Editing SPECTRE (section)

==Appearances==

===Novels===
In the original Bond novel series, SPECTRE's first and last appearance as a worldwide power is in the novel ''Thunderball''. In it, SPECTRE attempts to conduct [[nuclear blackmail]] against NATO. Apparently disbanded afterwards, SPECTRE is said to be active again in the next book, ''The Spy Who Loved Me'', although the organisation is not involved in the plot. In ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'', the second chapter of what is known as the "Blofeld Trilogy", Blofeld has revived SPECTRE where he attempts to carry out biological warfare against the United Kingdom. Blofeld's final appearance is in ''You Only Live Twice'', where SPECTRE has largely disbanded.

Later, the [[John Gardner (thriller writer)|John Gardner]] Bond novel, ''[[For Special Services]]'' introduces a revived SPECTRE led by Blofeld's daughter, Nena Bismaquer. Although Bond ultimately prevents SPECTRE from reforming, the organisation continues under the leadership of Tamil Rahani to play a part in ''[[Role of Honour]]'' and ''[[Nobody Lives for Ever]]''. The next Bond novelist, [[Raymond Benson]], reintroduces Irma Bunt, Blofeld's assistant, in his short story "[[James Bond uncollected short stories#"Blast from the Past"|Blast From the Past]]", which is a sequel to ''You Only Live Twice''.

===Films===
[[File:DrNoSPECTRE.JPG|thumb|right|[[Julius No|Dr. No]] with his aquarium in the background.]]
In the EON Productions's James Bond series, which began in 1962 with ''[[Dr. No (film)|Dr. No]]'', SPECTRE plays a more prominent role. The organisation is mentioned as being affiliated with [[Julius No|Dr. Julius No]], although the main organisation in the movie is No's personal army. In the novel, Dr. No worked for the USSR. In the films, SPECTRE usually replaced SMERSH as the main villain, although there is a brief reference to SMERSH in the second EON Bond film, ''[[From Russia with Love (film)|From Russia with Love]]'' (1963). The film adaptation of ''From Russia with Love'' also features the first on-screen appearance of Blofeld (portrayed by [[Anthony Dawson]] and voiced by [[Eric Pohlmann]]), although he is only identified by name in the closing credits of the film and his face is not seen at all. SPECTRE also serves as the primary antagonist of the film, orchestrating a plan to humiliate and kill James Bond as revenge for the death of Dr. No.

After being absent from the third film, ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]'' (1964), SPECTRE returns in the fourth film, ''Thunderball'' (1965), which closely mirrors the events of the novel, and subsequently is featured in the following films. During the events of the fifth film, ''You Only Live Twice'' (1967), they attempt to incite a war between the United States and Soviet Union. In film number six, ''[[On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)|On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]'' (1969), Blofeld ([[Telly Savalas]]) develops a [[biological warfare]] program and plans to demand clemency and recognition of a claimed title of nobility. SPECTRE's final appearance is in the seventh film, ''[[Diamonds Are Forever (film)|Diamonds Are Forever]]'' (1971), where they attempt to forcibly disarm the Cold War powers. SPECTRE was dismantled for good after ''Diamonds Are Forever''. Following ''Diamonds Are Forever'', SPECTRE and Blofeld were retired from the EON Films series, except for a cameo by a character implied to be Blofeld ([[John Hollis]]) in ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' (1981) in which said character is killed. Partly owing to a copyright dispute between rival Bond producers [[Albert R. Broccoli]] and [[Kevin McClory]], the character is never referred to by name and is credited as "Wheelchair Villain", though the closed captions for the film later refer to him as Blofeld.

===Rebooted Continuity===

The organisation returns in the rebooted [[Daniel Craig]] series of Bond films, which are set in an entirely separate universe to the earlier movies. In the 2015 film ''[[Spectre (2015 film)|Spectre]]'', the organisation is simply referred to by that title.<ref name="econ acroym" /><ref name="EON acronym" /> In the film, [[James Bond (reboot series character)|James Bond]] is posthumously sent by [[Judi Dench]]'s [[M (James Bond)|M]] to assassinate Marco Sciarra ([[Alessandro Cremona]]), which in turn leads him on the trail of the organisation. It is revealed throughout the course of the film that SPECTRE, and in turn Ernst Stavro Blofeld ([[Christoph Waltz]]), have been the power behind the previous Craig villains; the Quantum organisation from ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'' (2006) and 2008's ''[[Quantum of Solace]]'' is revealed to be a subsidiary of SPECTRE, while [[Raoul Silva]] ([[Javier Bardem]]) from ''[[Skyfall]]'' (2012) is shown to be affiliated with the organisation as well. In addition to Silva, [[Le Chiffre]] ([[Mads Mikkelsen]]), Mr. White ([[Jesper Christensen]]), and Dominic Greene ([[Mathieu Amalric]]) are all revealed to have a direct connection to SPECTRE. It is also revealed that Blofeld is really Franz Oberhauser, whose father Hannes adopted Bond after the latter was orphaned at age 11, and who murdered his father and faked his own death.

