• Gary Manning: Canadian demolitions expert, special forces in Vietnam
• Rafael Encizo: Cuban survivor of the Bay of Pigs and Castro's re-education prisons
• Keio Ohara: Japanese martial artist and electronics expert
Ohara died in action in #12: The Black Alchemists and was replaced by Calvin James, an American SWAT team member.
After the series finished, the adventures of Phoenix Force were recorded in the Stony Man series. In these adventures, Katz retired, McCarter became new team leader and T. J. Hawkins joined the team.
Behind the Scenes
Gar Wilson is reportedly the pseudonym used by an anti-terrorism expert who served with the Special Operations Group in Vietnam, Delta Unit, and had a seat on the Coordinating Committee on Terrorism with the National Security Council and had worked with the special forces of many countries. The truth is that Gar Wilson is a house name used by William Fieldhouse, Michael Linaker, Robert Hoskins, Dan Marlowe, Thomas P. Ramirez, Sgt. Rex Swanson, Paul Glen Neuman, and Dan Streib.
Streib, born in 1928, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War (1950-53) and died in 1996 of a heart attack. An extensive traveler for both work and pleasure, San Diego-based Streib used the locales he visited in his works, which include the Hawk and Counter Force series under his own name, romances under the names of Louise Grandville and Lee Davis Whilioughby, and westerns under the names Jonathan Schofield and J. Faragut Jones.
William Fieldhouse has written a number of books in the Executioner franchise including Phoenix Force and Stony Man. Under his own name, Fieldhouse has written several westerns, including Klaw and Gun Lust. As Chuck Bainbridge, he wrote several books for the Hard Corps series.
The Books
All books were published by Gold Eagle Books:
(Books 1-3 attributed to Don Pendleton and Gar Wilson; all other books attributed to Gar Wilson alone.)
1. Argentine Deadline, 188 pages, 1982 (Robert Hoskins)
2. Guerrilla Games, 186 pages, 1982 (Dan Marlowe)
3. Atlantic Scramble, 184 pages, 1982 (Thomas Ramerez)
4. Tigers of Justice, 188 pages, 1983 (William Fieldhouse)
5. The Fury Bombs, 188 pages, 1983 (Robert Hoskins)
6. White Hell, 188 pages, 1983 (Ramerez)
7- Dragons Kill, 189 pages, 1983 (Fieldhouse)
8. Aswan Hellbox, 186 pages, 1983 (Ramerez & Sgt. Rex Swenson)
9. Ultimate Terror, 188 pages, 1984 (Fieldhouse)
10. Korean Killground, 184 pages, 1984 (Ramerez)
11. Return to Armageddon, 184 pages, 1984 (Fieldhouse)
12. The Black Alchemists, 186 pages, 1984 (Fieldhouse)
13. Harvest Hell, 185 pages, 1984 (Fieldhouse)
14. Phoenix in Flames, 185 pages, 1984 (Fieldhouse)
15. The Viper Factor, 186 pages, 1985 (Fieldhouse)
16. No Rules, No Referee, 186 pages, 1985 (Fieldhouse)
17. Welcome to the Feast, 187 pages, 1985 (Fieldhouse)
18. Night of the Thugee, 188 pages, 1985 (Fieldhouse)
19. Sea of Savages, 187 pages, 1985 (Neuman & Fieldhouse)
20. Tooth and Claw, 188 pages, 1985 (Fieldhouse)
21. The Twisted Cross, 187 pages, 1986 (Paul Glen Neuman & Fieldhouse)
22. Time Bomb, 187 pages, 1986 (Fieldhouse)
23. Chip Off the Bloc, 187 pages, 1986 (Neuman)
24. The Doomsday Syndrome, 218 pages, 1986 (Fieldhouse)
25- Down Under Thunder, 218 pages, 1986 (Neuman)
26. Hostaged Vatican, 219 pages, 1986 (Fieldhouse)
27. Weep, Moscow, Weep, 221 pages, 1987 (Fieldhouse)
28. Slow Death, 218 pages, 1987 (Neuman)
29. The Nightmare Merchants, 221 pages, 1987 (Fieldhouse)
30. The Bonn Blitz, 221 pages, 1987 (Neuman)
31. Terror in the Dark, 221 pages, 1987 (Fieldhouse)
32. Fair Game, 220 pages, 1987 (Neuman)
