Fictional
espionage organizations
Espionage is a subset of human intelligence, one of many intelligence collection methods, which are organized by intelligence collection management
Intelligence collection management is the process of managing and organizing the collection of ...
with fancy-sounding
acronym
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
s are a common theme in
spy fiction. Such acronyms are similarly also common in
superhero fiction and
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
.
Overview
During the 1960s trend for action-adventure spy thrillers, it was a common practice for fictional spy organizations or their nemeses to employ names that were
contrived acronyms. Sometimes these acronyms' expanded meanings made sense, but most of the time they were words incongruously crammed together for the mere purpose of obtaining a catchy acronym, traditionally a heroic sounding one for the good guys and an appropriately menacing one for the bad guys. This has become one of the most commonly parodied clichés of the spy thriller genre. They were presumably inspired by SMERSH, which appeared in the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
stories and sounded fictional, but really was
a branch of Soviet intelligence. These acronyms are often spelled with periods/points/stops to make it clear that they stand for longer terms and are not simply the usual English words that they resemble, even though the punctuation would otherwise seem to indicate that the abbreviations should be pronounced as the names of the individual letters.
List
Among the most popular:
* A.C.M.E. (Agency to Classify & Monitor Evildoers), a fictional crime intelligence agency in
Carmen Sandiego
''Carmen Sandiego'' (sometimes referred to as ''Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?'') is a media franchise based on a series of computer games created by the American software company Broderbund. While the original 1985 '' Where in the World ...
.
*
A.C.R.O.S.T.I.C. (A Cabal Recently Organized Solely To Instigate Crimes), enemies of the
Zoo Crew.
*
A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), a fictional
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
terrorist organization, whose members are memorable for wearing yellow
Hazmat
Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...
or
radiation suits as uniforms, which make them resemble an army of
beekeepers
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees.
Beekeepers are also called honey farmers, apiarists, or less commonly, apiculturists (both from the Latin '' apis'', bee; cf. apiary). The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps honey bees i ...
.
* A.N.V.I.L., a fictional agency representing China and southeast Asia in the video game
Evil Genius
* A.P.E. (Agency to Prevent Evil) and C.H.U.M.P. (Criminal Headquarters for the Underworld's Master Plan), from ''
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp
''Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp'' is an American action/adventure comedy series that originally aired Saturday mornings on ABC from September 12, 1970 to January 2, 1971 and rebroadcast the following season. The live-action film series featured a ...
''
*
A.R.M.O.R. (Alternate Reality Monitoring and Operational Responses) a fictional branch of
SHIELD in
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
founded to keep an eye on parallel universes.
*
A.P.O. (Authorized Personnel Only), a fictional black-ops division of the CIA on the television series
Alias
Alias may refer to:
* Pseudonym
* Pen name
* Nickname
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film
* ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006
* ''Alias the ...
*
B.L.U. (Builder's League United), a front for one of the two warring companies in Team Fortress 2. Blue uniforms.
*
B.R.U.T.E. (Bureau for Random Unlawful Terror and Evil), a terrorist organization in the
Micro Adventure series of kids' books.
* C.I.S.O. (Canadian International Security Organization), from Richard Comely's ''
Captain Canuck'' comic book series.
* C.L.I.T.O.R.I.S. (The Committee for the Liberation and Integration of Terrifying Organisms and their Rehabilitation Into Society), from ''
Red Dwarf''
* C.M.D.F. (Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces), from the movie ''
Fantastic Voyage
''Fantastic Voyage'' is a 1966 American science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. The film is about a submarine crew who are shrunk to micros ...
''. In the television
animated cartoon series, the acronym stood for Combined Miniature Defense Force.
*
C.O.B.R.A.
''C.O.B.R.A.'' is the first single released from Marie-Mai's fourth album ''Miroir (album), Miroir''. It was released as digital download on 14 August 2012. The song was written by Fred St-Gelais and Marie-Mai. In an interview, Marie-Mai explained ...
(Criminal Organization of Bloodiness, Revenge and Assassination), an international terrorist organization, headed by
Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' franchise. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra and the archenemy of the G.I. Joe Team. He was portrayed by Joseph ...
, from the ''
G.I. Joe
''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...
'' series.
* CONTROL, the fictional government agency in the TV Show ''
Get Smart
''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...
''.
* C.O.P.S. (Central Organization of Police Specialists), the crime-fighting organization from the
1988 animated TV series of the same name.
