Codename: Vulture
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| Codename: Vulture | |
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 Awriɣ Rabus as "Raz Zadiya, the Vulture," in the 1979 film Codename: Vulture III | |
| Created by | Kassu Farra and Takensust Sadri |
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| Films and television | |
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Codename: Vulture (Takelat: ⵉⵙⵎⵦⴼⴰⵔ: ⵜⴰⵎⴷⴰ; Ismeffar: Tamda) is a Talaharan spy fiction media franchise developed by Kassu Farra and Takensust Sadri over a series of seven novels written and set during the 1930s and 1940s. Following the exploits of the eponymous protagonist, a member of the fictitious "Section Zero" of the Special Intelligence Division, the franchise has expanded from the original print series to several comic book runs, nine feature films, and several other media entries.
The protagonist, Raz Zadiya, is introduced in the first novel as a new agent in Section Zero, tasked with preventing the capitalist rulers of the fictional country of Tamaria from manufacturing a global famine to drive up food prices. Initially planned as a single novella, the story exploded in popularity across Talahara and was soon serialized by several newspapers and magazines for broader consumption. The series' creator, Kassu Farra, began to develop a sequel with the assistance of Takensust Sadri. Sadri ultimately developed the character of Zadiya from a stern and practical professional to a sardonic and suave secret agent who tended to test the limits of his orders.
After Farra passed away in 1948, the franchise ended until Sadri partnered with Metira Akel from the Lithograph-Printers Syndicate to create a comic book series, continuing the adventures of Zadiya. This was followed up by a film adaptation of the first novel in 1970 in which famous actor Asifa Ra'ad portrayed the protagonist. From 1975 to 1984, Awriɣ Rabus took on the role of Zadiya in four feature films. This portrayal is widely considered the iconic iteration of the character. Following Rabus's retirement, Tinitran Atala portrayed the character in two further films in 1988 and 1990. The character was portrayed again by Vermina Vaziri in 2008's Special Agent Vulture and by Sekura Seraha in the 2019 reimagining of the series, Day of the Vulture.
Development
The original novel was developed by Kassu Farra, a writer with the Avana Print Entertainers Collective, beginning in 1930. Farra specialized in pulp adventure serials and had previously written short stories about secret agents and military deceptions in the late 1920s. Codename: Vulture was Farra's first novel-proper and the author had few expectations regarding its success, despite the effort that had been put into its creation.
The shock success of the first novel led Farra to seek assistance from long-time friend and fellow writer Takensust Sadri. Farra and Sadri quickly adopted a workflow together, with Farra primarily writing while Sadri edited. Several of the protagonist's most iconic character traits were developed by Sadri, who pushed for a darkly comedic element to juxtapose the intensity of the spy thriller. Following the publication of the second entry into the series, Farra and Sadri publically recognized each other as co-creators of the franchise.
Following the untimely death of Kassu Farra in a passenger train derailment, Sadri did not continue the series until approached by an agent from the National Lithograph-Printers Syndicate to create a comic book series in the early 1950s. Sadri ultimately acquiesced and co-authored the first run of the comic series. The first issues of the comic were based heavily on the writings of Farra and Sadri from a decade prior, and Sadri was credited as an author up to 1962. Sadri retired from the series in 1960.
Sadri passed away in 1968, but not before giving her blessing to a film adaptation of the first novel. Directed by Munatas Dadjan and starring Asifa Ra'ad in the titular role, the movie was a modest success in the domestic Talaharan market but achieved little renown globally. Five years later in 1975, a loosely-connected sequel was released directed by Bamwanil Farhat and starring Awriɣ Rabus who would go on to portray Raz Zadiya in three additional features to broad acclaim. Four additional films were produced over several decades. The most recent film is set in the 1980s, starring Tahuska Xazi as a female agent Vulture with Awriɣ Rabus playing the role of Chief Zero, hinting at continuity with the original hit film series.
Inspiration
Neither of the series co-creators had experience with military intelligence or spycraft prior to the development of the first novel. Born in 1898, Kassu Farra elected to make the protagonist approximately his own age and drew on the broad experiences of his own generation over a number of political and military conflicts around the world.