33. Ninja Blood, 221 pages, 1987 (Fieldhouse)
34. Power Gambit, 219 pages, 1988 (Fieldhouse)
35. Kingston Carnage, 219 pages, 1988 (Fieldhouse)
36. Belgrade Deception, 221 pages, 1988 (Fieldhouse)
37. Show of Force, 219 pages, 1988 (Dan Streib)
38. Missile Menace, 221 pages, 1988 (Mike Linaker)
39. Jungle Sweep, 220 pages, 1989 (Fieldhouse)
40. Rim of Fire, 219 pages, 1989 (Streib)
41. Amazon Strike, 221 pages, 1989 (Linaker)
42. China Command, 219 pages, 1989 (Fieldhouse)
43. Gulf of Fire, 221 pages, 1989 (Fieldhouse)
44. Main Offensive, 219 pages, 1989 (Fieldhouse)
45. African Burn, 220 pages, 1990 (Fieldhouse)
46. Iron Claymore, 221 pages, 1990 (Fieldhouse)
47. Terror in Guyana, 221 pages, 1990 (Fieldhouse)
48. Barracuda Run, 220 pages, 1990 (Linaker)
49. Salvador Assault, 219 pages, 1990 (Fieldhouse)
50. Extreme Prejudice, 219 pages, 1990 (Linaker)
51. Savage World, 219 pages, 1991 (Fieldhouse)
Gold Eagle also used their longer format with Super Phoenix Force:
1. Fire Storm, 348 pages, 1988 (Fieldhouse)
2. Search and Destroy, 347 pages, 1989 (Linaker)
3. Cold Dead, 349 pages, 1990 (Fieldhouse)
4. Wall of Flame, 346 pages, 1991 (Fieldhouse)
And Phoenix Force featured in the Heroes Anthology series:
1. Heroes I, 588 pages, 1992 (contains Survival Run by Gar Wilson [Michael Linaker])
2. Heroes II, 586 pages, 1992 (contains Hell Quest by Gar Wilson [William Fieldhouse] and Dirty Mission by Gar Wilson [Linaker])
3. Heroes III, 445 pages, 1992 (Contains Terror in Warsaw by Gar Wilson [Fieldhouse]) Members of Phoenix Force have also appeared in various Executioner, Super Bolan (see Executioner) and Able Team novels as well as appearing in the Stony Man series.
Prince Zarkon
Five books by Lin Carter
Prince Zarkon was sent back from the far future to prevent the events that led to his future. Zarkon was the last of a line of experimental supermen. His physique was so symmetrical that many failed to notice how well built he was. Zarkon generally dressed completely in gray, which matched his gray hair and reminded many of ancient Roman statues.
On his arrival in the 1970s, Zarkon, dubbed the Lord of the Unknown, formed the crime-fighting organization Omega. He recruited five men, all at the end of their tether ready to die, or descend into drugs, alcohol or crime. The Omega team consisted of:
• Theophilus "Doc" Jenkins: memory master with a completely photographic memory
• Aloysius Murphy "Scorchy" Muldoon: red-headed Irish ex-boxer with a thirst for adventure.
• Nick Naldini: former Vaudeville magician and escape artist who worked with Houdini
• Mendel Lowell "Menlo" Parker: famous scientist and inventor
• "Ace" Harrigan: expert pilot, the son of famed World War II pilot "Hop" Harrigan
Together, the Prince Zarkon and his Omega crew tackle villains that hark back to the pulp era with names like the Grim Reaper and Lucifer, with weapons that kill instantly. The pulp-era connection is even stronger as Zarkon is a member of the Cobalt Club and frequently interacts with pulp characters and locations from Doc Savage, the Shadow, Batman, the Avenger, the Saint and other pulp series.
Behind the Scenes
Linwood Carter (1930-1988) was a fantasy editor for Ballentine Books and was responsible for bringing writers such as Robert E. Howard, H. P Lovecraft and J. R. R. Tolkein back into print. A prolific author, he wrote new adventures of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian as well as the Edgar Rice Burroughs-inspired Callisto and Zanthodon series. The Zarkon series was inspired by the Doc Savage and Avenger pulp series.
