Axel Foley

Axel is a Detroit cop who runs stings on his own and annoys his boss, Inspector Todd. When childhood friend Mikey is murdered, Todd forbids him to investigate. Axel asks for vacation and heads to Beverly Hills, where he reaches gallery owner Victor Maitland. The local cops, with Bogomil, Billy and Taggart, try to stop him, but the two detectives end up at his side. In the end Axel takes on Maitland alongside Billy and Taggart.

Axel returns to Beverly Hills when his friend Bogomil is shot by a gang that leaves lettered envelopes. He examines the modified bullets, visits the gun club and survives an attempt by the manager Cain. He realizes the D letter, signed "Carlos" (the Spanish form of Charles), was made to be decoded, and that Dent is setting up a fall guy. He follows red mud from the stables to an oil field. In the end he shoots Dent dead before being hit by the car.

Seven years later, Axel stages a raid on a Detroit chop shop, cancels the SWAT backup and watches his boss Todd get killed. The clues point to WonderWorld in Beverly Hills. There Axel befriends employee Janice, saves two kids from a ride and recognizes DeWald as Todd's killer, but nobody believes him. When Uncle Dave is shot and Axel is framed, he storms the park, kills DeWald and exposes the counterfeiting. In the end a new park character, Axel Fox, honors the cop.

Decades later, Axel is still a Detroit detective, and his boss and friend Jeffrey retires to protect him. He returns to Beverly Hills to protect his daughter, Jane, a defense attorney. He learns Billy was kidnapped, gets arrested and runs into Taggart, now police chief. Axel distrusts Captain Grant. With Detective Abbott, Jane's ex, he escapes a staged arrest and steals a helicopter. At the climax he shields Jane in the assault on the cartel, takes a bullet and makes amends with her.

Axel Foley began as Elly Axel, a Pittsburgh cop, in a 1981 script by Danilo Bach. Daniel Petrie Jr. turned him into a funny Detroit cop. Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke were considered before Eddie Murphy.