93. Retaliation, 349 pages, 2003 (Newton)
94. Pressure Point, 347 pages, 2004 (Renauld)
95. Silent Running, 348 pages, 2004 (Kasner)
96. Stolen Arrows, 347 pages, 2004 (Nick Pollotta)
97. Zero Option, 346 pages, 2004 (Linaker)
98. Predator Paradise, 346 pages, 2004 (Schmidt)
99. Circle of Deception, 346 pages, 2004 (Linaker)
100. Devil's Bargain, 349 pages, 2005 (Schmidt)
101. False Front, 346 pages, 2005 (Van Cook)
102. Lethal Tribute, 348 pages, 2005 (Rogers)
103. Season of Slaughter, 347 pages, 2005 (Wojtowicz)
104. Point of Betrayal, 349 pages, 2005 (Tresslar)
105. Ballistic Force, 347 pages, 2005 (Renauld)
106. Renegade, 347 pages, 2006 (Van Cook)
107. Survival Reflex, 346 pages, 2006 (Newton)
108. Path to War, 346 pages, 2006 (Schmidt)
109. Blood Dynasty, 349 pages, 2006 (Linaker)
110. Ultimate Stakes, 346 pages, 2006 (Guenther)
111. State of Evil, 348 pages, 2006 (Newton)
112. Force Lines, 347 pages, 2007 (Schmidt)
113. Contagion Option, 347 pages, 2007 (Wojtowicz)
114. Hellfire Code, 348 pages, 2007 (Guenther)
115. War Drums, 349 pages, 2007 (Linaker)
116. Ripple Effect, 349 pages, 2007 (Newton)
117. Devil's Playground, 348 pages, 2007 (Wojtowicz)
118. The Killing Rule, 346 pages, 2008 (Rogers)
119. Patriot Play, 346 pages, 2008 (Linaker)
120. Appointment in Baghdad, 347 pages, 2008 (Meyer)
121. Havana Five, 315 pages, 2008 (Guenther)
Related Works
A guide to the series The War Book came out during the Pinnacle run of the series in 1977, which was later revised as #63: The New War Book.
The Executioner has also appeared in the short story "Willing to Kill" by Don Pendleton, which appeared in the anthology The Great American Detective edited by William Kittredge and Steven M. Krauzer. In his introduction to the 1975 Ballentine edition of Hound of the Baskervilles, Pendleton recounts a dream where Bolan meets Sherlock Holmes.
Comics
In 1993, War against the Mafia was adapted as a four-part series by Innovation Comics, though only the first three parts were released. It was written by Don and Linda Pendleton and illustrated by Sandu Florea. The year 1996 saw that creative team reunited for a 128-page black and white graphic novel based on Death Squad (Executioner #2). In 2008, IDW comics published the five issue mini-series Devil's Tools, scripted by Douglas Wojtowicz, a frequent author of the Executioner novels. This series is an original adventure with Mack attempting to shut down an illegal weapons smuggling operation.
The Movies
While there have been at least four movies titled The Executioner, none of them is based on Mack Bolan series. The film The Executioner: Part II has no connection to any of the films or to the novels.
References and Parodies
In Destroyer #8: Mafia Summit Remo asks if anyone has seen Mack Bolan at a Mafia summit. In Destroyer #38: Bay City Blast, the Executioner is parodied as Mark Tolan, the Exterminator. In the 1984 film The Exterminator, the detective chasing John Eastland, the Exterminator, nearly refers to the vigilante as the Executioner.
Niles Barrabas recalls meeting Mack Bolan during the events of Soldiers of Barrabas #3: The Ashes of Eden although he refers to him as John Macklin Bolan. He mentions a patrol the pair went on in Vietnam, which took place prior to the events of "Incident at Hoi Bihn" (Executioner #63: The New War Book). Barrabas refers to Bolans war on the Mafia and his supposed death. His use of John Macklin Bolan could hint at the fact that he knew Mack Bolan's new identity John Macklin Phoenix.
