SPECTRE
A politically neutral criminal empire led by Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
SPECTRE is a fictional criminal organisation from Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, films, and video games.[1] It is led by Ernst Stavro Blofeld and operates as an organised crime enterprise.[2]
Quick Facts
- Universe
- James Bond series
- Location
- Paris, 136 Boulevard Haussmann, SPECTRE island, SPECTRE yacht, SPECTRE Bird One launch base, Tangier, Numerous
- Purpose
- Counterintelligence
- terrorism
- revenge
- extortion
- world domination
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Ian Fleming created SPECTRE in 1959 because he believed the Cold War might end before a film adaptation could be made.[3] He wanted a politically neutral enemy for Bond, drawing inspiration from mafia syndicates and organised crime rings of the 1950s.[3] SPECTRE returned in the 2015 film Spectre, set in a separate universe from earlier movies.[4] MGM acquired full copyright to SPECTRE and Blofeld in a 2013 settlement with the McClory estate.[5]
According to the novel Thunderball (1961), SPECTRE's executive is composed of 21 individuals, with 18 of them managing routine operations.[2] Blofeld and two scientific experts, first appearing in the 1961 novel Thunderball, complete the remaining three executive positions.[2] In the 2021 film No Time to Die, SPECTRE continues to function after Blofeld's incarceration and steals a bioweapon that targets DNA.[6][7]
What the cited sources add
The Polygon article notes that after the 2015 film Spectre, Bond has relocated to Jamaica.[7] The same source states that Quantum was revealed as a division of SPECTRE in the rebooted film continuity.[7] The Comic Book Resources interview explains that in the 2016 comic Eidolon, SPECTRE is a mostly defunct World War II organisation.[8][9] The interview confirms that Blofeld is gone and SPECTRE is no longer a threat at that point in Bond's life.[9]
After a Warsaw Pact surge, SPECTRE loyalists remained hidden as sleeper agents, waiting for the organization to be revived.[8][9]
References
- Wikipedia, "SPECTRE" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dockterman, "Here's Why the Next James Bond Movie Is Called Spectre", 2014-12-04 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "SPECTRE" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thunderball, Ian Fleming, Page 63, 1961, London: Johnathon Cape (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "SPECTRE" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ian Fleming, Andrew Lycett, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1995. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "SPECTRE" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Would the world be a better place if James Bond had never existed?", The Economist, 28 October 2015; "Synopsis", EON Productions (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "SPECTRE" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vejvoda, "MGM, Danjaq Settle James Bond Rights Dispute With McClory Estate", IGN, 16 November 2013; "Would the world be a better place if James Bond had never existed?", The Economist, 28 October 2015; "Synopsis", EON Productions (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "SPECTRE" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Patches, "No Time to Die plot details reveal opening sequence, Spectre connections", Polygon, April 7, 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Patches, "No Time to Die plot details reveal opening sequence, Spectre connections", Polygon, April 7, 2020. facts only, no text reused. polygon.com
- Wikipedia, "SPECTRE" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Interview: Warren Ellis renews his license to kill in JAMES BOND: EIDOLON", Comic Book Resources, 28 March 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Interview: Warren Ellis renews his license to kill in JAMES BOND: EIDOLON", Comic Book Resources, 28 March 2016. facts only, no text reused. cbr.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article SPECTRE (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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