Jack Bauer is superior to Jason Bourne (David Webb)

Pro has opened with a strong round in support of Jack Bauer, and now I will show why though it is a solid opening, it is of course deeply flawed and that not only is Jason Bourne superior it is not even a contest. This is Godsands vs popculturepooka on the Argument from Evil. To open, let us consider Jack Bauer, and focus on his character and abilities as described in episode one and two of season one. In episode one [1]: -When Jack is assigned to head the task force to stop the threat of assassination he refuses it, tells Walsh to find someone else. It is too difficult for him, no one will trust him as he is a narc/rat. A superior individual does not shy away from an assignment simply because it is difficult. A superior individual seeks out challenges, they strive for them. -When Jack attempts to subdue Mason, yes he is trying to do so without harm, but still, he does so in a way which indicates that if Betty White was to bust in with a football tackle then it is up in the air if he would be able to defend. In no way would anyone look at that display of combat and exclaim now that right there is superior combat ability. -As a father, he is easily manipulated by both his wife and his child. He shows little to no understanding of social pressure, and even the most basic leverage succeeds against him. His wife trivially being about to turn him around after the conversation with his daughter, he does not even seem that he has a mind of his own and he basically just falls to her will just as soon as she noted (quite obviously) that her daughter is manipulating him. In no way would anyone look at that and note, now that is a superior husband/father. In episode two [2] : -He has next to no tactical awareness. When he goes to rescue Walsh, even though he is told there are two shooters he enters the roof blind, if Walsh was one of the shooters he would be dead as as Jack has left his six fully exposed. -Again, after the two shooters have been killed (which if not for Walsh, Bauer would again have been killed by the second shooter), Jack leaves the building AGAIN leaving his six exposed and gets Walsh killed. He never considered the blindingly obvious and even basic tactical fundamental to always have a secondary line. -When talking to his wife, who is obviously more and more upset, he ignores it. He makes a couple of off hand remarks, showing no EQ at all, he has his problems and right now her issues (and his daughter's) do not exist. And again, he never even thinks to consider that they may be related - again, no tactical awareness. Now let us consider Jason Bourne in similar situations. First from the first movie, the Bourne Identity [3] -Fresh off the boat, still struggling to find his identity he is approached by two men, they are combat trained (police), they have their weapons drawn, Jason is unarmed and when he is threatened he incapacitates them faster than askbob can spot a multi- account. -Similar in the conflict at the Bank, he again takes out multiple armed and trained individuals so fast that there is barely time enough to note the body double. Compare this to Jack Bauer who in his attempt to subdue Mason appears to have only slightly more combat ability than Steve Urkyl. Bourne displaces a constant level of combat ability which leads any sane person to conclude that it would take The Batman himself to have any chance of taking him down. -Probably the most clear and poingant description of Bourne's ability for violence comes from an interview with Bryan Mills who was on the set of Taken as a technical co-ordinator noted when he was being compared to Bourne "What, no way man. Yeah I can handle myself but Bourne, that is game over right there. Go up against Bourne - are you blind man, did you not see that scene where he mutilates a guy with a bic pen? GG man, GG."[4] -Alone, with no memory, no friends, no family, nothing, alone against the world Bourne is attacked in a hotel. He is almost killed, he realizes that there is a threat against his life, that he was to be killed that it was unsuccessful and it is still active and does it break him, no, does it even seem to bother him, no. He is focused, he has a problem and he solves it, no team, no support, no nothing. It is Bourne against the world and he does not hesitate, he acts. "They know who I am. I have to stay here, I have to figure it out". -The greatest acclaim that can be given to an individual was given to Bourne when the great one himself noted on the set of "They Live"[5], yeah I know it is a famous line, they ask me all the time where it came from, they think I wrote it, but no man, that was all Bourne. I hear him say it one time "I am here to kick a$$ and chew bubble gum, and I am all out of bubble gum!", that is genius right there, I have to put it in a film. I knew they were making his movie so I asked him to make sure that was left out, as it was kind of like his signature line, and he said no problem, Roddy if you want it then it is yours. It was like that with Bourne, if you asked him for anything he would give it to you, and then he chopped me in the throat, it was like that with Bourne too. I used to think he was bi-polar and I even asked him that one time and he said "No man, I am bi-winning, I win here and I win over there. I do 7 gram rocks as that is just how I roll, I have one speed man - go!" [1] http://www.imdb.com... [2] http://www.imdb.com... [3] http://www.imdb.com... [4] http://www.imdb.com... [5] http://en.wikipedia.org...