Napoleon

Picture from Lisa's Video Frame Capture Library

Name: Napoleon Solo

Age: 33

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

Height: 5'8 1/2"

Weight: 170

Birthplace: Nebraska

Current Residence: New York City

Occupation: Spy

Special Skills: Smooth-talking, reading people, making funny quips, romancing the ladies.

Likes: U.N.C.L.E., Illya, women, protecting the innocent, keeping the peace.

Dislikes: Unnecessary killing, being rejected by women.

Backstory: Napoleon had a fairly normal life, growing up in a rural area of a rural state. His family was patriotic and proud, instilling within him a lifelong love of country and a need to protect it and the people within it. Many was the time a young Napoleon sat at his Admiral grandfather's feet and listened to enthralling stories of the man's service during World War II.

Following in his grandfather's footsteps, Napoleon served in the military before moving to New York and becoming part of U.N.C.L.E. Despite his beginnings, he had very little trouble integrating into big city life. Indeed, he seemed as though he had been born into it. Nevertheless, he has never lost his love of wide open spaces. He also proved very adept at the lifestyle of a secret agent and eventually rose to prominence as the top field agent in the New York branch of U.N.C.L.E.

He was wary when Mr. Waverly told him about a Russian agent transferring to the New York branch of U.N.C.L.E. from London. Far from being fully converted to the American way of life, the agent liked the idea of Communism, although he admittedly didn't care for the way it was carried out. He also carried a certain bitterness for how the fall of Communism made life very difficult in his country. It was bad enough for such an agent to be coming to New York, but Mr. Waverly wanted him as Napoleon's partner. Napoleon couldn't understand why. And really, neither could Illya Kuryakin, the Russian-born agent.

Napoleon and Illya did not get along well at first, although they were mature enough to not all but war with each other. They gradually worked their way to mutual trust and respect and eventually friendship. Napoleon trusts in Illya completely, a beautiful contrast to their uncertain first meetings.

Personality and Interests: It takes a lot to visibly upset Napoleon. His normal state of being is approaching everything with a calm, cool, and collected demeanor. If he can throw some humorous remarks in there too, that's the icing on the cake. However, just because he doesn't generally show when he's upset doesn't mean he isn't ever upset deep down.

Perhaps because of growing up in a small town and wanting what the city had to offer, Napoleon embraced the idea of being able to afford luxuries such as expensive suits and cars. Mr. Waverly is always dismayed by Napoleon's expense reports and including suits damaged on cases.

It's certainly no secret that Napoleon loves the ladies and always has. He can't resist a good flirt with a beautiful, single woman. Nevertheless, he is a professional who never lets his interests interfere with his work. Contrary to what many think, he is also a more moral person than British spy James Bond, in matters of romance as well as killing enemies. He isn't always jumping in bed with some new or old love interest. He also isn't about to fall into a femme fatale's trap if he can help it; even with amnesia he wasn't about to be fooled by a girl assigned to him.

Naturally Napoleon is aware that sometimes there is nothing to be done and the enemies must be vanquished. However, whenever possible, he prefers to only put them out of commission temporarily with sleeping darts. He doesn't appreciate unnecessary killing and has always felt that Illya did not need to stab Mr. Ecks after they caught him. In spite of his feelings, however, he will defend Illya's decision and Illya's reasons for it.

Napoleon likes to create peace wherever possible, and without violence whenever possible. He has tried to be a peacemaker between Illya and Ecks when their squabbles become quite heated. He is quite calm and collected and doesn't generally mind working with either Ecks or Wye, although he would prefer not to encounter them as much as they do. He is also, however, highly grateful to Mr. Ecks for saving his life during The Peaceful Meadows Affair.

He thrives on the dangerous lifestyle he and Illya lead, just as Bryn Watson observed at the end of The Odd Man Affair. He is secretly glad that Mr. Waverly is changing U.N.C.L.E.'s policy regarding field agents 40 and over. Perhaps he will decide to retire and settle down, but somehow he can't quite imagine it of himself. He can easily picture himself continuing as a field agent for as long as he is physically fit to do so.