EXTRACTS: The Modesty Blaise Companion Expanded Edition © 2018 The Book Palace (425 PAGES in Full edition)

T H E M O D E S T Y B L A I S E C O M P A N I O N I I VIKTOR STORY 84: “HONEYGUN”: STRIP 8954 A member of Honeygun’s back up team put together for the assassination of an Israeli diplomat. Older brother of Boris, also on the team, who is shot during the escape. To try to save his brothers life he kidnaps Giles Pennyfeather and takes him to the the gangs desert hideout. The flower in his buttonhole gives Willie the clue that allows him and Modesty to set about rescuing Giles. Faints at the sight of his brothers blood when Giles operates to remove a bullet and when Modesty and Willie turn up Honeygun kills him for leading them to her. Due to Giles his brother survives, but will very probably be executed for murder later. VINEZZI, Marco The Italian equivalent of Sir Gerald Tarrant and an old friend of Modesty and Willie. Created for “The Puppet Master” in 1971 he is one more piece of the character infrastructure, making occasional contributions to the action in both strips and novels. STORY 23: “THE PUPPET MASTER”: STRIP 2641 Advises Sir Gerald Tarrant that a crashed car has been identified as belonging to Modesty Blaise and she is presumed dead. When Willie gets a lead that takes him to Capri, he accompanies Tarrant and Maude Tiller to the island. He ensures the local police are on hand to take charge of the villains when they have been rounded up by Modesty, Willie and Maude. STORY 51: “THE BALLOONATIC” STRIP 5584 When he receives a message from Willie via Aniela he immediately sets out with his armed emergency squad for Count Orlando Smythe’s villa. It was his agent, Pietro Carli, whose murder Modesty and Guido had witnessed from their balloon. His arrival is perfectly timed to allow him and his men to clear up after Modesty and Willie have done the hard work. Bans Guido Biganzoli from writing his great scoop story for security reasons. STORY 66: “LIVE BAIT” TEXT ONLY STRIP 7061 At short notice he provides Modesty with a stunt car driver, an ambulance and hospital facilities in order to enable Willie to fake an accident in the Piazzale Roma car park in Venice and fool Malik into thinking he is out of action. VOLE, Dr. Olga STORY 47: “GARVIN’S TRAVELS” STRIP 5130 Working with Dr Yago for an Eastern Bloc government she is the co-devisor of Operation Brobdingnag, a mind bending technique which has required the creation of a super sized environment within which to disorientate its victims. It is based in the “University of Health” on the Indian Ocean island of Taupita. When they spot Willie and Maude on the island she and Yago arrange for them to be seized and put through the Brobdingnag experiment. When Willie and Maude wake up they deny having had hallucinations so she puts them to sleep for a second visit. This also fails due to a combination of Willie and Maude breaking out and Modesty arriving to help. When she and Yago realise the operation is destroyed they seek asylum in the U.S.A. rather than face the wrath of their masters. VOYNIKOV STORY 60: “THE DOUBLE AGENT”: STRIP 6415 In charge of the initial physical aspects of “Operation Replica”, the creation and training of Gemini to be the exact double of Modesty Blaise. Having spent almost two years of intensive work to bring her to the standard required by his Controller, the spy master Hakil, he is now rather nervously preparing to present Gemini for inspection and, hopefully, approval. VYNER STORY 55: “THE RETURN OF THE MAMMOTH”: STRIP 5920 One of the team accompanying Zimm on his contract from Captain Novikov to assassinate Colonel Greb. He and Cortz are detailed off to kill Modesty when Zimm spots her on the plane going to Helsinki but their attempt fails. Reports that he thinks Modesty is in Helsinki only by chance and not there to spoil the Greb contract. He is killed with Novikov and Cortz in the attack on the old fort when Chloe the elephant pushes a wall over on top of them. 180 Drawn by Romero Strip 8964 30th May, 1996 Drawn by Neville Colvin Strip 5614A Not published in the Evening Standard Drawn by Romero Strip 2721 18th March, 1972 Drawn by Neville Colvin Strip 6424 30th April, 1986 Drawn by Neville Colvin Strip 5929A Not published in the Evening Standard Drawn by Neville Colvin Strip 5159 16th April, 1981