“ | Where some people see coincidence, I see conspiracy. That's my job. | ” |
—Alan Blunt |
Alan Blunt was the former chief executive of the Special Operations division of MI6. Blunt has appeared in all of the novels in the Alex Rider series, (up until Scorpia Rising,) although his role in Snakehead is brief.
His second-in-command was Tulip Jones, who replaced him as Head when he retired in the novel Scorpia Rising.
Abilities
Alan Blunt's most evident skill is his analytical and calculating abilities. He is perceptively intelligent and extremely cunning, a perfect tactician. He understands criminal activities excellently and has immense affinities for mathematics and science. His intelligence is proved by his education at Cambridge University.
Biography
Prior to working for Special Operations, Blunt graduated with a First Class Honours degree in mathematics from Cambridge University, where the man became friends with Michael J. Roscoe. It is mentioned that he is married, though his wife's identity has never been revealed in the series. Throughout the series, he is known for being driven around in a Rolls-Royce, and for wearing a grey suit and grey glasses which are said to bolden his eyes. He is described further as having grey lips and grey eyes, set in an expressionless face.
Personality
Blunt is dedicated to his job and has a very analytical mind, and is shown to be an aloof, impassive, cold and ruthless man. Like many spy-masters in popular culture, Blunt is portrayed as being emotionally unattached, to the point of misanthropy, to anything he does and whatever he uses. Although this shows him to be very ruthless and callous, it shows that he is incredibly dedicated to his job.
His intellect and levels of cunning know no limits but he can be very dismissive, if not arrogant and cruel, towards Alex, due to him being a child, and suffer unfathomably from his own mistakes, which is revealed in Eagle Strike. He is, also, adept at judging people's characters, as he sees how useful Alex is to MI6, how much of a threat Yassen Gregorovich is to the world and, also, he doesn't underestimate Mrs Jones' intelligence.
He insists on continuing to use Alex Rider despite his age, the death of his uncle whilst on an intelligence case, and the fact that he has encountered near death more times than most intelligence agents would be expected to in their careers; after Alex is almost assassinated in Scorpia, however, he agrees with Mrs. Jones not to use him again, although the CIA and ASIS continue to use him. He can appear arrogant and self-centred, almost callously and cynically utilising Alex for his own ends, and at one point causing the police hours worth of work just to recruit Alex in the final book.
Role in Series
Stormbreaker
“ | You nearly shot the prime minister. | ” |
—Alan Blunt, Stormbreaker |
Blunt’s first appearance in the series was in Stormbreaker, at the funeral of Ian Rider. He later has Alex Rider brought to the Royal and General Bank (MI6 Headquarters). Blunt then asks Alex after twelve days of training to spy on the estate of Herod Sayle, to discover the truth behind the man’s distribution of the Stormbreaker computers.
Point Blanc
In this novel Blunt asks Alex Rider to investigate Hugo Grief at the Point Blanc Academy in the French Alps, under the alias of Alex Friend. After the Battle of Point Blanc, Alan debriefs Alex, claiming that the fifteen of Grief's 'children' will be silently executed. He is oblivious, however, to the existence of Julius Grief.
Skeleton Key
Crawley dispatched Alex to Wimbledon to deal with a triad gambling conspiracy. Blunt then sent him to Skeleton Key as part of a CIA investigation of Alexei Sarov, to figure out what is going on.
Eagle Strike
When Alex suspected that Damian Cray was involved with Yassen Gregorovich,who is a professional assassin. Blunt dismissed his suspicions, leaving Alex to investigate it himself. After events in Paris and Amsterdam, however, Blunt and Jones try to catch up with Cray, realising Alex was right.
Scorpia
Blunt was only seen a few times in the fifth Alex Rider novel, the first when Mrs Jones comes to his office to tell him Alex Rider has joined SCORPIA. The second time was when he arranged a meeting with Alex after his attempt to kill Mrs Jones in her flat, and then having consecutive appearances throughout the rest of the novel.
Ark Angel
Blunt had some involvement in Ark Angel, appearing to visit Alex in the hospital after Scorpia’s assassination attempt.
Snakehead
Unlike previous novels, Blunt never appeared in Snakehead. Blunt was only mentioned in this novel.
Crocodile Tears
Alex comes to Blunt and Jones for help regarding a reporter named Harry Bulman, who was threatening to reveal MI6’s use of him. In return for taking care of Bulman, Alex investigates a worker in the Greenfields Bio Centre, while on a trip arranged by his school.
