Nick Carter-Killmaster
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Nick Carter-Killmaster is a series of spy adventures published from 1964 until 1990, first by Award Books, then by Ace Books, and finally by Jove Books. At least 261 novels were published. The character is an update of a pulp fiction private detective named Nick Carter, first published in 1886.
No actual author is credited for the books, with the Nick Carter name being used as a house pseudonym. Volumes varied between first-person and third-person narratives. Authors known to have contributed entries in the series are Michael Avallone, Valerie Moolman, Manning Lee Stokes, Dennis Lynds, Gayle Lynds, Robert J. Randisi, David Hagberg, and Martin Cruz Smith.[1] The name Nick Carter was acknowledged by the series as having been inspired by the early 20th century pulp fiction detective of the same name in the 100th Killmaster volume (labelled Nick Carter 100) which included an essay on the earlier Nick Carter and included a Nick Carter detective short story alongside a Killmaster adventure.
The title character of the series serves as Agent N3 of AXE, a fictional spy agency for the United States government. The novels are similar to the literary James Bond novels—low on gadgets, high on action. Sexual encounters in particular are described in detail.
The character[]
The definitive description of Nicholas J. Huntington Carter is given in the first novel in the series, Run, Spy, Run. Carter is tall (over 6 feet (1.8 m)), lean and handsome with a classic profile and magnificently muscled body. He has wide-set steel gray eyes that are icy, cruel and dangerous. He is hard-faced, with a firm straight mouth, laugh-lines around the eyes, and a firm cleft chin. His hair is thick and dark. He has a small tattoo of a blue axe on the inside right lower arm near the elbow—the ultimate ID for an AXE agent. At least one novel states that the tattoo glows in the dark. Carter also has a knife scar on the shoulder, a shrapnel scar on the right thigh. He has a sixth sense for danger.
Carter served as a soldier in World War II, then with the OSS, before he joined his current employer AXE.[2]
Carter practices yoga for at least 15 minutes a day. Carter has a prodigious ability for learning foreign languages. He is fluent in English (his native tongue), Cantonese,[3] French,[4] German,[4][5] Greek,[6] Hungarian,[7] Italian,[4] Portuguese,[8] Putonghua (Mandarin),[9] Russian,[9][10] Sanskrit,[11] Spanish[12] and Vietnamese.[13][14] He has basic skills in Arabic,[15] Hindi,[16] Japanese, Korean,[11] Romansch,[4] Swahili,[15] and Turkish.[17] In the early novels, Carter often assumes a number of elaborate disguises in order to execute his missions.
Weapons and paraphernalia[]
Nick Carter uses three main weapons during the course of the series, all of which are named, and have histories. The gun, Wilhelmina, is a stripped-down German Luger. In the earliest stories, Carter got the gun off a German officer during a harrowing mission during World War II. Later stories state that he has had a series of Lugers, all named Wilhelmina. The knife, Hugo, is a pearl-handled 400-year-old stiletto crafted by Benvenuto Cellini. The blade retracts into the handle, and the knife is worn on a special sheath on the wrist, designed to release it into the user's hand with a simple muscle contraction. The third member of the triad is Pierre, a poison gas bomb, which is a small egg-shaped device, usually carried in a pocket but sometimes as a "third testicle" at his scrotum. Activated with a simple twist, it would, within seconds, kill anyone or anything that breathed its odorless and colorless gas.
Carter often takes with him other weapons as the mission demands. These have included:
- Cousin of Pierre: a smaller version of Pierre the poison gas bomb that can be concealed even more easily—described in The China Doll;
- Fang: a poison-tipped needle worn on a concealed index finger cap described in Saigon;
- Pepito: a non-lethal stun grenade used in Checkmate in Rio.