* C.R.A.S.H. (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums), division of the
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
, parodied in
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
* D.A.R.C. (Directorate for Anarchy, Revenge, and Chaos), from the television series ''
Robocop: Alpha Commando''
* E.R.I.S., from the movie ''
Agent Cody Banks
''Agent Cody Banks'' is a 2003 American spy action comedy film directed by Harald Zwart. The film follows the adventures of the 15-year-old title character, played by Frankie Muniz, who has to finish his chores, avoid getting grounded, and sa ...
''
*
F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon), in the horror-themed first-person-shooter computer game ''
F.E.A.R.''.
* F.I.R.M., from the ''
Airwolf
''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...
'' television series
* F.L.A.G. (Foundation for Law And Government), from the original
Knight Rider
''Knight Rider'' is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three television series: the original ''Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequel series '' Team Knight Rider'' (1997–1998) ...
*
F.O.W.L. This article includes a list of characters from the Disney series ''Darkwing Duck''.
Main characters
* Drake Mallard / Darkwing Duck (voiced by Jim Cummings, Chris Diamantopoulos in the 2017 ''DuckTales'' reboot) is an average citizen by day and ...
(Fiendish Organization for World Larceny), in cartoon series, ''
Darkwing Duck
''Darkwing Duck'' is an American animated superhero comedy television series produced by Disney Television Animation (formerly Walt Disney Television Animation) that first ran from 1991 to 1992 on both the syndicated programming block ''The Disn ...
''. This organization originated in the ''
DuckTales
''DuckTales'' is an American animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation. The original cartoon series premiered on syndication and on Disney Channel on September 18, 1987 and ran for a total of 100 episodes over four sea ...
'' episode "Double-o-Duck", but was called the ''Foreign'' Organization there.
*
G.A.G. (Galactic Alliance Guard), a secret police force commanded by
Darth Caedus in the ''
Legacy of the Force
In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property.
Legacy or legacies may refer ...
'' series
*
G.A.S. (Galactic Alliance Security), from the ''
Fate of the Jedi'' series
*
G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), from
''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy
* G.D.I. (Global Defense Initiative), from the
Command & Conquer
''Command & Conquer'' (''C&C'') is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise, first developed by Westwood Studios. The first game was one of the earliest of the RTS genre, itself based on Westwood Studios' influential strategy game '' Dune ...
video game series.
* G.L.A (Global Liberation Army), from the
Command & Conquer
''Command & Conquer'' (''C&C'') is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise, first developed by Westwood Studios. The first game was one of the earliest of the RTS genre, itself based on Westwood Studios' influential strategy game '' Dune ...
video game series.
*
G.R.A.M.P.A. (Global Reaction Agency for Mysterious Paranormal Activity), an international intelligence agency in Marvel Comics.
* G.O.D (Government of Darkness), an evil secret organisation from ''
Kamen Rider X''.
*
G.R.O.S.S. (Get Rid Of Slimy girlS), an organization founded by Calvin from the
Calvin and Hobbes
''Calvin and Hobbes'' is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic", ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has enjoyed b ...
comic series which seeks to exclude girls because of their inherent slimy nature.
* H.A.M.M.E.R., a fictional agency representing former USSR territories and Cuba in the video game
Evil Genius
*
H.A.R.M., from the ''
No One Lives Forever'' (''NOLF'') series of computer games, which were released in the 1990s, but were based in 1960s pop culture. What H.A.R.M. actually stands for is never revealed, and speculation about its true meaning is the subject of several jokes in both games. (However, in the 1966 spy film ''
Agent for H.A.R.M.'', it stands for Human Aetiological Relations Machine.)
* H.A.T.E. (Highest Anti Terrorism Effort) from Marvel.
* H.A.T.E. (Humanitarian Alliance for Total Espionage) the "bad guys" organization from the pulp novel series "The Lady from L.U.S.T." (see L.U.S.T. below)
*
H.E.A.T.
H.E.A.T is a Swedish hard rock group that was formed in Upplands Väsby in 2007, when the prior bands Dream and Trading Fate merged. Currently fronted by Kenny Leckremo, the band's heavy sound is strongly influenced by past melodic rock groups ...
(Harmony's Elite Assault Team), from ''
Angel of H.E.A.T.''
*
H.E.A.T.
H.E.A.T is a Swedish hard rock group that was formed in Upplands Väsby in 2007, when the prior bands Dream and Trading Fate merged. Currently fronted by Kenny Leckremo, the band's heavy sound is strongly influenced by past melodic rock groups ...
(Hemisphere Emergency Action Team) from ''
Acapulco H.E.A.T.''
*
H.I.V.E.
The H.I.V.E., which stands for the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination, is a fictional terrorist organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
The H.I.V.E. organization appeared on the fourth season of ...
(Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination), a villainous organization that combats the
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
and other DC Comics superheroes.
* H.U.N.T. (High-risk United Nations Task-force), from
Rise of the Triad
''Rise of the Triad: Dark War'' is a first-person shooter video game, developed and published by Apogee Software (now 3D Realms) in 1995. The player can choose one of five different characters to play as, each bearing unique attributes such as ...
*
HYDRA is an exception in that the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical
Lernaean Hydra
The Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna ( grc-gre, Λερναῖα Ὕδρα, ''Lernaîa Hýdra''), more often known simply as the Hydra, is a snake, serpentine water monster in Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Le ...
; the name's capitalization exists per
Marvel
Marvel may refer to:
Business
* Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company
** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment
** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe
** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics
* ...
's official spelling only.
* I.A.A. (International Affairs Agency), from ''
Grand Theft Auto V''
* I.C.A. (International Contract Agency) is the secret organisation that is the backbone of the
Hitman
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may ...
games
* I.S.I.S. (International Secret Intelligence Service) is the agency employing the lead characters in
Archer (2009 TV series)
''Archer'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Adam Reed for FX which premiered on September 17, 2009. The show follows the exploits of a dysfunctional intelligence agency, centered on Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) ...
.
* I.C.E. (Intelligence and Counter-Espionage) is the agency that employs Matt Helm in the
Matt Helm movie series starring Dean Martin.
*
I.M.F. (Impossible Missions Force) from the ''
Mission: Impossible'' series and the movies that it inspired (not to be confused with the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...
).
* K.A.B.O.O.M. (Key Atomic Benefits Organization of Mankind), from the movie ''
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear''.
* KAOS, the enemy organization in the TV Show ''
Get Smart
''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...
''.
* L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. (The League Of Villainous Evildoers Maniacally United For Frightening Investments in Naughtiness) from the series ''
Phineas and Ferb
''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as ...
'', is an organization dedicated to promoting evil. It was presumably founded by Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.
* L.U.S.T., (League of Undercover Spies and Terrorists) the "good guys" organization from the pulp novel series "The Lady from L.U.S.T." (see H.A.T.E. above)
*
M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand), the good mask-wearing cohort from the 1980s
Saturday-morning cartoon
"Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre's popularity had a br ...
''M.A.S.K.''
* N.A.S.T.Y. (National Association of Spies, Traitors and Yahoos), opponents of
Roger Ramjet
''Roger Ramjet'' is a 1965–1969 American animated television series, starring Roger Ramjet and the American Eagle Squadron. The show was known for its simple animation, frenetic pace, and frequent references to pop culture which appealed to a ...
*
N.I.D. (National Intelligence Department), from
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...
.
*
N.R.I (New Republic Intelligence), from ''
Star Wars''
* O.D.I.N. (Organization of Democratic Intelligence Networks) is a rival European agency that the lead characters in
Archer (2009 TV series)
''Archer'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Adam Reed for FX which premiered on September 17, 2009. The show follows the exploits of a dysfunctional intelligence agency, centered on Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) ...
are frequently competing with.
* O.S.I. (Office of Secret Intelligence), a fictional intelligence Britannian affiliated agency in the ''
Code Geass
, often referred to simply as ''Code Geass'', is a Japanese anime television series produced by Sunrise. It was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, with original character designs by Clamp. Set ...
'' universe. Its main tasks are espionage, black ops, intelligence gathering, counter-intelligence and assassination.
* O.S.I. (Office of Scientific Intelligence), a fictional intelligence agency in the ''
Six Million Dollar Man
''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...
'' universe. It was headed by
Oscar Goldman
''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...
of which
Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
(The Bionic Man) and later,
Jaime Sommers (The Bionic Woman), were its primary agents.
* O.W.C.A. (Organization Without a Cool Acronym), a top-secret organization that uses animals for secret agents, from ''
Phineas and Ferb
''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as ...
''
* P.A.T.R.I.O.T., a fictional agency representing the US and Japan in the video game
Evil Genius
* P.R.F. (People's Revolutionary Front), a terrorist agency from the TV show
Alias
Alias may refer to:
* Pseudonym
* Pen name
* Nickname
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film
* ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006
* ''Alias the ...
* R.A.S. (Rescue Aid Society), from the movies ''
The Rescuers
''The Rescuers'' is a 1977 American animated adventure comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The 23rd Disney animated feature film, its story follows Bernard and Bianca, two members ...
'' and ''
The Rescuers Down Under
''The Rescuers Down Under'' is a 1990 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 29th Disney animated feature film and the second movie to be produced during the Disne ...
