Nick Carter-Killmaster

Nick Carter-Killmaster is a series of spy adventures published from 1964 until the late 1990s, first by Award Books, then by Ace Books, and finally by Jove Books. At least 261 novels were published.

No actual author is credited for the books, with the Nick Carter name being used as a house pseudonym. Volumes varied between first person and third person narrative. Authors known to have contributed entries in the series are Michael Avallone, Valerie Moolman, Manning Lee Stokes and Martin Cruz Smith.

The title character of the series serves as Agent N3 of AXE, a fictional spy agency for the United States government. The novels are similar to the literary James Bond novels - low on gadgets, high on action. Sexual encounters in particular are described in detail.

The Character

The definitive description of Nicholas J. Huntington Carter is given in the first novel in the series Run, Spy, Run. Carter is tall (over 6 feet / 1.83 m), lean and handsome with a classic profile and magnificently muscled body. He has wide-set steel gray eyes that are icy, cruel and dangerous. He is hard-faced, with a firm straight mouth, laugh-lines around the eyes, and a firm cleft chin. His hair is thick and dark. He has a small tattoo of a blue axe on the inside right lower arm near the elbow - the ultimate ID for an AXE agent. At least one novel states that the tattoo glows in the dark. Carter also has a knife scar on the shoulder, a shrapnel scar on the right thigh. He has a sixth sense for danger.

Carter practices yoga for at least 15 minutes a day. Carter has a prodigious ability for learning foreign languages. He is fluent in English (his native tongue), French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Putonghua (Mandarin), Russian and Spanish. He has basic skills in Arabic, Romansch, Swahili, Turkish and Vietnamese.

The name Nick Carter was acknowledged by the series as having been inspired by the early 20th century pulp fiction detective of the same name in the 100th Killmaster volume (labelled Nick Carter 100) which included an essay on the earlier Nick Carter and included a Nick Carter detective short story alongside a Killmaster adventure.

Weapons and paraphernalia

Nick Carter uses three main weapons during the course of the series, all of which are named, and have histories. The gun, Wilhelmina, is a stripped down German Luger. In the earliest stories, Carter got the gun off a German officer during a harrowing mission during World War II. Later stories state that he has had a series of Lugers, all named Wilhelmina. The knife, Hugo, is a pearl-handled 400-year-old stiletto crafted by Benvenuto Cellini. The blade retracts into the handle, and the whole thing is worn on a special sheath on the wrist, designed to release the knife into the user's hand with a simple muscle contraction. The third member of the triad is Pierre, a poison gas bomb, which is a small egg-shaped device, usually carried in a pocket but sometimes as a "third testicle" at his scrotum. Activated with a simple twist, it would, within seconds, kill anybody, or anything, that breathed its odorless and colorless gas.

Carter often takes with him other weapons as the mission demands. These have included:

• Cousin of Pierre - a smaller version of Pierre the poison gas bomb that can be concealed even more easily - described in The China Doll;
• Fang - a poison-tipped needle worn on a concealed index finger cap described in Saigon;
• Pepito - a non-lethal stun grenade used in Checkmate in Rio.
• Tiny Tim - a nuclear grenade "containing half a grain of sand of fissionable matter" used in Istanbul

Carter has used a variety of equipment in the novels most of which have nicknames. These have included:

• Antonio Moreno - a lifelike facemask made of a latex substance called Lastotex (apparently named after Antonio Moreno the 1920s silent movie star);
• Gladstone - a rhino hide suitcase with multiple concealed compartments;
• Oscar Johnson - a small radio transmitter (it is unclear if it is named after Oscar Johnson, a baseball player active in the 1920s and 1930s, or Oscar G. Johnson the World War II Medal of Honor recipient;
• Quantity K - a powerful acid strong enough to destroy evidence/documents;
• Singing Sam – a radio receiver concealed in electric razor/electric toothbrush used in Istanbul