The Books
All books were published by Doubleday:
1. Nemesis of Evil, 172 pages, 1975
2. Invisible Death, 173 pages, 1975
3. Volcano Ogre, 177 pages, 1976<
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4. Earth-shaker, 175 pages, 1982
5. Horror Wears Blue, 174 pages, 1987
The Protector (Alex Dartanian)
Six books by Rich Rainey
Alex Dartanian is the owner and operator of Dartanian Security Service (DSS), which is a nationwide security outfit based out of Manhattan. The DSS works with and liaises with the CIA, DIA, FBI, DEA, and the various other American agencies. The DSS is just a cover for Dartanians true work as the Protector. The inner workings of DSS are actually known as ICE (Inner Court Executions). Dartanian believed that America was in danger of descending into total lawlessness and the missions that ICE undertook, called ICE storms, were to rekindle the nation's conscience and take America away from the brink of anarchy and back to civilization.
ICE is run by Dartanian along with Mick Porter, a former Special Forces operative, and Sim Simara, a Japanese martial arts instructor who came up through the ranks of Japanese secret societies. These three form the ICE core and take other operatives as needed to take down the various criminal elements. They encounter including cults, assassins, body snatchers (for illegal organ transplants), and pornographers.
Behind the Scenes
Rich Rainey, under his full name Richard Rainey, has written several nonfiction works on the occult and the horror genre. Rainey has also produced several books in the Executioner franchise; he contributed to the SOB (Soldiers of Barrabas) series as Jack Hild and the final book in the post-apocalyptic Warlord series as Jason Frost.
The Books
All books were published by Pinnacle Books:
1. Venus Underground, 198 pages, 1982
2. Porn Tapes, 155 pages, 1982
3. Hit Parade, 202 pages, 1983
4. Cult. 45, 186 pages, 1984
5. Nightmare Network, 186 pages, 1984
6. Dragon Slaying, 181 pages, 1985
Pulsar International (Tim Kyle)
Two books by Robin Moore and Al Dempsey
Tim Kyle is the founder and owner of Pulsar International, an international security company, with clients including governments, multinational companies and various intelligence agencies. Kyle is a hands-on leader and frequently becomes embroiled in the problems that Pulsar encounters. With his computer-like brain, the forty-two-year-old Kyle is able to quickly and accurately assess any situation, but Kyle is not just a brain, he is capable of rapid violent action when his analysis calls for it. Through his clients and contacts, Kyle is able to go anywhere and get in anywhere. Such is Pulsar's clout that Kyle has diplomatic status. Kyle also has access to various weapons, such as the Beretta Gatling-type 12-shot shotgun. Kyle tackles crimes such as kidnapping, gold smuggling, thefts, stock swindles and impersonations.
Behind the Scenes
Robin Moore is the pen name of Robert L. Moore, Jr., born 1925. Moore served in the US Army Air Force from 1944 to 1946. Moore also served as a civilian and trained with the Green Berets in Vietnam. His experiences formed the basis of the novel The Green Berets, which was filmed starring John Wayne. Moore also wrote The French Connection, the film version starring Gene Hackman.
Moore also frequently collaborated with other writers. His most frequent collaborator is Al Dempsey. Aside from the Pulsar series, the pair also wrote The Red Falcons and Phase of Darkness. Alone, Dempsey also wrote several western novels.
The Books
Both books were published by Pinnacle Books:
1. The London Switch-, 204 pages, 1974 (reprinted as The London Connection 1980)
2. The Italian Connection, 180 pages, 1975
Raker
Two books by Don Scott
Raker — he's never given a first name — was working undercover gathering information on the peace movement for the company (implicitly the CIA), when he received the telegram informing him of the death of his younger brother, Corporal Timothy Raker, in Kua Ling, Vietnam. It was then that Raker was invited to become freelance, unofficially working for the company as their troubleshooter. His first mission was no longer to monitor the peace movement but to take action. From then on, Raker tackled the problems the company declared too tough for conventional channels.
As far as Raker's superiors are aware, he works alone, but Raker has built up several agents such as Flame Wiley, a female agent, and Lawson Phipps, a Harvard-educated African American, both of whom have abilities and talents that Raker doesn't possess and can go places he can't.
