Billy Bear

## Character Overview

Billy Bear's Character appears in two movies: 48 Hours and the Predator both played by Sonny Landham. in 48 Hours he is billed as Billy Bear and in Predator he just goes by Billy. Both characters sport his trademark bowie knife, his maniacle laugh, and overall serious nature. 48 Hours takes place 6 years before Predator, giving the character some time to develop his murderous tendancies into a more productive way and recover from two gunshot wombs to the chest. Also, his character in Predator is an expert tracker, Billy was something of an outsider in the group, leading us to assume he was a mercenary and not a member of Delta Force because of his criminal record. His character became notably disturbed following the team's contact with the Predator due to legends he heard as a child. Given the events of Prey, one can assume he received these stories from the Comanche Indian tribe. He died challenging the Predator in hand-to-hand combat, similar to how he was shot in 48 Hours, armed only with his combat machete.

In August 2022, Bennett Taylor confirmed that the script of Prey revealed Billy to be a reincarnation of Taabe from the movie Prey.

## Billy Bear

### Affiliation

U.S. ArmyThe Western BrotherhoodDelta Force

## Biography (P)

### Early Life

Billy was of half-Comanche Indian, half-Italian descent and it was from his native people that he learned his exemplary tracking skills. When he was an infant, his people would tell stories of how a creature had once hunted their forefathers. In 1969 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served a tour of duty in Vietnam, honing his tracking skills. He served to some extent with John "Dutch" Matrix, however he was dishonorably discharged after an incident between another U.S. Soldier. After returning to the United States he settles in San Francisco where he gets involved with the Western Brotherhood biker gang and became associates with brothers Albert Ganz (a.k.a. Ajax) and Richard Ganz (a.k.a Cherry).

### 1976 Ice Man Robbery

As a member of the Western Brotherhood Billy Bear teams up with fellow gang members Albert and Richard Ganz, as well as Reggie Hammond, Henry Wong and Luther "Sully" Sullivan and stole money from a drug dealer known as the "Ice Man", of $500,000. Albert Ganz was caught and convicted of robbery, and sentenced to ten year in prison. Reggie took the money and hid it in his car in a parking garage in San Fransisco and Albert Ganz "dropped a dime" on Reggie, which led to Reggie's capture and imprisonment for five years. Billy Bear was never charged with the robbery, but was sought for questioning concerning the incident.

### 1981 Albert "Ajax" Ganz Escape and Kidnapping of Rosaline as in 48 Hours

In 1982, Billy Bear helps Albert Ganz escape from prison during a chain gang activity outside of San Fransisco in which prison guard Walter Cates was shot . They head back to San Francisco where Ganz and Billy kill Henry Wong who had not information on where the money from the Ice Man robbery was stashed. Ganz the had a pimp send a hooker for him and Billy to the Walden Hotel, with a stolen credit card from a man named G.P. Polson, who would report the card stolen.

Ganz and Billy catches Luther and his girlfriend Rosalie walking down the street and questions Luther on the whereabouts of the $500,000; threatening to break her neck. Luther tells Ganz and Billy that he can't get the money till Monday because the place that the money was stashed will not be open till then. Ganz decides to kidnap Rosalie in case Luther tries to double-cross him.

Albert Ganz and Billy Bear retire to the Walden Hotel where they would get a visit from the police. Detectives Van Zant and Algren respond to the scene first. Jack Cates volunteers to help, with concern for his brother Walter, but is asked to wait downstairs. Van Zant and Algren knock at the door of Ganz's room and Ganz forces the hooker Lisa to ask who it is. Ganz fatally shoots Van Zant and wounds Algren. Jack Cates goes after them and in the lobby, the hotel clerk tries to call the police, and Ganz tells her to drop the phone. Cates knocks Ganz's gun out of his hand who then takes the clerk hostage. Algren comes walking down the stairs wounded and without cover. Ganz tells Cates to toss him the gun and Billy won't waste Algren. Algren tells Jack not to do it, but Cates does give Ganz his gun. Ganz then shoots Algren dead and tries to kill Jack, but fails and gets away with Billy Bear.