AXE

The agency Carter works for is described as being smaller and far more secret than the CIA, mostly concerned with assassinations. In the first novel of the series, Run, Spy, Run, AXE is described as "the trouble-shooting arm of the US secret services". AXE headquarters are located in the 6th floor offices of a building in DuPont Circle, Washington, DC under the cover of the Amalgamated Press and Wire Service. AXE is purported to contain several different departments with specific functions including Editing (later called "Special Effects and Editing") - headed by Mr. Poindexter - which, among other things, creates false biographies for agents and provides appropriate props (e.g. fake latex fingerprints); Documents - whose role is to plant stories in the media to support specific activities and create false identification and travel documents; Records - which provides background information on suspects; and Operations - which provides logistic support for specific missions. AXE has a branch office near Columbus Circle, New York and affiliate offices in countries around the world.

Agents are given code designations; Carter's N3, which has at least once been stated as standing for Number three, identifies him as one of the elite Killmasters. The meaning of the code N3 is described differently in different novels - sometimes it is Carter's personal designation, other times it is considered a rank, with N1 being the highest, in other novels we are told that Carter is the third Killmaster to have worked for AXE with both his predecessors having been killed in action. David Hawk, described in early novels as looking a lot like Uncle Sam, is the head of AXE and Carter's personal boss. Della Strokes, Hawk's personal secretary, is a character similar to Bond's Miss Moneypenny - flirtatious but serious. Ginger Bateman is Hawk's personal secretary in later novels. Pointdexter, AXE's equivalent to Q, runs the Special Effects and Editing department, in charge of weapons, gadgets, disguises, and papers.

AXE Agents

In the first novel in the series (Run, Spy, Run), AXE is described as comprising 24 agents. They are identified by alphanumeric code. The following agents / codes have been described:
A4 Unnamed (mentioned in "Fraulein Spy")
A12 using pseudonym "Alfred" (mentioned in "Fraulein Spy")
A24 Unnamed (mentioned in "Run, Spy, Run")
B12 Unnamed but further nicknamed "Vitamin" (mentioned in "Fraulein Spy")
C4 Unnamed (mentioned in "Fraulein Spy")
E14 Red Turner (mentioned in "A Bullet for Fidel")
K7 Unnamed (mentioned in "Run, Spy, Run")
J2 Unnamed - briefs Carter on his trip to Japan (mentioned in "The China Doll")
N1 Stuart Hample (mentioned in "The Peking Dossier (1975)")
N1 David Hawk (in "Trouble in Paradise (1978)")
N1 Theodore Salonikos (dies in "Hide And Go Die (1983)")
N3 Nick Carter
N5 McLaughlin (mentioned in "Dr. Death (1975)")
N6 Joe Banks (stated dead in "Six Bloody Summer Days (1975)")
N7 (stated dead in "Hide And Go Die (1983)")
N12 John Sparks (mentioned in "Under the Wall (1978)") (stated dead in "Hide And Go Die (1983)")
N17 Dennis Gordon (dies in "The Golden Bull (1981)")
N17 Bill Qualley (mentioned in "Hide And Go Die (1983)")
N30 Kiki Pederson (dies in "Trouble in Paradise (1978)")
P3 David Trainor (murdered in "A Bullet for Fidel")
P4 Unnamed, described as a mole in the Kremlin (mentioned in "Safari for Spies")

Novels

N.B. the listing here is in series order (not necessarily by publication date, which is given)

