Ranking EVERY James Bond Henchman From Worst To Best
51. Count Lippe (Thunderball, 1965)
A nobleman whose status as a Count by no means makes him exempt from grunt work, Lippe is a SPECTRE enforcer stationed at a health clinic in order to facilitate a complex plan to steal atomic bombs from NATO. In an incredible stroke of luck, Lippe encounters SPECTRE enemy number one in James Bond at the same clinic, though judging by later events, he neglects to mention this to his bosses.
He soon attempts to assassinate Bond by trapping him on a spinal traction machine. Rather than ensuring the job is done, however, Lippe bafflingly chooses to treat himself to a relaxing steam bath, perhaps reflecting on the reward SPECTRE might later grant him for eliminating their hated nemesis. Of course, 007 has other ideas, locking Lippe in the bath after having escaped his own peril.
When not trading practical jokes with James Bond, Lippe’s main job is to ensure a smooth transition as a NATO pilot is killed and replaced by an imposter. Lippe gets the blame, however, when the new man suddenly demands a higher payment for his trouble.
It’s Lippe’s poor judgement when vetting the imposter, and not his failure to kill 007, that gets him blown up by SPECTRE executioner Fiona Volpe. What a shame; had he bothered to tell the higher-ups about Bond’s presence, Volpe might have killed two birds with one stone.