- You may be looking for the real-world writer.
Captain Paul Travers was in command of the Zero X.
On one of the earlier Zero X missions, Travers and his crew were saved from death by International Rescue. In an account dated to 2088, he promised to defeat the run of bad luck which had dogged the Solar System Exploration Centre as he prepared to lead the fourth Zero X mission. With Mayor Lionel Lurie stating Kahra would be unable to assist if Zero X ran into trouble because of a lack of manpower and resources since the start of the Mysteron War, Travers acklowedged they would be alone in the unexplored regions of Mars, but optimistically concluded "if we learn a little more and beat that jinx, it'll be worth it". (PROSE: 'Jinx Ship' Blasts Off For Mars)
However, the jinx did indeed strike again, with Navigator Brad Newman, who was aboard the main body, reporting that contact with the rest of the crew was lost six hours prior when the Martian Excursion Vehicle disappeared into a freak dust storm. After hearing the news, Kahra's controller reiterated his earlier statement. (PROSE: Zero X: Four Crew Missing) According to an account dated to 4 February 2067, with the abandonment procedure operative, Newman remained in sole control of Zero X as the captain and the other crew were still missing on the surface of the planet. It was noted that he would have to consider them deceased if radio contact had not resumed by the time the oribital schedule ran out. (PROSE: Stingray Storm!)
Travers was back in command by 25 February 2067, (PROSE: Ambush!) or February 2089 according to one account. Upon his return, he proudly proclaimed "We made it! We beat the jinx!". (PROSE: Zero X Beats Space Curse!) After a six week journey from Mars, Zero X was ordered to cancel atmosphere re-entry procedure and change course for orbital satellite 158. Officials of the Solar System Exploration Centre only revealed that Travers has been instructed to pick up sealed orders but rumours suggested that his new mission had something to do with revolutionary new rocket engines too dangerous to be tested on Earth. (PROSE: Ambush!)
In April 2067, Travers was sentenced to death for breach of discipline. A week after his sentence on 22 April, he hijacked Zero X at Glenn Field by overpowering its new commander Colonel Jennings and bundling him from the spacecraft. Officials were unsure if the rest of the crew were forced to obey Travers' orders or whether they had joined the mutiny freely. After the ship's getaway, the World Space Patrol was alerted to stop and arrest Zero X on sight. (PROSE: Mars Ship Hi-Jacked)
In late 2069, Travers led the Zero X crew when it went to tackle the Zero-Star, which was threatening the Sun and had already destroyed several nearby stars. The mission was successful when a Linktan ship was converted into a Heliotomic Bomb and launched into the heart of the object. Travers later reported that the Linktans sacrificed their lives so the peoples of the Earth and its neighbouring planets might live. (PROSE: Thunderbirds Film for Sale!)
Behind the scenes[]
Captain Travers debuted in the 1966 film Thunderbirds Are Go and subsequently became a main character of the TV Century 21 comic spin-off Zero X.