1. Run, Spy, Run (Feb 1964) by Michael Avallone/Valerie Moolman
2. China Doll (Apr 1964) by Michael Avallone/Valerie Moolman
3. Checkmate in Rio (May 1964) by Valerie Moolman
4. Safari for Spies (Aug 1964) by Valerie Moolman
5. Fraulein Spy (Oct 1964) by Valerie Moolman
6. Saigon (Dec 1964) by Michael Avallone/Valerie Moolman
7. A Bullet for Fidel (Mar 1965) by Valerie Moolman
8. The 13th Spy (May 1965) by Valerie Moolman
9. The Eyes of the Tiger (Sept 1965) by Manning Lee Stokes
10. Istanbul (Oct 1965) by Manning Lee Stokes
11. Web of Spies (Jan 1966) by Manning Lee Stokes
12. Spy Castle (Jan 1966) by Manning Lee Stokes
13. The Terrible Ones (May 1966) by Valerie Moolman
14. Dragon Flame (1966) by Manning Lee Stokes
15. Hanoi (1966) by Valerie Moolman
16. Danger Key (1968) by Lew Louderback
17. Operation Starvation (1968) by Nicholas Brown
18. The Mind Poisoners (1966) by Lionel White/Valerie Moolman
19. The Weapon of Night (1967) by Valerie Moolman
20. The Golden Serpent (1967) by Manning Lee Stokes
21. Mission to Venice (1967) by Manning Lee Stokes
22. Double Identity (1967) by Manning Lee Stokes
23. Devil's Cockpit (1967) by Manning Lee Stokes
24. The Chinese Paymaster (1967) by Nicholas Brown
25. Seven Against Greece (1967) by Nicholas Brown
26. A Korean Tiger (1967) by Manning Lee Stokes
27. Assignment: Israel (1967) by Manning Lee Stokes
28. The Red Guard (1967) by Manning Lee Stokes
29. The Filthy Five (1967) by Manning Lee Stokes
30. The Bright Blue Death (1968) by Nicholas Brown
31. Macao (1968) by Manning Lee Stokes
32. Operation: Moon Rocket (1968) by Lew Louderback
33. Judas Spy (1968) by William L Rhodes
34. Hood of Death (1968) by William L Rhodes
35. Temple Of Fear (1968) by Manning Lee Stokes
36. Amsterdam (1968) by William L Rhodes
37. 14 Seconds to Hell (1968) by Jon Messmann
38. The Defector (1969) by George Snyder
39. Carnival for Killing (1969) by Jon Messmann
40. Rhodesia (1969) by William L Rhodes
41. The Red Rays (1969) by Manning Lee Stokes
42. Peking-Tulip Affair (1969) by Arnold Marmor
43. The Amazon (1969) by Jon Messmann
44. Sea Trap (1969) by Jon Messmann
45. Berlin (1969) by Jon Messmann
46. The Human Time Bomb (1969) by William L Rhodes
47. The Cobra Kill (1969) by Manning Lee Stokes
48. The Living Death (1969) by Jon Messmann
49. Operation Che Guevara (1969) by Jon Messmann
50. The Doomsday Formula (1969) by Jon Messmann
51. Operation Snake (1969) by Jon Messmann
52. The Casbah Killers (1969) by Jon Messmann
53. The Arab Plague (a.k.a. The Slavemaster in U.K.) (1970) By Jon Messmann
54. Red Rebellion (1970) By Jon Messmann
55. The Executioners (1971) By Jon Messmann
56. Black Death (1970)By Manning Lee Stokes
57. Mind Killers (1970) By Jon Messmann
58. Time Clock of Death (1970) By George Snyder
59. Cambodia (1970) By George Snyder
60. The Death Strain (1970) By Jon Messmann
61. Jewel of Doom (1970) By George Snyder
62. Moscow (1970) By George Snyder
63. Ice Bomb Zero (1971) By George Snyder
64. Mark of Cosa Nostra (1971) By George Snyder
65. The Cairo Mafia (1972) By Ralph Eugene Hayes
66. Inca Death Squad (1972) by Martin Cruz Smith