''
*
R.E.D. (Reliable Excavation (and) Demolition), a front for one of the warring companies in Team Fortress 2. Red uniforms.
* S.A.B.R.E., a fictional agency representing the UK, Australia, and India in the video game
Evil Genius
* S.A.V.A.G.E. (Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion), from the animated TV series ''
Rambo: The Force of Freedom''
* S.CORP.I.A., (Sabotage, Corruption, Intelligence and Assassination) a criminal organization from the fictional series, ''
Alex Rider
''Alex Rider'' is a series of spy novels written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novels revolve around a teenage spy named Alex Rider and is primarily aimed towards young adults. The series currently comprises thirteen novels, as we ...
''.
*
S.H.A.D.O. (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization) in the
Gerry Anderson
Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...
television series ''
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
''.
*
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...
(originally Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law Enforcement Division; later Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate and Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), from the ''
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.''
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
.
* S.H.O.C.K.E.R (Sacred Hegemony of Cycle Kindred Evolutionary Realm) is an evil secret organisation in ''
Kamen Rider: The First''. It is a rebooted version of an eponymous organisation from the original ''
Kamen Rider'', where it wasn't an acronym.
*
S.H.U.S.H., from
Darkwing Duck
''Darkwing Duck'' is an American animated superhero comedy television series produced by Disney Television Animation (formerly Walt Disney Television Animation) that first ran from 1991 to 1992 on both the syndicated programming block ''The Disn ...
.
* S.K.O.O.L. (Secret Knowledge Of Organized Lawbreakers) in the
Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters who appear in several mystery series for children and teens. The series revolves around teenagers who are amateur sleuths, solving cases that stumped their adult counterpa ...
book, ''Secret Agent of Flight 101''.
* S.M.A.S.H., a fictional agency representing Africa, South America, and Antarctica in the video game
Evil Genius
* S.M.E.L.L.Y. (Society of Meaningless Evil, Larceny, Lying and Yelling), the antagonist of the children's video game
Spy Fox 2: "Some Assembly Required"
* S.N.A.F.U. (Society of Nefarious And Felonious Undertakings), a terrorist organization from the short-lived Nickelodeon animated series, ''
The X's
''The X's'' is an American animated television series created by Carlos Ramos for Nickelodeon. The series centers on a family of spies who must conceal their identity from the outside world, but often have trouble in doing so. It had a single ...
''
*
SPECTRE
Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to:
Religion and spirituality
* Vision (spirituality)
* Apparitional experience
* Ghost
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
(Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion), from the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
series.
* S.T.E.N.C.H. (Society for the Total Extermination of Non-Conforming Humans) in the film ''
Carry On Spying
''Carry On Spying'' is a 1964 British spy comedy film, the ninth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It marks Barbara Windsor's first appearance in the series. Series regulars Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, and Jim Dal ...
'' and the radio series ''Round the Horne''.
*
S.P.I.D.E.R. (Secret People's International Directorate for Extralegal Revenue), the adversaries of the
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'' is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday pe ...
from
Tower Comics
Tower Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1965 to 1969, best known for Wally Wood's ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'', a strange combination of secret agents and superheroes; and Samm Schwartz's ''Tippy Teen'', an Archi ...
(see below).
* S.S.S.S.S. Squad (Super Special Sonic Search and Smash Squad) from ''
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog''
*
S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Service), from the
Resident Evil
''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
video game series.
*
S.T.R.I.K.E.
S.T.R.I.K.E., an acronym for Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies, is a fictional counter-terrorism and intelligence agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organization often deals with s ...
(Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies), a fictional counter-terrorism and intelligence agency in the
Marvel Comics Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
(S.T.R.I.K.E. is the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
's version of
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...
and first appeared in
Captain Britain Weekly
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
#17).
* S.W.A.M.P. (Sinister Wrongdoers Against Mankind's Preservation), from ''
Spy Kids: Mission Critical'', a future
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
animated series
*
S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department), from
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
.
* Tenet, a secret organization that uses time inversion to perform temporal pincer movements from the 2020 film ''
Tenet''.
*
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. (The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves), from
Tower Comics
Tower Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1965 to 1969, best known for Wally Wood's ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'', a strange combination of secret agents and superheroes; and Samm Schwartz's ''Tippy Teen'', an Archi ...
.
* T.I.A. (Técnicos Investigación Aeroterráquea) translating into "Aeroterraquatic (air, land, sea) Investigation Technicians", from the Spanish comic strip
Mortadelo y Filemón
''Mort & Phil'' ( es, Mortadelo y Filemón) is a Spanish comic series, published in more than a dozen languages. It appeared for the first time in 1958 in the children's comic-book magazine drawn by Francisco Ibáñez. The series features Mor ...
