Charles Alden

Dr. Charles Alden was a respected scientist who worked for the Inter-Americas Institute of Tropical Ornithology and a long time friend of MacGyver. He was a talented artist who enjoyed drawing the people and wildlife he saw around him.

He asked MacGyver to organise an expedition into the Amazon jungle to find the cause of panicked behavior in the local wildlife. Unable to acquire any guides for the expedition due to the superstitions of the native Indians and what was happening deeper into the jungle, they decided to go alone and headed up river to find a cocoa plantation owned by Lucien Trumbo where they hoped to have better luck finding a guide. However, Trumbo was less than welcoming, accusing them of trespassing and ordered them to leave immediately; but after MacGyver fixed his water pump, Trumbo offered to guide them himself to find out what was happening deeper in the jungle.

As then ventured into the jungle they quickly found the source of the wildlife’s panic. An army of soldier ants eating a path of devastation through the jungle 2 miles wide and 10 miles long. Charles was thrilled to be able to observe such a unique event and began taking pictures of the ants. However, in his enthusiasm he didn’t notice how close he was or that the ants were beginning to cover him. As he tried to get them off him he lost his footing and slid down an embankment into the main stream of ants where he was quickly killed and consumed by the ants.