With so many wonderfully diverse series and countless thrilling episodes to enjoy, it’s not surprising that we’ve been discussing all things Anderson for over 60 years! We regularly receive loads of questions from old and new fans alike and today we’re going to answer another of the most common queries that we’ve seen popping up again and again.
Why Was Spectrum Formed?
With so much thrilling action to enjoy in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, it’s often easy to forget that Spectrum existed before the War of Nerves and only devoted its resources to combating the Martian Menace during the events of the pilot episode. So that means they had been a functional organisation for some time before anyone on Earth knew the Mysterons existed – so why was the organisation initially formed?
By the mid 2060s, the security forces of the world operated in distinct areas, each with their own jurisdiction and areas of specialisation. The World Army Air Force (WAAF) maintained the security of the land and skies of allied nations, while the World Navy (WN) patrolled the oceans. Further specialised services were available in the form of the World Space Patrol (WSP) and World Aquanaut Security Patrol (WASP).
While remarkable in their own right, there was no single organisation that could cover a wide variety of operations mandated by the World Security Council. Therefore, by the order of the World President, James Younger, a new unified security organisation was created. As a reflection of its wide-ranging brief, the organisation was given the name Spectrum and its ranks were drawn from an equally diverse range of personnel.
Recruits were chosen from security services, intelligence agencies, military and civilian positions and the highest ranking operatives were handpicked by the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, Colonel White. Spectrum’s goal was to be ready for action around the clock and it was expected that they would be called on to provide support in roles ranging from peacekeeping and surveillance to humanitarian relief.
All that changed the moment Captain Black attacked the Mysteron Complex on Mars and the shockwaves of that fateful act continue to be felt to this day. The World President immediately ordered that Spectrum’s resources be diverted to combating the Martian threat, while the other World Security services dealt with matters of terrestrial security.
That’s all for this edition – if you have a burning Ander-Question, don’t forget to leave it in the comments below!
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