History Characters / TheWildWildWest

Guile. Cunning. Trickery. Add a brilliant scientific mind and you have the primary tools of Artemus Gordon's trade. Though he can hold his own in a fight when necessary, he much prefers to use his wits to achieve his ends. As an actor turned Secret Service agent, he makes full use of his genius for languages, disguise, spell-binding oratory and scientific innovation. He's also fond of the finer things in life - art, wine, gourmet cuisine and, last but certainly not least, beautiful women. He's liable to turn up anywhere and as any''one''... but always in the nick of time.

* RomanticRunnerUp: Originally, despite saving the day or having an equal part in saving the day as Jim, he rarely got the girl; many episodes in the first season end with him looking on forlornly as Jim kisses the DamselInDistress GirlOfTheWeek (although even then there were exceptions - both Jim and Artie get lucky in "The Night of the Torture Chamber" and "The Night of the Glowing Corpse," and "The Night of Sudden Death" is a rare example where ''Jim'' is the RomanticRunnerUp as Artie literally walks away with '''two''' ladies!). From season two onwards neither agent was lacking in female companionship.

* RenaissanceMan: Actor, scientist, master of disguise, art expert, pastry chef, etc., etc.

* GuileHero: His stated philosophy is that "when you cannot confound the enemy, then you have lost to him."

* MrExposition: As a consequence of being the one who most often [[DoingResearch does research]], Artie is also the one who most often gets the thankless task of trying to make an [[{{Infodump}} infodump]] interesting.

* XMeetsY: Ross Martin once described Artemus Gordon as "a spellbinder, ''TheMusicMan'' and ''Theatre/TheRainmaker'', rolled into one."

Guile. Cunning. Trickery. Add a brilliant scientific mind and you have the primary tools of Artemus Gordon's trade. Though he can hold his own in a fight when necessary, he much prefers to use his wits to achieve his goals. As an actor turned Secret Service agent, he makes full use of his genius for languages, disguises, spell-binding oratory and scientific innovation. He's also fond of the finer things in life - art, wine, gourmet cuisine and, last but certainly not least, beautiful women. He's liable to turn up anywhere and as any''one''... but always in the nick of time.

Guile. Cunning. Trickery. Add a brilliant scientific mind and you have the primary tools of Artemus Gordon's trade. Though he can hold his own in a fight when necessary, he much prefers to use his wits to reach his goals. As an actor turned Secret Service agent, he makes full use of his genius for languages, disguises, spell-binding oratory and scientific innovation. He's also fond of the finer things in life - art, wine, gourmet cuisine and, last but certainly not least, beautiful women. He's liable to turn up anywhere and as any''one''... but always in the nick of time.

* InSeriesNickname: "Jim". Artie also likes to address him as "James, my boy."

* GentlemanSnarker: Rarely loses an opportunity to make a quip, even when in the heat of battle.

* SharpDressedMan: Unless necessary for a disguise, that is. He owns a collection of suits, jackets and such in almost every color of the rainbow.

* NervesOfSteel: Very little phases him.

* InSeriesNickname: "Jim". Artie also likes to refer to him as "James, my boy."

* HonorBeforeReason[=/=]IGaveMyWord: Played straight and nearly word for word in "The Night of the Raven," when Dr. Loveless extracts a promise not to escape from James West and West keeps his promise.

* DepravedDwarf
* DiabolicalMastermind

* GadgeteerGenius
* {{Leitmotif}}
* MadScientist
* TheNapoleon

* AffablyEvil

* CulturedBadass: Recites Shakespeare. Is an expert on art, wine, gemstones and fine cuisine. Has impeccable manners. Kills people.

* GadgeteerGenius
* GentlemanAndAScholar
* GentlemanSnarker
* GuileHero

* {{Leitmotif}}

* ScienceHero

* SharpDressedMan: Unless necessary for a disguise, that is.

* TheTrickster

* WaistcoatOfStyle

* WaistcoatOfStyle: An inevitable part of the GorgousPeriodDress.

* TheCharmer
* ConMan

* CulturedBadass

* ActionHero

* TheCharmer
* GentlemanSnarker

* {{Leitmotif}}

* NervesOfSteel

* PaintedOnPants

* SharpDressedMan
* ThouShaltNotKill: Heck no. West is more than willing to use lethal force when necessary.
* WaistcoatOfStyle

Though possessed of a towering intellect, Dr. Loveless could never reconcile himself to the small body in which he found himself confined and, at some point, turned to evil. After repeated defeats by West and Gordon he developed a personal grudge against the pair, particularly West, though, at the same time, he could not help developing great respect for their talent and resourcefulness. West himself admitted at one point when Loveless had apparently died: "I'll miss him, that little man with the giant rage against the whole universe."

* ScienceHero: Artemus Gordon.

* {{Sidekick}}: Artie to Jim in the first season or so.

* {{Technobabble}}: Artie is occasionally known to spout this.

* {{Ventriloquism}}: Something of a ChekhovsHobby for Artie in "The Night of the Sedgewick Curse," except we do see him demonstrate his proficiency at the beginning and end of the episode.