SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) is a fictional terrorist organisation featured in the British James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, and the films based on those novels. Led by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the organisation first appeared in the novel Thunderball, and subsequently in a number of James Bond films including the very first, Dr No. The organisation is the fictional spy’s most persistent opponent and most famous antagonist.

Philosophy and goals: The goal of the organisation is extortion and world domination. To achieve this, their basic strategy of the organisation is illustrated by the analogy of the three Siamese fighting fish Blofeld keeps in an aquarium in the film version of From Russia with Love. Blofeld notes that one fish is refraining from fighting two others until their fight is concluded. Then, that cunning fish attacks the weakened victor and kills it easily. Thus SPECTRE’s main strategy is to instigate conflict between two powerful enemies, namely the superpowers, hoping that they will exhaust themselves and be vulnerable when SPECTRE finally moves in to seize power.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld in You Only Live Twice.

In both the film and the novel Thunderball, the physical headquarters of the organisation are laid in Paris, operating behind the front of an international organisation aiding refugees (FIRCO in the novels; International Brotherhood for the Assistance of Stateless Persons in the films).

Organisational discipline is notoriously draconian with the penalty for disobedience or failure being death. Furthermore, to heighten the impact of the executions, Blofeld often chooses to focus attention on an innocent member, making it appear his death is imminent, only to suddenly strike down the actual target when that person is off guard.

Leadership: SPECTRE is headed up by the supervillain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld who usually appears accompanied by a white Persian cat in the films, but not in the books. In both the films and the novels, Emilio Largo is the second in command. It is stated in the novel that if something were to happen to Blofeld, Largo would assume command. Largo appears for the first and final time in Thunderball.

In the novels, the numbers of members are deliberately assigned at random and regularly rotated to prevent detection. At the time of Thunderball, the leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, has been assigned “Number 2”, while Emilio Largo is assigned “Number 1”. In the films the number indicates rank. Blofeld is always referred to as “Number 1” and Emilio Largo, in Thunderball, is “Number 2”.

Appearances in novels: In the original Bond novel series, SPECTRE’s first and last true appearance was also in the book Thunderball. It appears that after James Bond and Felix Leiter smashed SPECTRE’s plot to blackmail NATO with stolen nuclear weapons, SPECTRE was disbanded. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the second chapter of what is known as the “Blofeld Trilogy”, Blofeld appears to be working on his own with only the help of his henchman Irma Bunt. Although there are references to SPECTRE and speculation by Bond that Blofeld was attempting to reform SPECTRE, the organisation as a full entity was never re-established. Blofeld made one final appearance in Fleming’s You Only Live Twice.

Later, the John Gardner Bond novel, For Special Services introduced a revived SPECTRE led by Blofeld’s daughter, Nena Bismaquer. Although Bond ultimately prevents SPECTRE from reforming, it continued to play a part under the leadership of Tamil Rahani in Role of Honour and Nobody Lives For Ever. The next Bond novelist, Raymond Benson, reintroduced Irma Bunt in his short story Blast From the Past.

Appearances in films: The first mention of SPECTRE occurred in the first official film, Dr No. In the novel, Dr Julius No was working in association with the Soviets. This was changed, however, for the film as well as subsequent adaptations of the novels where either the Soviets or their counter-spy agency, SMERSH are Bond’s main nemesis. SMERSH, however, does have a small part in the film From Russia with Love.

Differing from the novel series by Fleming, SPECTRE is much more resilient, coming back after each defeat by Bond with increasingly grander schemes. SPECTRE is behind the villainous plots in some way in four James Bond films including Dr No, From Russia with Love, Thunderball, and finally You Only Live Twice, where it appears they are ultimately defeated. SPECTRE is mentioned by name one last time in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but this film and its follow up, Diamonds Are Forever feature Blofeld working independently. (The latter does, however, display the ghost-like SPECTRE insignia on Blofeld’s batho-sub. Moreover, Blofeld’s guards all wear an “S” on their uniforms and helmets which resembles a lighting-bolt, and which almost clearly stands for “SPECTRE.”) Blofeld appears one more time in the pre-title sequence of For Your Eyes Only where he supposedly meets his demise.

In 1983, SPECTRE was revived in the unofficial remake of Thunderball, Never Say Never Again.

See also:

• Organisations