67. Assault on England (1972) By Ralph Eugene Hayes
68. The Omega Terror (1972) By Ralph Eugene Hayes
69. Code Name: Werewolf (1973)By Martin Cruz Smith
70. Strike Force Terror (1973) By Ralph Eugene Hayes
71. Target: Doomsday Island (1973) By Ralph Hubbard
72. Night of the Avenger (1973) By Chet Cunningham
73. Butcher of Belgrade (1973) By Ralph Eugene Hayes / Larry Powell
74. Assassination Brigade (1973) By Thomas Chastain
75. The Liquidator (1973) By Ralph Hubbard
76. The Devil's Dozen (1973) by Martin Cruz Smith
77. The Code (1973) By Larry Powell
78. Agent Counter-Agent (1975) By Ralph Eugene Hayes
79. Hour of the Wolf (1973) By Jeffrey Wallman
80. Our Agent in Rome is Missing (1973) By Al Hine
81. The Kremlin File (1973) By Willis T Ballard
82. Spanish Connection (1973) By Bruce Cassidy
83. Death's Head Conspiracy (1973) By Robert Colby
84. The Peking Dossier (1973) By By Linda Stewart
85. Ice-trap Terror (1974) By Jeffrey Wallman
86. Assassin: Code Name Vulture (1974) By Ralph Eugene Hayes
87. Massacre in Milan (1974) By Al Hine
88. Vatican Vendetta (1974) by George Snyder / Ralph Eugene Hayes
89. Sign of the Cobra (1974) By James Fritxhand
90. The Man Who Sold Death (1974) By Lawrence VanGelder
91. The N3 Conspiracy (1974) By Dennis Lynds
92. Beirut Incident (1974) By Forrest V Perrin
93. Death of the Falcon (1974) By Jim Bowser
94. The Aztec Avenger (1974) By Saul Wernick
95. The Jerusalem File (1975) By Linda Stewart
96. Counterfeit Agent (1975) By Douglas Marland
97. Six Bloody Summer Days (1975) By DeWitt S Copp
98. The Katmandu Contract (1975) By Jim Bowser
99. The Z Document (1975) By Homer H Morris
100. Dr. Death (1975) By Craig Nova
101. The Ultimate Code (1975) By William Odell
102. Death Message: Oil 74-2 (1976) By Dee Stuart / Ansel Chapin
103. The List (1976) By Jim Bowser
104. The Fanatics of Al Asad (1976) By Saul Wernick
105. Assignment: Intercept (1976) By Mariln Granbeck
106. Green Wolf Connection (1976) By Dennis Lynds
107. The Snake Flag Conspiracy (1976) By Saul Wernick
108. The Turncoat (1976) By Leon Lazarus
109. The Sign of the Prayer Shawl (1976) by David Hagberg
110. The Vulcan Disaster (1976) By George Warren
111. A High Yield in Death (1976) By Jim Bowser
112. The Nichovev Plot (1976) By Craig Nova
113. Triple Cross (1976) By Dennis Lynds
114. The Gallagher Plot (1976) By Saul Wernick
115. Plot for the Fourth Reich (1977) By Bob Latona
116. Revenge of the Generals (1978) By Saul Wernick
117. Under the Wall (1978) By DeWitt S Copp
118. The Ebony Cross (1978) By Jack Canon
119. Deadly Doubles (1978) By Lawrence VanGelder
120. Race of Death (1978) by David Hagberg
121. Trouble in Paradise (1978) By Robert Derek Steeley
122. Pamplona Affair (1978) By Dee Stuart/Ansel Chapin
123. The Doomsday Spore (1979) By George Warren
124. The Asian Mantrap (1979) By William Odell
125. Thunderstrike in Syria (1979) By Joseph Rosenberger
126. The Redolmo Affair (1979) By Jack Canon
127. The Jamaican Exchange (1979) By Leon Lazarus
128. Tropical Deathpact (1979) By Bob Stokesberry
129. The Pemex Chart (1979) By Dwight V Swain
