Alex Rider: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:skl.JPG|100px|thumb|right|Skeleton Key US book cover]] |
[[Image:skl.JPG|100px|thumb|right|Skeleton Key US book cover]] |
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In the third Alex Rider book, Alex is invited by MI6 to be a ballboy at [[Wimbledon]]. There was a strange break-in, but nothing was stolen. MI6 simply wants Rider to investgate, sure that nothing will go wrong. He |
In the third Alex Rider book, Alex is invited by MI6 to be a ballboy at [[Wimbledon]]. There was a strange break-in, but nothing was stolen. MI6 simply wants Rider to investgate, sure that nothing will go wrong. He meets a ballgirl named Sabina Pleasure and becomes good friends with her. Despite MI6's assurance, Alex discovers that the Big Circle, a Chinese gang, are rigging the games. Alex foils their plans, but becomes a target for assassination. After an unsuccessful attempt, MI6 and the CIA tell him that he should go out on a vacation to Skeleton Key, an island off the coast of Cuba. They promise him two weeks in the sun and say he is only needed so two CIA agents can succesfully enter for a simple spying mission. |
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Soon after they arrive, Alex discovers some frightening truths. After finding a Geiger counter, he finds out that the CIA agents are looking for a nuclear bomb. An old Russian general, Alexei Sarov, bought some weapons-grade uranium. The CIA agents attempt to infiltrate his palace but are killed; Alex is taken prisoner. There he finds out that Sarov wants to adopt him, because Alex resembles Sarov's late son, who died during the 1979 Afghanistan war. At the same time, the Russian president is visiting Sarov's palace. Sarov soon reveals his plans: depose the president, set off the bomb in a nuclear submarine shipyard in Murmansk, spread chaos throughout the world, and reunite the USSR. |
Soon after they arrive, Alex discovers some frightening truths. After finding a Geiger counter, he finds out that the CIA agents are looking for a nuclear bomb. An old Russian general, Alexei Sarov, bought some weapons-grade uranium. The CIA agents attempt to infiltrate his palace but are killed; Alex is taken prisoner. There he finds out that Sarov wants to adopt him, because Alex resembles Sarov's late son, who died during the 1979 Afghanistan war. At the same time, the Russian president is visiting Sarov's palace. Sarov soon reveals his plans: depose the president, set off the bomb in a nuclear submarine shipyard in Murmansk, spread chaos throughout the world, and reunite the USSR. |
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Alex is taken by plane to the submarine yard with Sarov and his men. On the way there, Alex uses a stun grenade and attempts to escape. However, an arrogant security guard named Conrad stops him from calling the police. Sarov finds him and chains Alex to a rail next to the nuclear bomb as punishment. Fortunately, Conrad grabbed the phone, but didn't hang it up, so the police heard the conversation about a nuclear bomb. They alerted MI6, who subsequently alerted the Russian authorities. The Russians pulled together an army to take the submarine yard and prevent the bomb from going off. |
Alex is taken by plane to the submarine yard with Sarov and his men. On the way there, Alex uses a stun grenade and attempts to escape. However, an arrogant security guard named Conrad stops him from calling the police. Sarov finds him and chains Alex to a rail next to the nuclear bomb as punishment. Fortunately, Conrad grabbed the phone, but didn't hang it up, so the police heard the conversation about a nuclear bomb. They alerted MI6, who subsequently alerted the Russian authorities. The Russians pulled together an army to take the submarine yard and prevent the bomb from going off. |
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While the soldiers are fighting Sarov's men, Alex throws the keycard away, rendering the nuclear bomb useless. Sarov, who sees Alex throw the card away, approaaches him with the pistol. Sarov sways on his feet, then raises the gun and shoots himself in the heart. Alex is badly shaken up by the incident. At the end of the novel, he is invited by Sabina Pleasure to a vacation in France. |
While the soldiers are fighting Sarov's men, Alex throws the keycard away, rendering the nuclear bomb useless. Sarov, who sees Alex throw the card away, approaaches him with the pistol. Sarov sways on his feet, then raises the gun and shoots himself in the heart. Alex is badly shaken up by the incident. At the end of the novel, he is invited by Sabina Pleasure to a vacation in France. |
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===Eagle Strike=== |
===Eagle Strike=== |
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Revision as of 15:53, 26 December 2005
Alex Rider is a fictional character and novel series created and written by Anthony Horowitz. The books are primarily for young adults. The series revolves around the life of Alex Rider, a 14-year old orphan schoolboy working for MI6. He is often referred to as a youthful James Bond.