.
* U.G.L.I. (Undercover Global League of Informants) in the
Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters who appear in several mystery series for children and teens. The series revolves around teenagers who are amateur sleuths, solving cases that stumped their adult counterpa ...
book, ''Secret Agent of Flight 101''.
* U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. (Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile Army To Unite Mankind) from Marvel Comics.
*
U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) and T.H.R.U.S.H., from ''
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...
''. (The meaning of T.H.R.U.S.H. was never revealed on the series; but, in the novelizations it was stated to be "Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity".)
*
U.N.I.T. (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) A military organization formed to investigate and combat paranormal and extraterrestrial threats to the Earth in the series ''
Doctor Who''. UNIT was rebranded as the UNified Intelligence Taskforce in 2008, after the United Nations expressed its discomfort with being associated with a fictional paramilitary organization.
* V.A.C.U.U.M. (Volunteer Agents Crusading Unsteadily Under Mongoose), from the
Donald Sobol
Donald J. Sobol (October 4, 1924 – July 11, 2012) was an American writer best known for his children's books, especially the Encyclopedia Brown mystery series.
Early life and education
Donald Sobol was born in The Bronx, New York City, ...
book ''Secret Agents Four''.
*
V.E.N.O.M. (The Vicious, Evil Network Of Mayhem), the evil mask-wearing cohort from the 1980s Saturday-morning cartoon ''M.A.S.K.''
*
V.F.D., (Volunteer Fire Department) a secret organization from the book series
A Series of Unfortunate Events
''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' is a series of thirteen children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. The books follow the turbulent lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. After th ...
and its adaptations.
*
V.I.L.E. (The Villains' International League of Evil),
Carmen Sandiego
''Carmen Sandiego'' (sometimes referred to as ''Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?'') is a media franchise based on a series of computer games created by the American software company Broderbund. While the original 1985 '' Where in the World ...
's band of international thieves.
* V.S.S.E. (Vital Situation, Swift Elimination), from the ''
Time Crisis
''Time Crisis'' is a first-person on-rails light gun shooter series of arcade video games by Namco, introduced in 1995. It is focused on the exploits of a fictional international intelligence agency who assigns its best agents to deal with a m ...
'' video game series.
* W.I.C.K.E.D. (World In Catastrophe : Killzone Experiment Department), from ''
The Maze Runner
''The Maze Runner'' is a 2009 young adult dystopian science fiction novel written by American author James Dashner and the first book released in ''The Maze Runner'' series. The novel was published on October 6, 2009, by Delacorte Press, an ...
'' book and movie series.
* W.A.S.P. (World Aquanaut Security Patrol), from the Gerry Anderson TV series,
Stingray
* W.C.P.O. (World Criminal Police Organization), from the
Rolling Thunder video game series (not to be confused with the
ABC TV station in Cincinnati, Ohio).
*
W.O.O.H.P. (World Organization of Human Protection), the fictional organization from ''
Totally Spies!
''Totally Spies!'' is an animated spy-fi series created by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel mainly produced by French animation company Marathon Media and French broadcaster TF1, with seasons 3 to 5 being co-produced with Canadian c ...
'', an animated series on
Cartoon Network.
* Z.O.W.I.E. (Zonal Organization for World Intelligence and Espionage), from the movies ''
Our Man Flint
''Our Man Flint'' is a 1966 American spy-fi comedy film that parodies the ''James Bond'' film series. The film was directed by Daniel Mann, written by Hal Fimberg and Ben Starr (from a story by Hal Fimberg), and starred James Coburn as maste ...
'' and ''
In Like Flint
''In Like Flint'' is a 1967 American spy fi comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas, the sequel to the parody spy film ''Our Man Flint'' (1966).
It posits an international feminist conspiracy to depose the ruling American patriarchy with a f ...
''
Various fiction invent British spy agencies with "MI numbers" other than the well-known
MI5
The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), G ...
or
MI6
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
. Examples include MI7 in ''
Johnny English
''Johnny English'' is a 2003 spy comedy film directed by Peter Howitt and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and William Davies. It is a British-French venture produced by StudioCanal and Working Title Films, and distributed by Universal Pi ...
'', M.I.9 in ''
M.I. High'', and
MI-13 in
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. These agencies generally have no relation to the real but defunct branches of the
Directorate of Military Intelligence that previously used these designations.
See also
{{Fictional espionage navbox
Espionage
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...