130. Hawaii (1979) By Daniel C Prince
131. The Satan Trap (1979) By Jack Canon
132. Reich Four (1979) By Fred Huber
133. The Nowhere Weapon (1979) By William Odell
134. Strike Of The Hawk (Jan 1980) By Joseph L Gilmore
135. Day Of The Dingo (Apr 1980) By John Stevenson
136. And Next The King (May 1980) Steve Simmons
137. Tarantula Strike (Jun 1980) By Dan Reardon
138. Ten Times Dynamite (Jul 1980) By Frank Adduci jr
139. Eighth Card Stud (Aug 1980) by Robert E. Vardeman
140. Suicide Seat (Sept 1980) By George Warren
141. Death Mission: Havana (Oct 1980) By Ron Felber
142. War From The Clouds (Nov 1980) By Joseph L Gilmore
143. Turkish Bloodbath (Dec 1980) By Jerry Ahern
144. The Coyote Connection (Feb 1981) By Bill Crider/Jack Davis
145. The Q Man (Mar 1981) By John Stevenson
146. The Society Of Nine (Apr 1981) By Jack Canon
147. The Ouster Conspiracy (May 1981) by David Hagberg
148. The Golden Bull (Jun 1981) By John Stevenson
149. The Dubrovnik Massacre (Jul 1981) By Henry Rasof/Stephen Williamson
150. The Solar Menace (Aug 1981) by Robert E. Vardeman
151. The Strontium Code (Sept 1981) by David Hagberg
152. Pleasure Island (Oct 1981) By Robert J Randisi
153. Cauldron Of Hell (Nov 1981) By Mike Jahn
154. The Parisian Affair (Dec 1981) By H Edward Husenburger
155. Chessmaster (Jan 1982) By Robert J Randisi
156. The Last Samurai (Feb 1982) Bruce Algozin
157. The Puppet Master (Mar 1982) by David Hagberg
158. The Dominican Affair (Mar 1982) by David Hagberg
159. The Damocles Threat (Mar 1982) by David Hagberg
160. Earth Shaker (Mar 1982) by Robert E. Vardeman
161. The Treason Game (Mar 1982) By Joseph L Gilmore
162. Deathlight (Mar 1982) by David Hagberg
163. The Israeli Connection (Mar 1982) By Robert Derek Steeley
164. Norwegian Typhoon (Apr 1982) by Robert E. Vardeman
165. The Hunter (May 1982) by David Hagberg
166. Operation: McMurdo Sound (Jun 1982) by David Hagberg
167. Appointment In Haiphong (Jul 1982) by David Hagberg
168. Retreat For Death (Aug 1982) by David Hagberg
169. The Mendoza Manuscript (Sep 1982) By Robert J Randisi
170. The Death Star Affair (Oct 1982) By Jack Canon
171. Doctor DNA (Nov 1982) by Robert E. Vardeman
172. The Christmas Kill (Dec 1982) By Joseph L Gilmore
173. The Greek Summit (Jan 1983) By Robert J Randisi
174. The Outback Ghosts (March 1983) by Robert E. Vardeman
175. Hide And Go Die (1983) By Jack Canon
176. The Kali Death Cult (May 1983) by Robert E. Vardeman
177. Operation Vendetta (1983) By Joseph L Gilmore
178. The Yukon Target (July 1983) by Robert E. Vardeman
179. The Death Dealer (1983) By Jack Canon
180. The Istanbul Decision (1983) by David Hagberg
181. The Decoy Hit (1983) By Robert J Randisi
182. Earthfire North (1983) by David Hagberg
183. The Budapest Run (1983) By Jack Canon
184. Caribbean Coup (1984) By Robert J Randisi
185. The Algarve Affair (1984) By Jack Canon
186. Zero-Hour Strike Force (1984) by David Hagberg
187. Operation Sharkbite (1984) By Jack Canon
188. Death Island (1984) by David Hagberg
189. Night of the Warheads (1984) By Jack Canon
190. Day of the Mahdi (1984) By Dennis Lynds