In the early stages of the development of the first novel, Farra interviewed a number of soldiers and individuals on the periphery of the Talaharan intelligence community to learn more about the training, techniques, and technologies that Talaharan spies relied upon. In an interview in 1944, Farra conceded that much of what was written was purely fictitious, either from his or Sadri own imaginations, the imaginations and boasts of the soldiers they interview, or at the specific request of Talaharan intelligence officers who were seeking to avoid having classified information published. Farra also commented that Sadri's involvement in the series was partially driven by his own insecurities regarding the perceived authenticity of the work and to obtain assistance for research.
It has been established that no single individual has provided the basis for Raz Zadiya's character. In terms of appearance, Farra wrote of meeting a theatre usher in Maktarim with a striking appearance who inspired the "tough" look of Vulture. Sadri noted that the dark sense of humour she assigned to Zadiya was inspired by an anatomy professor from when she was studying medicine at the Health Sciences College of Maktarim between 1922 and 1925.
Characters
The Codename: Vulture series has had a small cast of recurring characters, typically consisting of the protagonist, the bureau staff at Section Zero, and occasionally recurring antagonists. Otherwise, each entry in the franchise has introduced a new supporting cast, specific to the setting and plot of the story.
Raz Zadiya
Born in 1900, Waraz "Raz" Zadiya is the eponymous principal character of the franchise, adopting the codename "Vulture" at the beginning of the first novel in 1934. Initially portrayed as a gruff professional in the first novel, future installments introduced his penchant for sarcasm, independence, and signature one-liners; typically some form of morbid humour. In terms of appearance, Zadiya is described as tall and broad-shouldered with sharp features and an impressive mustache. In foreign markets, his red, felt, tassel-less tarbuš is also considered an iconic element of his appearance. His surname is traditionally Kel Hadar, but he is noted as being of mixed Kel Aman, Kel Hadar, and possibly Jewish descent. In addition to his military training, Zadiya is multilingual and has notable abilities in hand-to-hand combat, ciphers, and a nearly eidetic memory.
Zadiya is a dedicated socialist and internationalist. Throughout the run of the original novels, Zadiya espouses a number of pro-statist political comments, though the iteration seen in the comics from the 1950s and 1960s is perhaps more politically anarchist. In foreign-language translations and adaptations of the series, local editors frequently downplay the political elements of Zadiya's character and exploits. Across all iterations, Zadiya is generally skeptical and frequently questions his orders, generally taking a roundabout way to accomplish his missions.
In terms of relationships, Zadiya is described as having few friends or familial connections outside of work. He generally has positive relationships with the bureau staff and a number of minor characters at Section Zero. His relationship with Chief Zero, the head of Section Zero, is generally the most tumultuous. While some fans and analysts describe their relationship as occasionally paternal, Zadiya and the Chief are frequently at odds regarding Zadiya's methods and opposition to the Chief's authority. Zadiya also has a long-term relationship with Terminat "Minat" Tazgwaɣt, a technology specialist in Section Zero. Tazgwaɣt was introduced in 1938 in Codename: Vulture and the Scorpion, providing Zadiya with a concealable camera and radio transmitter. Throughout the rest of the series and each of the films, Tazgwaɣt provides Zadiya with numerous esoteric gadgets which frequently prove essential to him accomplishing his missions. Despite romantic tension in the early novels, Zadiya's and Tazgwaɣt's relationship remains platonic. In Codename: Vulture in the Desert and Codename: Vulture Strikes Back, Tazgwaɣt is promoted to field agent and provided with the codename "Eagle".
Little is known of Zadiya's life prior to his assignment to Section Zero. In the first three novels, Zadiya and other characters noted distinguished service in "the war". The rest of the novels and the early cinematic adaptations scarcely touched on his background. The 1984-1985 run of the comic series Codename: Vulture: Origins visited Zadiya's life as a young man enlisting with the Army Corps in 1918 and serving during the Annexation of Amara. The comic further details Zadiya's involvement as a foreign volunteer in the Ottonian Civil War, after which he began working in military intelligence. The series culminates in a difficult assignment that proves to be his ultimate test. After completing the assignment, he is inducted into Section Zero and provided with his new codename.
