The Mysterons - First Contact

[Marion]

I know I'm being a little lazy here, but I haven't the time to check the TV shows right now and I'm stuck mid-fiction .
Can anyone tell me the answers to these questions?
1. Does Spectrum see what happens on Mars when Black destroys the Mysteron city? I can't remember if they see it 'live' - as it were - or if they discover what happened when the Zero X returned to Earth.
2. The exact words of the Mysteron's announcement on Mars - where they say they've been watching us - and so forth. Do they say that their retaliation will be slow and none the less effective at this point?

I'm talking Classic CS , not NCS here, if that isn't apparent...

Thanks in adavance!

[Kambei]

Seeing that it is you, Marion, I have put my DVD Part 1 into the player:

1) I don't think that we are ever told. I would presume that the Mysterons recorded the incident and transmitted it to Spectrum to underline why they were retaliating. Or it could just be that the Zero-X crew told Spectrum what had happened. Which makes me wonder: What happened to those two crewmembers after they got back to Earth?

2) I will break this down:

A) Zero-X Approaching the city: "The first of the Earth space travellers have arrived. They too have a curiosity about the universe we live in. We must welcome them. Let us take a closer look."
B) After Black orders the destruction and the Retrometabolism: "Earthmen. We are peaceful beings and you have tried to destroy us, but you cannot succeed. You and you're people will pay for this act of agression. This is the voice of the Mysterons. We know that you can hear us Earthmen. Our retaliation will be slow but nonetheless effective. It will mean the ultimate destruction of life on Earth. It will be useless for you to resist. We have discovered the secret of reversing matter, as you have just witnessed. One of you will be under our control. You will be instrumental in avenging the Mysterons. Our first act of retaliation will be to assassinate your World President."

I took this down verbatim while watching the first episode.

[shaqui]

Black ordered radio silence (or something like that) when they spot the Mysteron Complex, and while not strictly canon it is implied by TV21 that contact is lost at this point. The mini-album Introducing Captain Scarlet states the first Mysteron threat is 'heard all over the world', so there must have been a lot of puzzled and worried looks when Spectrum, monitoring the transmissions up to the point the complex is seen, put two and two together with the broadcast scant minutes later...

Even Front Page, which acted as a prelude to Captain Scarlet is unclear on the matter of the two co-astronauts, but does explain how Captain Black escaped after the return of Zero X to Glenn Field.

[chrisbishop]

As it was an exploration vehicle, one might think that the MEV probably was equiped with at least one or many camera, to record whatever they would find for further analysis. One could also imagine that the Zero-X craft was also equiped with such devised, on ground and/or on orbit. They might have been a relay from the MEV to the craft, which ensured that the recording was kept safe.

[Marion]

Thanks Kambei and Shaqui - I appreciate the information very much. I guess I can go with the idea that no one knew what had happened until the Mysterons broadcast their first threat/message. I wonder how widespread the broadcast really was...?
That solves one problem , but now I think I have a hiccough in my plotline....

Chris - you snuck your suggestion in as I was typing!

[DartBrat701]

Is it also possible that, the Mysterons could have destroyed the original MEV, soon after they retrometabolized their own complex, and sent Black back to Zero-X, in a duplicate MEV? (minus the recorded data from the original vehicle)

I know it sounds a little far-fetched, but it's an interesting hypothesis!

[Marion]

ooooooooooooooooooh, nice one
Never thought of that before.... can I pinch it?
[always assuming I actually get that far in my story, of course... ]