El Borak is Howard's modern-era adventure hero: Francis Xavier Gordon, a Texan gunfighter who drifts into the Middle East and Central Asia and becomes enmeshed in tribal politics, conspiracies, and small wars. His Arabic sobriquet — meaning "the Swift" — was earned by the speed of his draw.
Like Howard's other protagonists, El Borak operates by a personal code outside the boundaries of conventional civilisation. His stories appeared in pulp magazines such as "Adventure" and represent Howard's engagement with the action-adventure genre alongside his fantasy work.