The Most Unlikely Trio in the History of Ever

One did the makeup effects on the film Planet of the Apes, the other a comic book artist who co-created the X-Men, The Incredible Hulk and The Fantastic Four and they team up with the CIA to save the day.


No this isn't some movie this is real life. In 1979, radical supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini attacked the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took everyone hostage except six employees who managed to escape and find refuge in a Canadian ambassador's home. However, these six refugees were stuck in hostile territory with no one to help them. CIA technical operations officer Anthony Mendez came up with one of the most elaborate and quite frankly ridiculous ideas possible.

"OK I got this crazy idea but promise you'll listen to the whole thing."
- What I imagine Anthony Mendez must have said at some point

This is where Hollywood makeup artist John Chambers and comic book artist/illustrator Jack Kirby. Mendez took one look at the both of them and said, "Yes, this is exactly the team I need." He called the operation "The Canadian Caper." I honestly wish I was joking.

Mendez entered Tehran claiming to be an Irish film producer there to scout the location for his very fake sci-fi epic, Argo. Chambers and Mendez created a fictional production company called Studio Six Productions. They named it that in part to honor the six people they intended to save, and in part (I imagine) because Mendez wanted to make Iran feel extra stupid once they figured out what had happened.They came up with a fake movie script and had Jack Kirby create fake concept art.

Kirby even went as far as to design an entire theme park to go along with the movie dubbed Science Fiction Land that contained magnetically levitated elevators, a control room staffed by robots and a dome that was twice as tall as the Empire State Building. It was almost as if everyone involved in the Canadian Caper had a hard time weighing the idea of being caught with making something as crazy as possible.

I wish I could make this up.

Mendez entered Iran while his "supplies" were sent via diplomatic pouch to the Canadian embassy. The pouch contained the Canadian passports, costumes, Kirby's art and filming equipment that would let them pretend they were doing a real movie.Mendez met with the refugees and explained the cover story, assigned them new identities and roles in the production of the movie. To this the most likely replied, "No. That's stupid. Send the real CIA."

"Oh come on! Is that on a napkin?"

Eventually the refugees got into their disguises whicht included unbuttoned shirts and silver medallions. And it worked. Their fake documentation and cover story allowed them all the freedom to walk around Tehran without any problems before they eventually boarded a plane . It was definitely the only time in history where a plan that was in all actuality "So crazy it might work" was successful.