Q (standing for Quartermaster), like M, is a job title rather than a name. He is the head of Q Branch, the fictional research and development division of the British Secret Service.
Q returned to the franchise in 2012's Skyfall after being absent in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. He is portrayed by Ben Whishaw, who was aged 31 as of 2012, marking the first time that an actor playing Q was younger than the one playing Bond.
The Quartermaster first meets 007 at the National Gallery in London under M's orders since the Q Branch hasn't finished setting up. While waiting, the young Q sits down beside Bond and engages him in polite conversation about the painting he appears to be studying - The Fighting Temeraire by English artist J. M. W. Turner. Asked what he sees in the painting, Bond dismissively replies "a bloody big ship." As 007 attempts to excuse himself, the man reveals that he is the new Quartermaster, much to Bond's amusement.
Q first introduces himself to James Bond
After mocking the Quartermaster for his youthful appearance, the boffin hazards that he "can do more damage on his laptop in his pyjamas than Bond can do in a year in the field." Commenting on 007's usefulness to MI6 he admits that "every now and again a trigger needs to be pulled." Bond quips, "Or not pulled. It's hard to know which in your pyjamas." The two formally acknowledge one another and exchange a friendly handshake, a mutual respect forming between the pair.
He then hands Bond the ticket to Shanghai and his new field equipment: a biometrically-encoded Walther PPK (coded to Bond's palm-prints) and a radio transmitter for tracing Bond's whereabouts in the field. 007 is rather underwhelmed by his new equipment, causing Q to retort "Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't really go in for that anymore." Standing up to leave, Q wishes Bond luck and to return the equipment in one piece. Q is afraid of flying as mentioned by Eve Moneypenny when she arrives in Bond's hotel room in Macau.
Q working on understanding Raoul Silva
After Bond arrested Raoul Silva, M orders Q to check his laptop. Trying to break the code, proved to be difficult as Q quips that it's "like trying to solve a Rubik's cube that is fighting back." Bond soon tells him to stop and discovers a series of words which spell out 'Grandborough', that is an old tube station, which Q uses as a password. The display reveals a map of subterranean London, specifically the Tube. he doors open, Bond realises Silva got into the system and runs to the detainment cell. Seeing a hacking warning, Q angrily yells to his techs to ask him how he got into the system. Seeing a message on the laptop, Q quickly tries to unplug it, but was too late and realises that Silva hacked them.
Q helps James Bond's chase of Raoul Silva
Getting contact from 007 while he was in pursuit of Silva, Q provided directions and found that getting caught was part of Silva's plan so he can escape. After hacking into the security cameras in the London Underground he quickly identifies Silva, who is disguised as a policeman and has Bond get on the train as it departs. Upon being told that Silva is after M, Q messages Tanner during the inquiry to get her out, but she refuses to rudely leave. After Bond rescued M from Silva's attack on the inquiry he quickly drives her away from the courtroom and heads to his apartments storage garage where he switches the car with his Aston Martin DB5. Bond instructs Q to leave an electronic trail for Silva to follow, a decision Mallory supports. While Bond drives M to Skyfall, Q begins to lay the trail of breadcrumbs for Silva and Bond and M set traps at Skyfall and await the arrival of Silva.
Q offering his assistance to James Bond
Following James Bond's suspension he is reported. After Bond asks him to make him disappear, Q retorts that he answers directly to M, as well as having a mortgage and two cats to feed. Bonds threatens the lives of the cats if he doesn't make him disappear. Q keeps Bond's location a secret for 24 hours.
The following day arriving at work, he finds that 007 has stolen the new Aston Martin DB10 car assigned to 009 and left a bottle of Bollinger Champagne for Q.
Q meets 007 in Austria where he outruns Spectre agents after a ring he eventually decodes, revealing the organization's existence. Q later returns to London to assist Moneypenny and M in foiling Max Denbigh's launch of the Nine Eyes intelligence network. Finally, after an extensive rebuild, he provides Bond with his remodeled Aston Martin DB5.
Q is busy preparing for a nice dinner when he receives an unexpected visit from James Bond and Moneypenny. He reluctantly allows the two in. Upon entry, Bond notes the presence of Q's new hairless Sphynx cat and comments "You know, they make them with hair these days." Bond and Moneypenney press Q into service by having him analyze files related to Project Heracles. He discovers that the project is a biological weapon, nanobots, which spread like a virus upon touch. They then ask Q to get Bond access to Blofeld in the hopes that Bond can get information out of him. This, however, is ultimately rendered moot when M reinstates Bond and orders him to interrogate Blofeld.
Later, Q aids Bond and the others when Bond infiltrates the headquarters of Safin, the ultimate architect of Project Heracles. He provides Bond with an Electromagnetic Wristwatch and monitors him and Nomi via his Q.DAR invention. During the mission, Bond uses the electromagnetic wristwatch to kill Primo by shorting out his electronic eye. He quips to Q that "I showed someone your watch. It really blew his mind."
Q paying his tribute to the late James Bond
Ultimately, Bond succeeds in his mission, but perishes in the process, forced to remain behind to ensure the success of the missiles which take out Project Heracles. At MI6, Q joins Moneypenney, Nomi and Tanner in sharing a drink to Bond's memory, where they listened to M reading a quote that personified Bond's life and legacy, before drinking whiskey and raising their glasses to the late Bond.
To be added
"Oh shit, shit, shit, shit. He hacked us." - Q when he realises Silva hacked into MI6's mainframe to escape.
"Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't really go for those any more."
"Good luck out there in the field, and...please return the equipment in one piece."