- Tiny Tim: a nuclear grenade "containing half a grain of sand of fissionable matter" used in Istanbul and The Red Guard
- 10,000-watt laser pistol used in Hanoi
- Cigarette lighter that fires drugged darts used in Hanoi
- Exploding cigars used in Hanoi
Carter has used a variety of equipment in the novels, most of which have nicknames. These have included:
- Antonio Moreno: a lifelike facemask made of a latex substance called Lastotex (apparently named after Antonio Moreno, the 1920s silent movie star);
- Gladstone: a rhino hide suitcase with multiple concealed compartments;
- Oscar Johnson: a small radio transmitter (unclear if it is named after Oscar Johnson, a baseball player active in the 1920s and 1930s, or Oscar G. Johnson, the World War II Medal of Honor recipient);
- Quantity K: a powerful acid strong enough to destroy evidence/documents;
- Laser torch: for burning through door locks used in The Weapon of Night;
- Singing Sam: a radio receiver concealed in electric razor/electric toothbrush used in Istanbul;
- Wristwatch with UHF transmitter used in Hanoi;
- Triple X tablet: a universal poison antidote and pep pill used in Hanoi;
- Talkalot: a scopolamine-like truth drug used in Danger Key;
- Unnamed injectable knockout drug requiring subsequent injection of antidote to regain consciousness used in The Weapon of Night;
- Store: an injectable drug that induces a week-long state of suspended animation used in Peking & The Tulip Affair
AXE[]
The agency Carter works for is described as being smaller and far more secret than the CIA, mostly concerned with assassinations. In the first novel of the series, Run, Spy, Run, AXE is described as "the trouble-shooting arm of the US secret services". AXE headquarters are located in the 6th floor offices of a building in DuPont Circle, Washington, DC under the cover of the Amalgamated Press and Wire Service. AXE is purported to contain several different departments with specific functions including Editing (later called "Special Effects and Editing")—headed by Geoffrey Poindexter—which, among other things, creates false biographies for agents and provides appropriate props (e.g. fake latex fingerprints); Documents—whose role is to plant stories in the media to support specific activities and create false identification and travel documents; Records—which provides background information on suspects; and Operations—which provides logistic support for specific missions. AXE has a branch office near Columbus Circle, New York City and affiliate offices in countries around the world.
Agents are given code designations; Carter's N3, which has at least once been stated as standing for Number three, identifies him as one of the elite Killmasters. It has been stated in some novels that there are four Killmasters in AXE, with Carter the most senior.[11] The meaning of the code N3 is described differently in different novels—sometimes it is Carter's personal designation, other times it is considered a rank, with N1 being the highest, while in other novels we are told that Carter is the third Killmaster to have worked for AXE, with both his predecessors having been killed in action.
- David Hawk, described in early novels as looking a lot like Uncle Sam, is the head of AXE and Carter's personal boss.
- Della Stokes, Hawk's personal secretary, is a character similar to Bond's Miss Moneypenny—flirtatious but serious.
- Ginger Bateman is Hawk's personal secretary in later novels.
- Geoffrey Poindexter, AXE's equivalent to Q, runs the Special Effects and Editing department; in charge of weapons, gadgets, disguises, and papers.
