History Main / TheExecutioner

* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: The "war wagon" (a 26-foot GMC motor home equipped with laser-enhanced infra-red cameras, electronic surveillance devices, a computer database with phone link (in the 1970's!) and [[WeaponizedCar guided missiles]]) was constructed with the help of moonlighting NASA engineers sympathetic to his cause, and financed with [[RobbingTheMobBank stolen mob money]], much to their chargin.

* AuthorFilibuster: Bolan spends entire chapters [[WarriorPoet pondering the necessity]] of violence and the morality of his "War Everlasting", as Don Pendleton created the series in response to the anti-war views of the Flower Power generation.

* CallingCard: Bolan leaves a miltary marksman's medal at the scene of his killings. Sometimes he has one delivered to a future target as psychological warfare. The mob has been known to leave such medals at murder scenes, either to [[HeroWithBadPublicity frame Bolan]] or cover up for their own inter-gang rivalries. The latter tactic was used so often that one underling reporting a Bolan hit got beaten up "for pulling that stunt", until Bolan (who'd let him live so he could [[NiceJobGuidingUsHero follow the man to his superiors]]) walked through the door and started shooting.

* ColdSniper: An army psychiatrist is quoted as saying that while most soldiers can be a successful sniper ''once'', it's the ability to continue to do so (to see the difference between killing in the course of duty and murder) that separates Bolan from other men. He is described as "a man who can command himself".

* JudgeJuryAndExecutioner: Local police and mafiosi suspect that Bolan is secretly working for the CIA. Ironically Bolan was offered a 'license' by Justice Department official Hal Brognola early in the series, only to turn it down as he didn't want to "drag the rest of the country into hell with him". Hal Brognola [[CommissionerGordon continued to feed Bolan information]] though, and later convinced him to join the Stony Man program.

Mack Bolan (nicknamed "The Executioner" by his fellow soldiers) is an elite sniper / penetration specialist in TheVietnamWar when he receives word that his father Sam, a steelworker in Pittsfield, has gone insane and shot dead his wife Elsa and [[DeadLittleSister daughter]] Cynthia/"Cindy". On talking to the SoleSurvivor, younger brother Johnny, Bolan discovers that his father was being squeezed by Mafia [[AllDevouringBlackHoleLoanSharks loan sharks]] and, on hearing that his daughter was prostituting herself to cover his debt, snapped under the pressure.

Figuring there's no point in fighting a war 8,000 miles away when there's a bigger enemy right here at home, Mack Bolan sets forth on a [[OneManArmy one-man crusade]] to destroy TheMafia, using [[CombatPragmatist all the military weapons and tactics at his disposal]] including heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, night-vision scopes, radio-detonated explosives, electronic surveillance, silenced handguns and the [[RazorFloss garrotte]]. Bolan is also fond of [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty using wiles to turn his enemies against each other]].

* WarriorPoet: Bolan is very well read -- each novel begins with a couple of quotes from a literary work, then a quote from Bolan's [[{{Diary}} journal]] giving his own take on it. His favorite book is ''DonQuixote'' by Miguel de Cervantes, as Bolan often sees himself as WindmillCrusader.

* WarriorPoet: Bolan is very well read -- each novel begins with a couple of quotes from a literary work, then a quote from Bolan's [[{{Diary}} journal]] giving his own take on it. His favourite book is ''DonQuixote'' by Miguel de Cervantes, as Bolan often sees himself as WindmillCrusader.

* ConspicuouslyPublicAssassination: Bolan often starts his 'blitz' by turning up at a number of Mafia joints, calmly stating the name of his target, whom he kills along with their bodyguards in an [[TheGunslinger impressive display of shooting]], leaving his CallingCard behind. Another favourite tactic is to gun down some bigwigs at a [[ImprobableAimingSkills seemingly-improbable range]] with a sniper rifle. This quickly gets the local mafia 'mobbed up' in a known '[[GarrisonableStructures hardsite]]' (which Bolan has [[CrazyPrepared already scouted in advance]]) where he can [[StormingTheCastle destroy them with overwhelming firepower]] without worrying about innocents getting in the way.

