THE ENFORCER

Full Name:	Alex Jason
Series Name:	The Enforcer
Nationality:	American
Organization:	John Anryn Institute
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Andrew Sugar
Time Span:	1973 - 1975

ABOUT THE SERIES

       Alex Jason, aka The Enforcer, is an agent with the John Anryn Institute.
       That is a "think tank" funded by a group of wealthy individuals determined to make a difference and not worried about laws or scruples or countries while doing so. They also have one heck of a scientific breakthrough which they use to help their agents keep on going.
       Jason, when we meet him at the beginning of the first recorded adventure, is an author in his late 30's and not likely to get any older. Dying and in a lot of pain from advanced cancer, he knows the end is near and there is nothing he can do to stop it. Then a hologram appears before him and offers him a chance to keep living, in a way and Jason did not need much time to think about it.
       The technology is the new science of cloning and the Institute's leading scientist has made advances that are spectacular. From a few cells he can grow a new adult body in very short order. Then, using a different incredible invention, the brainwaves of a person can be infused or transmitted or whatever - placed into the clone which, naturally enough being so brand new has no memories of its own. Suddenly the patient is fully alive inside the new form.
       Jason's hopes were fulfilled and suddenly he was inside a new body, cancer and pain free, and in the peak of condition, able to pay the Institute back for its gift by handling missions for it. And if his new body should become severely injured or maimed, there was always another body to shift into. Two little problems existed, though.
       The first was that after around 90 days, the clone body started to, well, melt. Getting back to base to pop over to a new clone became rather time sensitive.
       The second was that, apparently, each transfer diminished ever so smally the brain power of transferee so this was not really a ticket to immortality but rather just a prolonging of the inevitable.
       Still, for a dying man, two or three years filled with adventure, challenge, booze, and the opposite sex was pretty good deal.

BOOKS

Number of Books:	6
First Appearance:	1973
Last Appearance:	1975

       The publishing house of Lancer was doing a very good job of filling the paperback turnstyles with titles in all genres, horror, gothic, mystery, and espionage. It was this publisher that released the first four of the Enforcer adventures, taking an approach with the covers that neared those of Pinnacle (of Executioner and Destroyer fame).
       Then came a two year gap and suddenly Manor Books has acquired the rights to the series, reprinted them with new covers, and then added two more stories to the mix. Naturally, something would go wrong and that something was denoting the order of things. Namely, they didn't do it right. 1-3 were okay but then #4 as re-released as #6. Then what I consider #5 and the real #6 came out without a number so deciding what was the right order was possible only through the plot context.

       I want to thank the terrific people at Paperback Warrior and Glorious Trash for providing far better synopses of the books than I give here. I read the first 3 back when they came out and collected the other three but never reading them. Both these sites helped jog my memory and fill in the missing pieces. Both sites are dynamite.


1			Caribbean Kill aka The Enforcer Written by Andrew Sugar Copyright: 1973 Alex Jason, the Enforcer, is directed by his new bosses to head to Cuba and, using some powerful laser weaponry, destroy the oil wells there to spur economic ruin to help spark revolution to pull down the current government.

2			Calling Doctor Kill! Written by Andrew Sugar Copyright: 1973 The genius behind the mind transference that enables Alex Jason, the Enforcer, to stay alive, Dr. Rosegold, is in a coma in a hospital held hostage by the Syndicate. Jason's job is to infiltrate that facility, find and then rescue the doctor. To do this he must impersonate being a physician.

3			Kill City Written by Andrew Sugar Copyright: 1973 Alex Jason, the Enforcer, was on his own time minding his own business when he was mugged. Coming to his rescue were members of a vigilante group called The Patrol and before Jason knows it, the mugger suddenly commits suicide. When Jason tells the Institute about this, they want to know why the mugger and other criminals are killing themselves in that city.

4			Kill Deadline! Written by Andrew Sugar Copyright: 1973 The Calendar Killer is assassinating a wealthy man on the 10th of each month. The Institute really wants to know why and to stop him so Alex Jason, the Enforcer, is given the case. To accomplish the mission, Jason takes the clone body of the next man expected to be the target.

5			Bio Blitz! Written by Andrew Sugar Copyright: 1975 The archenemy of Alex Jason, the Enforcer, and the Institute he works for, Lockner, has come up with yet another scheme to destroy his enemy. This one involves a two-prong approach. The first is an infestation of mutated insects and the second is using a band of radical feminists who know how to use a gun.

6			Steel Trap Written by Andrew Sugar Copyright: 1975 The remnants of Lockner's organization are still quite active and Alex Jason, the Enforcer, is sent to shut them down. This will entail breaking into a maximum security prison to break out a paralyzed inmate who knows all the names.

MY COMMENTS

       When I first saw the initial book, with the references to the Mafia wanting to "get" the Enforcer before he got them, well I knew I had found another Executioner series. Made sense. Different publisher but same concept. Even started with the same letter. I was a huge Bolan fan so my only question was how close it was in quality.
       After a chapter or two, I was wondering seriously if the printer had put the wrong cover on the book. I checked the title on the inside and saw that wasn't the case but, um, what gives? Man dying of cancer. Hologram. Cloning. Mind transfer. No Mafia that I saw, certainly no going after them enough to make them nervous.
       Around then I said to myself, "Whoa, Nelly (an nickname, I'll grant you)! Just go with it. Give it a chance. Maybe you'll like it." Um, nope! My thoughts had slipped, by the time I finished, to wondering how, in the mind transference did Alex Jason suddenly learn how to might like maniac. I mean, he had been a writer with no apparent training in combat, then he got sick, then he changed bodies and now could take on the Cuban army.
       The second book had already been purchased (I grabbed the first 3 at the same time) and with hesitancy I started the second. It was better. Not good, but better. And I liked-ish the third, enough the buy the next three but not enough to actually read them. So would I like them? Would you? Your milage may vary.

GRADE

My Grade: C+

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