Bond 24 - What is Spectre and who is Blofeld?

Director Sam Mendes at the revealing of the new James Bond film at pinewood Studio in Buckinghamshire.

Director Sam Mendes and Barbara Broccoli at the reavealing of the new James Bond film at pinewood Studio in Buckinghamshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday December 4, 2014. The new 24th James Bond movie, which begins photography next week, will be called Spectre

British actors (L-R) Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, Daniel Craig and Ralph Fiennes pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

The new Bond car, an Aston Martin DB10, is seen during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

British actor Daniel Craig (C), French actress Lea Seydoux (L) and Italian actress Monica Bellucci (R) pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

French actress Lea Seydoux (R) and Italian star Monica Bellucci (L) pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

(L-R) British actress Naomi Harris, French actress Lea Seydoux, British actor Daniel Craig, Italian actress Monica Bellucci and Austrian actor Christoph Waltz pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Italian actress Monica Bellucci (L), French actress Lea Seydoux (C) and British actress Naomi Harris (R) pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Actor Daniel Craig poses on stage during an event to mark the start of production for the new James Bond film "Spectre", at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, southern England December 4, 2014

Irish actor Andrew Scott poses during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios.

thumbnail: Director Sam Mendes at the revealing of the new James Bond film at pinewood Studio in Buckinghamshire.
thumbnail: Director Sam Mendes and Barbara Broccoli at the reavealing of the new James Bond film at pinewood Studio in Buckinghamshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday December 4, 2014. The new 24th James Bond movie, which begins photography next week, will be called Spectre
thumbnail: British actors (L-R) Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, Daniel Craig and Ralph Fiennes pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
thumbnail: The new Bond car, an Aston Martin DB10, is seen during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
thumbnail: British actor Daniel Craig (C), French actress Lea Seydoux (L) and Italian actress Monica Bellucci (R) pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
thumbnail: French actress Lea Seydoux (R) and Italian star Monica Bellucci (L) pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
thumbnail: (L-R) British actress Naomi Harris, French actress Lea Seydoux, British actor Daniel Craig, Italian actress Monica Bellucci and Austrian actor Christoph Waltz pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
thumbnail: Italian actress Monica Bellucci (L), French actress Lea Seydoux (C) and British actress Naomi Harris (R) pose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, west of London, on December 4, 2014. French actress Lea Seydoux and Italian star Monica Bellucci will star alongside Britain's Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film 'Spectre', the producers said on December 4 at the historic Pinewood Studios. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
thumbnail: Actor Daniel Craig poses on stage during an event to mark the start of production for the new James Bond film "Spectre", at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, southern England December 4, 2014
thumbnail: Irish actor Andrew Scott poses during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios.
Patrick Smith
© Telegraph Media Group Limited

So the wait is over: it’s been announced that the 24th James Bond film will be called Spectre. Which means a return to the screen for the fictional terrorist organisation that featured in both the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, and the films adapted from them.

What does Spectre stand for?

Spectre is an acronym for pPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. The organisation made its first appearance in Fleming's 1961 novel Thunderball, and on screen in the first Bond film, Dr No (1962).

Who are the members of Spectre?

A heady mix of nasties, beginning with suave, metal-handed scientist Dr Julius No (Joseph Wiseman), followed by the eyepatch-wearing Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi) in Thunderball. Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya), famous for her bladed shoes in From Russia With Love, was Number 3 in the organisation (having defected from Smersh), and the sinister Mr Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr Kidd (Putter Smith), who tried to cremate Bond in Diamonds Are Forever, were also henchmen of the gang. But most famous of all is Spectre's Number 1: Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Who is Blofeld?

The ultimate super-villain, his heart set on world domination, Blofeld appeared in three Bond novels (Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only Live Twice) and seven Bond films (From Russia with Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, For Your Eyes Only and Never Say Never Again).

With his Nehru-collared suit and white Turkish angora cat, he is one of the most recognisable of the Bond characters, and has been parodied in everything from Danger Mouse to Austin Powers, where he was the main inspiration for Mike Myers's Dr Evil. His name was inspired by a boy Ian Fleming was at Eton with, Thomas Blofeld – father of the cricket commentator Henry "Blowers" Blofeld.

What does Blofeld look like?

Blofeld is a man of many guises. In From Russia With Love and Thunderball his face was never seen. In those films his body (only glimpsed below the neck) was that of Anthony Dawson (who also appeared in Dial M For Murder, and later popped up in 1967 Italian Bond spoof OK Connery) and his voice was supplied by the Viennese actor Eric Pohlmann.

In the Bond books, Fleming had Blofeld undergo plastic surgery to maintain his anonymity. This helps to make sense of the fact that Blofeld has been played by a series of different actors: Donald Pleasence (You Only Live Twice; bald, with a scar across his eye); Telly Savalas (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; bald, no earlobes); Charles Gray (Diamonds Are Forever; grey-haired, earlobes restored); John Hollis (For Your Eyes Only; wheelchair-bound and never referred to by name because of copyright disputes over Thunderball); and Max von Sydow (grey-haired, bearded) in 1983’s Never Say Never Again.

Will Blofeld make an appearance in the new film?

Ostensibly, the answer is no; the role was not mentioned at the Bond 24 press conference. But remember that Blofeld is a master of disguise, and consider the character to be played by Christoph Waltz. The two-time Oscar-winner will play Hannes Oberhauser, an Austrian climbing and skiing instructor who taught Bond when 007 was a boy. Rumour has it that Oberhauser will turn into Blofeld – and thus Waltz will become the fifth (credited) actor to play the villain.

Spectre is released on October 23 2015 in the UK and Ireland and November 6 2015 in the US