51 Years Ago, One of the Most Unbelievable James Bond Subplots Happened (And It Was in the Books Too)

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The James Bond films have always been unique, offering a blend of elements that no other action series can quite match. From exciting locations around the world and incredible gadgets, to memorable villains, sleek cars, and intriguing female characters, these films have a distinctive style. Most Bond movies include all of these features, and sometimes even throw in unexpected twists that truly surprise viewers – like a memorable moment that happened years ago.

Today marks the 51st anniversary of the release of The Man with the Golden Gun in US cinemas. This was the ninth James Bond film and the second to star Roger Moore. The movie quickly became a hit, earning over $21 million domestically – which is equivalent to more than $130 million today. While it featured a memorable Bond, Christopher Lee’s portrayal of Francisco Scaramanga and the film’s storyline are considered among the most striking in the entire series.

The Man With the Golden Gun Identifies Its Villain With a Surprise

Unlike previous James Bond films that typically begin with a thrilling action sequence featuring Bond himself, The Man with the Golden Gun immediately introduces its villain, Francisco Scaramanga. We first see Scaramanga on a beach alongside his assistant, Nick Nack, and another assassin who is attempting to collect the bounty on Scaramanga’s life. In a bizarre, funhouse mirror confrontation, Scaramanga eliminates his hunter, revealing his obsession with James Bond – evidenced by a wax figure of Roger Moore inside the funhouse – and a surprising physical detail: he has three nipples.

The movie immediately acknowledges the audience’s curiosity about Scaramanga. M asks Bond what he knows about the assassin, and Bond reveals he’s familiar with all the details, including Scaramanga’s unique physical characteristic – a small, unusual growth he refers to by its scientific name. You’d expect this feature to be crucial for identifying Scaramanga, but the story takes an even stranger turn.

As the story of The Man with the Golden Gun unfolds, Bond realizes that no one has ever actually seen Scaramanga in person, which explains how his unique third nipple is used to identify him. This insight sparks an unusual plan that Bond jots down and shares with Q, who reacts with surprise. Bond playfully admits the idea is a bit unconventional.

The following scene shows Bond’s clever, but flawed, plan: he attempts to disguise himself as Scaramanga by attaching a fake nipple to his chest, hoping to fool a Bangkok gangster. It initially seems to work, and Hai Fat invites him to dinner, remarking that Bond is attractive. However, Bond makes two mistakes: he puts the fake nipple on the wrong side, and Scaramanga is already there. Bond realizes he’s walked into a trap meant for him, not the other way around.

There’s this little throwaway line in the movie that sort of explains why they even bothered with the whole third nipple thing. A character mentions some cults believe it means you’re invincible and incredibly good in bed. It might be true about the second part, but the movie definitely proves the invincibility thing isn’t real! Once Bond’s true identity is revealed, the whole subplot just disappears – they never mention it again.

Did that detail even matter to the plot? Did it really help Bond get closer to finding Scaramanga? The characters repeatedly end up in the same places regardless, so it feels unnecessary. Surprisingly, the idea of the third nipple actually comes from Ian Fleming’s original novel – it was in his last book, published shortly before he passed away.

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2025-12-18 22:11