Scorpia Rising
In this book, Alan Blunt reaches his final days as the head chief of MI6. He arranges for a sniper to shoot a friend of Alex Rider's. Later, using that as a leverage, he sends Alex to Egypt for supposed protection from SCORPIA, while he is actually tricking the young operative into another mission. After all of the tension in Egypt had boiled down, Blunt was forced to retire, and is replaced by Tulip Jones. It is also revealed that he is married and plans to travel with his wife around Europe.
Stormbreaker film
In the film adaption of Stormbreaker, Alan Blunt was portrayed by Bill Nighy. When Alex asks 'what kind of people are you?' he replies rather coldly with 'Ones that normally get their way!'. He points out that, while they don't trust Darius Sayle, they don't trust anyone. When Alex tells them about Yassen Gregorovich, Blunt claims to have thought he was still in North Korea. He appears far less emotional and rather more sociopathic, unenthusiastically suggesting that, after Alex returns from Cornwall that Mrs Jones takes him for an ice cream since he'd done very well. At the climatic duel at the end of the film, Blunt and Mrs Jones clash over whether or not to open fire on Alex and Sayle, at which point Mrs Jones snaps at him, saying 'There is no argument!', at which point Alan demands his forces to withdraw. He helplessly watches as Alex is rescued by Yassen Gregorovich.
Differences in the TV series
Season One
Dr. Greif's clones are not to be executed, and Julius Grief is not present in this season, but otherwise Alan Blunt acts as in the book Point Blanc. More coverage of his involvement in the Point Blanc investigation is shown in the series however, with Alan taking an active role in investigating one of the suspected clones, interrogating him when it's confirmed, and even interrogating Dr. Greif himself.
Trivia
- Alan Blunt is actually afraid of SCOPRIA during the book Scorpia. He seems to think that Alex is the only one that can help them out of the situation.[citation needed]
- He was partially responsible for causing Jack Starbright's apparent death, since he orchestrated the sniper assault on Alex Rider's friend, thus causing the boy to return to field work.
Stormbreaker Characters | |
Main Characters | |
---|---|
Alex Rider • Alan Blunt • Tulip Jones • Jack Starbright • Herod Sayle • Yassen Gregorovich | |
Other Key Characters | |
Ian Rider • Smithers • Nadia Vole • Mr. Grin • Wolf • John Crawley |
Point Blanc Characters | |
Main Characters | |
---|---|
Alex Rider • Alan Blunt • Tulip Jones • Jack Starbright • Hugo Grief • Eva Stellenbosch | |
Other Key Characters | |
David Friend • Smithers • James Sprintz • Michael J. Roscoe • Wolf • John Crawley • Fiona Friend • Julius Grief |
Skeleton Key Characters | |
Main Characters | |
---|---|
Alex Rider • Alan Blunt • Tulip Jones • Jack Starbright • Alexei Sarov • Sabina Pleasure | |
Other Key Characters | |
Joe Byrne • Smithers • Belinda Troy • Tom Turner • Conrad • John Crawley • Boris Kiriyenko |
Eagle Strike Characters | |
Main Characters | |
---|---|
Alex Rider • Alan Blunt • Tulip Jones • Jack Starbright • Damian Cray • Sabina Pleasure • Yassen Gregorovich | |
Other Key Characters | |
Edward Pleasure • Smithers • Liz Pleasure • Marc Antonio • Charlie Roper • John Rider • Henryk |
Scorpia Characters | |
Main Characters | |
---|---|
Alex Rider • Alan Blunt • Tulip Jones • Jack Starbright • Julia Rothman • Nile | |
Other Key Characters | |
Graham Adair • Smithers • Mark Kellner • George Adair • Tom Harris • Jerry Harris • Harold Liebermann |
Ark Angel Characters | |
Main Characters | |
---|---|
Alex Rider • Alan Blunt • Tulip Jones • Jack Starbright • Nikolei Drevin • Paul Drevin • Magnus Payne | |
Other Key Characters | |
Joe Byrne • Smithers • Tamara Knight • Max Webber • Ed Shulsky • John Crawley |
Scorpia Rising Characters | |
Main Characters | |
---|---|
Alex Rider • Jack Starbright • Alan Blunt • Abdul-Aziz Al-Rahim • Julius Grief | |
Other Key Characters | |
Smithers • Tulip Jones • Joe Byrne • Erik Gunter • Zeljan Kurst • Yannis Ariston Xenopolos |