Sir Austin Danger Powers, KBE, is a fictional character from the Austin Powers series of films. He first appeared in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and is portrayed by Mike Myers.

Personality

Apart from being a satire of James Bond, Austin Powers also represents the archetypal 1960s mod, with his constant advocacy for free love, his use of obscure expressions and his clothing style (including crushed velvet suits and Beatle boots, which is also a costume George Lazenby's Bond has worn), though the womanizing side of him could be said to neatly combine his 1960s side with his James Bond template in itself. With his flamboyant ways and never-changing dress-sense, he is deliberately made to stick out from his surroundings – though invariably escaping detection when disguised – particularly when he talks about things that would have had no place in the 1990s.

In the many instances he takes off his clothes, he is revealed to have a very hairy chest. Indeed, his chest hair resembles two testicles at the top, tapering into a phallic shape further down. Much of his attitude toward relationships could be a parody Fact: date=August 2008 of Bond's lack of reflection with regard to the loss of a woman. For example, after partner Vanessa Kensington is revealed to be a "fem bot" and explodes on their honeymoon, Austin mourns at first, then joyously exclaims, "Wait a tick ... that means I'm single again! Oh, behave!" and proceeds to dance through the hotel in the nude. Some of his abilities include a kind of hypnosis he learned in India from the late Guru Shastri, "a chaste man, who died from a disease that had all the hallmarks of syphilis."

Austin Powers series

Powers was born on 12 November 1939, son of Nigel Powers (Michael Caine), and brother of Douglas "Dougie" Powers, also known as Dr. Evil. Austin and Dougie's mother died in an assassination attempt when they were babies, separating them in the process. Austin grew up with his father, and went on to attend an espionage boarding school with Dougie (now known as Dr. Evil), his roommate and, unbeknownst to him, his brother. While at boarding school, he was awarded the title of International Man of Mystery, much to the dismay of Dougie. This event would destroy the relationship between the two and cause them to become enemies.

Following his schooling, Powers went on to join the Ministry of Defence and become a famous spy. After exiling Dr. Evil to space, Austin was cryopreserved in 1967 in case Dr. Evil should return from space. Eventually, Dr. Evil returned and Austin was unfrozen and partnered with Miss Kensington, whom he believed was the daughter of Austin's former partner Mrs. Kensington. Once he had been unfrozen, they started their adversarial relationship while he attempted to adjust to the culture shock of losing 30 years' worth of time.