Captain Black

Captain Black was the codename of Conrad Turner, (COMIC: Traitor Black Gives In!, PROSE: Rogues Gallery) a member of Spectrum. His service ended during his command of a Zero X mission to Mars when he fired upon the Mysteron City, beginning the Mysteron War. Thereafter, Black was used by the Mysterons as an indestructable agent in their efforts to retaliate against humanity for the attack. (PROSE: Rogues Gallery) Varying accounts dated Spectrum's founding and the ensuing conflict to either the 2060s (COMIC: SPECTRUM et al.) or the 2080s. (PROSE: 'Jinx Ship' Blasts Off For Mars et al.)

Earlier life
Turner was born in Denver in the United States of America. According to an account which dated the Mysteron War to the 2080s, his birthday was 31 October 2049. (PROSE: Rogues Gallery) He thought himself to be "quite a good batsman" in his youth. (COMIC: Traitor Black Gives In!)

He later joined the World Space Patrol. As a colonel, he flew the first XL craft and made extensive study of Astran culture. In 2081, Turner was attatched to the Solar System Exploration Centre for a survey mission to Mercury. In 2086, Turner was recruited to Spectrum as its first field agent, becoming Captain Black. (PROSE: Rogues Gallery)

Mission to Mars
In either June of 2067 (PROSE: Capt. Black Mars Expedition Lost!) or 2087, (PROSE: Rogues Gallery) Black commanded a Zero X expedition to Mars in order to investigate the "strange radio signals" (PROSE: Capt. Black Mars Expedition Lost!,  'Jinx Ship' Blasts Off For Mars) received from the Rock Snake Hills area over the previous year. (PROSE: Capt. Black Mars Expedition Lost!)

Upon reaching the planet, Black proceeded to investigate the Mysteron City. In a moment of panic, he opened fire on the city, (PROSE: Rogues Gallery) thus beginning the Mysteron War. (PROSE: 'Jinx Ship' Blasts Off For Mars, Rogues Gallery) On 2 September 2067, TV 21 stated that Glenn Field had reported the loss of Black's expedition, with the publication speculating that "whatever was causing the signals" had "accounted" for Black and his crew. In the same article, TV 21 also speculated about the secret organisation with World Government backing that Black apparently belonged to, noting that the "strange floating aircraft carrier" recently sighted above Nice bore the same symbol as Black's hat. (PROSE: Capt. Black Mars Expedition Lost!) However, Zero X, with Black onboard, returned to Earth on 23 September 2067. As the massive craft descended towards the Glenn Field runway, the small passenger jet TGW 197 K, carring TV 21 reporters Pete Tracker and Lens Sharpe, collided with one of its engines, causing it to crash. In the confusion, Black exited Zero X and left the base in a car, vanishing without trace. (COMIC: SPECTRUM, PROSE: SPECTRUM is Green) Colonel White, head of Spectrum, initially suspected Tracker and Sharpe of orchestrating some kind of plot but his fears were allayed and they were eventually able to convince him to take part in an interview. (COMIC: SPECTRUM) Tracker later detailed Black's return and subsequent disappearance in his article about Spectrum which unveiled them as the newest security organisation. (PROSE: SPECTRUM is Green)

It was the opinion of Doctor Giardeles that Black had been killed by the Mysterons on Mars and thereafter served only as an indestructible mouthpiece for them. (PROSE: Rogues Gallery)

An agent for the Mysterons
In 2067, shortly after the Mysterons announced a threat to Unity City, Black shot down an Angel aircraft after it investigated his unauthorised aircraft en route to the city, piloted either by Rhapsody (COMIC: ) or Harmony. (COMIC: ) This allowed the craft to be Mysteronised as part of an attempt to destroy Cloudbase.

Although this phase of the plan was foiled by Captain Scarlet's interference, the Mysterons later instructed Black to spray the clouds surrounding Cloudbase with D17 poison gas which successfully incapacitated all its personnel. As soon as this occurred the Mysterons extracted the gas to allow Black to board. He landed a craft on Cloudbase and set to work altering its course, unknowingly observed by Captain Scarlet who had been placed in a purified atmosphere while recovering from his injuries. He almost landed a blow on Black but was suddenly overcome by the Mysteron presence allowing Black to fight back, fusing Cloudbase's automatic pilot in the process and sending it spinning out of control. Black then attempted to escape in his aircraft but Scarlet was able to catch up, the ensuing scuffle resulting in the craft being propelled from Cloudbase without operational engines. Black ejected, using a parachute to safely land on a Fijian beach, leaving Scarlet to go down with the jet.