Minat Tazgwaɣt
Terminat "Minat" Tazgwaɣt is a supporting character introduced in 1938 in Codename: Vulture and the Scorpion, the third novel of the franchise. Tazgwaɣt has appeared thereafter in every mainline entry in the franchise, including every subsequent novel and every film. Tazgwaɣt is a technology specialist in Section Zero. She holds a Sergeant-Major rank and commands the Technology Bureau of Section Zero, taking a hands-on role in the development of special gadgets and miniaturized tools. In the last two novels, Tazgwaɣt is provided with the codename "Eagle" and is deployed in the field to support Zadiya's operations.
In her debut appearance, Tazgwaɣt is described as slight in stature with dark hair and eyes. In the novels, her left arm has burn scars and she is missing her fourth and fifth fingers on her left hand from an explosive mishap, though this detail is frequently absent from film portrayals. She is of Kel Aman descent from a family of military and mechanical engineers. She also has a brother serving in the Talaharan Navy Corps. In Codename: Vulture in Far Ochran, Tazgwaɣt remarks that she grew up in Mestaɣanim and studied in Tsurushima for two years prior to enlisting. She is generally characterized as an affable, cheerfully disarming individual who leads her bureau by example, though she exhibits more professionalism than Zadiya.
Tazgwaɣt has longstanding relationships with most of the principal characters in the franchise. Despite not appearing until the third novel, she is stated to have begun working with Section Zero over two years before Zadiya was inducted. She has a positive rapport with Chief Zero and the rest of the bureau staff at Section Zero. Her relationship with Zadiya was perceived by many readers of the early novels as flirtatious, but the two ultimately remain platonic friends, with the suggestion that Tazgwaɣt is romantically attached to a third party by the final novel.
Chief Zero
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Introduced in the first chapter of Codename: Vulture, Chief Zero is the leader of Section Zero. Unlike the other principal characters of the franchise, his real name is never revealed and he is known only by his subordinates only by his codename. Since the beginning of the series, Chief Zero has been featured in some capacity in every entry, save for the second video game. He is notably the only Section Zero character aside from Zadiya to appear in the Codename: Vulture: Origins comic. Chief Zero is also the only major character whose personality and characterization vary considerably throughout the franchise. The latter films specifically imply that the Chief is a distinct individual who has risen to the position, though the fate of the previous Chief Zero is left ambiguous. In the novels and most of the films, however, Chief Zero is portrayed consistently as the same individual.
Chief Zero is described in the novels as a stern man with a square-shaped head, clean-shaven and bald, with severe brows and bright hazel eyes. He is a meticulous planner with little patience, suiting the uncommon role of an autocrat in Talaharan society. It is inferred by the bureau staff that the Chief is an unpopular superior officer, but is respected by the division's command for results. More intimate moments with the Chief have revealed that he adopts an antagonistic rapport with his subordinates as a technique to foster cooperation within their own ranks and to bring the best out of them.
Umbrus
Duke Ætius Umbrus is one of the few major recurring antagonists in the franchise. In the original Talaharan publications, Umbrus is a wealthy member of the Latin peerage and a staunch elitist who operates independently from the Latin government to craft various schemes to bring about the downfall of socialism and workers' rights. In some foreign adaptations, Umbrus's status as a Latin peer is either disputed or outright forged. Umbrus made his first appearance in Codename: Vulture and the Scorpion. He subsequently reappears under mysterious circumstances as the primary antagonist in Codename: Vulture and the Capital Plot and then makes a minor appearance in Codename: Vulture Strikes Back. Umbrus also appears in expanded roles in film adaptations of the novels as well as in original screenplays. While he was the main antagonist of the first video game, he has not made an appearance since.