AXE agents[]
In the first novel in the series (Run, Spy, Run), AXE is described as comprising 24 agents. They are identified by alpha-numeric code. The following agents/codes have been described:
code | name | book | date |
---|---|---|---|
A2 | unnamed | Hanoi | 1966 |
A4 | unnamed | Fraulein Spy | 1964 October |
A7 | Alec Greenberg; based in AXE's London office | The Weapon of Night | 1967 |
A12 | using pseudonym "Alfred" | Fraulein Spy | 1964 October |
A24 | unnamed | Run, Spy, Run | 1964 February |
B5 | unnamed | Hanoi | 1966 |
B12 | unnamed, but nicknamed "Vitamin" | Fraulein Spy | 1964 October |
C4 | unnamed | Fraulein Spy | 1964 October |
D5 | Dan Eiger | based in Iraq, killed in The Weapon of Night | 1967 |
E14 | Red Turner | A Bullet for Fidel | 1965 March |
H19 | Hakim Sadek, Egyptian policeman and academic | The Weapon of Night | 1967 |
K7 | unnamed | Run, Spy, Run | 1964 February |
J2 | unnamed; briefs Carter on his trip to Japan | The China Doll | 1964 April |
J20 | Jean Paul Turnier | The Terrible Ones | 1966 May |
L32 | Hank Peterson | Operation Moon Rocket | 1968 |
N1 | unnamed | stated killed in The Red Guard | 1967 |
N1 | unnamed | stated killed in Temple of Fear | 1968 |
N1 | Stuart Hample | The Peking Dossier | 1975 |
N1 | David Hawk | in Trouble in Paradise | 1978 |
N1 | Theodore Salonikos | dies in Hide And Go Die | 1983 |
N2 | unnamed | stated killed in The Red Guard | 1967 |
N2 | unnamed | stated killed in Temple of Fear | 1968 |
N3 | Nick Carter | ||
N4 | unnamed | stated killed in Temple of Fear | 1968 |
N5 | unnamed; an inexperienced agent | Temple of Fear | 1968 |
N5 | McLaughlin | Dr. Death | 1975 |
N6 | Joe Banks | stated dead in Six Bloody Summer Days | 1975 |
N6 or N7 | Tom Boxer | Macao | 1969 |
N7 | Clay Vincent | Agent Counter-Agent | 1973 |
N7 | unnamed | stated dead in Hide And Go Die | 1983 |
N12 | John Sparks | Under the Wall | 1978 |
N12 | unnamed | stated dead in Hide And Go Die | 1983 |
N17 | Dennis Gordon | dies in The Golden Bull | 1981 |
N17 | Bill Qualley | Hide And Go Die | 1983 |
N30 | Kiki Pederson | dies in Trouble in Paradise | 1978 |
N86 | Sean Singer | recruited in Hide And Go Die | 1983 |
N92 | Penelope Taylor | knife trained by N86 in Ruby Red Death | 1990 |
P3 | David Trainor | murdered in A Bullet for Fidel | 1965 March |
P4 | unnamed, described as a mole in the Kremlin | Safari for Spies | 1964 August |
P21 | Martha Ryerson | Rhodesia | 1968 |
Q7 | Ellie Harmon | Hanoi | 1966 |
Z4 | Zeke, works in the AXE Psycho Lab | Hanoi | 1966 |
Novels[]
N.B.: The listing here is in series order (not necessarily by publication date, which is given)
- Run, Spy, Run (Feb. 1964) A101F by Michael Avallone/
- The China Doll (April 1964) A105F by Michael Avallone/
- Checkmate in Rio (May 1964) A110F by Valerie Moolman
- Safari for Spies (Aug. 1964) A114F by
- Fraulein Spy (Oct. 1964) A118F by
- Saigon (Dec. 1964) A122F by Michael Avallone/
- (March 1965) A130F by
- The 13th Spy (May 1965) A139F by
- The Eyes of the Tiger (Sept. 1965) A152F by Manning Lee Stokes
- Istanbul (Oct. 1965) A157F by Manning Lee Stokes
- Web of Spies (Jan. 1966) A163F by Manning Lee Stokes
- Spy Castle (Jan. 1966) A166F by Manning Lee Stokes
- The Terrible Ones (May 1966) A172F by
- Dragon Flame (May 1966) A173F by Manning Lee Stokes
- Hanoi (1966) A182F by
- Danger Key (1966) A183F by
- Operation Starvation (1966) A197F by
- The Mind Poisoners (1966) A198F by Lionel White/
- The Weapon of Night (1967) A215F by
- The Golden Serpent (1967) A216F by Manning Lee Stokes
- Mission to Venice (1967) A228X by Manning Lee Stokes
- Double Identity (1967) A229X by Manning Lee Stokes
