The Gray Man
| Arthur E. Gray | |
|---|---|
| The Hardy Boys character | |
| First appearance | The Hardy Boys Casefiles #1 Dead on Target (1987) |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | The Network agent |
The Gray Man is a high-up member of top-secret crime fighting organization the Network and Frank and Joe Hardy's contact in the agency.
He has gone by the name Edward Gray, but more often Arthur E. Gray. Though, it is unknown if either of these are his true names.
Very little is known of his history before he met the Hardys and even less is known of his personal life.
The Hardys first met him at the funeral of Joe's girlfriend, Iola Morton, who was killed in a terrorist car-bomb planted by The Assassins. Following the events of Iola's death, Frank and Joe had vowed to track down her killers, and the Gray Man was a man in-the know, having battled Iola's killers before.
At first, he and the Hardys didn't see eye to eye at all and were near-constantly feuding, due to the their conflicting views. He considered the Hardys to be just amateurs (and still somewhat does), while they didn't agree with his and the Network's often cold-hearted and violent methods (and still don't always). Gradually, however, they gained a respect (albeit a slightly grudging one) for each other, and even became good friends over time, though (as said before) he still considers them amateurs and, in turn, they don't always trust him.
The Gray Man is hard to predict because he rarely shows his emotions. As such, he can come across as rather cold and uncaring. However, he can certainly be unselfish and caring when he wants to be, as well as brave when necessary. He has shown that even he has his softer, compassionate side, willing to help people who got into danger because of their connection to the Network, and, more than once, offering to trade himself as a hostage to free someone else (such as when he offered to exchange himself for the captured stewardess on a hijacked plane in Casefile #1, Dead on Target, and for Vanessa Bender in Casefiles #100, True Thriller); he will also give people (often, the Hardys) respect when they deserve it.
The Gray Man has proved in various books that he is very good at hand-to-hand combat, easily flooring both of the Hardy Boys (both of whom are accomplished fighters) various times.
He can blend in with virtually any crowd, and is as a short, balding man with little gray hair, gray eyes, and even a gray tint to his skin. He has been known to wear glasses, and has smoked cigarettes.
Read more about this topic: List Of The Hardy Boys Characters
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