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Book 1: Stormbreaker
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Book 2: Point Blanc -
Book 3: Skeleton Key
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Book 4: Eagle Strike
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Book 5: Scorpia
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Book 6: Ark Angel
Plot summaries
Stormbreaker
When his uncle Ian Rider dies in suspicious circumstances, Alex Rider investigates. To his amazement and horror, he discovers that his uncle is an MI6 agent. This turns up as MI6 has suspicions about Stormbreaker, a new computer system. Herod Sayle, an Egyptian who went from rags to riches, is mass-producing and donating them to every school in England. Ian Rider was sent to investigate but was killed on his way back. Alex Rider is blackmailed into finding out more information, and discovers that each one is loaded with lethal smallpox. It appears that Sayle, who had a horrible time with bullies in school, is set to get his revenge ; by killing every child in Britain...
Point Blank
After a disaster in which Alex manuvered a crane that destroyed a $3 million center, Alex is back in the game. Meanwhile, Michael J. Roscoe has just been murdered in suspicious circumstances. Just a few weeks before, another rich man was murdered under similar circumstances (very suspicious). Both men sent their kids to Point Blanc, an academy for rich but rebellious sons. Rider reluctantly goes to avoid any trouble with the crane incident. He is Alex Friend, "son" of Sir David Friend, a wealthy man who runs supermarkets. After memorizing his cover, he begins investigating Point Blanc.
Soon enough, Alex discovers the real plot. Dr. Hugo Grief, director of the school, has been working on Project Gemini. In the 1980s, Grief was in South Africa and cloned sixteen copies of himself. When the boys were at Point Blanc, he had Henry Baxter surgically alter his clones to resemble the real boys. After a short while, the clone and the real boy are swapped. As the fathers die and pass on their inheritance – assets controlling mines, supermarkets, and more – Grief will amass more power.
Alex escapes and goes back on a SAS mission to liberate the school. As a last act of revenge, Alex rides a snowmobile and rides it off the cliff, slamming it into Grief's helicopter and killing him.
Skeleton Key
In the third Alex Rider book, Alex is invited by MI6 to be a ballboy at Wimbledon. There was a strange break-in, but nothing was stolen. MI6 simply wants Rider to investgate, sure that nothing will go wrong. He meets a ballgirl named Sabina Pleasure and becomes good friends with her. Despite MI6's assurance, Alex discovers that the Big Circle, a Chinese gang, are rigging the games. Alex foils their plans, but becomes a target for assassination. After an unsuccessful attempt, MI6 and the CIA tell him that he should go out on a vacation to Skeleton Key, an island off the coast of Cuba. They promise him two weeks in the sun and say he is only needed so two CIA agents can succesfully enter for a simple spying mission.
Soon after they arrive, Alex discovers some frightening truths. After finding a Geiger counter, he finds out that the CIA agents are looking for a nuclear bomb. An old Russian general, Alexei Sarov, bought some weapons-grade uranium. The CIA agents attempt to infiltrate his palace but are killed; Alex is taken prisoner. There he finds out that Sarov wants to adopt him, because Alex resembles Sarov's late son, who died during the 1979 Afghanistan war. At the same time, the Russian president is visiting Sarov's palace. Sarov soon reveals his plans: depose the president, set off the bomb in a nuclear submarine shipyard in Murmansk, spread chaos throughout the world, and reunite the USSR.
Alex is taken by plane to the submarine yard with Sarov and his men. On the way there, Alex uses a stun grenade and attempts to escape. However, an arrogant security guard named Conrad stops him from calling the police. Sarov finds him and chains Alex to a rail next to the nuclear bomb as punishment. Fortunately, Conrad grabbed the phone, but didn't hang it up, so the police heard the conversation about a nuclear bomb. They alerted MI6, who subsequently alerted the Russian authorities. The Russians pulled together an army to take the submarine yard and prevent the bomb from going off.
While the soldiers are fighting Sarov's men, Alex throws the keycard away, rendering the nuclear bomb useless. Sarov, who sees Alex throw the card away, approaaches him with the pistol. Sarov sways on his feet, then raises the gun and shoots himself in the heart. Alex is badly shaken up by the incident. At the end of the novel, he is invited by Sabina Pleasure to a vacation in France.
Eagle Strike
Scorpia
Yassen Gregorvich, esteemed assassin, tells the young Alex Rider to go to Venice to find his destiny. After Scorpia, a terrorist group, reveals that his father was a serial killer, Alex decides to join them. They also show that Mrs. Jones executed the operation that killed Alex's father, John Rider. Alex's first mission is to kill Mrs. Jones.
