List of Action Man characters

Action Man

The eponymous protagonist of the franchise, first introduced as an action figure in 1966 as a British equivalent to G.I. Joe. The character soon developed his own identity as an action hero, rather than being specifically a military figure. Although the appearance and backstory of Action Man has varied over time and across different media, the scar on the character's right cheek has remained consistent. In the Hasbro toy line and the Panini Comics canon, he is depicted as the leader of the heroic 'Action Force' team. He is advanced in many forms of martial arts and has a large arsenal of weapons and vehicles.

In the 1995 TV series, the character is depicted as a man suffering from amnesia who leads the Action Force in their fight against the evil Dr. X and his terrorist organisation. He often has brief flashbacks of his past which are triggered by certain events. He later learns that his real name is Matthew Exler, and that he's actually the brother of Dr. X (Dorian Exler).

In the 2000 TV series, Action Man was reimagined as extreme sports athlete Alex Mann of 'Team Xtreme'. He has a special ability called an AMP (Advanced Macro Probability) Factor, a result of secret experiments by his former coach Simon Grey. The AMP Factor allows Alex to see every possibility in a situation but in order to use it he has to feel a triggering adrenaline rush.

Dr. X

Dr. X (real name Count Laszlo Huszar II, or Dorian Exler in the 1995 TV series) is the main antagonist of the franchise, introduced in 1993. He is a psychopathic and misanthropic mastermind bent on world domination and is prepared to reach his goal by any means necessary. He is Action Man's archenemy and it is always up to Action Man and Action Force to stop his evil plans and save the world. Despite his varying appearance over the years, his bionic hand/arm and eye (sometimes covered by an eye patch) remain consistent. He is the leader of the paramilitary terrorist organisation named 'Council of Doom' and has had many villainous teammates, scientists, and right hand men.

In the 2000 TV series, Dr. X was depicted as a handicapped scientist who worked with Simon Grey to help humanity in case of a nuclear war. This included creating Action Man's AMP factor. However, Simon left because he thought Dr. X's methods were genocidal. Unabated, Dr. X continued his work on 'neo-humanity', eventually transplanting his mind in to the body of Action Man's sporting rival Brandon Cane in an attempt to obtain immortality. Driven by insanity and believing that the world is no longer worth ruling, he even attempted to throw a meteor onto the planet in order to ensure the planet's destruction.

In the 2016 comic series by IDW Publishing, the original Doctor X dies in a confrontation with then-Action Man, Agent Mike Brogan. His corpse is destroyed by traitorous AMP Agent Mercy Gale who adopts his identity to manipulate global conflicts. Gale receives an X-shaped scar after being non-fatally shot by current Action Man, Agent Ian Noble.

Professor Gangrene

Nick Masters

A TV presenter and extreme sports commentator for the TV network 'Mastervision' in the 2000 TV series. He had a public feud with Templeton Storm which led to Storm becoming Tempest. On camera, Masters appears as a well-adjusted, friendly individual, but in reality Masters is an egotistical person who will do anything for screen time no matter the collateral damage or risk to the lives of others. He later went on to work for Bank of Ireland as an accountant, solving mysteries such as why the expenses claimed by senior executives were so excessively high.

Professor Moran

A scientist who was kidnapped by No-Face and forced to make a mind control gas for Dr. X during the events of the 2004 Panini Comics story-arc and the 2004 film Action Man: Robot Atak. Action Force ultimately save Moran from Dr. X and free him from captivity.

Brandon Cane

Sporting rival of Alex Mann in the 2000 TV series. He is soon captured by Dr. X, who places his own mind into the younger, more able body of Cane.