Book series
The original book series of Codename: Vulture counted seven entries released between 1934 and 1946. Developed by Kassu Farra and later Takensust Sadri for the Avana Print Entertainers Collective, the novels were developed from scenarios based on contemporary events and exaggerated fictional conflicts, typically involving both real and fictious countries around the Periclean basin and, later, the world.
The first novel, Codename: Vulture, introduces Raz Zadiya as the series protagonist and differs from subsequent entries in its focus on hard science, technology, and gadgets to solve problems, rather than bombastic action sequences. The plot of the novel, to prevent a manufactured socio-economic crisis, was heavy-handed in its socialist messaging. In addition, Farra was concerned that making the protagonist a cold-blooded killer would alienate audiences, many of whom were still live to the 1910 amendment which struck down capital punishment and broader concerns over state authority to cause death outside the confines of a legal war. As such, the first two entries are largely bloodless, though both feature fistfights, foot chases, and close escapes.
The third entry, The Scorpion, was the first to include co-creator Sadri from the outset of the creative process, as Sadri had been brought on to assist with the second novel in an editorial capacity after the main plot had been developed and written. The Scorpion began the series' departure from the hard science approach of the first two novels and introduced more human elements including the series' now iconic dark humour, an expanded cast of characters, and the regular employment of lethal force. These releases amassed even greater attention domestically and a cult-following among foreign markets. Codename: Vulture in Far Ochran was the first novel in the series to have an official foreign launch date in Belisaria and Ochran and aspects of the plot and setting catered to a theme of globetrotting adventure.
While the changes under Sadri's influence led to greater interest and consumption of the novels, they also sparked a moral panic domestically. Letter writing campaigns, picket lines, and political advocacy against the novels' violent themes and alleged endorsement of state violence and extrajudicial murder in the common Talaharan social sphere only raised the writers' profile even more. The series' entries in the 1940s maintained a clear statist political alignment in their messaging, including overt commentary from several characters, but by the 1945 much of the opposition to the series abated as it had become a modern staple of Talaharan media identity, having been published in early mass-market paperbacks and reproduced in a serialized format in many unions' newspapers and periodicals. The demand for the series was such that even some anarchist political outlets featured the serials in their backpages.
The final novel written by Farra and Sadri, Codename: Vulture Strikes Back, was not initially intended as such. Released on August 4, 1946, the plot was inspired by the events of the 1941 coup in Yisrael and the buildup of tensions between Sydalon and Yisrael leading to the Third West Scipian War, though the conflict in the novel is between two fictious counterparts. While the plot threads in the novel were concluded, Farra and Sadri had intended to write a direct follow-up set during wartime in the immediate aftermath of the previous novel. These plans were set aside after Farra passed away on October 15, 1946, days after sustaining injuries in a catastrophic train derailment that caused the deaths of eight other passengers outside the city of Zedif.
Comics
Sadri set aside the Codename: Vulture project after the passing of Farra for at least half a decade. However, between 1952 and 1954, the communications foreperson of the National Lithograph-Printers Syndicate (NLPS) pursued the blessing of Sadri in creating a comic series, a form of media introduced to Talahara in the mid-1940s. Sadri acquiesced on the condition that she author the comics and moved from Avana to Maktarim in 1955. In the capital, Sadri began work at the Central NLPS Studio. Sadri was partnered with Diwan Leɣlid who had developed an interest in comic art in North Ottonia during the interwar period. Having returned to Talahara in 1944, Leɣlid began illustrating informational comics for the NLPS and quickly pivoted to comedy/satire comics as the medium rapidly matured.
Codename: Vulture: Defiance began its run in 1956 after a delay of nine months. Initially slated for release in 1955, Sadri's particularity regarding the visual portrayal of the characters and the work required to extend Sadri's and Farra's notes to fill a 12-issue run led to significant delays. Ultimately, the run was released to positive initial reviews, with continued success with each issue released every two months over a two-year period. The plot of Defiance is set during the war between the fictional neighbouring nations of Hatamal and Orontion. Zadiya is initially tasked with thwarting atrocities perpetrated by both regimes on the populace caught in the fighting. Over the final two arcs of the run, Zadiya had to neutralize weapons of mass destruction stockpiled by each belligerent.
