#muncle

[wildfey]

I haven't watched muncle in like a year but I suddenly started missing it so instead I am just imagining muncle episodes in my head which is quite easy to do as tmfu only has one plot

[partner-mine]

They say it’s spring, this feeling light as a feather 🌷

[ferrisfauna]

Part of a zine im working on !! It’s about queer-coded spies. So that means napollya fan art obvs C:

[lennonmccartneyofficial]

I ACTUALLY HAVE TO KILL MYSELF FOR REAL WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY TOOK ALL FOUR SEASONS OF THE MAN FROM UNCLE OFF THE INTERNET ARCHIVE

[actingcamplibrarian]

Napoleon and Illya have been dashing across my dash a lot lately, so in celebration here are a few of my favorite MFU fics from a couple of decades back, when I heard of the existence of slash fic from a newspaper article(!), did a web search on a hunch for Man from UNCLE based on a hazy memory of getting a vibe from TV reruns, and a whole world opened up in front of me.

Links originally from fan-run sites, some archived on the Wayback Machine. Some stories are now on AO3, so I’ve linked them there.

The Twisted Ties Affair by Veronica

(Napoleon/Illya, adult, episode-related, ~11,500 words, January 15, 2001. Thrush thinks they've found the perfect woman for Napoleon—they're only half right. Epilogue to "The Nowhere Affair.")

This was the first fic I ever read, a transformative experience on my work commute...

The Winter Wonderland Affair by Nyssa

(Not rated. Napoleon/Illya.)

The boys are snowed in at a motel. Excellent bickering.

The Better Gadget Affair by RAC/LadyRa

(AO3 link - mature, Napoleon/Illya. 25,450 words. “Where did Napoleon get all those great gadgets from?”)

Wonderful slow-burn backstory, great dialogue, feels very in-character, lovely mundane HQ details.

The Drunken Bet Affair by RAC/LadyRa

(AO3 link - mature, Napoleon/Illya. 21,892 words. Illya gets very drunk and makes a bet.)

This is entirely delightful from start to finish. Love the character dynamics and the matchmaking OC.

The Metamorphosis of Sexually Explicit Paper Cranes by keelywolfe

(AO3 link - mature, Napoleon/Illya. 3,872 words)

Illya, origami, Playboy, Napoleon and a phone.

The Fusion Affair by Dorinda @adnirod

(AO3 link - mature, Napoleon/Illya. 7.729 words.)

Napoleon is not happy about being partnered up, but a balance is struck. Beautiful writing. First recced to me by the lovely and much-missed Katya Baturinsky.

Chiaroscuro by Katya Baturinsky

(Not rated, Napoleon/Illya.)

Napoleon calls Illya to pick him up in the wee small hours after another failed date. Truths are told. I love the atmosphere of this, it's weary like film noir, and the boys are very in character.

Katya's own MFU fic recs page from 2005 is archived here.

The Baltic Affair by PR Zed

(AO3 link, not rated, Napoleon/Illya. 10,589 words.)

First in an intricately-plotted series with action and emotional tension.

And some vintage MFU fic archive sites to explore:

File 40 (slash page)

The Chrome and Gunmetal Madhouse

manfromuncle.org's Guide to Fanfiction

(On zines: "As some fans observe, it is difficult to carry your computer into your bed when you want to curl up reading a good story!")

Audio clips from David McCallum Fans Online

including Illya being snarky on the Adriatic Express (these were the height of online media riches back in the days of dial-up internet)

[memoritales]

Oh boy! The muncle novels are really something.

Spoiler for The Affair of the Gunrunners Gold below!!

For context, before this scene happened, Napoleon nearly suffered in a vault he was locked in while Illya was put to sleep with a tranquilliser gun.

Also, it is good to mention that when Napoleon regained his consciousness, his first words to Wavery (and other U.N.C.L.E. personnel) were “something happened to Illya.”

But this could mean nothing. 👀

[watermelonstick]

For you napollya nation !!!

[myfatherswatch]

I don't have many regrets in life, but I have a few. Buying the official Man From U.N.C.L.E. playing cards is not one of them.