- The Devil's Cockpit (1967) A238X by Manning Lee Stokes
- The Chinese Paymaster (1967) A239X by Nicholas Browne
- Seven Against Greece (Sept 1967) A247X by Nicholas Browne
- A Korean Tiger (1967) A248X by Manning Lee Stokes
- Assignment: Israel (1967) A260X by Manning Lee Stokes
- The Red Guard (1967) A261X by Manning Lee Stokes
- The Filthy Five (Nov 1967) A276X by Manning Lee Stokes
- The Bright Blue Death (1967) A277X by Nicholas Browne
- Macao (1968) A294X by Manning Lee Stokes
- Operation Moon Rocket (1968) A295X by
- (April 1968) A325X by
- Hood of Death (1968) A326X by
- (1968) A366X by
- Temple Of Fear (Oct 1968) A367X by Manning Lee Stokes
- (Nov 1968) A376X by
- (1969) A405X by
- (1969) A406X by
- Rhodesia (1968) A409X by
- (1969) A423X by Manning Lee Stokes
- Peking & The Tulip Affair (1969) A424X by
- (1969) A441X by
- (1969) A442X by
- (1969) A455X by
- (July 1969) A456X by
- (1969) A495X by Manning Lee Stokes
- The Living Death (Sept. 1969) A496X by
- (1969) A509X by
- (Nov. 1969) A520X by
- Operation Snake (Dec. 1969) A559X by
- (1969) A560X by
- (Feb. 1970) A583X by
- (1970) A584X by
- The Executioners (April 1970) A598X by
- (March 1970) A631X by Manning Lee Stokes
- (1970) A655X by
- (June 1970) A656X by
- (1970) A686X by
- The Death Strain (Aug. 1970) A703S by
- (1970) A710S by
- (1970) A744S by
- (March 1971) A787S by
- (1971) A847S by
- (Aug. 1972) AN1001 by
- (Sept. 1972) AN1016 by Martin Cruz Smith
- Assault on England (Oct. 1972) AN1030 by
- (Nov. 1972) AN1033 by
- (Jan. 1973) AN1055 by Martin Cruz Smith
- (1972) AN1056 by
- (Feb. 1973) AN1075 By
- (April 1973) AN1079 by
- (April 1973) AN1109 by / Larry Powell
- Assassination Brigade (April 1973) AN1121 by Thomas Chastain
- (1973) AN1127 by
- (1973) AN1133 by Martin Cruz Smith
- The Code (1973) AN1146 by Larry Powell
- Agent Counter-Agent (July 1973) AN1147 by
- (Aug. 1973) AN1157 by
- (1973) AN1160 by Al Hine
- (Sept. 1973) AN1165 by
- (Sept. 1973) AN1166 by
- (1973) AN1178 by
- (Dec. 1973) AN1217 by
- (1974) AN1227 by
- (Jan. 1974) AN1239 by
- (March 1974) AN1251 by Al Hine
- (1974) AN1263 by /
- (1974) AN1270 by
- (1974) AN1297 by
- (Aug. 1974) AQ1332 by Dennis Lynds
- (1974) AQ1333 by
- (1974) AQ1354 by
- (1974) AQ1356 by
- (1975)AQ1400 by
- (1975) AY1424 by Craig Nova
- (1975) AQ1439 by Douglas Marland
- (1975) AQ1449 by
- (1975) AQ1460 by
- (1975)AQ1479 by
- (1975) AQ1486 by
- (1976) AQ1512 by
- (1976) AQ1546 by Dennis Lynds
- (1976) AQ1559 by /
- (1976) AQ1556 by
- (1976) AQ1575 by
- (1976) AQ1576 by
- (1976) AQ1581 by Leon Lazarus
- (1976) AQ1590 by David Hagberg
- (1976) AQ1600 by
- (1976) AQ1609 by
- (1976) AQ1623 by Craig Nova
- (1976) AQ1636 by Dennis Lynds
- (1976) AQ1647 by
- (Jan. 1977) AQ1655 by
- (June 1978) (AQ1664 Feb 1977 Cancelled) by
- (July 1978) (AQ1673 March 1977 cancelled) by
- (Aug. 1978) AQ1683 (April 1977 cancelled) by
- (Sept. 1978) (AQ1695 May 1977 cancelled) by
- (Oct. 1978) by David Hagberg
- (Nov. 1978) by
- (Dec. 1978) by /
- (Jan. 1979) by George Warren
- (Feb. 1979) by
- (March 1979) By
- (April 1979) by
- The Jamaican Exchange (May 1979) by Leon Lazarus
- (June 1979) by
- (July 1979) by
- (Sept. 1979) by
- (Oct. 1979) by
- (Nov. 1979) by
- (Dec. 1979) by
- (Jan 1980) by
- (April 1980) by
- (May 1980) by
- (June 1980) by
- (July 1980) by
- (Aug. 1980) by Robert E. Vardeman
- (Sept. 1980) by
- (Oct. 1980) by
- (Nov. 1980) by
- (Dec. 1980) by Jerry Ahern
- (Feb. 1981) by Bill Crider/Jack Davis
- (March 1981) by
- (April 1981) by
- (May 1981) by David Hagberg
- (June 1981) by
- (July 1981) by /
- (Aug. 1981) by Robert E. Vardeman
