General X is a mysterious man who briefly appears in Martian Invasion.
During the episode, he comes to visit the Hood at his temple. The Hood offers him the illicit film of International Rescue in exchange for $200 million.
Biography[]
The Chase[]
After filming an entire rescue operation, the Hood sets off in his six-wheeled jeep. However, Scott Tracy spots him and asks Goldheimer who it is. Goldheimer looks with binoculars and says he doesn't recognise that guy, and hasn't seen him in his life before. Scott sets off after him in Thunderbird 1, while the Hood lets General X know that he has the film in a can with him.
Scott quickly catches up to him in his jeep and tells him through Thunderbird 1's loudspeaker: "You down there – this is International Rescue. I'm requesting you to stop and hand over the film of the rescue operation. Now do as I ask! Please!" The Hood, however, completely ignores him and drives on. After a couple of seconds, Scott then tells him: "If you don't hand over the film now I'm gonna have to use more persuasive methods. I'll give you the count of five. One! Two! Three! (to himself): This guy's not gonna stop! Four!"
Before Scott can get to five, the Hood takes a sharp turn left. Scott didn't see that one coming, and as his landing legs narrowly miss the ground, he says: "Darn it!", and quickly catches up with the Hood. The Hood turns to his left and notices Thunderbird 1. Scott then tells himself: "Well perhaps a couple of warning shots will make him change his mind." He then lowers the cockpit-mounted 20mm swivel machine cannon and fires for a couple of seconds. It doesn't stop The Hood, but it causes his jeep's tyres to screech.
Scott then says to himself: "This guy means business! I'm really gonna have to give it to him!" He then tells The Hood: "This is your last chance! Either you stop now or you'll get shot to pieces!" Because he hasn't stopped, Scott says: "Okay, buddy! You asked for it." He then fires the 20mm swivel machine cannon again, but the Hood enters the road tunnel and Scott contacts base because he lost him. Gordon suggests that Virgil could take care of the other end. The Hood calls General X, and he tells the Hood that he should have got his film by now. When the Hood tells him that he needs to shake off International Rescue first. General X gets cross and threatens him with ending the agreement if the film isn't in his hands within the hour.
The Hood heads out the south end of the tunnel, but Virgil Tracy has got to that end first, and fires two missiles at a mountain, hoping to trap him by causing a landslide. Fortunately, the Hood abandons his jeep and gets in a plane at a nearby airfield, but he doesn't know that the plane is faulty.
General X's Communication console
Virgil spots him leaving in the plane and gets the plane registration number. Things go okay at first, but then when he loses height, the Hood doesn't understand how to deal with it and presses buttons at random hoping to get the plane up. He narrowly misses General X's Mansion and tells him that he will be making a different approach. Then, the cockpit fills with smoke and The Hood coughs and expresses that he can't see, before finally crashing into a second-story window at the front of General X's house. Scott calls the chase off, stating that the film couldn't have survived the crash.
Trivia[]
- When he is seen behind the blue curtain at the Hood's temple, the puppet used is the one that also played Mr. Stutt in the same episode. When he is sitting in his chair at home, he is played by a different puppet (one with light grey hair).
- Although he is called "General X" on-screen, his name is "General Strond" in the script.