Q (James Bond)

Q is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. Q (standing for Quartermaster), like M, is a job title rather than a name. He is the head of Q Branch (or later Q Division), the fictional research and development division of the British Secret Service. The character actually appears only fleetingly in Ian Fleming's novels, but comes into his own in the successful Bond film series; he is also mentioned in the continuation novels of John Gardner and Raymond Benson. The character of Q (although not always identified as such) has appeared in every 007 film apart from Live and Let Die and Casino Royale. Screenwriter of Quantum of Solace Paul Haggis confirmed that 'Q' is not included in the script. Casino Royale showcases a number of gadgets and sophisticated tools used by Bond, however the film does not indicate whether a Q Branch per se exists in the revised Bond universe.

Ian Fleming based the character of Q on Charles Fraser Smith, a real life engineer of gadgets for escaping servicemen during the Second World War.

Development

In Novel

The ancestry of the Q character is rather complicated. In the Fleming novels there are frequent references to Q and 'Q Branch' with phrases like "see Q for any equipment you need" (Casino Royale) and "Q Branch would handle all of that" (Diamonds are Forever), with a reference to "Q's craftsmen" in From Russia with Love. In the sixth novel, Dr. No, the service armourer Major Boothroyd appears for the first time. Fleming named the character after Geoffrey Boothroyd, a firearms expert who lived in Glasgow, Scotland. He had written to the novelist suggesting that Bond was not using the best firearms available. Boothroyd is also referenced occasionally in the Bond novels of John Gardner, but the author preferred instead to focus on a new character (see "Other Qs", below).

In Film

In the films, Major Boothroyd first appears in Dr. No and later in From Russia with Love, although played by different actors. Beginning in Goldfinger and in each film thereafter Major Boothroyd is most often referred to as Q, however, in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) he is referred once again as Major Boothroyd in dialogue. Some sources, most notably the 1980s James Bond 007 role-playing game suggested that Boothroyd's first name was Geoffrey (the real Boothroyd's given name), although no first name was ever mentioned in the novels or on screen. In the non-canonical James Bond Jr. cartoon series, Boothroyd's grandson was Horace Boothroyd III, suggesting that Major Boothroyd was also named Horace.

Peter Burton as Major Boothroyd (1962)

Q (Major Boothroyd)
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Affiliation	MI6

In the first film, Dr. No, Boothroyd is played by Peter Burton in only one scene in which he replaces Bond's Beretta .25 pistol with Bond's signature .32 Walther PPK handgun. The character later appeared in From Russia with Love played by Desmond Llewelyn, due to scheduling conflicts that kept Burton from reprising. Llewelyn continued to play the role in all Bond films, with the exception of Live and Let Die, through to his death in December 1999.

Featured in:

• Dr. No (1962)

Desmond Llewelyn as Q (1963–1999)

Q (Major Boothroyd)
File:Q by Desmond Llewelyn.jpg
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Affiliation	MI6

In the series, Boothroyd was preparing to retire during the events of The World Is Not Enough (1999) and has clearly retired by the time of Die Another Day (2002), but it was not indicated on screen whether the character has since died. In the PlayStation game 007 Racing (2000), however the character "R" (voiced by John Cleese) specifically says: "Q could drive better than that, and he's dead!" – a rather crude joke given the manner of Llewelyn's death.

In the James Bond films, the relationship between Q and Bond is one of fatherly exasperation ("Oh, grow up, 007!") met with adolescent indifference. The exception is during From Russia with Love, Llewelyn's Bond debut, in which he simply introduces the gadgets, then makes sure Bond knows how to work the booby-trapped briefcase catches. The relationship was established by director Guy Hamilton in Goldfinger, when he explained to Llewelyn that he didn't want Q to actually like Bond, since the agent tended to abuse and destroy Q's gadgets when in the field. Famously, he tells the agent, "I never joke about my work, 007" (a line referenced by his successor in Die Another Day).

