| Clark Templeton O'Flaherty | |
 | |
| Played by Louis Gossett Jr. | |
| Occupation | Operative for OGA (actual)
Custodian for OSI (cover) |
| Appearances | |
| SMDM | Clark Templeton O'Flaherty |
Clark Templeton O'Flaherty (a.k.a. CTO or "O") is an undercover agent for an organization called the OGA, which was so highly classified that few knew how many personnel it had or what the initials stood for, and O'Flaherty was not allowed to answer the latter question. For an extended period, he posed as a janitor at the OSI Washington headquarters. During this time, he befriended Steve Austin, becoming his handball partner.
This friendship was shaken when Steve discovered that O'Flaherty was stealing OSI secrets. When O'Flaherty told him of his plan to catch the buyers of the secrets, Austin had to decide whether or not O'Flaherty could be trusted. As it proved, he could. But he had committed illegal acts, specifically the thefts of classified documents, to carry out his operation, of which the OGA Director disapproved.
After Austin and O'Flaherty arrested the criminals selling secret documents, Oscar Goldman offered O'Flaherty a job with the OSI.
Background and Characteristics[]
O'Flaherty has stated that he was raised in an orphanage. His name, O'Flaherty, was given to him by an office worker at the orphanage. Apparently, this was a (possibly racist?) joke based on the term "Black Irish" and the fact that O'Flaherty is African-American. However, it is unclear if this story is true. O'Flaherty gave this explanation to a security guard while he was on assignment to steal OSI documents.
O'Flaherty shows an interest in the rewards of his work. Although he considers himself to be operating on the side of justice and freedom, he appears to be more concerned about the financial benefits from his work than patriotism or duty. He has no qualms about using money taken in the course of his espionage and investigations to fund an expensive lifestyle. He claims that it is part of his cover.
Skills and Abilities[]
O'Flaherty is a multi-talented agent. He is adept at karate, Kung Fu, and other martial arts. He is skilled in electronics and technology. He is an actor and able to assume different roles and identities in the course of his assignments. O'Flaherty is capable of speaking multiple languages. He stated that one of his assignments required that he learn Croatian.
Previous Assignments[]
The Dazhavik Memorandum: O'Flaherty was responsible for acquiring a coded document known as the Dazhavik Memorandum. The mission required him to act the part of a blind beggar, leap through a flaming wall and speak Croatian.
The Hornby Island Laser Incident: O'Flaherty stole laser beam secrets from an unnamed source on Hornby Island. Those secrets put the United States far ahead of other nations in laser technology. O'Flaherty was rewarded for his success with a months vacation and a generous bonus.