Here's a look at the secret agents who went before him, the great men who made Ian Fleming's paperback hero into the most-successful franchise in motion picture history.

Sir Sean Connery

The definitive 007, Connery added oodles of verve and sartorial panache to Fleming's superspy, making him less gritty, but far more stylish -- the martinis and euphemistically-named women were more intrinsic to the adventures than the plot itself.

Most importantly, Connery lent credulity to the fact that millions of women melted in his arms. The first and finest James Bond.

Text: Raja Sen | Design: Uday Kuckian