John Steed
OM | |
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The Avengers character | |
Macnee as John Steed with Linda Thorson as Tara King, 1968 | |
First appearance | "Hot Snow", The Avengers episode 1 |
Last appearance | "Emily", The New Avengers episode 26 The Avengers (1998 film) |
Created by | Sydney Newman (character) Brian Clemens (background details) |
Portrayed by | Patrick Macnee (series) Donald Monat (radio) Simon Oates (play) Ralph Fiennes (film) Julian Wadham (audio) |
In-universe information | |
Gender | Male |
Title | Major |
Occupation | Secret agent |
Nationality | English |
Birth date | c.1925 |
Birth place | London |
Education | Eton College |
Steed is a
Biography
Pre-Avengers
Steed was born John Wickham Gascoyne Beresford Steed sometime between 1922 and 1925 (the actor who played him, Patrick Macnee, was born 1922). A scion of a noble family, Steed attended Eton (like Macnee), where he once got into a fight with the school bully, James Bond, and was eventually expelled (like Macnee).[4] Steed's best friend was Mark Crayford, who later followed him into British Intelligence. However Crayford was always secretly jealous of Steed and later defected to the Soviet Union and attempted to destroy Steed and his legacy.[5]
Steed was a distinguished veteran of World War II, initially serving as a Royal Navy motor torpedo boat commander[6](like Macnee) but at some point transferring to the Coldstream Guards[7] and then to the Intelligence Corps. He spent the early part of his war service posted at RAF Camp 472 Hamelin, which was a jumping-off point for British spies on the continent.[8] He received the Military Cross for single-handedly taking a German machine-gun post. Before leaving the British Army to join "The Ministry" in 1945, Steed achieved the rank of Major and in it is established he served on courts-martial towards the end of the war.[9] He was also imprisoned by the Japanese at some point over the Christmas period.[10]
In the New Avengers episode 'Hostage' he refers to having spent time as a cowboy when he was 21, riding point for the 'Lazy T', on a cattle drive from Arizona to the Black Hills of Dakota.
He maintained a modest
There are few details regarding his family, although he does refer to an Aunt Penelope (who sends him weighty rock cakes by post) in "Dead Man's Treasure", a 13-year-old nephew in "Legacy of Death" and teenage niece.[11]
The Avengers
During the first season Steed's character was a more rough-and-tumble operative than the suave, sophisticated gentleman he became during the Gale and Peel eras. His most common style of dress as Dr. Keel's sidekick was a trenchcoat and suit, though the famous bowler hat and umbrella appeared as early as "The Frighteners", the 15th episode to be aired. Most of the first-season episodes are lost, but Macnee hints in his memoir that the bowler and brolly initially appeared earlier.
He was initially shown answering to several different superiors such as "One-Ten" and "Charles". During most of the Gale-Peel era the source of his orders was left a mystery. For the final season of the original series (the Tara King era) Steed was shown taking his orders from an obese man called "Mother" who used a wheelchair (and once from a blind woman named "Father").
In The New Avengers, Steed was shown working on his own, and it was suggested that he had moved into an administrative role in British intelligence, although that did not stop him from directly participating in missions.
Out of all his partners, he was closest to Mrs Peel; while their interaction was often laced with dry, sardonic wit on both sides, he respected her as an equal, and owed her his life on more than a few occasions. Regarding the question of whether they had a sexual relationship at any time, Macnee thought they went to bed on a very regular basis (just not in view of the camera), Rigg thought they were engaged in a very enjoyable extended flirtation that ultimately went nowhere, and Brian Clemens said he wrote them with the idea they'd had an affair before Emma's first appearance in the series.[13]
Description
One of Steed's trademarks was his impeccable dress, often consisting of a three-piece suit, sometimes in styles that harkened back to the early 20th century, along with a trademark
His bowler and umbrella were in fact his favourite weapons. The umbrella contained a concealed sword, though he seldom actually drew the blade, more frequently using the umbrella itself as a striking and hooking weapon. Other specially-equipped umbrellas included one that featured a sound recorder, one with a tip that could emit knock out gas, one with a camera hidden under the handle for covert photography ("The Cybernauts"), and one that contained measures of whisky. (The swordstick featured in the title sequence was made by venerable English umbrella maker James Smith & Sons.) The bowler had a metal plate concealed in its lining and was very hard, it could stop bullets and knock down opponents. Although he was witty and highly sagacious, he was also a suave and ruthless spy. In combat, he is an excellentReferences
- ^ Smith, David K. (26 March 2002). "John Steed (Biography)". The Avengers Forever. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
- White Tie is the Order of Merit, recognisable by the shape of its rounded cross, its bright colours, and the large words "FOR MERIT" which appear on it.
- ^ bigfinish.com
- ^ Tim Heald, John Steed: An Authorized Biography: Volume I: Jealous in Honour
- ^ ""The New Avengers" Dead Men Are Dangerous (TV Episode 1977) – IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ as established in the episode 'Brief for Murder'
- ^ The Avengers episode The Murder Market has the following dialogue:
Lovejoy:"You were commissioned, of course?"
Steed: "Of course."
Lovejoy: "Which regiment?"
Steed: "Guards, of course."
Lovejoy: "Of course. Ah, which Guards?"
Steed: "The Guards, of course."
Lovejoy: "Of course." - ^ The Avengers episode "The Hour That Never Was" contains numerous details of his time at RAF Hamelin.
- ^ As established in 'Game'
- ^ As established in 'Take Over'
- ^ As referred to in 'Love All'
- ^ Patrick Macnee: The Avenger Returns: Blind in One Ear (1989)
- ^ "The Avengers Forever: Frequently Asked Questions".
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Royal Umbrellas | euromaxx". YouTube.
- ^ "Whangee".