Secret War?
Moderator: Spectrum Strike Force
It was implied most people knew of the Mysterons in the original series - the 'Introducing Captain Scarlet' mini-album went so far to say the first threat was heard all over the world - but do we now take it the fight with the Mysterons is a largely covert war?
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shaqui
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The scenario in several comic stories does tend to suggest it was more widely known - as indeed is the identity of the Spectrum Agents - I remember an air hostess greeting our hero with words akin to ' Mr Paul Metcalfe? You're Captain Scarlet, aren't you?' - which would suggest that Spectrum's World-wide security efforts are at the best ineffectual.
Realistically, I'd have thought that the authorities would have had to say something to explain exploding water-desalination plants, oil refineries and banks, etc - but as Spectrum was created (at least in the original series) to fight global terrorism - maybe they just suggest that 'The Mysterons' are some powerful terrestrial terrorist force?
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Marion
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Marion wrote: I've always assumed that the Mysteron threat wasn't widley known - or at least not all aspects of it. The obvious example is the bank robbers in 'Heart of New York' who only hit on their plan to pretend to be Mysterons after reading the stolen Spectrum documents.
Yes, but that suggested they already knew of the Mysterons - it wasn't like 'hey, we're at war with aliens and never knew about it!'. It was perhaps not widely known that the Mysterons could create duplicates. At least, that's the way I read it...
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shaqui
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The 'new' Mysterons have not issued threats and have directed their attention either towards Spectrum and human installations on Mars or blowing up the planet - a much more aggressive scheme than attacking a specific bank in New York, or a fashion house in France, for example, but perhaps easier to keep a secret?
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Marion
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On the other hand, I know it isn't strictly canon, but for what it's worth there's a note in "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons" by John Theydon that indicates that the population of the Earth do know about the Mysterons and the threat they pose:
<< From the window of his thirty-second floor hotel suite, Captain Scarlet could see a video news strip on the facia of a television company's premises across the wide square. His jaw tightened when he read:
WEATHER SATELLITE OMEGA DESTROYED. WORLD GOVERNMENT MEETS IN EMERGENCY SESSION. PRESIDENT APPEALS FOR CALM. THE MYSTERON THREAT WILL BE MET.
'Yeah,' muttered Scarlet. 'Same old sedative. They just don't know how or when or where to meet it. They'll rely on Spectrum to try to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for them as usual.' >>
So I guess we've got it both ways. In the same book, incidentally, we've got a scene in which Scarlet is recognised by a woman in a Mexican village from pictures of him on the television, and her husband comments that he's her pin-up boy. Again, a suggestion that Spectrum isn't exactly the most secret of organisations!
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Clya Brown
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I mean surely someone is going to notice random people being killed (seemingly twice), important buildings being destroyed etc.
Though of course the public isn't going to be told everything, wouldn't be in their best interests or something.
Brendan Behan
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Sage
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Doc Brown wrote:In the same book, incidentally, we've got a scene in which Scarlet is recognised by a woman in a Mexican village from pictures of him on the television, and her husband comments that he's her pin-up boy. Again, a suggestion that Spectrum isn't exactly the most secret of organisations!
It was widely established in TV Century 21 that Spectrum was perceived as a secret organisation, but became publically known when the Zero X returned after the first encounter on Mars.
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shaqui
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As far as disseminating information to the general public is concerned, I'd guess that the activities of the Mysterons would be dealt with in much the same way by Spectrum as any terrorist outrage is now, i.e. it's the work of a bunch of dangerous maniacs, but we'll bring the perpetrators to justice just as soon as we can, so in the meantime remain vigilent and don't panic. Spectrum wouldn't want to present the situation to the public as a war with a clearly-defined opponent, I suspect, because that would imply that there are two points of view, whereas as far as the population of the Earth is concerned there's only one point of view that matters.
I'm quite sure the little matter of Captain Black's attack on the Mysteron complex would be completely suppressed: if that got out it would seriously undermine Spectrum's efforts to limit the consequences, as you'd probably get groups of Mysteron sympathisers springing up all over the planet. Coming to think of it, if it did get out I don't imagine Spectrum would survive the scandal - either in the original series or the new one. You'd get too many questions being asked in high places about why the Earth is being protected from a bunch of extremely dangerous aliens by the same organisation that started the fight with them in the first place, followed by the realisation that maybe if Spectrum was disbanded then it might be possible to reach a peace settlement - which could be a rather difficult dilemma for Colonel White to resolve.
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Clya Brown
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Doc Brown said: (with regard to the conversation between Blue and Destiny in the Mercury shuttle.)
Perhaps somebody who did record it would like to review the episode and post what they actually did say - I'd be interested to know.
Ever willing to oblige:
(Destiny and Blue are prisoners on a shuttle about to hit the Earth. They're looking at the planet as they orbit it.)
Destiny: Beautiful isn't it?
Blue: All those billions of people down there, worrying about their jobs and paying the bills; cursing next door's dog for yapping all night. What do you think they'd do if they knew what was going on?
Destiny: You mean, if they knew about the Mysterons?
Blue: Do you think maybe they'd put all the back-biting aside and kind of come together - like one big, united family?
Destiny: (Gasp) Come on, Adam. Do you always get this deep when you're in orbit?
Blue: Only when some crazy's planning to use me as the wrecking ball from out of space, on Pennsylvania Avenue.
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Destiny's question does imply that the Mysterons aren't universal knowledge, but I think in the CGI series that's more likely, as the Mysterons have not issued threats or made their ultimate aims or targets clear.
Another thing is that we have not been told what Spectrum is supposed to do in the new series - we're just presented with this expensive and all-embracing organisation already up and running and presumably well-established. Spectrum in the 60's version was fairly new - it celebrated its first birthday in 'Flight to Atlantica'. In the CGI, Spectrum obviously spends more time and resources on space travel and exploration than they did in the 60's show, but it does have resources on earth too - apparantly.
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Marion
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