Using SPECTRE, Blofeld attempts to gain control of a global surveillance program called [[Five Eyes|Nine Eyes]]. Bond, M ([[Ralph Fiennes]]), and [[Q (James Bond)|Q]] ([[Ben Whishaw]]) manage to stop them and Blofeld is captured by [[MI6]] and sent to prison for his crimes.

This iteration of SPECTRE returns in the 2021 film ''[[No Time to Die]]'', where they remain at large despite Blofeld's imprisonment and attempt to assassinate Bond in [[Matera]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/7/21207736/no-time-to-die-spectre-spoilers-plot-details|title=No Time to Die plot details reveal opening sequence, Spectre connections|last=Patches|first=Matt|date=April 7, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en|access-date=April 7, 2020}}</ref> Five years later, the organisation kidnaps MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev ([[David Dencik]]) and takes "Project Heracles", a [[DNA]]-targeted [[bioweapon]].

Every high- and mid-level ranking SPECTRE member meets in Cuba, and it is revealed that Blofeld is still in control of the organisation, despite being imprisoned in Britain. Bond sneaks in to the meeting and is ordered by Blofeld to be killed by the nanobots, but Obruchev secretly had the DNA changed from Bond to every SPECTRE member and anyone related to them, killing every SPECTRE member at the meeting. The main antagonist of the film, Lyutsifer Safin ([[Rami Malek]]), seeks revenge against the organisation after Blofeld ordered Mr. White to murder his entire family. As the bioweapon kills SPECTRE members and their relatives around the world, the organisation is destroyed.

With Blofeld as the last surviving member of the organisation, Safin blackmails [[Madeleine Swann]] ([[Léa Seydoux]]) into infecting Blofeld with Heracles. Swann backs out after she unintentionally infects Bond, but the mission is a success when Bond attacks Blofeld, who is infected and dies.

The remaining survivors of SPECTRE, such as operative Primo ([[Dali Benssalah]]), defect to Safin and are killed at the ending of the film, destroying SPECTRE once and for all.

===Non-EON film appearances===
In 1983 [[Warner Bros.]] released ''[[Never Say Never Again]]'' starring Sean Connery, based on the same original source material as ''Thunderball''. The film retells the basic story of ''Thunderball'', albeit with some new characters and in an updated setting. It reintroduces both SPECTRE and Blofeld ([[Max von Sydow]]), although he is not the main villain and neither is the organization disbanded afterwards like in the novel.

===Video games===
SPECTRE is shown but never mentioned by name in the game ''[[GoldenEye: Rogue Agent]]''. Instead it is referred to as a "powerful criminal organisation." It is depicted as being much more powerful than it was in any of the films or books, possessing a massive undersea black market known as "The Octopus", a large lair built into an extinct volcano, resembling [[Karl Stromberg]] ([[Curd Jürgens]])'s Atlantis lair from ''[[The Spy Who Loved Me (film)|The Spy Who Loved Me]]''. Also included are the personal structures of its members, such as Auric Goldfinger's Auric Enterprises facility and casino and Dr. No's Crab Key. SPECTRE also possesses extremely advanced technology, such as [[virtual reality]] and energy generators in its volcanic lair.

Although the ''[[From Russia with Love (video game)|From Russia with Love]]'' game mirrors much of the plot of the [[From Russia with Love (film)|eponymous film]], it uses an organisation called [[OCTOPUS (fictional organisation)|OCTOPUS]] rather than SPECTRE to avoid [[Thunderball (novel)#Writing_and_copyright|copyright issues]].

===Comics===
A version of SPECTRE similar to the novels was featured in the [[James Bond (comic strip)|comic strips]] published in the ''[[Daily Express]]'' newspaper between 1958 and 1983. The organisation however didn't appear in the [[James Bond comics|comic books]] until ''[[James Bond (Dynamite Entertainment)#Eidolon|Eidolon]]'', a miniseries published by [[Dynamite Entertainment]] in 2016, written by [[Warren Ellis]] and illustrated by Jason Masters. In this comic, SPECTRE has a World War II organisation that is mostly defunct. Loyalists endured as plants and sleeper agents in the aftermath of a Warsaw Pact surge, waiting for the right moment for SPECTRE to have a reformation and resurgence.<ref>{{cite web|title=Interview: Warren Ellis renews his license to kill in JAMES BOND: EIDOLON|work=Comic Book Resources|date=28 March 2016|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/interview-warren-ellis-renews-his-license-to-kill-in-james-bond-eidolon|access-date=29 March 2016}}</ref>