John Marston (Outlaw’s Saga)

John Marston (b. 1873 - d. 1911) was a fictional former American outlaw who was one of the best gunmen for the infamous Van der Linde gang around the 1880’s and the 1890’s up until its dissolution. Thanks to the sacrifice of Arthur Morgan, John was given a second chance at life with his family. After that, he resettled as a farmer with his family, but was tracked down and forced to work for the U.S. Government by the 1910’s. Although unseen canonically, John appeared in the “Chelonia!!” video and is mentioned in The Outlaw’s Saga - Red Dead Revolution: The Aftermath in a newspaper article and Grand Theft Auto: Renegade as a mentioned character from a book titled “Red Dead Redemption,” written by a “J. Marston.”
== Biography ==
=== History ===
John Marston was born to a Scottish immigrant, who was born on the boat to New York, and a prostitute in Chicago, Illinois. His mother died when he was young, while his father was an abusive alcoholic, who was eventually blinded in a bar fight. He eventually died in another bar fight as well, leaving John as an orphan.
At some point in his life, John was caught stealing from farmers in rural Illinois and was nearly lynched for his crimes until he was saved by the Van der Linde gang, which composed of Dutch Van der Linde, Hosea Matthews, and a teenaged Arthur Morgan. From there, John grew up with the gang.
By 1895, John had fathered a son named Jack with the gang’s prostitute, Abigail Roberts, but due to his fear of not being a good father role model, while also fearing that the child is not his, he abandoned the gang for a solid year. Although he was welcomed back in eventually, Arthur alienated from him for his desertion, especially since Arthur had a history of having a child, who had died years prior.
Around 1898, John and the gang made their way out to Montana for unknown reasons, accidentally abandoning one member: Sean Macguire.
=== The Blackwater Massacre of May, 1899 ===
By May of 1899, John and the gang had made it to the southwestern city of Blackwater, West Elizabeth. It was there that Dutch Van der Linde and new member Micah Bell III, would plan and carry out a robbery on a ferry. John was involved in the heist, but it went badly when a woman named Heidi McCourt spotted them. Dutch shot her and the gang was forced to escape. John himself was hit by a bullet, but not fatally or badly wounded. He was able to escape with his life and freedom with the gang when Arthur and Hosea helped them escape. The gang traveled across the Redemption and the Grizzly Mountains, winding up in the frozen peaks of Grizzlies West, Ambarino in an attempt to escape the Pinkerton Detective Agency, who were on their tail. John got himself lost in the snowstorm and was forced to hide it out, but while John tried to survive and stay warm, he was suddenly attacked by wolves. His horse was devoured, while John himself was scratched across his face, earning him his signature wolf scar. Fortunately, he was tracked down and saved by Arthur and Javier Escuella under Abigail’s request. John remained out of action for the next couple of weeks.
=== Heartlands Movements, 1899 ===
John eventually recovered and created a plan to rob a train full of wealthy people, according to Mary-Beth Gaskill’s information, which would go through Scarlett Meadows, Lemoyne. With this, John devised a plan to stop the train using an oil wagon, jump on board, rob the folks, and the storage cars. John, Arthur, Charles Smith, and Sean Macguire pulled off the heist, but were quickly confronted by lawmen, who, unbeknownst to them, were tipped off about the robbery by a local vigilante group.
John was also involved in destroying part of the O’Driscoll Boys in a cabin in northern New Hanover, alongside Arthur, Bill Williamson, and former O’Driscoll turned new member, Kieran Duffy.
John and Arthur also eventually stole and herded cattle to Valentine, but the auctioneer caught on to them having stolen the cattle, but was willingly to take 25% for his troubles, which John managed to decrease to 18%. Soon after, John, alongside Leopold Strauss, was held captive by Leviticus Cornwall’s men. Arthur and Dutch stepped in and saved them, but started a gun fight in town, forcing the gang to relocate into Scarlett Meadows.
=== Southern Movements ===
During the gang’s time at Clemens’ Point, John was half involved in the attempted ancient family scandal. John talked to the patriarch of the Gray family, Tavish. He, along with Arthur and Javier were hired to steal some prized Arabian horses from the Braithwaites’ and sell them to a fence. Although the price was low due to the horse fence people, Clay and Clive knowing who the horses belonged to, the gang managed to fetch somewhat of a price.