* GunPorn: The Gold Eagle novels usually have trading-card stats of relevant weapons. Plus every CoolGun on the planet must have been used by the protagonists at one time or another. The members of Phoenix Force all use different firearms (reflecting their different backgrounds) [[FridgeLogic even though standardisation of ammunition, magazines and spare parts]] would make more sense.

* TheSyndicate / NebulousEvilOrganisation: Bolan thinks he's fatally weakened TheMafia, but discovers (even as he's preparing to move to Stony Man) that it's remarkably resilient. Other criminal organisations include TRIO (a union of Oriental crime groups such as {{Yakuza}} and the [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Triads]]) and MERGE (its Western/Latin American equivalent), along with the [[DirtyCommunists KGB]], renegade CIA, [[ThoseWackyNazis neo-Nazi groups]], and various [[TerroristsWithoutACause terrorist organisations]] -- Bolan and his allies must have fought every bad guy in existence by now.
* TelecomTree: In ''Dixie Convoy'', the truckers helping Mack Bolan use CB radio to spread a message from one coast of the US to the others.

->''"I am not their judge. I am their judgement. I am their Executioner."''

Mack Bolan (nicknamed "The Executioner" by his fellow soldiers) is an elite sniper / penetration specialist in the VietnamWar when he receives word that his father, a steelworker in Pittsfield, has gone insane and shot dead his wife and [[DeadLittleSister daughter]]. On talking to the SoleSurvivor, younger brother Johnny, Bolan discovers that his father was being squeezed by Mafia [[AllDevouringBlackHoleLoanSharks loan sharks]] and, on hearing that his daughter was prostituting herself to cover his debt, snapped under the pressure.

In 1980 Don Pendleton sold the rights to Gold Eagle Books, who [[ReTool retooled the series]] by having Bolan [[FakingTheDead fake his death]] in order to lead a [[HeroesRUs covert US Government operation]] known as [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction Stony Man]]. Also part of Stony Man are two units whose story is told in their own spin-off series: ''Able Team'' (consisting of [[PowerTrio three Bolan comrades]] from his Mafia Wars -- not to be confused with [[ExoSquad Able Squad]]) and ''[[TroperForce Phoenix Force]]'' (a FiveManBand assembled from the [[MultinationalTeam world's best]] anti-terrorist operatives, with no connection whatsoever to [[XMen Jean Grey]]). Ostensibly Able Team was to operate inside the United States while Phoenix Force did so on an international level, but this idea was soon dropped.

* BavarianFireDrill: Bolan would pull this on both the local police (to gather intelligence) and the Mafia (in order to destroy them via a BatmanGambit), usually by posing as a federal agent or an [[CareerKiller elite hitman]] sent from New York to kill Bolan.

* HopelessWar: Bolan calls it his "War Everlasting". He [[TragicHero knows he can never win]] but feels he must fight anyway, as every bad guy he kills saves a hundred innocents.

Not the be confused with Mark Bolan of the British band T-Rex.

* CrazyPrepared: Although a typical 'blitz' can be over in less than twenty-four hours, Bolan spends a good deal of time beforehand gathering intelligence, planning his hits down to the second, and leaving safe houses scattered about the city.

In 1980 Don Pendleton sold the rights to Gold Eagle Books, who [[ReTool retooled the series]] by having Bolan [[FakingTheDead fake his death]] in order to lead a [[HeroesRUs covert US Government operation]] known as [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction Stony Man]]. Also part of Stony Man are two units whose story is told in their own spin-off series: ''Able Team'' (consisting of [[PowerTrio three Bolan comrades]] from his Mafia Wars -- not to be confused with [[ExoSquad Able Squad]]) and ''Phoenix Force'' (a FiveManBand assembled from the [[MultinationalTeam world's best]] anti-terrorist operatives, with no connection whatsoever to [[XMen Jean Grey]]). Ostensibly Able Team was to operate inside the United States while Phoenix Force did so on an international level, but this idea was soon dropped.

* WarriorPoet: Bolan is very well read -- each novel begins with a couple of quotes from a literary work, then a quote from Bolan's [[{{Diary}} journal]] giving his own take on it. His favourite book is ''DonQuixote'' by Miguel de Cervantes, as Bolan often sees himself as "[[WindmillCrusader tilting at windmills]]".