The Expeditor (John Eagle )
Fourteen books by Paul Edwards (house name)
John Eagle, an adopted Apache Indian, responded to an ad in the paper and after two years of rigorous training was eventually hired by a mysterious, wheelchair-bound man known as Merlin to fight crime.
Merlin was a wealthy man who, after being shot and his spine severed at the Battle of Argonne (1918), returned to the United States and mixed with other moneyed men and discovered the ones who would be likely to misuse their wealth. Merlin tried to fight these men and in 1943 an attempt was made on his life. Merlin then hired an actor to play him while he lived in Hawaii and, through his agents, called Expeditors, continued the fight. The actor meanwhile moved to Scotland. In The Valley of Vultures it is revealed that Merlin's real surname might be Frobisher. Eagle faces many different threats such as hunting the son of Hitler seeking to raise the Fourth Reich, Russian plots to steal brains and Arab plots to take over the world.
Behind the Scenes
This series was created Lyle Kenyon Engel. The series used a number of ghost writers including Robert Lory.
Robert Lory also wrote the Dracula series as well as the Horrorscope series. It is interesting to note that both Dracula and The Expeditor feature wheelchair-bound crime fighters (Professor Harmon in Dracula and Mr. Merlin in the Expeditor) directing operatives.
The Books
All books were published by Pyramid Books:
1. Needles of Death, 175 pages, 1973
2. Brain Scavengers, 176 pages, 1973
3. Fist of Fatima, 156 pages, 1973 (Lory)
4. Valley of the Vultures, 192 pages, 1973
5. Laughing Death, 142 pages, 1973 (Lory)
6. Glyphs of Gold, 174 pages, 1974 (Lory)
7. Ice Goddess, 172 pages, 1974
8. Death Devils, 191 pages, 1974 (Lory)
9. Deadly Cyborgs, 176 pages, 1975
10. Holocaust Auction, 158 pages, 1975 (Lory)
11. Poppies of Death, 159 pages, 1975
12. Green Goddess, 188 pages, 1975
13. Operation Weather Kill, 159 pages, 1975
14. Silver Skull, 191 pages, 1975
The Force
Four books by Jake Decker
The Force is the field team for the covert agency the Association. Based in Washington, the Association is run by a man codenamed the Librarian and his top aide, Pamela. Pamela is the height of efficiency and she has a photographic memory. The Force operates out of Ma's Diner, run by retired agent Harv "Ma" Liscomb.
The Force consists of team members:
• Steve Sinclair: Vietnam veteran and team leader. Steve was about to retire when he was offered the chance to join the team and train Micah.
• Micah: Cajun agent with the ability to psychically influence people. This talent means that he can implant suggestions and quickly gain information.
• Jezebel "Jez" Cooke: Red-haired Senator's daughter and final member of the Force, she acts as the balance between the two male members of the team. Jez came across Steve and Micah during their first case together; the socialite was such a help to the pair that she was offered a job by the Association.
The Force tackles various threats to national security, such as drug trafficking, Soviet plots to replace the wives of high-level political figures with duplicates, and assassins.
Behind the Scenes
This series is the only credit for Jake Decker.
The Books
All books were published by Pinnacle Books:
1. Deadly Snow, 250 pages, 1984
2. Death's Little Sister, 216 pages, 1984
3- Death's Gambit, 220 pages, 1984
4. Death Comes Home, 215 pages, 1985
Gannon (John Gannon)
Two books by John Whitlatch
John Gannon is an ordinary insurance adjuster whose life is thrown into turmoil when a gang of bikers breaks into his house and rapes and kills Gannons wife. While there is much evidence against the gang, they hire a high-powered attorney. The district attorney, facing an election, decides not to take the matter to trial as the probable loss on such a high profile case would not look good for his campaign.
Gannon tries to take t
he law into his own hands but, being unused to physical combat, is badly beaten and left for dead in the desert. He survives and, after healing, gains skills with the bow and arrow. He gains support from a few people who believe in his cause, respecting his determination. He tracks the gang to their hideout.