Ark Angel
Alex Rider is in hospital and determined to put his spying days behind him. However, a terrorist organization infiltrates the hospital Alex is residing. After a fight with Alex, a person mistakes him for a Russian billionaire's son. After barely escaping the terrorist group a few times, Alex befriends the intended target of the abduction, a fourteen-year old boy named Paul Drevin.
Invited to a private island in the Caribbean by the boy's billionaire father, Alex quickly realizes that all is not what it seems. The boy's father is building the first commercial space station ever, but intends to crash it into Washington, D.C. Alex manages to save Washington with the help of the CIA.
Characters
Alex Rider
Alex is a 14 years old school kid. He normally goes to Brooklands School in London, but has been interrupted several times for MI6 missions. He has a friend named Tom who knows about Alex's MI6 life. He also has a love interest, Sabina Pleasure. Due to his espionage missions, however, his relationship with her has been rocky (especially when terrorists blow up her French vacation hoome).
Because his parents and uncle have passed away, Jack Starbright takes care of him.
Rider has no close relatives. His uncle, Ian Rider, was killed in Stormbreaker. Scorpia killed Alex Rider's parents, John and Helen, with a plane bomb. Scorpia thought that John Rider was a Scorpia agent, but killed him and his wife when they found out that he was acutally working for MI6. Fortunately, Alex was not on the plane; he had an ear infection and stayed behind with a nanny.
Alan Blunt
Alan is the head of MI6 Special Operations. He is an aloof, impassive, and ruthless man. He always wears a grey suit and grey glasses, and drives a Rolls-Royce. He is married, but his wife is not mentioned in the series. Blunt is totally dedicated to his job and has a very analytical mind.
After Alan Blunt dismissed Alex's suspicions of Damian Cray and his attempt to destroy half the world, he was severely dressed down by the Home Secretary, narrowly keeping his position.
He insists on Alex's continued use despite of his youthfulness, the death of his uncle in an intelligence case, and the fact that he has brushed with death more times than most intelligence agents would in their careers.
Mrs. Jones
Tulip Jones is second in command at MI6 and is Alan Blunt's closest associate. Blunt insists their personal and professional lives remain separate; consequently, Mrs. Jones has never even been inside of his house, despite knowing him better than anyone else in Special Operations. Mrs. Jones has two children, both of them who taken by someone at a young age. As a result of that kidnapping, she has a soft spot for Alex, even though he tried to kill her in Scorpia.
When Alex was a few months old, Mrs. Jones executed a successful operation on Albert Bridge. Both M16 and Scorpia had hostages and agreed to release them on a neutral bridge; Scorpia had captured an English civil servant's son, while MI6 has John Rider, Alex Rider's father. As both hostages were walking back to their own side, Mrs. Jones gave the order to "kill" John Rider, a highly successful MI6 agent himself. Scorpia was fooled into believing that John Rider was an operative of theirs (all the while spying for MI6), who is now dead. The mission was successful and led to her promotion to deputy head.
Scorpia, the fifth book of the series, reveals her full name, Tulip Jones.
Jack Starbright
Jack Starbright is a bright red-haired American girl who came to London to study law but never returned to the United States. She is the housekeeper who looks after Alex Rider and is his best friend. Her age is revealed in Ark Angel (28 years old). She is one of the few people who know that Alex Rider is an MI6 agent.
Other central characters
- John Crawley – a senior MI6 agent
- Damian Cray – Main antgaonist of Eagle Strike
- Yassen Gregorovich – assassin
- Sabina Pleasure – Alex's friend
- Smithers – the gadget expert at MI6
- Wolf – a SAS commando
Movie
The first novel (Stormbreaker) is currently being made into a major motion picture starring Alex Pettyfer as Alex Rider, Ewan McGregor as Ian Rider, Mickey Rourke as Darrius Sayle (known as Herod Sayle in the original book), Bill Nighy as Alan Blunt, Sophie Okonedo as Tulip Jones, Alicia Silverstone as Jack Starbright, Missi Pyle as Nadia Vole, Sarah Bolger as Sabina Pleasure, Ashley Walters as Wolf, Damian Lewis as Yassen Gregorovich, Stephen Fry as Smithers and Andy Serkis as Mr. Grin [1]. Anthony Horowitz himself, already an experienced film and television scriptwriter, has written the screenplay and Geoffrey Sax is directing. The film is set for release in summer 2006, and will be accompanied by a release of Alex Rider handheld games as well.