over Florida. Tumbler, flying an A-7 Corsair, tries to intercept the second one near Cancun but his older missiles are insufficient; instead, he crashes his fighter into the enemy, barely managing to eject before the explosion. With Operation Apocalypse foiled, Lady X and the remaining terrorists evacuate their base and flee to safety. Danny, Tumbler and Tuckson receive the thanks of a grateful President Reagan, and will receive the Medal of Honor for their part in stopping the nuclear attack. Behind the scenes The scenario of "Nuclear Alert" is filled with real-life events and characters from the 1980s. First among these is the rise of international terrorism; the fictional group IFARG was inspired by the real-life Provisional Irish Republican Army, Baader Meinhoff Gang, and Islamic Jihad Organization. President Reagan is also a regular character in "The Pilots from Hell" and "Fire From Heaven", making him the second American president featured in the Buck Danny novels, as John F. Kennedy had previously appeared in the 1962 novel Les Voleurs de Satellites ("Satellite Thieves"). Finally, the Cancun trade summit targeted by the terrorists was an actual event, the North–South Summit on International Cooperation and Development, taking place from October 21 to October 24, 1981. The three "Nuclear Alert" novels were the first in "Buck Danny" not to have been drawn by Victor Hubinon because of the artist's death in 1979. Instead, Charlier chose younger artist , who was himself a longtime fan of "Buck Danny" as well as a former military pilot, to work with him. Bergèse has provided the drawing for every novel since, and was also left in charge of the story after Charlier's death. Characters Buck Danny: the lead character, now Commander, Air Group on U.S.S. John F. Kennedy. Sonny Tuckson: one of Danny's fellow pilots two best friends, who accompanies him on his private reconnaissance of the Caribbean. Jerry "Tumb" Tumbler: Danny's other best friend. He is wounded during the terrorist attack in Managua and spends most of the second novel in sickbay. However, he is back on his feet by the time of Cancun and personally prevents the success of Operation Apocalypse. Admiral Hal Walker: the admiral commanding the Kennedy battle group. Unwisely claims he will "eat his hat" if Danny's intuition about the terrorists attacking Cancun is correct; he is then forced to eat his words (and his uniform peaked cap) by the President at the