However, on occasion, Q has shown a warm and fatherly concern for 007's welfare, such as at Bond's wedding in OHMSS, and when, at the behest of Miss Moneypenny, he secretly sneaks gadgets out of MI6 to help Bond survive his vendetta against the drug tyrant Sanchez in Licence to Kill. Arriving unannounced in Isthmus City (posing as Bond's Uncle – similar to how he posed as Bond's father in You Only Live Twice), he flatly tells the agent, "If it hadn't been for Q Branch, you'd have been dead years ago" – to which Bond has no answer. Respect seems to bloom between them, with Bond telling Q he is one "hell of a field agent" later in the film. This is also evident in GoldenEye when Q actually shares a joke with Bond for the first time, and when in The World Is Not Enough he reveals his plan to retire. Bond is clearly crestfallen at the thought, and Desmond Llewellyn's Q signs off with some touching last words of advice, "I've always tried to teach you two things: never let them see you bleed; and always have an escape plan" – before he is lowered out of view. In the novel of Goldfinger, the relationship between Bond and Q is more clearly defined, with Bond telling himself that he only tortures Q so badly because of their close friendship.

The gadgets Q supplies are almost invariably destroyed as a result of Bond's use of them, and Q is constantly exhorting Bond to take better care of them and to occasionally read the instruction manual. This may seem unfair, given the fact that many of them are designed to explode. Before introducing any new gadgets, Q often says: "Now pay attention, 007." Bond usually responds by displaying an instant mastery of whatever device Q hands to him. In addition to these scenes in his own hi-tech laboratories, Q occasionally meets Bond in the field to deliver some equipment or to personally handle some specialised devices to assist Bond. This occurs first in the film Thunderball, with Q himself somewhat excitedly commenting on the novelty of it. Later, however, it becomes the norm and goes so far as in Octopussy, where Q aids 007's getting onto the Octopus Cult's island and later gives some help in the final battle; and in the aforementioned Licence to Kill.

Featured in:

• From Russia with Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
  • This is the only time in which Q calls Bond "James", during the wedding scene with Tracy.
• Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
• The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
• Moonraker (1979)
• For Your Eyes Only (1981)
• Octopussy (1983)
• A View to a Kill (1985)
• The Living Daylights (1987)
• Licence to Kill (1989)
• GoldenEye (1995)
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
• The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Llewelyn also portrays Q in the EON Productions-produced TV special Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond (1967).

Llewelyn portrays Q in the Documentary: Highly Classified: The World of 007, this can be found on the Tomorrow Never Dies Ultimate Edition DVD.

Also, to date, Llewelyn has been in more Bond movies (17) than anybody else.

John Cleese as R and Q (1999–????)

R and Q
File:Q by John Cleese.jpg
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Affiliation	MI6

In The World Is Not Enough an assistant to Major Boothroyd (Q) was introduced, played by comedian John Cleese. His real name has yet to be revealed, but he is initially credited as R in The World Is Not Enough stemming from a joke in which Bond asks the elder Q: "If you're Q does that make him R?"

Between films, Cleese was still referred to as "R" in the video game 007 Racing (2000) and in Agent Under Fire (2001), though not all of the video games are canonical. He was officially referred to as "Q" in Die Another Day (2002) following actor Llewelyn's death in 1999. In 2004, Cleese was featured as Q in James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing.

Initially portrayed as rather clumsy, R has since become more self-assured and more in the style of his predecessor to whose job he has since been promoted. They both share the same attitude towards their professional work. In Die Another Day, Bond at first refers to R as "Quartermaster" (The Die Another Day DVD reveals that Bond initially saw R as an 'interloper', only awarding the proper title of 'Q' after R has proven himself) but, silently impressed by the gadgets he is given, calls him "Q" at the end of their meeting.

According to an interview on the Die Another Day DVD, Pierce Brosnan was very glad to rename Cleese's character 'Q', rather than 'R', because his native Irish accent made it difficult to pronounce 'R' with a convincing "British" accent.

