Professor Moriarty

"He is "The Napoleon of Crime" Watson, he is responisible for half of the evil in this great city. He sits like a spider motionless in his web."

- Sherlock Holmes on Moriarty in "The Final Problem"

Professor James Moriarty was a British crime-lord and arch-nemesis of detective Sherlock Holmes. He is, according to Holmes responsible for all organized crime in London. He is the leader of a highly secretive criminal society and has many thugs in his employ. Moriarty eventually met his end in his final confrontation with Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland in May 1891. He is known as "The Napoleon of the Criminal World."

Biography
Professor James Moriarty was of good birth in an excellent family. His intelligence was fairly high and he was often classified as a genius. When he was aged twenty-one he published: "A Treatise on the Binomial" which got European reconistion. He got an academic chair and was allowed to teach at a small university in Dunham. Even though a good career was ahead of him, he began to engage in criminal activites. His superb intellect allowed Moriarty to conseal many crimes he orchestrated. Rumours began to surculate at the university and he was forced to leave. He came in control of an underground and suberbely organised criminal orginasation with many criminals under his employ. No one in London knew of this, but all unsolved crimes could be traced back to Professor Moriarty. He orchestrated thefts, assasinations, drug-dealing and frauds. The disloyal Colonel Sebastian Moran and Charles Milverton were in his employ. It is described by Sherlock Holmes that if a criminal matter is to be carried out, someone to get out of the way, the Professor would be informed.

Eventually, Moriarty was discovered by Detective Mr. Sherlock Holmes of 221b Baker Street. Holmes tracked the Professor's agents for years and decoded many of the orginasations methods. Many cases Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson over time could be traced back to the orginasation like "Leauge The Red-Headed Leauge " and "Master_Blackmailer" The Master Blackmailer" . Holmes made a study of Professor Moriarty's life but had never met him. Moriarty send Holmes a letter, which he traced to the criminal. In late April 1891, Holmes was visited by Professor Moriarty himself who told him, he should whithdraw from his efforts to foil his plans. Holmes had no intension to do so. A few days later, Holmes fell victim to three assasination attempts. At the residence of Dr. Watson, Holmes explains his plan to finally end Professor Moriarty. A while later, at Victoria Station, Holmes and Watson see the Professor in the crowd. In Switzerland, they go to the village of Meiringen where they stay at an inn.

At the Reichenbach Falls, Watson got a telegram send by Moriarty that an Englishwoman is sick. With Watson lured away, Professor Moriarty revealed himself to Sherlock Holmes. They have a final confrontation on the rocks of the falls and fight physicly to the death. On the cliff of one of the fall's rocks, Professor Moriarty tripped and fell down the canyon into the abyss. So Professor Moriarty died. Watson returned and assumed that both Moriarty and Holmes had fallen to their deaths. Three years later, it was revealed that Sherlock Holmes actually had survived the ordeal.

Professor James Moriarty had however, not survived. It later became known that Moriarty's henchman        Colonel Moran had hid at Reichenbach with a rifle. He wished to take revenge but was foiled by Holmes and Watson.

Sherlock Holmes considered the vanquishing of Professor Moriarty as the greatest achievement in his career.

Background
Professor Moriarty was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the arch-enemy of Sherlock Holmes. He only truly appeared in one of the short stories: "The Final Problem " published in "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes " in 1893. Doyle created him in order to kill Holmes off. Conan Doyle had intended this to be the last story.

Enormous public outcry however, convinced Doyle to let Holmes survive.

Appereances
Professor Moriarty appeared in many Sherlock Holmes films and TV-series. He appeared as portrayed by actor George Zucco in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes " (1939). He appeared portrayed by Lionel Atwill "Holmes and The Secret Weapon Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon " (1943). In two episodes of the 1984 Granda Sherlock Holmes television series he was portrayed by Eric Porter. In the Russian TV series: "Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson " he was played by Viktor Yevgrafov. In 2011 in "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows " he was portrayed by Jarrid Harris. In 2010's BBC series "Sherlock ", Moriarty was portrayed byAndrew Scott.

The villain Professor Ratigan from Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective " (1986) was based on Moriarty.