First Appearances

When we read a series, we soon become familiar with its characters and take them for granted. Thus, when The Shield Of Time was published, we already knew that Manse Everard was a Time Patrol agent, having previously read The Guardians Of Time, Time Patrolman and possibly also the then lesser known The Year Of The Ransom. We can quickly forget that there was a time when we never knew such characters. Thus, it is instructive to reread their first appearances when we did not yet know who they were.

"The work is, you understand, somewhat unusual,' said Mr. Gordon. 'And confidential. I trust you can keep a secret?'
"'Normally,' said Manse Everard. 'Depends on what the secret is, of course.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Time Patrol" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 1-53 AT 1, p. 1.

(Remember, we do not yet know anything about this guy, Manse Everard.)

"Van Rijn grunted. He was a huge man, two meters in height and more than broad enough to match."
-Poul Anderson, "Margin of Profit" IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, 2009), pp. 135-173 AT 139.

The description continues...

Later and elsewhere:

"David Falkayn let fall the sheet of paper on which he had made the sketch."
-Poul Anderson, "The Three-Cornered Wheel" IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method, pp. 199- 261 AT p. 201.

There is not yet any connection between van Rijn and Falkayn.

Dominic Flandry has a first published first appearance, a revised version of that appearance and a chronologically earliest appearance:

"Captain Flandry opened his eyes and saw a metal ceiling."
-Poul Anderson, "Tiger By The Tail" IN Anderson, Agent Of The Terran Empire (London, 1977), pp. 7-36 AT I, p. 9.

"When Captain Dominic Flandry opened his eyes, he saw metal."
-Poul Anderson, "Tiger By The Tail" IN Anderson, Captain Flandry: Defender Of The Terran Empire (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 241-276 AT p. 241.

"Ensign Dominic Flandry, Imperial Naval Flight Corps, did not know whether he was alive through luck or management."
-Poul Anderson, Ensign Flandry IN Anderson, Young Flandry (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 1-192 AT CHAPTER FOUR, p. 29.