John "Hannibal" Smith

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The A-Team character
John "Hannibal" Smith
Military rank:	Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel[1]
Decorations:	Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Silver Star (with Valor device) Purple Heart Vietnam Campaign Medal[2]
Played by:	George Peppard
Key episode(s):	"Deadly Maneuvers" (season 2)

Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith is a fictional character in the 1980s action/adventure television series The A-Team played by George Peppard. The producers originally had James Coburn in mind to play the part of Hannibal, but it eventually ended up going to George Peppard.^[3] The character of Hannibal appeared on The A-Team from its beginning in 1983 until its cancellation in 1987.

Contents 1 Fictional character biography 1.1 Romantic relationships 1.2 Recurring aliases 2 References

[edit] Fictional character biography

The A-Team is a group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who, at the end of the Vietnam War, were convicted of a crime they did not commit and managed to escape from the military police. As fugitives, the A-Team work as soldiers of fortune, using their military training to fight oppression or injustice. Hannibal, along with B. A. Baracus, Templeton "Face" Peck, and H. M. Murdock make up the A-Team.

In the pilot episode ("Mexican Slayride: Part 1"), Hannibal is described as follows by a reporter colleague of Amy Allen: "The leader [of the A-Team] is a Colonel named John Smith. But everybody calls him Hannibal. The guy has a very unorthodox style." Smith takes his name from the famous military commander and strategist, as told by B.A. Baracus in the same episode. He is distinguished by his constant cigar-smoking, his black leather gloves, and his many comic disguises. He is a master tactician (although his plans rarely turn out as they are supposed to) and seems to have a plan for getting the team out of any situation they get into. He is probably best known for his catch phrase, "I love it when a plan comes together".

He fought in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (although, he is most often referred to simply as "Colonel"). Thriving on adventure and the adrenaline rush of life-threatening situations (or being "on the jazz", as the rest of the team refers to it), he seems to genuinely enjoy every challenge they encounter. He is renowned by both allies and enemies for being cool-headed and extremely clever. There is rarely a situation where he is not able to smile in the face of adversity. He will usually light up a cigar when he needs to do some thinking — often when coming up with a plan, and in the heat of a dangerous or exciting moment. He is also often seen putting on his gloves when he senses the action is about to pick up (such as a fist fight breaking out). When captured by their enemies, he will deliver flippant or sarcastic remarks. He regularly dispenses aphorisms, especially to their foes, upon defeating them. He also has some medical skills which he picked up when in Vietnam.

He styles himself a "master of disguise", though his skill lay not so much in how convincing his disguise was, but in his ability to assume any role and convince others that his role is genuine. Most episodes begin with the prospective clients coming to meet the A-Team, and instead, being introduced to one of Hannibal's comic aliases. Hannibal uses his various disguises to screen all the A-Team's potential clients to assure they were not fronts for the military—sometimes playing more than one at a time. Clients often make reference to a "Mr. Lee", the owner of a Chinese laundromat who tells them where to meet the team.

When not working with the team, Hannibal works as an actor, playing monsters in low-budget horror movies (being a fugitive, he can only choose roles in which his face cannot be seen). His many roles include "Gatorella", "Killgator"^[4] and his most famous, "The Aquamaniac".^[5] Naturally, Hannibal secures his roles playing his own agent; somehow always 'eluding' the Producer of his true identity.

[edit] Romantic relationships

• Dr. Maggie Sullivan ("Black Day at Bad Rock", season 1 episode 6) - In an uncharacteristic moment in the series, it is Hannibal that is capable of seducing the episode's leading female role, rather than Face. The character of Maggie Sullivan returns in the season 2 episode "Deadly Maneuvers", where Hannibal and the doctor still seem to care for one another.
• Anne Sanders ("Fire!", season 3 episode 41) - The A-Team is hired by a female firefighter who is capable of challenging Hannibal. The sexual tension between the two rises throughout the episode, and Hannibal gives into a short fling with the woman. She is not seen afterwards again.

[edit] Recurring aliases

• "Mr. Lee" - The owner of a Chinese laundromat, who often makes use of cliché Chinese proverbs. Mr. Lee first appears in the pilot episode "Mexican Slayride: Part 1". The alias of Mr. Lee is often referred to throughout the series by clients and by the team itself.

[edit] References