* WarriorPoet: Bolan is very well read -- each novel begins with a couple of quotes from a literary work, then a quote from Bolan's [[{{Diary}} journal]] giving his own take on it. His favourite book is ''DonQuixote'' by Miguel de Cervantes, as Bolan often sees himself as "[[HopelessWar tilting at windmills]]".

Figuring there's no point in fighting a war 8,000 miles away when there's a bigger enemy right here at home, Mack Bolan sets forth on a [[OneManArmy one-man crusade]] to destroy TheMafia, using [[TheCombatPragmatist all the military weapons and tactics at his disposal]] including heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, night-vision scopes, radio-detonated explosives, electronic surveillance, silenced handguns and the [[RazorFloss garrotte]]. Bolan is also fond of [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty using wiles to turn his enemies against each other]].

* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: The "war wagon" (a 26-foot GMC motor home equipped with laser-enhanced infra-red cameras, electronic surveillance devices, a computer database with phone link (in the 1970's!) and [[WeaponizedCar guided missiles]]) was constructed with the help of moonlighting NASA engineers sympathetic to his cause, and financed with [[InfiniteSupplies stolen mob money]], much to their chargin.

* WouldNotShootAGoodGuy: Bolan doesn't kill civilians or law enforcement officials, both for moral reasons and because he knows people will turn a blind eye to his activities as long as he's just killing the bad guys.
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Mack Bolan (nicknamed "The Executioner" by his fellow soldiers) is an elite sniper / penetration specialist in the VietnamWar when he receives word that his father, a steelworker in Pittsfield, has gone insane and shot dead his wife and [[DeadLittleSister daughter]]. On talking to the SoleSurvivor, younger brother Johnny, Bolan discovers that his father was being squeezed by Mafia [[AllDevouringBlackHoleLoanSharks loan sharks]] and, on discovering that his daughter was prostituting herself to cover his debt, snapped under the pressure.

* AdaptationDecay: Gold Eagle's ghost writers vary as to their ability to capture this character, and after [[ExtrudedBookProduct more than six hundred books]] a number of cliches keep getting recycled. The first time Bolan infiltrates a BigFancyHouse on a wooded estate, rescues a DamselInDistress, bundles her into a stolen vehicle which he then uses to crash the gate (blasting the gate guard with his HandCannon without [[ImprobableAimingSkills even slowing down]]) and devastates his pursuers on the highway it's very dramatic. The next six times however...

* WouldNotShootAGoodGuy: Bolan doesn't kill civilians or law enforcement officials, both for moral reasons and because he knows people will turn a blind eye to his activities as long as he's just killing the bad guys.

In 1980 Don Pendleton sold the rights to Gold Eagle Books, who [[ReTool retooled the series]] by having Bolan [[FakingTheDead fake his death]] in order to lead a [[HeroesRUs covert US Government operation]] known as [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction Stony Man]]. Also part of Stony Man are two units whose story is told in their own spin-off series: ''Able Team'' (consisting of three Bolan comrades from his Mafia Wars -- not to be confused with [[ExoSquad Able Squad]]) and ''Phoenix Force'' (a FiveManBand assembled from the [[MultinationalTeam world's best]] anti-terrorist operatives, with no connection whatsoever to [[XMen Jean Grey]]). Ostensibly Able Team was to operate inside the United States while Phoenix Force did so on an international level, but this idea was soon dropped.

* BavarianFireDrill: Bolan would pull this on both the local police (to gather intelligence) and the Mafia (in order to destroy them via a XanatosGambit), usually by posing as a federal agent or an [[CareerKiller elite hitman]] sent from New York to kill Bolan.

An action-adventure series created by Don Pendleton in 1969 that is [[PrintLongRunners still continuing to this day]]. Over six hundred novels have been written featuring the protagonist Mack Bolan and various spin-off characters.

* MeaningfulName: When posing as a Black Ace hitman Bolan uses the alias Omega (i.e. the End). After [[FakingTheDead faking his death]] in the fiery destruction of his war wagon, Bolan takes the identity of Colonel John Phoenix, [[ThePhoenix rising from his own ashes]] to lead the Stony Man operation.