Can't think of one at the moment but I would really like to write a story about Emma Peel from The Avengers. She is beautiful, a skilled martial artist, independently wealthy, a talented artist, a writer of scientific papers and a bona fide genius with a penchant for older men. Her hobby is espionage and she often laughs in the face of danger, confident that either she will figure a way out of any situation or her partner will rescue her (she does her fair share of rescuing herself). I feel she is very similar character to Lara Croft except she also enjoys the conventional aspects of the good life and perhaps is waiting for her husband's return from whatever trouble he got himself into. Then she will either settle down or become more adventurous, it is difficult to tell. Diana Rigg designed her own costume when Emma was dressed as The Queen of Sin for a modern Hellfire Club complete with spiked collar and (maybe not her choice) holding a boa constrictor. Some woman.
I love Emma Peel! I enjoyed the old TV-series! I wished they'd do a proper remake set in the current era of technology. To me she has a similar strength of character as Lara Croft, but she is far more sophisticated yet more easily to empathise with. There was a time I wanted to be her. The interactions between her and John Steed as well as the underlying tensions (hints of jealousy towards her liking of older men perhaps?) , make it almost beg for an erotic version. Cate Archer in "No one lives forever" always reminded me of Emma Peel. Edit: I'm going to watch the series again if I can find them. Reading on the web about the series made me realize that it was likely richer than I remember.
When I was young, my favourite programme was "The New Avengers" with Joanna Lumley as Purdey so I bought a magazine in which Patrick Macnee suggested there might be a little more to Steed's relationship with Mrs Peel. I got into trouble when I told my younger brother - we live in a different world now. I had seen a few episodes before but recently they have been showing them on True Entertainment in the UK. Like most contemporary stories set in this world (Bond, "The Prisoner", "The Man from Uncle") it is absolutely insane with ridiculous tales of eccentrics being killed by other eccentrics in unique but unnecessarily complicated ways. I do not think a modern audience would accept it unless it gritted up rather like "Battlestar Galactica" and that would spoil the fun. The standard plot: Connected people mysteriously die/disappear. Steed contacts Emma and they individually work on their own way of investigating. More people die/disappear, usually just after they have met one of our heroes. Steed and Emma compare notes and go off on their own again. One or both are put in a dangerous situation at the baddies' HQ and collectively the duo win the day. Finally there is a brief scene in which they amuse each other. 17 years ago, I saw Diana Rigg in a play. It was a great thrill.
Well I know it was much more of a fantasy series in the Peel days, but I'm watching an episode from 1965 in which she is a shop worker. The thing is she seems to have turned up for work in a tight black leather catsuit, zipped in the back all the way down, complete with a riveted gold (I'm guessing as it's in B&W) sash front and back with gold boots. There also seems to be an adjustable leather collar around her neck. She's in the store room putting things in high places. Her casual and easy ignoring/dismissal of male innuendo makes it even better. Later on she snaps her fingers hypnotically as she fearlessly approaches a man with a gun pointed at her, before kicking it out of his hand. The woman simply had everything. Later on of course she rebelled against the clothing and wore softer textured brightly coloured sportswear and still looked good. Fetish wear isn't normally a turn on for me but, when the wearer is the young Diana Rigg, I can make an exception.