The gang had been headquartered in a small Mexican village. The village turns a blind eye to the bikers' deeds as long as they are left alone and they offer no help to Gannon. That is, until an old man from the village is killed and the villagers join the fight. Gannon discovers that the gang is working with their lawyer and a prominent Mexican to smuggle drugs into America. This provides some extra motivation to the complete elimination of the gang.
Behind the Scenes
John Whitlatch is the author of eleven adventure books, such as Stuntman's Holiday, Morgan s Rebellion, Cory's Losers and Frank T's Plan. All of Whitlatch's novels revolve around the avenging of injuries to loved ones in a variety of settings, including the Old West.
The Books
Both books were published by Pocket Books:
1. Gannons Vendetta, 249 pages, 1969
2. Gannon's Line, 253 pages, 1976
Gannon II (Mike Gannon)
Three books by Dean Ballinger
Mike Gannon is a security expert, one of the best in the business, traveling the world, troubleshooting security problems. When Gannon finds out that his teenaged sister has been raped and beaten by some rich college boys, he returns home to Cleveland to bring his skills to avenge her.
Gannon quickly discovers that the boys responsible are the sons of wealthy and influential men: Men who are able to buy their sons out of trouble; men who do not like this security expert nosing around in their business and they hire local mobsters to stop him. Gannon is able to cut a bloody swath through the Cleveland underworld on his quest for justice and eventually get revenge for his sister's rape.
While Gannon can tackle the Mafia as well as the Executioner or other serial vigilantes, Gannon faces the corrupting power of money, facing off against wealthy men who believe that their money can buy them out of any situation and poor men can be bought off to help them cover their sins. After avenging his sister, Gannon creates a bloodbath to prevent a land grab.
Behind the Scenes
Dean W Ballenger's first published works were the Gannon series. He is also the author of several westerns as well as several other adventure novels.
The Books
All books were published by Manor Books:
1. Blood for Breakfast, 191 pages, 1973
2. Blood Fix, 191 pages, 1974
3. Blood Beast, 191 pages, 1974
Girl Factory (Su-Lin Kelly)
Two books by Robert Franklin Murphy
Su-Lin Kelly is the daughter of adventurer "Chinese" Kelly and Mata Wong. The six-foot Eurasian beauty inherited her husband's, Rene Cartes, espionage network after he died and she avenged his death. Su-Lin is a nymphomaniac and after the death of her father was trained in espionage and the love arts at Shan Tal Cloister (the Girl Factory of the title) by Mata Wong, where many of the wives and mistresses of many great men were trained. The Cloister is also home to many scientific secrets revealed to group called the Matsu Underground (MU). These scientific secrets include brain transfers and were revealed to the MU by visiting aliens.
Su-Lin works as a freelance operative with the cover that she is a jet-setting playgirl with her own fortune, maintained by her financial adviser Mack Gordon. Su-Lin takes her assignments from Sam Gruber and Ella Crumb, who operate the Nest, the best-informed intelligence agency. The Nest operates from a non-descript office in the bowels of Washington bureaucracy.
In her first adventure, Su-Lin discovers that the cloning technique Quantum Growth has been stolen from the Cloister and is going to be used to clone world leaders and replace them. Kelly stops this plot and blows up the Cloister to prevent any further secrets from falling into the wrong hands. In doing so she discovers that the real Su-Lin Kelly died with her father and that she is in fact a clone made by her grieving mother, Mata Wong, head of the Shan Tal Cloister.
Su-Lin is aided by Joe Zen, her right-hand man and occasional bed partner; Mala Key, her lesbian maid; and Zero, an expert cabbie who is on call for Su-Lin.
In the second book Su-Lin becomes involved in the case of a missing Russian biochemist who is also a chess master. It is feared that the Russian may be forced to make bio-weapons for a terrorist group. But she discovers that the true reason for the Russian's disappearance is far more unusual and Su-Lin becomes involved in a lethal chess match with living pieces.
