James Baquet If I mention “The Avengers,” you might think of Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, et al. But the “avengers” I’m thinking of are from a TV series from Great Britain also called “The Avengers.” It ran for 161 one-hour episodes, from 1961 to 1969. The main character in most of these was a “veddy British chap” named John Steed (played by veteran actor Patrick Macnee), who wore a bowler hat (or “derby”) and carried a “brolly” (an umbrella). The bowler, of course, is steel-plated like a helmet, and the umbrella conceals a sword. Steed’s sidekicks changed several times; the most memorable was Emma Peel (in series 4 and 5), played by Diana Rigg. The assistants were foils for Steed’s style: mini-skirts, boots, and all the other fashions of “mod” London in the ’60s contrasted sharply with his gentleman’s attire. But make no mistake: Mrs. Peel was smart, attractive, and very, very good at her job. And what was the job of these avengers? Basically, spying. The prologue to the fourth series stated: “Extraordinary crimes against the people, and the state, have to be avenged by agents extraordinary. Two such people are John Steed, top professional, and his partner Emma Peel, talented amateur. Otherwise known as The Avengers.” The show was quirky. Steed worked for a top-secret government organization — the name of which was never revealed — and he would receive his orders in the oddest circumstances — in a full office atop a double-decker bus, for instance. The cases, and the enemies, were just as odd. Among other challenges, Steed and Peel faced any number of mad scientists who shrunk them to the size of dolls, altered pet cats that became lethal “miniature tigers,” created killer automata, performed mind transfers, and sent forth invisible soldiers. Though it achieved a certain level of popularity in the U.S., the show was mainly a cult phenomenon. A rebooted series, “The New Avengers,” ran for two seasons in 1976 and 1977, with Steed and yet another series of assistants; nearly 20 spin-off novels and numerous comic books have been published; and a stage play, a radio series, and a dismal film version were also produced. Vocabulary: Which word above means: 1. and other people 2. characters that provide contrast for another 3. a British pronunciation of “very” 4. peculiar 5. robots 6. attracting a small, dedicated group of fans 7. started over again 8. people who get revenge 9. terrible, sad 10. derived from another work | 