Secret
Agent 21
by
Keith Ansell
Secret
Agent 21 was the longest running
comic strip to appear in the pages of TV Century 21.
The star of the strip was a Universal Secret Service agent code-
named
21 - the James Bond of the future.
Twenty
One first appeared as the fictional editor of the first issue of
TV21. Readers were drafted as his agents and
asked
to address reports (ie letters) to CONTACT 21.
Twenty
One was a mysterious figure.
Readers
only ever saw the back of his
head
pictured on the letters page until the secret agent's life story
began in issue number 21(of course) cover dated 12th June 2065.
It was a single page black and white comic strip drawn by Rab Hamilton
and initially written by the comic's real-life editor Alan Fennell.
Although its' page count was increased and its' title was often
altered, the strip ran until the very last issue of TV21
(242, cover dated 6th September 2069). Secret Agent 21 stories also
appeared as text and strip features in the five original TV21
Annuals, the 1971 Thunderbirds Annual
and three TV21 Extras.
Alan
Fennell quickly entrusted assistant
editor
Tod Sullivan with the scripting of
Agent
21,but Rab Hamilton remained as
artist,
drawing every TV21 story except one fill-in by
Jon Davis.
Hamilton
also contributed the delectable colour strip, Marina, Girl
of the Sea for the back page of Lady Penelope.
Hamilton's
Marina was as gorgeous as Tina Palamac, 21's sidekick during the
first few months of the strip.
Where
Marina inhabited a romantic and
fantastic
undersea world however, Agent
21
dwelt in a utilitarian future of titanium and poured concrete.
Ironically, Hamilton was not articularly accomplished as an action
artist, but his characterisation was compelling. In film terms
his fight scenes had more in common with Sidney J Furie's
dispassionate
punch-ups in The Ipcress
File
than any Bond sequence.
For
a feature appearing in a comic aimed at schoolchildren, Secret
Agent 21 was remarkably progressive. Admittedly, it took
its lead from what was happening in films and TV, but the fact that
it could veer from science fantasy to John Le Carre - style
intrigue
gave the strip a power and
unpredictability
which may well have
contributed
to its' longevity. Secret Agent 21 is remembered
with affection by Century 21 fans, even though he never appeared
in any of Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation
TV
series.
Twenty
One lived in the Gerry Anderson
universe
and his early stories were set in the formative years of the World
Space Patrol and WASP's. He helped create and define the history
of the 21st Century inhabited by our puppet heroes - unifying our
perception of their fictional world.
The
World of 21
The
comic strip features the life and death assignments of Brent Cleever
- Senior Special Agent 21 of the Universal Secret Service, commencing
in the year 2046. Since TV21 was set in the year
2065, this means that the strip was
originally
an historical series.
The
Solar System has been mostly
colonised by this time and many of the planets (or their satellites)
have been given artificial Earth-like atmospheres.
The
Universal Secret Service headquarters
is situated near Kahra,
the capital city of Earth's colony
on
Mars. To the general public it is seen as a factory
owned by Century 21 Toys Incorporated - one of
the largest toy manufacturers in the Universe.
Senior
Special Agents operate under
cover as toy salesmen, and carry sample cases equipped with Deadly
Toys - weapons and equipment
disguised to
look
like a standard range of playthings.
The
greatest threat to the newly elected World Government
of President Nikita
Bandranaik is Bereznik, a federation of
former Soviet states (Bereznik seemed like a terrible cop out in
the 1970's, but since the collapse of the Soviet Union, it
has
appeared increasingly prophetic!). The greatest threat to Earth's
World Space Empire is SOFRAM (Solar Organisation
For Revenge And Murder) a neo-fascist organisation dedicated to
taking over the Solar System.
Twenty
One reports to the Operational Head of the USS -
Air General Zodiac, formerly Steve Kalinski - who is code-named
"S" . TV21 later revealed him as the
father of Fireball XL5's Steve Zodiac.
Magenta Seven & Special Agent
These
are the two "Double Two One" text stories that appeared
in the first TV CENTURY 21 annual, published in
August 1965. Print production was
much
slower and more intensive in the 1960's. Material for the annual
would probably have been prepared in the Spring of 1965. As such,
these
stories
furnish an origin for the "host" character of TV
Century 21, which differs in some aspects from the
Agent
21 who would debut in June 1966. The illustrations for the stories
show a distinct likeness to Sean Connery! The stories appear to
be set circa 2060 - 62.
