Buckle up for a wild ride with They Call Me The Mercenary, an action-packed series that throws you into the gritty world of Hank Frost, a one-eyed mercenary with a knack for survival and a quick wit to match. Written by Jerry Ahern under the pseudonym Axel Kilgore, this 1980s pulp adventure saga blends Cold War intrigue, firearms expertise, and high-octane missions across eighteen thrilling novels.
Picture this: a world on the edge of chaos, where a rugged hero navigates jungles, deserts, and urban battlegrounds, all while outsmarting dictators, terrorists, and double-crossing commanders. If you love fast-paced stories with a survivalist edge, They Call Me The Mercenary is your ticket to adventure.
How They Call Me The Mercenary Began
In the late 1970s, Jerry Ahern and his wife Sharon were captivated by the Prepper Movement and Cold War tensions, sparking ideas of global conflict and survival. Initially uninterested in a mercenary series, they were persuaded by Zebra Books to create a hard-boiled hero with a missing body part—enter Hank Frost, the eye-patch-wearing captain. Inspired by Ahern’s firearms expertise and his Soldier of Fortune magazine column, the series took shape, with the pseudonym Axel Kilgore drawn from a business associate’s name and a Texas town.
The Aherns fell in love with Frost’s adventures, writing They Call Me The Mercenary alongside their post-apocalyptic Survivalist series. The name Hank Frost, simple yet punchy, became the perfect fit for a hero who embodied both action and survivalist grit, setting the stage for a cult classic.
The Heart of They Call Me The Mercenary
The series kicks off with The Killer Genesis (1980), where Hank Frost, betrayed by a rogue commander who massacres his team, embarks on a revenge-fueled mission through Central Africa’s war-torn jungles. He faces Communist rebels, a CIA-backed army, and a ruthless dictator, all while wielding an arsenal of weapons and sharp humor. In The Slaughter Run (1980), Frost dodges assassins in the Swiss Alps, unraveling a web of terrorism and treachery.
Fourth Reich Death Squad (1980) sees Frost battling neo-Nazi conspirators and a sadistic torture team to rescue a kidnapped professor, while Vengeance Army (1981) pits him against a Castro-backed dictator in a Communist stronghold. The series’ themes—survivalism, geopolitical intrigue, and personal honor—shine through Frost’s relentless missions, set against Cold War backdrops from Africa to Miami. Ahern’s meticulous firearm descriptions and Frost’s wisecracking style give the novels a pulpy, adventurous charm reminiscent of 1930s serials.
Hank Frost himself is the series’ heartbeat: a scarred yet charismatic hero whose missing eye and dry humor make him both relatable and larger-than-life. The global settings, from Bavarian Alps to South American jungles, immerse readers in a world where danger lurks at every turn, blending survival techniques with explosive action.
Why They Call Me The Mercenary Resonates
They Call Me The Mercenary captured the 1980s zeitgeist, tapping into fears of Soviet conflict and a fascination with mercenaries. Its blend of survivalist know-how and geopolitical thrills resonated with fans of action-adventure and pulp fiction, selling millions alongside Ahern’s Survivalist series. Though not high literature, the series’ raw energy and Frost’s enduring appeal keep it alive in the hearts of niche readers.
Today, its nostalgic charm and detailed weaponry attract collectors and fans of retro action novels. The series’ influence on survivalist fiction endures, inspiring readers to explore themes of resilience and self-reliance in a chaotic world.
- First Published: 1980
- Number of Books: 18
- Author: Jerry Ahern (as Axel Kilgore)
- Genre: Action-Adventure, Pulp Fiction
Dust off The Killer Genesis and dive into They Call Me The Mercenary’s pulse-pounding world of action, survival, and intrigue—Hank Frost is waiting!