191. Assignment: Rio (1984) By Jack Canon
192. Death Hand Play (1984) by David Hagberg
193. The Kremlin Kill (1984) Jack Canon
194. The Mayan Connection (1984) ByDennis Lynds
195. San Juan Inferno (1984) By Joseph L Gilmore
196. Circle of Scorpions (1985) By Jack Canon
197. The Blue Ice Affair (1985) Ron Felber
198. The Macao Massacre (1985) By Jack Canon
199. Pursuit of the Eagle (1985) By Dennis Lynds
200. The Vengeance Game (1985) by David Hagberg
201. Last Flight to Moscow (1985) By Joseph L Gilmore
202. The Normandy Code (1985) By Jack Canon
203. White Death (1985) By Dennis Lynds
204. The Assassin Convention (1985) By Joseph L Gilmore
205. Blood of the Scimitar (1985) By Jack Canon
206. The Execution Exchange (1985) By Dennis Lynds
207. The Tarlov Cipher (1985) By Jack Canon
208. Target Red Star (1985) By Jack Canon
209. The Killing Ground (1985) by David Hagberg
210. The Berlin Target (1986) By Jack Canon
211. Mercenary Mountain (1986) By Dennis Lynds
212. Blood Ultimatum (1986) Ron Felber
213. The Cyclops Conspiracy (1986) Dennis Lynds
214. Tunnel for Traitors (1986) By Jack Canon
215. The Samurai Kill (1986) By Dennis Lynds
216. Terror Times Two (1986) By Jack Canon
217. Death Orbit (1986) by David Hagberg
218. Slaughter Day (1986) By Jack Canon
219. The Master Assassin (1986) By Dennis Lynds
220. Operation Petrograd (1986) By David Hagberg
221. Crossfire Red (1987) By Jack Canon
222. Blood of the Falcon (1987) By Dennis Lynds
223. Death Squad (1987) By Jack Canon
224. The Terror Code (1987) By Jack Canon
225. Holy War (1987) By Jack Canon
226. Blood Raid (1987) By Jack Canon
227. East of Hell (1987) by David Hagberg
228. Killing Games (1987) By Jack Canon
229. Terms of Vengeance (1987) By Jack Canon
230. Pressure Point (1987) By Jack Garside
231. Night of the Condor (1987)
232. The Poseidon Target (1987) By Jack Canon
233. The Andropov File (1988)
234. Dragonfire (1988) By David Hagberg
235. Bloodtrail to Mecca (1988)
236. Deathstrike (1988)
237. Lethal Prey (1988) By David Hagberg
238. Spykiller (1988) By David Hagberg
239. Bolivan Heat (1988)
240. The Rangoon Man (1988) By Jack Canon
241. Code Name Cobra (1988)
242. Afghan Intercept (1988)
243. Countdown to Armageddon (1988)
244. Black Sea Bloodbath (1988)
245. The Deadly Diva (1989) By Jack Canon
246. Invitation to Death (1989) By David Hagberg
247. Day of the Assassin (1989) Jack Canon
248. The Korean Kill (1989) Jack Canon
249. Middle East Massacre (1989)
250. Sanction to Slaughter (1989)
251. Holiday in Hell (1989)
252. Law of the Lion (1989)
253. Hong Kong Hit (1989)
254. Deep Sea Death (1989)
255. Arms of Vengeance (1989)
256. Hell-Bound Express (1989)
257. Isle of Blood (1989) Jack Canon
258. Singapore Sling (1990)
259. Ruby Red Death(1990)
260. Arctic Abduction (1990)
261. Dragon Slay (1990) By Jack Canon

See also

• Able Team
• The Butcher
• Death Merchant
• The Destroyer
• The Executioner
• The Penetrator
• Phoenix Force

References

• "Nick Carter bibliography". FantasticFiction. 2007. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/nick-carter/. Retrieved 2007-05-25.