"U.N. Rescue Ltd." is the seventh Thunderbirds story published in Countdown, presented as a nine-part epic across issues 45 to 53 of the magazine.
The story features the United Nations as the seeming successor to TV Century 21's World Government. The body is still referred to as the world government on occasion, and is led by a World President (albeit a new man), but is made up of a council of member countries rather than the directly elected model seen earlier.
Perhaps one of the most narratively ambitious Thunderbirds stories ever, U.N. Rescue Ltd. sees the United Nations set up their own government-backed rescue service. Unable to compete, the Tracy brothers throw in the towel and leave Tracy Island - offering readers a glimpse of a post International Rescue world. However, the replacement is revealed to be nothing more than an elaborate ruse by the Hood, who has inserted himself into the Government in order to replace the World President.
Synopsis[]
The United Nations decides it's time to form their own rescue service, realising that the existence of International Rescue represents a failure of their own institution. With unmatched government funding, the new service is able to far outperform International Rescue, to the point where the Tracy family are forced to close down their organisation. But there's a cancer within the U.N, and before long the rescue service causes chaos by launching a coup against the Government - influenced by none other than the Hood himself, who has orchestrated the entire set-up to simultaneously both destroy International Rescue and take control of the world's governments. Months after their dissolution, it might just be time for International Rescue to dust off the old gear and go head-to-head with their former enemy in order to make their biggest rescue ever - even if failure means the end of International Rescue forever.
Characters[]
(in order of appearance)
- Gordon Tracy
- Scott Tracy
- Rescue victim: International Rescue attend a building collapse in the opening frames of the story, and rescue several people trapped beneath
- Reporter: A group of reporters are in attendance at the collapse, desperate to see International Rescue in action
- Mr. Varenski: The U.S.S.R. representative to the U.N., who first moves that the body should set up their own rescue organisation
- Ambassador: Part of Varenski's party in attendance at the U.N. meeting
- "Professor Cytak": The Hood disguises himself as the Asian "Professor Cytak", who originally proposed that there should be a government equivalent of International Rescue. As he begins to gain the trust of the government, he launches a play for power
- USA Representative: The representative who seconds Varenski's motion for a rescue organisation
- World President: The president of the United Nations, working out of the White House.
- Alan Tracy
- Jeff Tracy
- M.V Orion Engine Room: The M.V. Orion begins to take on water in a storm, putting the engines at risk
- M.V. Orion Captain: The captain of the stricken vessel who puts a call out for help - before they break up near Cape Horn
- John Tracy
- Virgil Tracy
- UNR Radio Operator: After International Rescue arrive at the Orion, the new U.N. rescue service informs them they have already carried out the rescue
- Tin-Tin Kyrano (cameo): Tin-Tin is briefly seen in the pool on Tracy Island following the closure of International Rescue
- UNR Officers: While the Hood plans his coup, he calls on the help of the UNR and its many operatives
- Adam and Wilma: A married couple who Scott calls on for help after realising the coup is a ploy
- Brains
- Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward
- Parker
- Captain Jansen: The commanding officer of the UNR space station
- Lord Damon: The British ambassador to the United States
- Russian Ambassador: Along with Lord Damon, Penelope and Parker kidnap the two ambassadors to convince them of the truth about UNR
IR Equipment Used[]
- Thunderbird 1 / X197
- Thunderbird 2
- Thunderbird 3 / Manson Lunar Surveys rocket
- Thunderbird 4
- Thunderbird 5
- FAB 1
- FAB 2
Trivia[]
- Scott and Virgil make the call to wind down International Rescue, following months of unsuccessfully competing with the UNRS, which somewhat blindsides Jeff. The decision is partly influenced by Scott having been offered a post with the UNRS, which he takes up.
- While at the UNRS, Scott meets Professor Cytak and immediately recognises his walk as somebody else's - but is unable to place it. It is not until later when the Hood takes the place of the President that Scott recognises his eyes and realises who he is.
- Jeff Tracy takes command of Thunderbird 1 in order to pick up Scott from Washington.
- Owing to the extreme circumstances, Thunderbird 4 is modified in order to be able to transport the Mole.
- In order to disguise the return of International Rescue, Thunderbirds 1 and 3 are stripped of their identifying wordmarks and go 'incognito' as civilian spacecraft.
- Lady Penelope's yacht FAB 2 returns in this story, with a completely different design to the original seen in The Man From MI.5. The version here might be a replacement for the original, which Parker gambled away in that episode.