Although Spectrum were victorious in most of their battles with the Mysterons seen in 1967’s Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, the organisation lost various vehicles and machines during these encounters. Here is a rundown of Spectrum craft lost in action against the Mysterons, although producing a definitive tally is impossible since the final fates of certain vehicles are never revealed. We have therefore noted vehicles that weren’t confirmed as lost on screen but which suffered damage severe enough to potentially be considered as such; however, since Spectrum famously build their machines tough, there’s sometimes no way to be sure unless they’ve clearly been blown to pieces!

The Mysterons

Appropriately enough for their first battle with the Mysterons, Spectrum suffer heavy vehicle losses in the first episode of the series. After declaring their intention to assassinate the World President the Mysterons first kill Captains Scarlet and Brown by crashing their Spectrum saloon, which explodes as it tumbles down a mountainside. The crash is reported to Colonel White soon after it occurred, suggesting that the Mysterons did not reconstruct the car as they did its occupants.

When the New York Maximum Security Building is destroyed by the detonation of the Mysteron Captain Brown (no doubt also causing the deaths of untold Spectrum agents and staff) the two patrol cars and single Maximum Security Vehicle assigned to the World President’s motorcade are also caught in the blast. On Blu-ray we can see the two cars end up being thrown clear from the subsequent fire (albeit with no signs of the MSV) – but it’s doubtful any of them would have been back on the road any time soon!

After being discovered as a Mysteron while on the way to London, Captain Scarlet ejects from his Spectrum Passenger Jet with the World President. With no pilot, said SPJ would probably have crashed off screen (or been shot down) a short time later.

Having been dispatched to the London Car Vu to assist Captain Blue, Spectrum helicopter A42 is revealed to be under the control of the Mysterons. It isn’t clear whether the vehicle had been destroyed and reconstructed (although hearing the pilot’s voice in the empty cockpit would suggest so) but regardless helicopter A42 is destroyed after being shot down by Destiny Angel and colliding with the Car Vu structure.

Finally, Captain Blue’s SPV A69 is still on top of the London Car Vu when it finally collapses following the crash of helicopter A42. It isn’t clear what damage the eight hundred foot fall has on the vehicle; SPVs may be tough, but surely in such circumstances its chances of survival wouldn’t be good?

Point 783

SPV 428 is last seen falling off a cliff alongside the Unitron; upon reaching the bottom the SPV appears to be intact until the Unitron explodes beside it, but there’s no visible evidence to suggest the SPV was lost.

Renegade Rocket

Melody Angel’s interceptor is destroyed when Major Reeves shoots her down over the sea, although thankfully she herself is able to eject to safety.

Seek and Destroy

Three unpainted Angel interceptors are destroyed in a warehouse fire engineered by Captain Black; these are then reconstructed by the Mysterons as part of their plan to assassinate Destiny Angel. All three are subsequently shot down by the real Angels, but not before they destroy Scarlet and Blue’s Spectrum saloon and shoot down Harmony Angel’s interceptor.

Shadow of Fear

Another tricky one to count as a loss; Scarlet and Blue’s SPV is parked at the K-14 observatory when it is destroyed, and although the SPV was likely also lost in the same disaster there’s no on-screen confirmation of its fate.

Special Assignment

Captain Scarlet uses SPV 104 as part of a Mysteron attack on Nuclear City, but after signalling his position to Spectrum forces Scarlet ejects from the vehicle which is then blown to pieces by Symphony Angel.

Traitor

Spectrum Hovercraft 8 is destroyed at the beginning of the episode after it goes out of control and crashes. Cadet Machin says that “ours was the third hovercraft to go out of control and explode in six days” so clearly two other vehicles had also been lost prior to the start of the episode. We see the wreckage of one (Hovercraft 2) later in the story, shortly before Hovercraft 4 also suffers mechanical difficulties and becomes the fourth Hovercraft to be destroyed.

Dangerous Rendezvous

Following the Mysterons’ instructions to report for a meeting in Greenland, Scarlet is then told to eject from his Spectrum passenger jet, which is subsequently destroyed when it collides with the ground.

Fire at Rig 15

After successfully diverting Jason Smith’s explosives truck away from the Bensheba refinery, Captain Scarlet’s SPV collides with one of the refinery’s outlying fuel tanks. It’s a tricky call to count this as a loss, considering the oil-soaked SPV is still technically in one piece, but the fact that it’s on fire suggests it would probably have been under repair for some considerable time after.

Attack on Cloudbase

Symphony Angel’s interceptor suffers an explosion while on the way back to Cloudbase, forcing her eject before the aircraft endures a fiery crash-landing in the desert. In her subsequent nightmare the four remaining Angel aircraft are also lost; Rhapsody Angel’s is blown to pieces (with her inside it) by a Mysteron spacecraft, Captain Scarlet’s is severely damaged after being hit by Mysteron fire and then crash-landing on Cloudbase, and the final two fall off Cloudbase shortly before the aerial headquarters itself falls from the sky.

Still, it was only a dream.

Honourable mentions

A single SPV (not the same one) is seen crashing in the episodes Winged Assassin, Manhunt, Avalanche, and Codename Europa, but not badly enough to be considered a loss (probably).

Colonel White probably wasn’t happy about all of this – but if you’ve spotted a Spectrum vehicle destroyed in the series that we’ve overlooked here, mention it in the comments below and we’ll add it to the list!