The Defiance run was succeeded by an additional run, Codename: Vulture: Detonate, after a two-year hiatus by Sadri and Leɣlid during which the two pursued other projects and research. Detonate ran with 13 issues on a similar release schedule as Defiance. Detonate shifted from a more contemporary aesthetic to set its adventures in an ambiguous timeframe between the 1930s and 1950s, though it maintained continuity from Defiance. Detonate was followed by Codename: Vulture: Rogue Nation in 1964, a double-production of 22 issues which was produced with significantly more support from other artists at the NLPS. Rogue Nation again dealt with the threat of weapons of mass destruction, though its themes were significantly depoliticized compared to the previous series.
During the production of Rogue Nation, both Sadri and Leɣlid brought on numerous apprentices and journeyman artists to assist in the writing and illustrating process. After the conclusion of the run, Sadri officially announced her retirement from writing but endorsed the workers at the NLPS to continue the series. Sadri passed away in 1981 after a battle with lung cancer.
Films
The first cinematic entry in the series was released to domestic theatres in 1970. Codename: Vulture was ostensibly a direct adaptation of the first novel, though with some revisions to Zadiya's character to be more consistent with his later sardonic reputation. The film was well-received domestically, but was produced on a low budget, even by the standards of Talaharan film before its mid-1970s renaissance. The film was initially only distributed to Talahara and Tyreseia, garnering very little international attention. The star of the film, Asifa Ra'ad, was a renowned film and stage actor throughout the 1950s and 1960s. While his portrayal of the protagonist was praised, Ra'ad did not enjoy filming and Codename: Vulture was the last film he acted in before returning exclusively to stage work.
In 1973, production began on a sequel film, eventually titled Codename: Vulture Strikes Back, sharing its name with the final novel of the series, and released in 1975. While the film adapts the general plotlines of the final two novels, Codename: Vulture in the Desert and its namesake, many elements of progression through the book series were discarded, including Minat Tazgwaɣt's promotion to field agent. The film was the first of four in which Awriɣ Rabus portrayed Zadiya and his long tenure and distinctively lighthearted and slightly flamboyant portrayal of the character became iconic for modern fans of the series.
Rabus's second outing as Zadiya, titled Codename: Vulture III and released four years after its predecessor, featured an original screenplay inspired by the events of the Third Uhlangan Civil War. The film's subject matter was dark and contemporary critics noted that Rabus's levity had a jarring if darkly comedic effect. Codename: Vulture III was also the first film in the series to see broader international distribution to other socialist states and to the Latin-speaking world via Tyreseian-produced dubs. The non-Rubric releases of the film were typically retitled to simply Codename: Vulture to avoid confusing moviegoers who would be unable to view the first two films. As the plots for each film were largely self-contained, there were few issues and Codename: Vulture III was overall well-received internationally.
Other media
Pen and paper
The Codename: Vulture franchise was adapted into a pen and paper roleplaying game released in 1992 titled Tabletop: Vulture (Takelat: ⴰⴼⵍⴰⵏⵉⴷⴰ: ⵜⴰⵎⴷⴰ; Aflanmida: Tamda). The game's rulebook was written by Mikiwsan Ray, Tuka 'Atherbil, and Yuba Mastena. It was the first new print media in the franchise made by the Avana Print Entertainers Collective since 1946. The first edition was succeeded by a second edition in 2000 and a third edition in 2010. Despite rumours, in 2022 the APEC announced that no Codename: Vulture products were presently in development.
The Tabletop: Vulture game system uses a dice pool system with six-sided dice. Players are able to create characters from one of four classes: the brute, the face, the infiltrator, or the technician. Each release of an addition has been accompanied by a number of pre-written adventures for a game master to run for a group of three to five players, as well as toolsets to help game masters write their own adventures. The settings of the APEC adventures tend to be ambiguously set either in the 1930s or the present day.
The pen and paper game has attracted a broad audience which has contributed volumes of fan-written content. This content includes additional character classes, pre-written adventures, and variant rules.