- (Sept. 1981) by David Hagberg
- (Oct. 1981) by Robert J Randisi
- (Nov. 1981) by Mike Jahn
- (Dec. 1981) by
- (Jan. 1982) by Robert J Randisi
- (Feb. 1982) by
- (March 1982) by David Hagberg
- (March 1982) by David Hagberg
- (March 1982) by David Hagberg
- (March 1982) by Robert E. Vardeman
- (March 1982) by
- (March 1982) by Jerry Ahern
- (March 1982) by
- (April 1982) by Robert E. Vardeman
- (May 1982) by David Hagberg
- (June 1982) by David Hagberg
- (July 1982) by David Hagberg
- (Aug. 1982) by David Hagberg
- (Sept. 1982) by Robert J Randisi
- (Oct. 1982) by
- (Nov. 1982) by Robert E. Vardeman
- (Jan. 1983) by
- (Feb. 1983) by Robert J Randisi
- (March 1983) by Robert E. Vardeman
- (April 1983) by
- (May 1983) by Robert E. Vardeman
- (June 1983) by
- (July 1983) by Robert E. Vardeman
- (Aug. 1983) by
- (Sept. 1983) by David Hagberg
- (Oct. 1983) by Robert J Randisi
- (Nov. 1983) by David Hagberg
- (Dec. 1983) by
- (Jan. 1984) by Robert J Randisi
- (Feb. 1984) by
- (March 1984) by David Hagberg
- (April 1984) by
- (May 1984) by David Hagberg
- (June 1984) by
- (July 1984) by Gayle Lynds
- (August 1984) by
- (Sept. 1984) by David Hagberg
- (Oct. 1984)
- (Nov. 1984) by Gayle Lynds
- (Dec. 1984) by
- Circle of Scorpions (Jan. 1985) by
- (Feb. 1985) by
- (March 1985) by
- (April 1985) by Gayle Lynds
- (May 1985) by David Hagberg
- (June 1985) by
- (July 1985) by
- (Aug. 1985) by Gayle Lynds
- (Sept. 1985) by
- (Oct. 1985) by
- (Nov. 1985) by Dennis Lynds
- (Dec. 1985) by
- (Jan. 1986) by
- (Jan. 1986) by David Hagberg
- (Feb. 1986) by
- (March 1986) by Dennis Lynds
- (April 1986) by
- (May 1986) by Dennis Lynds
- (June 1986) by
- The Samurai Kill (July 1986) by Dennis Lynds
- (Aug. 1986) by
- (Sept. 1986) by David Hagberg
- (Oct. 1986) by
- (Nov. 1986) by Dennis Lynds
- (Dec. 1986) by David Hagberg
- (Jan. 1987) by
- (Feb. 1987) By Dennis Lynds
- (March 1987) by
- (April 1987) by
- (May 1987) by
- (June 1987) by
- (July 1987) by David Hagberg
- (Aug. 1987) by
- (Sept. 1987) by
- (Oct. 1987) by
- (Nov. 1987) by Gardner F. Fox
- (Dec. 1987) by
- (Jan. 1988) by
- (Feb. 1988) by David Hagberg
- (March 1988) by
- (April 1988) by
- (May 1988) by David Hagberg
- (June 1988) by David Hagberg
- (July 1988) by
- The Rangoon Man (Aug. 1988) by
- (Sept. 1988) by
- (Oct. 1988) by
- (Nov. 1988) by
- (Dec. 1988) by
- (Jan. 1989) by
- (Feb. 1989) by David Hagberg
- (March 1989) by
- (April 1989)
- (May 1989) by
- (June 1989) by
- (July 1989) by
- (Aug. 1989) by
- (Sept. 1989) by
- (Oct. 1989) by
- (Nov. 1989) by
- (Dec. 1989) by
- (Jan. 1990) by
- (Feb. 1990) by
- (March 1990) by
- (April 1990) by
- (May 1990) by
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Authors and Creators: Michael Avallone". Thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ^ Mengel, Bradley (2009). Serial vigilantes of paperback fiction : an encyclopedia from Able Team to Z-Comm. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. pp. 97 - 106. ISBN 978-0-7864-5475-4. OCLC 49696092.
- ^ Dragon Flame
- ^ a b c d The Eyes of the Tiger
- ^ Fraulein Spy
- ^ Seven Against Greece
- ^ The Devil's Cockpit
- ^ Checkmate in Rio
- ^ a b The China Doll
- ^ The 13th Spy
- ^ a b c A Korean Tiger
- ^ A Bullet for Fidel
- ^ Saigon
- ^ Saigon
- ^ a b Safari for Spies
- ^ Double Identity
- ^ Istanbul
External links[]
- "Nick Carter bibliography". FantasticFiction. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
- Literary characters introduced in 1964
- Characters in American novels of the 20th century
- Fictional secret agents and spies
- Fictional murderers
- Nick Carter (literary character)