Brent
Cleever was Double Two One of the Special Investigating Branch (S
Dept) based on Earth. In Magenta Seven he was
sent toVenus to capture the alien Zheno, leader of Magenta, a Mafia-like
organisation operating on seven planets of the Solar System.
In
Special Agent, Double Two One is sent to Mars to
trace and rescue the kidnapped Professor Carrel - who is developing
Cahelium Extract X4 - for use by the World Space Patrol on their
forthcoming Fireball XL Fleet, and the WASPs for their new Stingray
combat submarine. The story guest stars Vice
Commander
Zero and Sub Commander Shore of these fledgling organisations. Double
Two One rescues Professor Carrel but sustains a crippling injury
that puts him out of active service for good. S promotes him to
Chief Officer 21. All agents will now be able to CONTACT 21!
It
should be pointed out that when the CONTACT 21
strip appeared in TV21, the comic ran a short biography
which explained that Brent Cleever was a
toy
salesman who improvised with his sample case to save the World President
from kidnapping. Cleever was offered a job with the Universal Secret
Service, and his toys were converted into Deadly
Gadgets.
Not only does this contradict the Agent Double Two One stories,
it also contradicts the text in the 1966 Annual. Generally accepted
as
Cleever's
official biography, this says he was born Sir William Fraser, and
changed his name to Brent Cleever when he joined the USS. Coincidentally,
or not, a character called Sir William Fraser (of the British Secret
Service) is heard in one of the THUNDERBIRDS TV
shows. This text feature also picked up on a remark made by Steve
Zodiac in one of the FIREBALL XL5 strips. His father
had been born Steve Kalinski, and changed his name to Zodiac when
he joined the Universal Secret Service. This was "S".(See
XL5 panel above!)
Century 21 Toys Inc
On
the outskirts of thriving Khara, capital city of
Mars, stands the mundane exterior of the Century 21 Toys
factory. Behind this facade is the most deadly
and
efficient organisation in the galaxy - the Universal Secret
Service.
The
USS network is complex, covering every planet in the World
Space empire. Reporting direct to the Supreme Commander
Earth Forces is the
Operations
Director, based at Century 21 Toys Incorporated. Subordinate to
him are divisional planetary heads, with each planet divided into
sections. Earth Division is called the World Intelligence Network,
with a top man in each country answering to Jim Colton.
Century
21 Toys Incorporated was taken
over by the Universal Secret Service in 2040, but as far as the
public were concerned only the management
changed.
They continue to be one of the largest toy producers in the galaxy.
When
an agent passes through a hidden doorway in the toy factory, however,
he will descend through a grav lift to silent corridors lined with
unmarked doors. Each door leads to a section of the USS.
Agents
Survival Section: Responsible
for the safety and defence of all USS agents, it designs and manufactures
miniaturised, camouflaged weapons
and
equipment which an agent carries concealed on his person.
Assignment
Vehicles Section: housed in
a vast underground workshop, it deals with the running and repair
of cars and spacecraft used by USS agents.
Armaments
section: reinforced walls contain
the sounds and smells of the battlefield as weapons are checked
and tested - from standard ray pistols to
planatomic
grenade pitcher guns.
Deadly
Toy Section: At first glance
a mirror of the factory above, this section contains work benches
and conveyor belts littered with toys in various
stages
of assembly. Headed by Professor Tod Rosto, this section adapts
the toys for use by senior special agents.
Control
Section: Reporting direct to
the Operations Director and situated beneath his office, this section
collects
and analyses the information required to control the vast complex
of USS operations.
Located
on the ground floor of Century 21 Toys, the office of the
Operations Director is dominated by a sleek, pine- finished
desk which houses powerful
micro-computers
enabling him to directly control USS movements.
Unwelcome
visitors can be subdued by metal clamps housed in the visitors chair
facing the director, while a bullet and radiation proof screen can
be raised around his desk at the touch of a button.
The
desk also conceals the Operations Directors' personal entrance to
the departments below - as well as an emergency exit from the toy
factory. A
videophone
on the desk provides a direct link to all USS department heads.
Follow
Brent Cleever’s career in The Agent 21 Dossier