Colonel Sponsz is a major antagonist in the Tintin book series. He is the Chief of Police of Szohôd and the head of the Bordurian Secret Police. He is the mastermind of Professor Calculus's kidnapping in an attempt to obtain the plans for his sound weapon.
Appearance[]
Colonel Sponsz is a man wearing an outfit resembling the uniform worn by the Nazis, but the swastika is replaced with Kurvi-Tash's mustache. he also has buzz-cut hair with central quiff hairstyles.
In Tintin and the Picaros, he is seen with a beard.
Personality[]
Colonel Sponsz is a calculating and ruthless figure who bears strong grudges against those who upset his machinations. He also has an enormous, flimsy ego and takes any change of plans or failure as personal insults.
Biography[]
King Ottokar's Sceptre[]
Colonel Sponsz can be seen in the crowded palace ballroom during Tintin's investiture to the Order of the Golden Pelican. He noticeably looks younger in this story.
The Calculus Affair[]
Sponsz appears again, this time having a much larger role as the main antagonist of the story. He is first seen when Tintin and Haddock were taking a plane trip to Szohôd to save Calculus from the Bordurians. He is informed via a phone call (which constantly cuts off) from two unnamed ZEP members that Tintin and Haddock have arrived in Szohôd. He is later seen in a conference where they use the sound weapon on the maquette of a city in order to test out its power. It successfully destroys the maquette and everyone cheers at the success, but it is only a maquette that was destroyed, not a real city, but once they get used to it, they may even try to make it more powerful. Sponsz is suddenly interrupted by a phone call from his subordinates, saying that Tintin and Haddock have escaped the hotel they were guarded in. He tells them to investigate the opera in order to find them. During the interlude, Tintin and Haddock spot Sponsz and his men coming towards their direction, causing Tintin and Haddock to hide behind some of the crowd members to avoid getting caught.
He is later seen when Tintin and Haddock hide from the ZEP by going inside the Castafiore's dressing room. Sponsz then arrives inside, flirting with her. Little does he know, however, is that Tintin and Haddock stole the papers allowing Calculus's release from his overcoat after Sponsz put it inside the wardrobe they were hiding in.
As Tintin and Haddock, both in disguise, escape with Calculus, Sponsz is asked by one of his men if the papers allowing Calculus's release are valid. He responds that they are valid and checks inside the pockets of his overcoat to see if he still has the papers, but he discovers that they were stolen by Tintin and Haddock before they escape with him. In a breakdown, he orders his men to chase them and bring back Calculus. After a brief chase, the car falls off a cliff, destroying it. Confident that Tintin and Haddock died in the crash, they were about to return to their headquarters, but their tank is stolen by Tintin and Haddock, with the unconscious Professor Calculus. Sponsz is enraged even more, ordering his men to destroy the tank in any means possible. Mines are then used as an attempt to blow up the tank, but the mines were rigged and the tank just went on its way instead of exploding. Afterwards, as they are close to the frontier, an anti-tank barricade is blocking their path, forcing them to crash through one of the buildings, destroying its interior. Sponsz then considers the intercepting of his plan as bitter humiliation.
Tintin and the Picaros[]
Sponsz reappears in this story, again as the main antagonist. He is sent by the East Bloc nation of Borduria to assist Tapioca, using the country's military links with San Theodoros to lure Tintin into a trap by arresting Bianca Castafiore and the Thompsons, as well as framing him as revenge for the humiliation he had in The Calculus Affair. He is later seen inside Tapioca's palace as it is suddenly assaulted by Alcazar, Tintin and Haddock. The two are defeated and Tapioca publicaly announces that his powers will be transferred to Alcazar, before he and Sponsz are exiled from San Theodoros.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Colonel Sponsz's appearance is claimed to be based on Paul Remi, Hergé's younger brother, according to Tintin archivist Harry Thompson. He is also inspired by Austrian-American filmmaker Erich von Stroheim.
- Colonel Sponsz's surname is based on the Brussels dialect for "éponge", the French word of "sponge". He is also called "Esponja" by the San Theodorans, the Spanish word for "sponge".
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