During this case, she is again cloned using Quantum Growth; it appears that the process has been refined from the last time she was cloned. The Quantum Growth Generator is portable and Su-Lin is resurrected with nearly all her memories intact.
Behind the Scenes
It seems likely that Robert Franklin Murphy is a pseudonym, as the books are copyright to Script Representatives, Inc. Murphy has no other writing credits.
Zebra Books was founded in 1975 by Walter Zacherius and Roberta Grossman. Grossman was twenty-nine at the time and was the youngest president of a paperback house. The company published many paperback series, including William Johnstone's Rig Warrior and Jerry Ahern's Survivalist series, and expanded into many lines, such as romance, black fiction, and gay and lesbian fiction. In 1988, the company acquired Pinnacle Books and moved their action adventure line to that imprint and the Zebra Books line became a romance line.
The Books
The books were published by Zebra Books in America and Mews Books in the United Kingdom:
1. The Girl Factory (The Man-Made Woman), 160 pages, 1975
2. Kings Mate, 142 pages, 1975
Handyman (Jefferson Boone)
Six books by Jon Messmann
Jefferson Boone was a diplomatic brat, the son of a career diplomat who followed his father around the world. Boone displayed a skill for languages which made him fit in anywhere in any situation. All of this made Boone a natural to follow into his father's footsteps in the diplomatic corps and father and son had many discussions about the nature of the diplomatic corps and modern diplomacy. Richard Boone expressed his frustration with the restrictions placed upon him and the need for a "handyman" — someone not bound by diplomatic regulations who could respond to threats and problems.
Shortly after, Robert Boone travelled to a small, troubled country and was killed in a riot. This small nation was struggling towards democracy and Jefferson Boone realized that had a handyman been in place his father might not have died. His official career with the State Department ended that day and his new unofficial position of handyman began.
Unlike others who operate outside the law, Boone is a good shot but not great and he is only an above-average fighter with some martial arts training. But what makes him an effective fixer is his determination; once Boone accepts a job he doesn't stop until it is done. Boone frequently leaves his business card; it reads, "Jefferson Boone, Handyman."
During his time travelling the globe, Boone made many friends who frequently call on his help. Boone is called when a fascist plot attempts to stop an old friend from signing her land to the United States government; fights terrorist groups, rescues kidnapped diplomats, finds missing geologists, retrieves stolen money and stops revolutions.
Behind the Scenes
Jon Messmann (1920-2004) initially worked as a writer for Fawcett Comics, working on Captain Marvel Jr. and their western line of comics. Messmann then branched out to crime fiction and westerns. Under the name Jon Sharpe, he wrote several novels in the Trailsman and Canyon O'Grady western series. In the serial vigilante field, he wrote several Killmasters under the house name of Nick Carter.
The Books
All books were published by Pyramid Books:
1. Moneta Papers, 190 pages, 1973
2. Game of Terror, 199 pages, 1973
3. Murder Today, Money Tomorrow, 171 pages, 1973
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p; 4. Swiss Secret, 175 pages, 1974
5. Ransom, 160 pages, 1975
6. Inheritors, 158 pages, 1975
The Hard Corps
Eight books by Chuck Bainbridge
The Hard Corps is a group of five mercenaries, four of whom were a Green Beret team of that name in Vietnam. They are:
• William O'Neal: leader of the group
• James Wentworth III: — second in command, expert martial artist, and comes from a long line of soldiers
• Joe Fanelli: demolitions expert
• Steve Caine: master of the silent kill who went "native" in Vietnam
• John McShayne: Top sergeant, master Mechanic, and coordinator who joined the team after the war.
After leaving Vietnam the team discovered they couldn't readjust to civilian life, so they decided to continue as soldiers for hire, operating out of an old marijuana plantation in the Washington State backwoods. The Hard Corps occasionally do jobs for the CIA, who turns a blind eye to the team's other missions and income. Their contact with the CIA is Joshua "Saintly" St. Laurent.
Serial Vigilantes of Paperback Fiction. An Encyclopedia from Able Team to Z-Comm Page 12
