John Steed

John Steed was an agent of the Ministry and an iconic figure of the 1960s. He was known for wearing a bowler hat and carrying an umbrella, and usually worked with a single, female partner.

Biography
In 1968, when Iris Wildthyme and Panda took a plane from Croydon Airport, John Steed saw them off. (PROSE: )

On the 12 November, 1969, Emma Peel, Cathy Gale and John Steed came from the Ministry to Dr Oho's party. This party was held inside the dreams of a newborn and also attended by Iris. (PROSE: )At some point he, along with Tara King, may have had lunch with one or more of the TV Terrors while they were hunting for autographs. (GAME: )

Wearing his bowler hat and carrying his umbrella, the same man investigated the murders of several amateur detectives with the aid of his partner, Georgie Price Jones, his regular partner being on holiday. At Betteredge Hall, the site of Miss Jane's murder, they encountered Iris Wildthyme, who joined in the investigation, much to the man's displeasure. The man and Georgie visited detective fiction expert Professor Proven, who recommended consulting the detectives trying to solve the murders. While Iris and Tom visited Hercule Smith, the man and Georgie visited Mr Sherrinford, who theorised that the murders were being carried out by a criminal mastermind.

They discovered that Mrs H, Professor Proven's housekeeper, was also Sherrinford's housekeeper, and learned from Iris and Tom that the maid at Miss Jane's murder was also the waitress at Smith's murder. At the restaurant where Smith was killed, the man discovered that the same kind of teacups were used at both murders, and realised that the detectives were being killed by their servants and housekeepers. (PROSE: )

Steed was one of the guests to Bonjaxx's birthday party at Maruthea. He participated in the bar fight started by Beep the Meep. As the Seventh Doctor left Maruthea with Ace, he fought Captain Britain with Emma Peel. (COMIC: ) Big Finish once gave a Christmas present to Steed and Mrs Peel, with the wrapping being based upon The Avengers. Steed remarked "Mrs Peel, we're needed!". (WC: )

Legacy
Ace once told Gilgamesh that all good spies wore disguises, citing John Steed as an example. (PROSE: )

When the Eleventh Doctor visited 1963 with Amy Pond, he mentioned John Steed as one of the people that made the 1960s "cool". (GAME: )

When Fitz Kreiner wore a business suit with a briefcase and an umbrella, Sam Jones thought that if he put on a bowler hat he'd look like John Steed. (PROSE: )

Behind the scenes
John Steed is the principal character of The Avengers, devised by Sydney Newman. Julian Wadham played him for Big Finish Productions. His name is not mentioned in The Sleuth Slayers, although he is identifiable by anyone with prior knowledge of The Avengers, both by his outfit and by being the current partner of Georgie Price Jones as in the Avengers episode The Girl from AUNTIE.