TUESDAY TANGENT: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 1960s

Call me obsessed. But I find this to be an amusing mental exercise. As before, these are all highly subjective choices and made with the ground rules of not being part of a comic book 'shared' universe. So here you have them, your 1960s era recruits into the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:


Admiral Harriman Nelson (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Portrayed by Walter Pidgeon

A brilliant scientist, engineer, military mind and man of action, Admiral Nelson is one of the world’s foremost experts on…well, pretty much everything. He is also the brainchild behind the experimental Seaview submarine and its numerous scientific expeditions. Though not particularly noteworthy as a personal combatant, Admiral Nelson’s determination and knowledge make him a natural choice as leader for one of the League’s teams. His exploits in putting a stop to the Van Allen Belt disaster pushed him to the top of the selection list.



Mrs. Emma Peel (The Avengers)
Portrayed by Diana Rigg

An extremely capable young woman, Mrs. Peel is a certified genius with experience in chemistry and other sciences. She is also a master of martial arts, a skilled markswoman and a formidable fencer. If this was not impressive enough, she is also a skilled artist, businesswoman, driver and skilled undercover operative. Her husband, Peter Peel, was a pilot who’s plane disappeared over the Amazon and is presumed dead. Only her relatively young age (mid twenties) kept her from selection as team leader. As it stands, she was chosen as second in command and will likely lead any field operations. Though ‘playful’ in nature, Mrs. Peels exhibits a focus and maturity not matched by some of her fellow team mates.


James Bond (Dr. No)
Portrayed by Sean Connery

Though typically a solo operator, there is no debate as to Agent 007’s ability as an agent. Indeed, he has proven himself capable of handling nearly any situation thrown at him, from car chases, to hand-to-hand-combat to piloting to marksmanship, he excells. If Bond has a weakness it is his notable lecherousness and love for the ‘finer things’ in life (champagne, caviar, rich living, etc.). It is for this reason (and his somewhat flippant response to ‘authority’) that he was not given command of the team. He isn’t particularly miffed at being passed over, figuring that he will likely ‘do his own thing’ in any case. His womanizing may become an issue, however, considering two of his team mates are beautiful young women.


Simon Templar (The Saint)
Portrayed by Roger Moore

Another ‘solo’ operator, Simon Templar (aka “The Saint”) was chosen for both his abilities as a master thief and for his seeming ‘heart of gold’ when it comes to doing the right thing. In fact, he thinks of himself as a modern day Robin Hood, focusing his crimes on the corrupt, be they politician, businessman or criminal. He is not, however, afraid to kill, and has done so in the past when he feels it is for ‘the greater good’. His possesses a wry sense of humor and though charming he is not really a womanizer (in fact, he heart seems to belong to an on-again-off-again partner by the name of Patricia Holm).


Samantha (Bewitched)
Portrayed by Elizabeth Montgomery)

Young Samantha was all set to forsake her natural talent of witchcraft and settle down for a ‘normal’ life with an advertising executive when she was approached by the League. The lure of using her powers to accomplish great good proved too tempting and Samantha signed on. Her magical abilities are, in fact, quite powerful- much more so than she seems to realize. With experience, it is predicted that she will become a force to be reckoned with. Even so, the League doesn’t seem concerned that she will abuse these powers. Despite the power she wields, she has a strong moral sense and really does seem to appreciate the idea of preserving the ‘normal lives’ of people everywhere. In fact, at some point she intends to have one herself, once she finds that special person again to settle down with.


ALTERNATES:

Frank Bullitt (Bullitt)
Portrayed by Steve McQueen

A tough, San Francisco cop, Frank Bullitt was considered for his skills as well as his actions in fighting organized crime. He would still be considered as support in any criminal investigations or dealings with organized crime in the United States.


Daniel “Danny” Ocean (Ocean’s Eleven)
Portrayed by Frank Sinatra

An ex-special-forces soldier who served in World War II, Daniel Ocean is currently planning a heist in Las Vegas along with his old war buddies. His dislike of ‘the house’ (authority) was the main reason he was not approached with an offer, even though his planning ability and skills would prove useful.


Fathom Harvill (Fathom)
Portrayed by Raquel Welch

A modern-day adventuress, Fathom Harvill is a skilled skydiver, rock-climber, scuba-diver, etc.. She has also proven useful in covert activities, having been ‘hired’ in the past by a ‘private’ spy organization to recover stolen nuclear triggers. Ultimately, though, she is a civilian and lacked the practical experience of others chosen for the team. Even so, she could be called upon for specific operations involving her specialties.


John Steed (Avengers)
Portrayed by Patrick Macnee

Emma Peel’s partner, John Steed is a skilled government operative. Ultimately he was passed over for selection into the League because his military and intelligence background was already duplicated (and exceeded) by both Admiral Nelson and James Bond (respectively). Should the team suffer an injury to either of these individuals, there would be no hesitation in bringing Steed onboard.


Napoleon Solo & Ilya Kruyakin (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Portrayed by Robert Vaughn & David McCallum (Respectively)

Already part of an organization working to covertly head off international war and crime, this team of agents from U.N.C.L.E was left intact to continue to do so.


The Mission Impossible Team (Mission Impossible)

As with U.N.C.L.E., the IMF team was left intact in order to continue their own operations.


OTHERS:

Derek Flint (Our Man Flint)
Portrayed by James Coburn

This character is essentially a spoof of James Bond, and duplicates many of his skills, only to a ridiculous degree.


Jeannie (I dream of Jeannie)
Portrayed by Barbara Eden

Though very much in the same vein as ‘Bewitched’, Jeannie is just a bit more ‘silly’, and for me, more difficult to fit into a semi-believable ‘reality’.


The Green Hornet & Kato (The Green Hornet)
Portrayed by Van Williams and Bruce Lee (Respectively)

Though believable enough (in the context of the LXG universe), the Green Hornet is just a bit too campy for me.


Kelly Robinson & Alexander Scott (I Spy)
Portrayed by Robert Culp & Bill Cosby (Respectively)

Fun, yes, and not entirely unbelievable, but a bit too light-hearted for this kind of setting.