Thunderbirds Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Thunderbirds Wiki

You might also be looking for the 2004 or 2015 incarnations.

"Thunderbirds are go."

Jeff Tracy is a former astronaut who would go on to become the founder and head operative of International Rescue.

Biography[]

Jeff Tracy1

Jeff was born in Kansas to a wheat farmer, Grant Tracy, and his wife (aka Grandma Tracy). The exposure to farm equipment at a young age - in particular, his father drove combine harvesters - fueled Jeff's interest in machinery.

He spent his military service with the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel, before transferring to the Space Agency - where he counts himself as one of the first astronauts to land on the Moon, during the beginning of its colony.

He married Lucille (Lucy), and they had five sons - Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon and Alan - each named after one of the famous Mercury 7 American astronauts (Carpenter, Glenn, Grissom, Cooper and Shepard, respectively).

Following the tragic deaths of Grant and Lucille, Jeff abandoned his space career to raise his sons, with the able assistance of his mother. He also further built-up and diversified his family's agricultural-business combine; and his talents of civil and construction engineering made him one of the richest men in the world.

TCTBS030

Jeff deciding to form International Rescue after seeing two people who he cared about dead.

After reading a news report of a tragic air crash in which eighty people died, the main cause being inadequate rescue equipment and craft - and, reminded anew of his own family's tragedy - he decided to use his wealth to create the International Rescue agency, which he succeeded in doing two years later.

Personality & Traits[]

Jeff's military experience and business acumen, accumulated over the years, are reflected in his personality. At heart, he's an intelligent and kind person, with a good sense of humour. That said, he runs a tight ship - knowing full well that any slip-up could mean the difference between life and death for those in need of rescue, and also the security of his secret organisation. Nevertheless, he's always willing to compromise, if the situation calls for it - because, as he puts it in Thunderbirds Are Go, "Rules were made to be broken!"

Outfits[]

Main article: Jeff Tracy/Outfits

Duties[]

As International Rescue's head operative, Jeff is the first to receive calls for help via Thunderbird 5, and to put the mission into action straightaway. He communicates to his sons and other fellow IR Agents from the main headquarters on Tracy Island.

He is so devoted to his duties that he rarely takes any time off, as he knows there is always someone who needs rescuing.

Appearances and Adventures[]

Main article: Jeff Tracy/Biography

Jeff appears in all 32 television episodes, and both feature-films (Thunderbirds are Go and Thunderbird 6). He would later go on to feature in all three of The Anniversary Episodes.

Trivia[]

  • Jeff's facial features are based on those of actor Lorne Greene.
  • He was sculpted by John F. Brown, who also did Virgil Tracy and the Hood.
  • Although Jeff never appears in uniform on the show, it is known that the signature colour on his IR uniform is gold when he wears it to promote the Barnado Helpers League.

Personal History Inconsistencies[]

  • Some sources differ over the order of birth of Jeff's sons. Some says the order was Scott, Virgil, John, Gordon and Alan, which accurately reflects their assigned Thunderbirds (when Alan's in Thunderbird 5). However, other sources say that John was the second son and Virgil was the third (probably reflected in the character introductory part of the opening credits).

Expressions[]

Quotes[]


International Rescue
International Rescue Logo

Main Members:
Jeff TracyScott TracyJohn TracyVirgil TracyGordon TracyAlan TracyBrainsTin-Tin Kyrano
Field Agents:
Lady Penelope Creighton-WardAloysius ParkerRoger LyonJeremiah TuttleSir Jeremy HodgeGallup Din

Advertisement