Although having some similar characteristics, Cleese's Q is almost a radical departure from Major Boothroyd. From the start, Cleese's Q never liked Bond based simply from Bond's reputation of not returning items in pristine condition. When Bond tries to joke with Q, Cleese's Q is a lot quicker at comebacks than Boothroyd's was, making him more of a match for Bond in terms of wit. Bond: "You're cleverer than you look." Q: "Still, better than looking cleverer than you are." or "Ah yes, the legendary 007 wit, or at least half of it."

With Casino Royale being a reboot of the series, Q and Clesse were left out. Sciptwriter for the upcoming Bond film Quantum of Solace has confirmed that Q will not appear in the film, but it is unknown if Cleese will reprise the role in future films.

In the 007 game, Everything or Nothing, Cleese's Q has an assistant, Miss Nagai, portrayed by Misaki Ito.

Featured in:

Films:

• The World Is Not Enough (1999) — as R
• Die Another Day (2002)

Games:

• Everything or Nothing
• 007 Scene It

Alec McCowen as Q Algy

Q (Algy)
File:Q by Alec McCowen.jpg
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Affiliation	MI6

In the 1983 unofficial (non-EON Productions) film Never Say Never Again, Q Branch is headed by a man (played by Alec McCowen) referred to by Bond as "Algernon" and "Algy", though his opening line is "Nice to know old Q can still surprise you 00s." In the closing credits, he is named as "Q Algy". It is never stated whether he is intended to be a successor to the EON Q (like the film's M is said to be) or actually a manifestation of Boothroyd. But since this film is generally not considered as canon, it can be said that it takes place in an alternate universe, different from that of the EON films.

Featured in:

• Never Say Never Again (1983)

Related characters

Q in Casino Royale 1967 satire

In the 1967 version of the non-EON production Casino Royale, Q is played by Geoffrey Bayldon, although he kits out not James Bond, but one of his substitutes Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers). Generally held to be one of the stronger sequences in the film, the famous gadget sequence is mercilessly lampooned. "It's an American idea," Q tells Tremble as he gives him a watch with two-way camera attached, "they got it from one of their comic strips," a reference to Dick Tracy. In this film, Q is assisted by Fordyce (John Wells).

Q'ute

John Gardner, in his James Bond novels, introduced the character of Ann Reilly, a young female assistant to Q whose co-workers as well as Bond nicknamed Q'ute. Major Boothroyd himself was only mentioned a couple of times. During Licence Renewed and For Special Services, Q'ute and Bond maintained a brief romantic relationship. Afterwards, it was revealed a number of times that Bond and Q'ute were involved in a casual relationship.

By the time Gardner left the book series, Q'ute had taken over the running of Q Branch, but when Raymond Benson took over the literary series, he ignored much of Gardner's continuum and gave Q Branch back to Major Boothroyd with no explanation and no further references to Ann Reilly.

Q-like characters

The "gadget-man" character type epitomised by Q has been featured in numerous other productions centred around a secret agent theme. For example, the 1990s series La Femme Nikita featured the character of Walter, a wizened agent who designs all the gadgets and tools used by "Section One". A similar character was played by John Rhys-Davies in the short-lived spy series Under Cover. One episode of the generally gadget-lite Danger Man also featured a Q-like character who provides agent John Drake with items. Artemus Gordon of The Wild Wild West was that show's resident gadget man and inventor and was often seen giving Agent James West very Q-like instructions on the use of his inventions.

The Terry Pratchett novels Thief of Time and Night Watch both feature an innovative weapons designer named Qu, a member of the History Monks.

Foaly of the Artemis Fowl series of books by Eoin Colfer, typically provides high-tech equipment for the protagonists. He shares a somewhat similar relationship with field agent Holly Short and Commander Root. His role in the stories are far more prominent, however, compared to Q's small appearances.

In the popular Spanish comic strip series Mortadelo & Filemon, the character of Professor Bacterio, a mad scientist providing TIA agents with (often failing) gadgets, could be considered a parody of Q.

