Frank Hardy

Frank Hardy could have been an ordinary teenage boy who studies or parties all night long, has had several one-night-stands, or sniffs some coke randomly. Instead, he, along with his younger brother Joe, solves crimes and lays his life on the line too many a time just to save the world. And in everything they do, they always excel. Impressed yet?

As the eldest son of internationally famous investigator Fenton Hardy, the tall, dark-haired young man's reputation as a detective may very well be equal to his own father's. The Hardys live in Bayport, a fictional town located on Barmet Bay somewhere near the Atlantic Ocean, but the crimes they solve are not limited to their town. They've been to a lot of places around the world. They've worked with the FBI and CIA. They've also teamed up with another [forever teenager] sleuth Nancy Drew, and her friends, on more than one ocassion.

And while we're on the topic, Frank and Nancy happen to...like...each other. As often mentioned in the The Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys SuperMystery series, they're attracted to each other, but they both know nothing will come out of it because they have their own special someones back home. But I digress, and it's because I like the idea of the two together.

Disappointingly, while he's not exactly "off the market," he does go out with someone from his hometown, a vivacious blonde named Callie Shaw. Callie isn't your typical damsel-in-distress too, as she has helped the Hardy boys in some of their cases. They go out on dates from time to time, and it's been revealed that Frank likes her more than any other girls he knows (including Nancy? hmmm...).

The Hardys are the creation of Edward Stratemeyer, founder of a "syndicate" of ghost writers who come up with hordes of juvenile series of mystery stories that we all know and love --- The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, and The Bobbsey Twins. And if you've read enough books from any of the series, you'd know that our heroes always love adventure and, of course, humor. Frank is definitely not different from the rest of them in terms of these two.

Frank Hardy has been alive for well over 80 years; you'd think he'd pick up some stuff along the way. And I'm not even referring to his great karate moves or impressive physique too.

Forever Young

Frank Hardy is forever a teenager. Depending on what series you're reading, he's either around 16 or 18 years old.

In the original series, it's the former, but when the books were revised, he became 18. Fenton was then reluctant to allow his sons to do some butt-kicking, but then he eventually softened up to the idea, often consulting with his sons for help on his cases. Also, Frank was supposed to be on the same grade at school as Joe because he missed a year.

He has never aged, simply put. Even now he's still 18. Which amuses me a lot because back then, I looked up to him as a sort of an older brother material for being so rational and calm, but now...well, let's just say that time passes by quickly.

Anyway, since he's a teenager then and a teenager now, the teenager now has to know the modern world well, right? And so, Frank is a computer genius. And he's the bomb! Err, I mean, he knows a lot about bombs.

In the continuity series, he's a member of the association founded by his father, American Teens Against Crime. Callie isn't his girlfriend, and he's completely out of character when compared to the Frank fans have known and loved, as he's revealed to be nervous around girls.

He does go to school. In fact, he used to be the captain and quarterback of the football team. He runs and he swims. He does several things with balls: he bats them (baseball), he shoots them (basketball), and he even kicks them (soccer). As evident in his lithe body, he does martial arts a lot. He keeps his mind sharp with some chess. And, maybe it's his chivalrous nature, he has interest in fencing.

He and his brother have blown up a lot of vehicles in their lifetime.