EXTRACTS: The Modesty Blaise Companion Expanded Edition © 2018 The Book Palace (425 PAGES in Full edition)

T H E M O D E S T Y B L A I S E C O M P A N I O N I I WALTON, Professor Laurence (a.k.a. Larry the Gent) STORY 44: “BRETHREN OF BLAISE” STRIP 4838 Professional confidence trickster. Former college friend of Sir Rupert Dean. Devises “Brethren of Blaise” as a cover up for the illegal removal of the treasure Dean has found buried under his Cornwall home. He is the front man while killer Gully Kincaid is in charge of recovering the treasure from Merlin’s Pool. When Kincaid kills their diver and then forces Modesty and Willie to dive for them things start to fall apart. When Modesty and Willie escape and capture the gang, they lock them in a cellar. He begs not to be put in with them because they will kill him. When Willie suggests that he turns Queen’s Evidence he very readily agrees. WAN, Sammy He is first heard of in the 1982 novel “The Night of Morningstar” . He was first drawn in a strip story two years later and it was a further ten years before he was drawn in anything other than Network operation flashbacks. He is referred to as Krolli’s number two and as one of the original supporters of the young Modesty when she took over the Louche gang. He is one more part of The Network legend. STORY 56: “PLATO’S REPUBLIC” STRIP 6029 Takes part in The Network operation to smash Mallo and his gang of white slave traders that senior Tangier police officers had been bribed to leave alone. Gives Modesty and Willie a situation report before they go into action. It is in this operation that his Task Force Leader, Krolli, misses Mallo’s hidden gun and deliberately takes a bullet meant for Modesty. Flashback. STORY 66: “LIVE BAIT”: STRIP 7045 When the North African vice king Malik kidnaps Rosina, a young Network courier, and holds her to ransom The Network set out to rescue her and at the same time put Malik out of business. He is in charge of the roof team part of the operation. Modesty parachutes on to the roof of Malik’s villa, drops rope ladders down the North wall and orders him to move his team in right away. Flashback. WAN, Sammy (continued) STORY 68: “THE BIG MOLE”: STRIP 7240 Having just completed The Network operation to smash Lobel’s gang which was selling little girls he is required by Modesty to go with her to the Kasbah with Willie and Krolli to help to rescue Michael Kerr the English soldier who is being hunted by Polisario killers and is hiding on a roof near Ahmed’s house. While she goes off to locate Kerr and get him to safety, the three men are ordered to clear the alleys around the house of killers. Flashback. STORY 81: “THE ARISTO”: STRIP 8590 Acting as both host and guardian to Modesty and Willie on their regular visit to Hong Kong. Knowing that she has given Wu Smith a lot of trouble in the past he assigns a couple of bodyguards as cover, just in case. He keeps a radio watch after their departure and picks up the call from Willie after they run the Aristo’s ship aground. He passes this information on to their old friend Inspector Daunton who is able to convince his chief that he should act on it. Within three hours a unit of Gurkhas arrives on the island of Lueba to capture the pirate ship “The Etonian” and its crew and to rescue Modesty, Willie, Jo Camacho and her new born baby. STORY 84: “HONEYGUN”: STRIP 8905 One of the Network lieutenants present at the meeting at which Modesty asks for volunteers for a non-profit action to take out Suleiman, and his gang of traders in little girls. With Willie and Krolli he forms the back up when she goes to a meeting with the mysterious tycoon Raoul Kiffis, who has indicated that he also would like to deal with Suleiman. By the time they realise that it is a double cross and break in to save her it is all over, courtesy of Honeygun. Flashback. 182 Drawn by Pat Wright Strip 4840 9th January, 1980 Drawn by Neville Colvin Strip 6029 5th October, 1984 Drawn by Romero Strip 7045 12th October, 1988 Drawn by Romero Strip 7245 31st July, 1989 Drawn by Romero Strip 8672 30th March, 1995 Drawn by Romero Strip 8920 25th March, 1996