In the game Club Penguin, a secret service genius who goes by the name of "G" appears to be a parody of Q.

In the Naked Gun film series, a police scientist named Ted Olsen provides Lt. Frank Drebin with assorted gadgets to aid him in his investigations.

In the movie Muppets from Space, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker have a laboratory, with inventions similar to Q's. During the TV series Muppets Tonight, they also present guest star Pierce Brosnan with similar gadgets, even as Brosnan insists he is an actor and not James Bond (Honeydew is convinced that Bond is working undercover).

In the Austin Powers series, Basil Exposition is a parody of Q, assisting Powers with gadgets to help Austin complete the mission.

In the No One Lives Forever video game series, the UNITY gadgeteer is codenamed "Santa".

In the 2003 movie Agent Cody Banks, Cody is given his gadgets by Earl (Darrell Hammond).

Agent Shavers in the film xXx provides the hero with many Q-like devices, of and including a gadget-filled car.

In the 2004 film Van Helsing, Friar Carl makes gadgets in a lab like Q. (Though, unlike the vast majority of Q-style characters, he actually joins the hero in the field.)

In the Alias television series Marshall Flinkman is the nerdy SD-6 (and later CIA) technician that provides the equipment for all of the missions as well as being the one to figure out any technical details of items that are recovered.

In the 2005 motion picture Batman Begins, Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox, head of Wayne Enterprises' "Applied Sciences" division, giving Bruce Wayne access to numerous gadgets in a similar manner to Q. Among these include a swingline, utility belt, protective body armor, gliding cape, and the amazingly rugged Batmobile of the movie. At the end of the film, Fox is promoted as CEO of Wayne's business, thus establishing him in his traditional role as the billionaire's business manager.

In the Alex Rider series of novels by Anthony Horowitz, the gadget expert for MI6 is Smithers.

In the Food Network series Good Eats, Alton Brown's equipment provider is "W". They have a similar relationship to the one between Bond and Q.

In Marvel Comics, the X-Men character Forge uses his superior knowledge of anything technical to provide the X-Men with all of their gadgets. The mutants usually go to him with questions about particular technological items.

In the television detective series Veronica Mars, the computer-savvy character of Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie acts as a Q character for Veronica, supplying her with gadgets when needed and offering her assistance on computer-related problems. This relationship was addressed on the episode "Ahoy, Mateys!".

On the Western/science-fiction series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., the character of Professor Albert Wickwire fills the position of Q, supplying the main characters with a variety of fundamentally anachronistic wonder devices; highlights include a modern rocket mounted on railroad tracks, a primitive deep-sea diving suit, and a "motored cycle." In contrast to Q, however, Wickwire is usually rather absent-minded, and also much more cheerful, even in the inevitable event of his invention's destruction. He was portrayed by John Astin.

In the light science-fiction western series Legend, Janos Christoff Bartok plays a role similar to Q in relation to novelist Ernest Pratt's reluctant Bond character. Bartok's Jules Verne style gadgetry assists Pratt in assuming the identity of his fictional character in order to help the citizens of Sheridan. Interestingly enough Bartok is portrayed by John de Lancie, who played a character named Q featured in various Star Trek series.

In the Spy Fox series of children's software from Humongous Entertainment, there is an anthropomorphic duck named Professor Quack T. Dale, who plays a role similar to Q's. Quack is the master behind the spy gadgets in the games, and is caught eating the blueprint as a joke. Professor Quack's full name was revealed to be Quack T. Dale in the game Spy Fox: Operation Ozone. Quack was never seen outside the Mobile Command Center.

Actor Simon Pegg portrayed a Q like character in Mission Impossible 3.

In Alan Moore's Graphin Novel The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier, Q makes a cameo.

See also

• List of James Bond allies
• List of James Bond firearms

External links

• James Bond Q-Branch Gadget Watch History
• The Bond Informant: Q