Team Bios

What we know about the histories and personal lives of the A-Team can be summed up in two words: not much. For obvious reasons, the Team never revealed personal information to anyone, and the little information that became known in other ways was often contradictory. This is an attempt to piece together the scraps of knowledge I have of the Team, and to give them some sort of background. Contributions and corrections are welcome!

Col. John "Hannibal" Smith
Real name unknown. His nickname comes from Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps to invade ancient Rome. Hannibal is the Team's fearless leader and its most enigmatic member, with the possible exception of Murdock. Little is known about his family. In "Blood, Sweat, & Cheers," we learn that he has a brother, Jack Harmon, with whom he once competed for a woman. Jack won. Hannibal's nephew, "Kid" Harmon, is a stock car racer. Hannibal most likely would have had a successful lifelong career in the Army, if not for his involvement in the bank robbery in Da Nang. Instead, he now has a career as an actor in sci-fi and horror films, most often starring as the Aquamaniac. He has also guest-starred on "The Uncle Buckle-Up Show". Hannibal frequently uses the pincer maneuver in A-Team operations, and prefers "going right in the front door" to infiltrating enemy operations. His trademark is his ever-present cigar.

Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock
Murdock is as much of a mystery as Hannibal is. We know next to nothing about his family, and what little information we have is dubious at best. In an early episode, Amy comments that she thought his mother was dead. In "Mission of Peace," he says that his grandmother used to tell him stories of his ancestor, Daniel David Bowie Boone Murdock, aka Pathfinder the Scout. Murdock is the only Team member not wanted by the government: at their court martial, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and he was subsequently committed to the Los Angeles V.A. Hospital. He was released in 1986 and set out to find a legitimate career, first as a dog catcher, then as a waiter. Neither job seems to have lasted long. Murdock is the Team's pilot and a vast repository of random knowledge. Many fans believe that he is only pretending to be insane, as this enables him to act as the Team's man on the outside. In all likelihood, it is also a defense mechanism to keep him from having to deal directly with an often difficult reality.

Lt. Templeton "Face" Peck
For most of his life, Face believed himself to be an orphan--after all, he grew up in a Catholic orphanage. Face has been a scam artist of one kind or another all his life. He changed his name a number of times- (it was originally Alvin Brenner) and his favorite pastime was taking girls for "a walk down the garden path." He left college to join the Army in order to impress a girl. Little did he know that he would end up on the run from the military, and she would end up a nun! In 1985, he was given a false pardon by a CIA group ("Mind Games"), in an effort to draw out the rest of the Team. Later, in "Family Reunion," Face learned that his father was AJ Brenner, who unfortunately died before Face could speak to him as his son. Face is the Team's supply officer, scamming everything from planes, to tools, to paint and feathers (see "Mission of Peace"). He almost never fails. In his spare time, he runs investment scams, woos beautiful women, and plays with his 'Vette.

Sgt. B.A. Baracus
B.A. is the only Team member whose past is not a complete mystery. He grew up in Chicago, and was known as "Scooter" as a child. He played football in college. His only known romantic liason was with a girl named Debra, who left him for his teammate, the Duke. B.A. was trained as a field infantry mechanic, and can build or fix anything, often improvising to make up for lack of time and tools. His only fear is of flying--he generally has to be drugged beforehand. When not on a mission, he volunteers at youth centers, occasionally bringing his friend, Hulk Hogan, along. He loves his van and his milk more than anything...except for his mother.