England. His identity is unknown, but he leaves behind his signature symbol-a
red pimpernel (a small flower)
-as his calling card.