Scarlet's body was later found by a group of fishermen and Black kept a look-out while they prepared him for "the journey of fire" as part of his funeral. He intervened when Scarlet's sudden resurrection was taken as evidence that he was the Great One, with Black accusing his enemy of being an evil spirit. This led to the Chief seeking the "judgement of the clawed ones" to determine which Captain was truly sent from the Great One, with Black eventually being convinced by Scarlet to use his microphone to contact Spectrum to save them both from being overcome by the approaching horde of crabs. (COMIC: ) The front page of TV Century 21 on its 18 November edition noted that according to unofficial reports Black had contacted White by radio, giving a position in the Fijian group of islands and claiming to have a live Captain Scarlet with him. (PROSE: Thunderbirds Fail)

The Angels came to the rescue, Destiny freeing Scarlet and Scarlet in turn freeing Black, albeit with the understanding he would be kept covered to prevent his escape. As they waited for Cloudbase fly overhead, the Mysterons activated Black's audio-field which produced a high frequency noise and incapacitated everyone on the beach, allowing Black to carry Scarlet into the sea without resistance. He then arranged for a Mysteron agent in Marineville to escort them to the Southern Californian Research Station using Stingray.

Black then took Scarlet's unconscious body and boarded the Alpha Centauri Space Probe, attacking a guard to gain access to the perimeter, with a Mysteron agent working in the Research Station ensuring the rocket still took off without a hitch. Black successfully enacted a course change to Mars, intent on bringing Scarlet back under Mysteron control. (COMIC: ) TV21's front page for the 25 November edition was dedicated to the news that Black and kidnapped Scarlet and was headed to the Mysteron City, an article offering the assessment that Black's actions would "mortally cripple" Spectrum. (PROSE: Scarlet Kidnapped!) The Probe was pursued and destroyed by a squad of World Space Patrol craft. The Mysterons observed this turn of events and activated the retrometabolic ray to allow Black an escape in the reconstructed Probe. The captain of Fireball XL2 chose not to give chase, placing a higher priority on getting the barely-alive Captain Scarlet back to Earth for treatment. (COMIC: )

A brief return to normality
In 2068, Black unexpectedly saved Captain Scarlet from the Mysteron agent Lim-Po by shooting him dead. Scarlet immediately questioned Black's motives, asking if the Mysterons had finished with him. Instead of answering, Black claimed that Scarlet was speaking in riddles, though he agreed to being taken back to Cloudbase for some tests. Doctor Fawn performed these tests and eventually concluded that Black was fit to return to active service as well as the fact he had no knowledge of the Mysterons. He attended a meeting with Scarlet, Colonel White and Captain Blue on how to best take advantage of the Mysterons seemingly losing their power. Scarlet's plan to destroy the Mysteron City with an electrode cannon mounted on a spaceship was approved, with Black attending the testing of the weapon at Fort Johnson and its preperation for lift-off in Helsinki.

Scarlet undertook the mission alone and was successful, after which six months past with no sign of Mysteron activity, prompting World President T.J. Younger to disband Spectrum at the final celebration of humanity's victory. While others in the organisation were transferred to other posts, Black chose to reclaim his identity as Conrad Turner and pursue a "quiet life" with "a little gardening and some writing" in retirement at a cottage in Berkshire. One day, he was recruited for a game of cricket as one team was one man short. The match started well, with Conrad putting in some good shots, until he was struck with a beam of light and disappeared. Soon after, the Mysterons, having regained control of Black, announced their return and intention of continuing the conflict with humanity. The remaining Spectrum personnel were recalled to reform the organisation in response to this attack. (COMIC: Traitor Black Gives In!)

A Mysteron once again
According to the accounts which dated Spectrum's creation and the beginning of the Mysteron War to the 2080s, the first Mysteron threat to Unity City occurred much later in the conflict (PROSE: Rogues Gallery) when compared to the 2060s accounts, which presented it as one of the first acts. (PROSE: SPECTRUM is Green, Captain Scarlet Our Only Hope et al.) These accounts instead posited that the attempted destruction of Unity City happened around a year or two into the War. (PROSE: Thunderbirds Ready for Action!, Send For Stingray!)

In March 2089, Harry Dobermann reported on "amazing rumours" sweeping Australia that Captain Black had waved the white flag of surrender. He elaborated that a local news service had picked up a signal from Cloudbase to Black in which Spectrum agreed to send Angel aircraft to a location chosen by him. Dobermann noted that if Black's surrender was not an act of deception then it could signify "the beginning of the end" for the Mysterons. (PROSE: Captain Black Surrenders)

Later, Captain Black was sighted in the Kenyan city of Mombassa. (PROSE: Lhomel to go as freedom force hits Astra!)

Brent Cleever's guide to the most-wanted villains of 2089 contained an entry on Black. (PROSE: Rogues Gallery)

Behind the scenes

 * A pastiche of Captain Black appears in PROSE: The Indestructible Man: Karl Taylor, resurrected as an obvious walking corpse (referring to the puppet's pallour) by the Myloki (Mysterons) and nicknamed "Captain Death". Unlike Conrad (who can speak but is taciturn), Karl is mute.
 * Later TV21 features and annuals would say Conrad Turner was born in Manchester at the start of an atomic war and was a member of the Royal Air Force for a time.