Official information

The character of Captain Indigo only appeared in the episode of the TV series, “Spectrum Strikes Back”. Like Captain Brown before him, the TV/Century 21 media didn’t give him any in-depth background information, unlike the other Spectrum characters. His identity and background remain unknown and the only true information we know about him is what we see in the TV series.  Century 21 Magazine, in its ‘Captain Scarlet Encyclopedia’ (Issue number 15), got around this problem by declaring that ‘Data from Spectrum files are withheld in deference to the deceased agent’s family,' just like they did for Captain Brown.

In the episode “Spectrum Strikes Back”, Captain Indigo appeared to be working as liaison officer between Spectrum/Cloudbase and Spectrum Intelligence Agency base, which was hidden beneath a private game reserve in Kenya. It is unknown if it is his regular functions, or if this is a temporary job for him. Indigo was posing as a waiter/barman at the hunting lodge which serves as a façade for Spectrum Intelligence, where a conference was to be held between Colonel White, Captain Scarlet, Captain Blue, World President Younger, Doctor Giardello and Space General Peterson. New weapons to be used against to the Mysterons are to be presented to everyone: namely, the Mysteron Detector, and the Mysteron gun.

While everyone else were taken down to the secret room beneath the lodge, Captain Black suddenly appeared and killed Indigo, who was then swiftly mysteronised so he would sabotage the conference or kill the participants. It was only by chance that Captain Indigo's new nature was discovered, when the Mysteron detector wasaccidentally used on him. Scarlet went after him with the Mysteron gun, but not before the Mysteron agent managed to trap the other men in the room below, leaving them to be crushed by the slowly lowering cabin. Indigo having fled with the command button needed to stop the cabin, Scarlet chased him, with the help of a security guard who shot Indigo down. As Indigo revived, Scarlet finished him off with the Mysteron gun, and returned to save the others.

Indigo's attack that day proved one of the most daring of the Mysterons,  as if he had succeeded, he would have killed not only the World President (the first intended victim of the Mysterons, from the pilot episode), but also the commander of Spectrum, Captain Blue and Doctor Giardello, who apparently was the brains behind the anti-Mysterons weapons. Captain Scarlet, of course, would have likely survived, but the blow would have been crippling.

Notes of interest

Captain Indigo died not two but THREE times, in the course of this first and only episode in which he appeared: Once by Captain Black, causing his Mysteronisation, a second time by the security guard, and finally, by Captain Scarlet, who used the Mysteron gun.

Indigo was one of the rare Mysteron agents who actually revived, just like Scarlet did, after being killed by a regular bullet. This situation served to demonstrate the practicality of the Mysteron gun, as he also became the first Mysteron agent to be killed by this weapon, which was said to be the only sure way (outside of electricity) to utterly destroy a Mysteron for sure.

Captain Indigo was the fourth Spectrum officer to be taken under the control of the Mysterons after Captain Black, Captain Scarlet and Captain Brown. While Indigo Scarlet and Brown were killed, however, it is unsure if Black was as well, or if he is still alive.

In 1994, tthe 'New Thunderbirds' magazine, which featured comic strips and materials from various Gerry Anderson Supermarionation series, created a semi-official profile for Captain Brown, which gave him the name of Andrew Laurence.

Also seen as...

Driver Macey

Base Concord officer

Newspaper man Mervin Brand

The Captain Indigo puppet was part of the collection of 'revamp cast puppets', which means it was used several times during the series as various characters.

As a matter of fact, before appearing in 'Spectrum Strikes Back', the puppet was featured twice already in the series. A first time,it appeared as the unlucky - or perhaps very lucky - lorry driver Macey in 'Big Ben Strikes Again', where he escapes the Mysterons with his life, while they stole his vehicle, carrying a nuclear device. After that, the puppet appeared in a supporting role in 'Renegade Rocket', as a controller at Base Concord. Again, the character would survive an attack from the Mysterons.

The puppet would later be cast in a much larger role, in the episode 'The Launching', in which it portrayed Mervin Brand, a newspaperman from 'The Tribute', who was killed while flying his plane on his way to a news conference given by American President Roberts. Mysteronised, Brand was to be the latest tool used by the Mysterons in an attempt to 'destroy President Roberts'. Oddly enough, this character, just like Captain Indigo in 'Spectrum Strikes Back' revived after being shot by Spectrum, only to be killed again. It was actually a rare occurence within the show that a Mysteron agent would revive (despite Spectrum's claims that the Mysteron gun and electricity were the surest ways to get rid of them), and yet it happened the two times the Indigo puppet was used as a Mysteron agent.

The Captain Indigo puppet also made appearances in other Supermarionation shows.

 In 'Joe 90', it appears multiple times. Amongst the most recognisable character, the puppet was cast as Nurse John in, 'Operation McClaine', Kent, in 'Double Agent', Doctor Slade in 'Test Flight' and Mike Laramie in 'The Fortress'.

 The puppet also appeared in a few times in ‘Secret Service’, most notably as Mark Slater in 'Deadly Whisper'.

Voicing Captain Indigo

Gary Files

Australian-Canadian actor Gary Files, who also was the voice for Captain Magenta, provides the voice of Captain Indigo. He also provided the voices of supporting characters in the show.

Having already worked with Century 21 Productions, he had played John Tracy in the feature film “Thunderbird 6”, after “Captain Scarlet”, he stayed on to give his voice to Matthew in “Secret Service”, and played characters voices in “Joe 90”. He also played the part of Phil Wade in the first episode of “UFO”.

After his work in U.K., Gary Files returned to Canada where he performed mostly in theater, and then went back to Australia, where he currently lives, working again in theater, and appearing in films and television. Gary Files was also a theater director, as well as a writer. He wrote many pieces, some of which he performed himself on radio and television.

Many shades of Indigo 

While it is true that the above information is all that can be described as ‘official’, additional background information have been created for Captain Indigo. These efforts were written by fans who have used their creative imagination mixed with what little information was offered by the series, to fashion their own perception and vision of the character.

(Sources: TV Century 21 material (Annuals, books and magazines), Engale Marketing's Century 21 magazine, Issue 15, Winter 1995, Fleetway Magazines, Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons book by Chris Drake & Graham Bassett, Complete Book of Captain Scarlet by Chris Bentley… all related to TV Century 21 material - Photo-montages provided by dedicated fans.)