Captain Scarlet and Captain Black

[Elentari]

Sorry Lady P, I'm afraid they don't.

Just as well really. I'd rather have military competence over a pretty face and broad shoulders any day!

[Marion]

I'd rather have military competence over a pretty face and broad shoulders any day!

That rather puts the mockers on captain Magenta's chance of promotion then!

[Sage]

LOL aww bless, he's not so bad really. He must have other talents.

[Parker Gabriel]

"In peace time you do have to spend a minimum amount of time in each rank before being eligible for promotion (and by eligible I mean you have to have passed certain courses, get good reports from your superiors that state among other things that you are fit to be promoted etc etc).

In war time however, field promotions could fast track a soldier/sailor/airman up the ranks. However, some of those promotions might only be acting positions and the person may, depending on the circumstances, eventually revert back to his/her substantive rank."

Most of the "lost" period between 2025 and 2068 can be presumed to be war-torn, and especially casualty-heavy at that, and the majority of these field promotions probably ended up NOT being ONLY acting promotions as a result; their recipients most likely ended up keeping these as their substantive ranks.

Such sound like they were the cases with both Colonel Paul Metcalfe, now Captain Scarlet, and Colonel Conrad Turner, who served a whole year as Captain Black, training new recruits, before he assumed command of the second Zero-X Mission; the first having been conducted in 2028. (AND before he ended up touching off the Mysterons's war of nerves.)

[chrisbishop]

The official chronology (as official as it could be, anyway, but taking into account that it's supposed to be based on official sources) doesn't report the period between 2025 and 2068 as being a 'lost' period - but then, I'm not quite sure what you mean exactly by lost period.

Instead:

08-04-2028: The “great” atomic war of Europe begins, due to an accidental breakdown of communications between countries. Only tactical nuclear weapons were used, and it lasted 6 years, from 2028 to 2034. The state of Bereznik was carved out of civil-war torn central Europe (covering the areas of eastern Germany (which was split by war in 1991, with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia at odds with each other), Czechoslovakia (which was split by break up of USSR in the early 1990s into the Czech Republic and Slovenia), the Ukraine and Poland, though Russia was not involved). Britain becomes a military dictatorship.

I think the 'military dictatorship' in Britain comes from the Agent 21 strip - I know we have a few experts on this subject on this forum, so they can correct me if I'm wrong or confirm this.

A European treaty is signed 01-02-2034, which ends the Atomic war in Europe.

In 2042, there's the Islandic Dispute and the Panama Ithsmus rebellion, in which the British Navy or at least Charles Grey - was involved.

A little further down on the chronology table:

23-06-2045: World Government is formed as a result of the atomic war of Europe, the war lasts 6 years; 2028-2034, but Bereznik, Porto Guava, Tong Viet ken, the United Asiatic Republic and Britain decide not to join. The World Security Patrol is also formed with the World Space Patrol, World Navy, World Army, World Air-Force, and Universal Secret Service.First World President Nikita Bandranaik takes offices, 2045-2066, in which he serves 3 terms of 7 years each. The Space Patrol becomes the World Space Patrol, and the World Intelligence Network joins the Universal Secret Service.

December 2046 and January 2047 has the Civil War erupting in Britain, with the rebels ending up victorious.

So maybe, like in all eras, there had been hot spots around the world, where the population has been torned with war, but in general, the above table seems to indicate that the World is relatively at peace. War can also assume forms other than what we traditionally know of it - such as terrorism, amongst others probably. Paul Metcalfe - and others - probably made their marks in this period of time, in those hot spots that we know nothing of - and that we can only imagine might resemble what's going on in some parts of today's world.

January 2065: The Spectrum organisation is finally put down on paper, conceived as a force to take “pressure” off Earth’s other peace keeping organisations. Though presumably the World Government had been considering spectrum for some time, as the SPVs were under construction from 2064.

So that's what Spectrum was up to, before they were given the rather doubtful 'privliege' to take care of this whole, dirty, Mysteron mess!

[Intensity Angel]

Right,

OS: I could imagine Scarlet and Black having a conversation but not being really pally like Scarlet is with Blue. If Scarlet was hurt during training (pre Mysterons making an appearance), I could see Black showing concern for him and then getting Scarlet some help. Then again vice versa but Black refusing and telling scarlet off.

CG: The pair are the best of friends before Mysteronization. You can tell they would likely spend their off duty time together. Like brothers I'd say.

[Parker Gabriel]

The Colonel wrote, in the beginning of May of last year:

"The official chronology (as official as it could be, anyway, but taking into account that it's supposed to be based on official sources) doesn't report the period between 2025 and 2068 as being a 'lost' period--but then, I'm not quite sure what you mean exactly by lost period."

Excellent point, Colonel. What I originally meant by "lost" period, in my earlier message, was that period which I did not actually see covered in any of the known super-marionation programmes, and as the bulk of your message said, quoting the annuals, it was indeed a war-torn one.

I hope this explanation suffices!