Jack Cates employs convict Reggie Hammond to track down Albert Ganz and the next day track Ganz at the subway station. Luther Sullivan has the money and is about to give the money to Ganz for Rosalie. Cates moves in two quickly and alerts authorities as an armed civilian. After the police realize Cates is a Detective it's too late and Ganz and Billy Bear get away again in the subway.

Ganz and Billy Bear's second attempt for the cash exchange is on a stolen bus, where Billy Bear is driving and they pick up Luther who gives him the money. Ganz still shoots Luther non-fatally and keeps Rosalie. Cates and Hammond pursue the bus but Billy causes Jack's car to crash into a window of a store and Ganz and Billy escape yet again.

Billy and Ganz then lay low in Billy's girlfriend Casey's apartment. Later on that night, Cates and Reggie track them down to the apartment and convince Casey, who was out running errands, to take them upstairs to Ganz and Billy. Billy who is sharpening his Bowie knife is caught by gunpoint in the bedroom by Reggie. Reggie instructs Billy not to advance on him or he will shoot him. Billy wields his Bowie knife and laughs maniacally before lunging toward Reggie. Reggie shoots Billy twice in the chest and takes him down. Jack Cates and Reggie Hammond then track down Ganz who escaped out the window and Cates shoots Ganz dead.

### 1983 Arrest and Recovery and Aftermath

After being shot by Hammond, Billy was hospitalized and recovered from his two gunshot wounds. He was arrested and convicted of aggravated assault by only sentenced to two years in prison since his lawyers were able to place most of the blame on Ganz. In 1985 Billy Bear became a mercenary and became noted for his tracking abilities.

### 1987 Mission to the Val Verdian Boarder in Predator

In 1987, John "Dutch" Matrix, leader of Delta Force, was given a mission to track down of a top secret nature. He was informed that jungle tracking would be a necessity. He hired Billy Bear as a Mercenary to join Delta Force on this mission. Although something of a loner, Billy formed a friendship of sorts with Delta Force member Jorge Ramirez known as Pancho. Delta Force landed on a beach in Conta Mana, Val Verde where Matrix met former commanding officer General Phillips. Phillips requested Matrix and his Delta Force which included: Poncho, Billy Bear, Mac Cooke, Blain, and Hawkins for this mission. The goal was to rescue a Val Verdian cabinet minister and his aide who had been kidnapped by nearby Guatemalan Guerrillas at the Val Verde border in the Chapada das Mangabeiras low lying mountain range. Matrix was also reacquainted with an old friend Al Dillon. Dillon was now working for the CIA and wanted to go along with Dutch. Dutch objected at first, saying his team only worked alone but eventually agreed that Dillon could accompany them. A helicopter transported Dutch and his team deep into Guatemala and dropped them off in the jungle.

Once the team arrived at the helicopter crash site in the jungle, Billy picked up the trail of the guerrillas who had captured the hostages and began to follow them, also noting that a six-man team with American equipment had been pursuing the rebels ahead of them. The trail eventually led to the bodies of Jim Hoppe and two of his men, who had been skinned and hung from the treetops by their ankles, a sight that shocked and disgusted even the supposedly emotionless Billy. Billy continued to track the guerrillas to their camp in the jungle, which the team subsequently destroyed.

Following the attack, Billy became aware of a presence in the jungle and believed that the squad was being observed and followed, even though he could not see the creature. When Hawkins and Blain were killed by the Predator, Billy quickly accepted, quite calmly, that they were all going to die by the creature's hand. His insistence that the creature was not human was met with ridicule from Dillon, although the other members of the team were inclined to believe him, especially after Blain's body was stolen from their heavily fortified position in the night, a feat considered impossible for a human to have carried out.

When Mac and Dillon were killed and Poncho was seriously wounded following a failed ambush attempt, Billy silently discarded his weapons and drew his Bowie knife, apparently deciding to face the Predator alone in hand-to-hand combat; whether he made this decision as a conscious attempt to buy the others time, out of sheer madness, or a reenactment of Taabe's last stand with the Feral Predator is left up to the viewer. Regardless, he proved himself to be a worthy opponent, though he failed to slay the creature who was revealed to be the Jungle Hunter Predator and was instead killed by it.

Following his death, Billy's corpse was taken by the Predator, who claimed his skull as a trophy, tearing the spinal cord and head from his corpse before cleaning the skull and placing it in its trophy bag.