JAMES BONDOOGLE
Real Name: James Bondoogle
Identity/Class: Extradimensional/alternate reality
(Earth-88131) extraterrestrial (Melmacian)
Occupation: Secret agent (identity publicly
known)
Group Membership: C.O.U.S.I.N. (Central
Organization for Undermining, Sabotaging & Infiltrating in a Nice
way)
Affiliations: Commander-in-Chef of
C.O.U.S.I.N., Gordon Shumway (later ALF) (all Earth-88131)
Enemies: Dr. No-Salt, Modjob,
Moldfinger (all Earth-88131)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: 007-11
Base of Operations: Mobile on Melmac
(Earth-88131)
First Appearance: ALF#16/2 (June, 1989)
Powers/Abilities: James Bondoogle is an
accomplished and experienced spy and armed government agent whose role
is to take down international
threats. Suave and overly confident, he is quick to learn assorted
gadgets from his government agency. Despite being a "secret" agent, he
has a recognizable face, which appeals to his vanity.
Height: 4'5"
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Black
Hair: White fur
History:
(ALF#16/2 (fb) - BTS) - James Bondoogle became the
greatest secret agent of planet Melmac's spy agency C.O.U.S.I.N. (Central
Organization for Undermining, Sabotaging & Infiltrating in a Nice
way). Alongside Liverwursula Andress, he battled Dr. No-Salt in an
early adventure.
(ALF#16/2 (fb)) - Bondoogle engaged Moldfinger in an
aerial "catfight" (i.e., dogfight) but his jet-ship was destroyed.
Passing
nearby, orbit guard Gordon Shumway (later known as ALF) rescued
Bondoogle as he parachuted down and quickly recognized the would-be
secret agent. Bondoogle used C.O.U.S.I.N. authority to order
Shumway's assistance to apprehend the diabolical Moldfinger and his
hippy bodyguard Modjob, and they tracked the fiend to the giant fish
warehouse Fort Lox. The duo found Moldfinger gloating over his plans
and Bondoogle prepared to use his combination gadget pen. Modjob was
too quick and flung his deadly hat at the secret agent, knocking him
out. The villains departed as Shumway picked up the pen, but his
fumbling alerted the foes and they rushed at him. Shumway found the
hidden grenade launcher but fired it desperately at close range,
injuring them all. The villains were incarcerated while Bondoogle and
Shumway recovered in hospital. C.O.U.S.I.N. later awarded Shumway with
its highest non-union member award as thanks.
(ALF#16/2 (fb) - BTS) - Bondoogle likely perished with destruction of Melmac many years later.
(ALF#16/2) - Much later on Earth, ALF recounted his
adventure to his human friend Willie Tanner.
Comments:
James Bondoogle is, of course, a parody of enduring fictional action character British secret agent James Bond, codenamed 007. Bond had all manner of nifty but oft-dangerous gadgets. Bondoogle's membership of C.O.U.S.I.N. is a reference to "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." American TV spy series (U.N.C.L.E. stood for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement), which first appeared in 1964. Interestingly, Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D (originally Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division) first appeared in 1965. (N.B., Bondoogle should not be confused with Maxwell Smart, agent of CONTROL, from TV show "Get Smart" (1965-1970)). Moldfinger is a parody of Bond villain Goldfinger, while Modjob is a parody of Goldfinger's enforcer Oddjob and his deadly hat. A side note: Marvel published a James Bond movie adaptation and an original series James Bond Jr. (based on the animated series) in 1992. Aaaand before anybody writes in (using a weaponized laptop), Bondoogle's codenumber 007-11 incorporates Bond's codenumber plus a reference to the international convenience store chain 7-11.
It's implied that Bondoogle was recognizable from films when he cites ALF-parody versions of several James Bond films, namely "Man with the Golden Gums", "On Her Majesty's Table Service" and "From Russian Dressing with Love."
I wrote "Bondoogle likely perished with destruction
of Melmac many years later." ...unless he was on a Chinese space
shuttle mission "Mooncaker"...!
The Moldfinger
story and Goldfinger movie plots share similarities; Moldfinger planned
to decompose food at Fort Lox and make it inedible while Goldfinger
intended to irradiate gold at Fort Knox and make it worthless for
decades.
Bondoogle is a play on the word "boondoggle" -- which
relates to a waste of resources (although its
history apparently began
as the opposite).
Like several Melmacian parodies of Earth characters (such as Gornan, Prof. Charles Xylophone's X-Melmen and Oucho Melmarx), I think there was still room for another Bondoogle adventure, but alas no. "The Pie Who Stuffed Me"? "Hot Dogs Are Forever" (sung by Surely Pastey)? "Casino Royale with Cheese"? "Chicken Thigh Another Day" (basted, not burned)? Double-0 Breaden & "No Time to Rye" or "No Time to Fry"? Hmm, maybe Dr. No More Puns Please! K.
Of minor interest is that Moldfinger is a "mutant",
but Professor X's X-Melmen are introduced as "Melmutants" just 6 issues
later.
Further details on the Melmacian alien species (according to the ALF television show) can be found on a Melmac fansite. No problem!
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
James Bondoogle has no known connections to:
The hippy Modjob was Moldfinger's loyal bodyguard,
armed with an aged and unwashed top hat whose fumes were lethal and
which could be hurled like a discus. He accompanied Moldfinger to the
giant fish warehouse where Moldfinger plotted to launch his attack, but
Melmac's premier super-spy James Bondoogle, assisted by Gordon Shumway
(later known as ALF), intervened. Modjob knocked out Bondoogle with his
hat, intending that his hat's fumes would choke the spy, but Shumway
grabbed the spy's pen gadget and launched its mini grenade launcher at
close range, injuring all. The two villains were arrested and jailed.
--ALF#16/2
The fiendish Moldfinger has the mutant ability to
decompose food with his right pointer finger's touch. Spoiled as a
child, he sought
to spoil others' food on a quest for world domination. Melmac's premier
super-spy James Bondoogle attempted to stop him but was shot out of the
sky. Not long after, with his bodyguard Modjob, Moldfinger launched his
attack at Melmac's largest fish warehouse Fort Lox. Bondoogle, assisted
by Gordon Shumway (later known as ALF), tried to stop him again. Modjob
knocked Bondoogle out as ordered, but Shumway grabbed the spy's pen
gadget and launched its mini grenade launcher at close range, injuring
all. The two villains were arrested with Moldfinger forced to help at a
penicillin factory.
--ALF#16/2
images:
(without ads)
ALF#16/2, p5, pan1 (main image)
p4, pan5 (headshot with gadget)
p5, pan1 (Modjob)
p4, pan4 (Moldfinger)
Appearances:
ALF#16/2 (June, 1989) - Michael Gallagher (writer), David Manak
(pencils), Marie Severin (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)
First posted: 02/007/2024
Last updated:
02/007/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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