Later, when Jack was kidnapped by the Braithwaites’, John was worried sick and was angered to the point where he was ready to start shooting at the family members, but kept his cool under Dutch’s orders. John, alongside Arthur, Dutch, Javier, Bill, Hosea, and Lenny, stormed the Braithwaite manor, killing almost every single Braithwaite in the house, except for Catherine Braithwaite, who, after the gang burned the manor and the family’s legacy, divulged Jack’s location: he was given to crime boss Angelo Bronte in Saint Denis.
=== Saint Denis Incidents ===
=== Time in Sisika Penitentiary ===
After the failed bank robbery, John was immediately imprisoned in Sisika Penitentiary on a marsh island in the middle of the Lannahechee River in Lemoyne. There, the police and the local government were making decisions on whether John shall be hanged or not. But in the meantime, he was put on work detail and remained in prison for roughly two or three weeks.
=== Escape from Sisika Penitentiary ===
=== Making Preparations ===
=== The Great Army Train Robbery ===
=== Gang Downfall and Escape ===
=== Yukon Gold Rush ===
=== Return to West Elizabeth, 1907 ===
=== Building Beecher’s Hope ===
=== Revenge on Micah Bell ===
=== The Past Returns, 1911 ===
=== New Austin Plans ===
=== The Mexican Revolution ===
=== The Van der Linde Hunt ===
=== Final Days and Death ===
=== Legacy ===
== Appearance ==
=== Physical ===
John is a man standing at average height. He has black hair and blue eyes. In 1899, John maintained a somewhat thin body type, being primarily skinny. Around May, after he was attacked by wolves, he was scratched across the right side of his face, initially leaving a bloody cut before leaving a permanent signature wolf scar. He initially had a faded goatee m, but he eventually grew a stubble as time went on. After serving time in Sisika Penitentiary, he grew a full beard due to the conditions of the prison. He shaved down to his five o-clock shadow look. Throughout, he had long stringy hair.
By 1907, John’s appearance has altered quite a bit, appearing more heavier in appearance. He had also grown a full beard and has cut back his hair a bit.
In 1911, John’s face looked more rugged, sporting a five o-clock shadow shave and long hair. He was primarily dirty due to his time constantly working for the government.
=== Clothing ===
John wore a variety of clothes over the course of his life:
* In 1899, John wore at least five or more different outfits.
** John wore a black wool winter jacket, black pants, and boots while in the Grizzlies. Although it was damaged and scratched up by wolves, he later patched it with patches, making it wearable. In 1907, John wore the same jacket again, but wore Arthur’s gambler’s hat and his new outfit underneath.
** During most of his time in Horseshoe Overlook, John wore a dirty dark crimson red scout jacket with a red union shirt, black denim ranch pants, and roper boots.
** During most of his time in Lemoyne, John wore a green undershirt with rolled up sleeves, black pants, and boots, with a white worn-out gambler’s hat.
** During the Saint Denis bank robbery, John wore an elegant suit.
** During his time in Sisika, John wore a black and white striped prison jumpsuit.
** For his final outfit, worn throughout Roanoke Ridge, John wore a gray shotgun coat, black ranch pants, and roper boots, with his white gambler’s hat. However, he wore Arthur’s gambler’s hat after he died.
* In 1907, John switched up his outfit a few times
** John wore his old black winter coat, but with a white and red-striped Cassimere shirt, black ranch pants, and roper boots with a worn flat cap.
** John often wore a white Cassimere shirt and black Range gloves during ranch work.
** During an assault on Hanging Dog Ranch, John had to quickly put on boots and Arthur’s gambler’s hat on his red union suit.
** From then on, John switched to his signature outfit: his own gambler’s hat, which was gray, with a black metal-holed brim, and a small feather as an accessory, a white Cassimere undershirt with rolled up sleeves, his ripped sleeves blue jean vest, gray and black striped ranch pants, roper boots, and black range gloves. John wore this outfit well into 1911, whenever he did not wear ranch clothing, bought for him by Abigail.
** After Abigail had bought him an outfit, John eventually put it on, which was a gray flannel overshirt, a black vest, dark ranch pants, and roper boots. In 1907, John had black range gloves, but in 1911, his vest was open and had a leathery look to it and his gloves were removed. This is the outfit that John wore when he died.
== Personality ==
== Killed Victims ==
== Relationships ==
== Gallery ==
== Trivia ==