The Champions | Past Missions

Written by Dennis Spooner | Directed by Cyril Frankel

Nemesis agents Craig Stirling, Sharron Macready and Richard Barrett crash land in Tibet after stealing some bacteriological material from a Chinese military laboratory. They are rescued by an aged Tibetan race, from an unknown civilisation living among the snow caped peaks of the Himalayas. They endowed the three agents with special powers including - superior strength, heightened mental acuity, increased levels of psyhical endurance and a shared telepathic link between them. The three must use their powers to escape the pursuing Chinese, who capture Craig and Sharron. Richard searches for the Tibetan priest who gave them the powers wanting to find out more about their new bodies and minds, and how they should properly use them.

This is obviously the episode which sets up the entire series. It introduces the characters, the organisation they work for, and most important, this episode explains how they become superhumans. We see the three agents come together as a team for the first time when Sharron joins Craig and Richard on her first mission for Nemesis. She is there as the bacteriological expert, who helps the "hardened agents" (as Richard describes themselves). While the agents are on the plane, with Craig flying, Richard asks Sharron why she has joined Nemesis. She replies saying that she wants experience, she has taken many courses (medical, biological and others) and she wanted to go on a mission, out into the field. She also wondered whether she would be scared on the mission, but she is surprised at how well she is coping.

Tremayne is first seen as a tough man, dealing with the two military men who are involved in the mission. It seems that neither the US or French governments could not succeed in aquiring the bacteria samples through their own forces, so Nemesis was called on to do the job. Nemesis is clearly an agency working for NATO interests, it is not a non-political organisation. Tremayne firmly states that he is in charge of Nemesis and he therefore has the option to do whatever he wants during the mission.

The agents after they wake up from the crash notice that they are surprisingly well considering the ordeal they have just been through. Thier injuries have been healed, due to an operation, and they have no idea what happened. While Craig and Sharron decide to complete the mission, Richard is more concerned with what happened to them, and sets off to find the people who rescued them. It is when Richard finally meets the Tibetan priest that we know how different the trio have become.

The Tibetan priest explains to Richard what has happened:

"Our treatment did more than mend you bodies. It improved them, it transformed the efficiency of your minds and senses. You have unbelievable strength, you have the power to see and hear far more than you can imagine. There has been a sharpening of reason, and of all your faculties. You look doubtful, but you will come to realise the truth of what I'm telling you. But remember, these talents are not automatic, you must learn to use them just like children learn to use theirs, moreover, you will make mistakes, in fact you are still human, superhuman perhaps, but not infallible and not immortal."

Not only is this episode the most important of the series, in regards to premise and characters, it is also a great story. The whole episode from beginning to end is exciting and extremely interesting. A very unique episode which stands out as one of the best of the entire series.

Felix Aylmer
Kenneth J. Warren
Joseph Furst
Eric Young
Burt Kwouk Tibetan Priest
Whittaker
Chislenkan
Ho Ling
Chinese major