Mike Brogan

Action Man
Biographical information
Real name	Mike Brogan
Homeworld	Earth
Death	2016
Place of death	Low Earth orbit
Physical description
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Brown
Skin color	Light
Political information
Affiliation	Action Man Programme
[Source]

"We have 17 seconds, Ian. I'm saving the world. It'll be up to you to protect it."
"Don't— You can't—"
"Ian, it's a good way to go out. And a good world to stand on guard for. I'm happy. Hope you're happy, too."

—Mike Brogan's last words to Ian Noble^[src]

Mike Brogan served as Action Man, the United Kingdom's top agent.

Biography

Action Man

Mike Brogan was a member of the Action Man Programme, and was the United Kingdom's top secret agent operating under the code-name "Action Man." During his time as Action Man, Brogan was deployed against multiple threats including Cobra, the Coil, the Machination, Baron Ironblood, and Doctor X. Over several years, he saved the planet Earth on numerous occasions. Among his victories was countering a plot involving clones of Doctor X in Bangladesh, and saving the President of the United States from a duplicate. During that mission, he made a copy of an Operational Support codex.

Acting on information provided by head of intelligence Mercy Gale, Brogan was dispatched on a mission to the North of England. Gale had been tracking a missing chemical compound, and had uncovered that Doctor X had acquired it. Using the compound, Doctor X had mutated 1,500 students into toxic mutants at Newcastle College. Using a jump-pack, Brogan descended from low-orbit, smashed through the college's roof and proceeded to subdue the mutants in hand-to-hand combat. Once Brogan had contained the threat, Professor Ernst Sinclair developed a cure and returned the students to normal.

Unknown to Brogan, Doctor X had been inadvertently killed during the mission. During Brogan's breach of the college, he had disengaged his jump-pack. As it fell, it hit a piece of junk that just happened to fall on Doctor X and kill him. His body was discovered by Mercy Gale, who confirmed his identity using the genetic scans from the clone incident in Bangladesh. Growing disillusioned with the Action Man Programme's history of being reactive rather than proactive, Gale covered up Doctor X's death and took over his organization. She hoped to accomplish real change by playing both sides off against the other.

Action Man Programme Director Patrick Cain resigned as head of the unit after the Cybertronian Invasion in 2008. When Pauline Bestley was appointed as his replacement, she won Brogan's respect with her no-nonsense attitude.

Meeting Ian Noble

In 2012, Sixth-Form student Ian Noble gained entry to the Action Man Programme's secret headquarters on the South Bank. Brogan was sent by Director Bestley to investigate and neutralize the threat, ordering Brogan to shoot the intruder on sight. Brogan was curious to learn how Ian had gained entry into the base. While he knew that the security system was not impervious, he believed it was more than capable of keeping a student out. Rather than shooting Ian, Brogan questioned him, asking him directly if he was working for Doctor X. Ian asked who that was.

When Ian tried to leave the building, Brogan cut off his escape and informed him that the moment he broke into the base he had been run through every database on the planet. He already knew who Ian was and that he was not wanted anywhere. Impressed at Ian's efforts to get in, Brogan asked him if he had a plan for getting out. Or if he even wanted to. Ian was surprised that Brogan was impressed with his skills. Brogan offered him a position with the Action Man Programme.

Antimatter crisis

Mike Brogan is killed when the experimental spacecraft explodes

Although assigned to the technology division, Ian Noble would often take unauthorized trips into the field. One such mission infiltrated a secret facility established by Doctor X underneath the River Thames in London. Doctor X had stolen an experimental spacecraft with an antimatter reactor core. However, the core had accidentally been set to overload, and the resulting explosion threatened to destroy the planet. Director Pauline Bestley sent Brogan in to stop the overload. Storming the facility, Brogan confronted and neutralized several of Doctor X's henchmen and rescued Ian. Together, the two agents headed for the experimental spacecraft. With only seconds left before it exploded and no way to stop the chain reaction, Brogan piloted the spacecraft into the atmosphere where it exploded, killing him. Ian Noble, under pressure from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who saw Ian as a hero, was promoted to the position of Action Man to succeed Brogan.

Personality and traits

Mike Brogan was a honest, honorable and decent man.

Skills and abilities

Mike Brogan was an expert marksman, and a master of all forms of fighting, including being a tenth-level Judo black belt. He was proficient in communications techniques and disguise. Brogan was also a member of Mensa and a three-star Michelin chef.

Behind the scenes

Mike Brogan takes his name from the pseudonym used by the children's comic strip author Fred Baker. Under the name "Mike Brogan," Baker wrote ten Action Man novels between 1977 and 1979.

Appearances

• Rom #0: To The Victors The Spoils
• Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude (Indirect mention only)
• Action Man #1: Absolute Beginners (Mentioned only)
• Action Man #2: England, Half English (Mentioned only)
• Action Man #3: Out of the Way (Appears in flashback(s))
• Action Man #4: Mr Love and Justice (Appears in flashback(s))

Sources

• Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook #1

Notes and references