Based out of New York, Raker tackles problems across America. Raker doesn't kill indiscriminately, only when necessary, but he has killed many times and doesn't keep track.
In his first recorded adventure, he tackles the Black Liberation Army (BLA) and its cop-killing spree across America. Then in his second adventure, he tackles smuggling across the Mexican border.
Behind the Scenes
Don Scott is the author of sleaze or erotic novels such as Naughty Neighborhood, Suck Loving Schoolgirl, Hot Mouth Librarian and Loving the Neighbors.
The Books
Both books were published by Pinnacle Books:
1. Raker, 185 pages, 1982
2. Tijuana Traffic, 197 pages, 1982
Raptor Force
Three books by Bill Yenne
The United States has become signatory to a United Nations treaty which allows only the world body the authority for any nation to operate militarily outside its own borders, issuing International Validation certificates. Hailed as a measure that will ensure peace, it is quickly discovered that terrorist organizations were not bound by this treaty and could act with impunity. In the wake of a terrorist attack reminiscent of the September 11 attacks, with terrorists flying a plane into the Nothal Corp tower, the tallest building in Denver, information was obtained that the terrorist training camp was located across the Mexican border. While the United Nations expressed public sympathy for the attacks, it refused to allow American troops to retaliate against terrorists.
In frustration, President Thomas Livingstone contacted an old friend, Ret. General Buckley Peighton, and asked him to form a rapid response team modeled on the American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers from World War II. The Flying Tigers were retired American military aviators who, as civilians, were able to fight the Japanese in China, not bound by the neutrality of the American government. Livingstone's new American Volunteer Group operated in a similar fashion. Comprised of retired American servicemen, this group could act against terrorist threats without needing international validation.
General Peighton recruited a seven-man Special Forces team. The team had last seen duty in 1997, during an aborted mission code-named Operation Raptor. Taking the name Raptor Force, this unit consisted of
• Dave Brannon: team leader
• Jack Rodgers: second-in-command and interrogation expert
• Brad Townsend: communications expert
• Jason Houn: Arabic-American soldier, translator and covert infiltrator
• Ray Couper : explosives expert
• Will Casey: master sniper
• Greg Boyinson: expert chopper pilot, considered the best in Special Operations Command
While on their first mission, the team rescues Professor Anne McCaine, an archaeologist whose husband died in the Nothal Corp terrorist attack. The professor becomes an unofficial member of the team. She is able to track the relics that the terrorists had been selling to the buyers and, in later missions, her academic credentials give the team the cover identity of a dig team, allowing them access to the leader of a terrorist plot.
Behind the Scenes
Bill Yenne is the author of numerous nonfiction works on military history as well as The Legend of Zorro (1991) which examines the history of Zorro in print, film and television.
The Books
All books were published by Berkeley Books:
1. Raptor Force, 297 pages, 2006
2. Holy Fire, 296 pages, 2007
3. Corkscrew, 304 pages, 2007
Reefe King
Two books by A
lbert Barker
Jimmie Sainsbury, the son of a doctor, attended Chicago University intending to study chemistry and go on to a long career in that field. As a hobby, he joined an acting group and while he possessed limited acting skills, he had the "look." He was been spot-ted by an agent named Manny who offered him a career in the movies. Changing his name to Reefe King, Sainsbury made a career in film and on television as an action movie star. Naturally athletic, King had experience with guns, women and fighting. He also knew some karate and often performed his own stunts. His style of acting with barely moving lips and a self-effacing grin proved very popular.
One summer, while visiting his Uncle Neal in Paris, King was asked to keep an eye on the Cannes film festival. Neal was a high-ranking member of Interpol and needed a man who could go places a regular agent couldn't go. Thinking it would be a fun lark, King agreed. At Cannes, strange things did happen, with a young actress known as "cinema's virgin" suddenly performing a strip tease on a crowded beach and a western actor appearing in drag and attempting to seduce a male police officer. King investigates and brings down a drug trail that runs from Cannes to East Berlin. King is next called to action when the CIA discovers an affair between an Apollo astronaut and a reporter. Not only are the Soviets interested in embarrassing the American space program, but the reporter is pregnant and the child might be infected with a space virus that could destroy the world.
Serial Vigilantes of Paperback Fiction. An Encyclopedia from Able Team to Z-Comm Page 20
