User:TomUSA/John Marston (character)

John Marston is the main protagonist in Rockstar Games's Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare (not canon in the series). John Marston's character is voiced by Rob Wiethoff.

Early life and adolescence
Marston was born in 1873 to a Scottish immigrant and a prostitute. His mother died at childbirth, and his father died when Marston was 8, subsequently due to alcohol. This left Marston an orphan, and at the age of 14, he was taken into Dutch van der Linde's gang, where he was taught how to read, write, and shoot.

Working for Dutch van der Linde
John was in van der Linde's gang alongside Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, and his future wife, Abigail. The gang performed robbery and murder, but in return, gave money to the poor. However, Dutch van der Linde got the gang involved in unnecessary murders and crimes for unknown reasons, which caused Marston's hostility towards the gang. Though Dutch had practically raised John, he turned agaisnt his ways and left the gang alongside Abigail, and eventually, they married and had a son named John "Jack" Marston, Jr.

Working for the government
After leaving Dutch van der Linde and his gang behind, John sought to redeem himself of his past crimes. He and his wife lived on a ranch in Beecher's Hope in the state of West Elizabeth. In the peace and tranquility of their home, John and Abigail raised their son Jack as well as tended to the ranch. However, van der Linde and his gang were still at work. His knew gang not only included Williamson and Escuella, but several Native American tribesmen as well.

The government, knowing about Dutch and his affairs, came to John Marston for help. They "kidnapped" John's family and promised he would get them back if he completed the task of capturing or killing Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, and Dutch van der Linde. Marston agreed to the terms, and headed out on a journey to Armadillo where he was beaten and shot by Bill Williamson and his faction of Dutch's gang. To John's fortune, Bonnie MacFarlane happened to be passing by, and tended to John and his wounds. In order to repay Bonnie for her help, he worked around her ranch, herding cattle and other odd jobs.

But John's mission was to find the 3 men whom he used to run with. Thus he headed to Armadillo in search of Bill Williamson only to find that he and his gang had fled. Marston began working alongside Marshal Leigh Johnson and his associates Jonah and Eli, helping them capture criminals while they helped to find Williamson in return.

Marston also meets Nigel West Dickens, a con-man who uses Marston to promote goods that have no accurate function. Marston is also acquainted with Seth Briars, a crazed man in search of a treasure, and "Irish", a drunken Irish American. They help Marston to cross the border into Mexico.

In Mexico, Marston meets Captain Vicente de Santa, a captain in the Mexican Army working for the Federales. He often talks about Abraham Reyes, a Mexican revolutionary living somewhere in Nuevo Paraiso. While working several missions for de Santa and the Mexican government as well, he turns his back against the cruel and harsh Mexican leadership to work for Luisa Fortuna, a 19-year-old schoolteacher and her beloved and leader of the Mexican revolution, Abraham Reyes.

Marston also meets legendary American gunslinger Landon Ricketts in Chuparosa who teaches Marston several shooting methods as well as helping his to find Bill Williamson near Escalera, where Marston and Abraham Reyes kill Williamson.

Captain Vicente de Santa promises Marston at one point while in Chuparosa that he found both Javier Escuella and Williamson and locked them both in the local church. But it turns out to be a trick, and after Reyes frees Marston from the clutches of the Federales, Marston and Reyes's rebels hunt down de Santa and kill him.

Abraham Reyes helps Marston to find Javier Escuella in where the rebels engage in a shootout with Escuella's gang, all while Marston searches for Escuella. Upon finding him, Marston chooses whether to capture or kill Escuella (the choice is determined by the player). After defeating Escuella (whether through killing or capturing), John carries him up the road to Archer Fordham and Edgar Ross, both waiting impatiently at their car. Marston is rewarded, but told that he must still find Dutch van der Linde before his family could be returned. John, after a final showdown against the Federales alongside Abraham Reyes, heads to West Elizabeth once more to find van der Linde.

Once in West Elizabeth, Marston begins working for government agent Edgar Ross and his associate, Archer Fordham. Marston's takss include searching for van der Linde, especially up in the mountains. Marston also meets Professor Harold MacDougal and Nastas. MacDougal is a genetics scientist and a graduate of Yale University. Nastas, a Navajo tribesman, work alongside MacDougal, despite their differences in thought. Marston helps MacDougal with his studies.

Nastas is killed by Native American gang members working for Dutch. This causes John to go into a rage, killing all gang members in the area. MacDougal is upset by the death of Nastas, who although had extreme differences with the professor, was a close friend nevertheless.

Eventually, Dutch comes into the town of Blackwater where he kills 2 people in a bank while they are in a stand-off. They pursue Dutch until they eventually lose him. However, the U.S. Army including Edgar Ross, Archer Fordham, and John Marston, take on Dutch and his gang in a final battle over the plains of West Elizabeth. Marston heads off with the army into Dutch's base where he kills several members of Dutch's gang, and has his last stand-off with Dutch. However, rather than getting killed by Marston, Dutch jumps off a cliff, choosing to commit suicide rather than be killed by a former associate.

Ross and Fordham arrive after the death of Dutch van der Linde. They inform Marston that he has succeeded in his task and his family has been returned to his ranch in Beecher's Hope. Marston then heads out to his ranch to be reunited with his family.

Final days and death
John's arrival back home is a warm welcome. He and his wife continue their married life and John teaches his son Jack how to hunt. He also meets with Uncle, his drunken friend whom watched over the ranch while John and his family were away. Working hard for the family, John's teachings to his son backfire as his son goes missing. John and the family dog "Rufus" go out looking for Jack where they find him up in the mountains getting attacked by a bear. John kills the bear and takes his son home. Jack was trying to impress his father.

In his last days, John is working on the ranch when United States soldiers come looking for him. They are fronted by the familiar general whom aided Marston in killing Dutch van der Linde. John and his son Jack shoot the soldiers down one-by-one as more come into the ranch. After clearing them for a while, and ultimately after Uncle's death, Abigail emerges from the house. John orders Jack and Abigail to run to safety and leave the ranch. John hides out in the barn. He peers out the door noticing a mass of soldiers are out in front of him. He quickly shoots down many of them, but the remaining few kill John Marston, but John fights on for his life, eventually dying a noble death before the feet of Edgar Ross, who still thought it necessary that Marston was killed for his previous crimes, and because he was a "loose end."

Legacy
John Marston becomes famous throughout his lifetime. His honor and fame are passed on to his son Jack Marston, who holds the legacy of John Marston. Many people often mention John depending on his fame and honor at the time of his death.

Personality
John Marston is a typical gentleman of the time. He is kind, respectful, and generous towards women, showing signs of great maturity, especially since his days with Dutch's gang. He bears a past filled with crime and bad actions that he hopes to redeem himself of. He says to his son John, "every man has the right to change. Ain't that what the Good Book says?"

John is intolerant of nonsense and is at all times serious, mostly because he worries about his family and hopes to get his task done quick to get them back with him at the ranch.

A very notable character trait of John Marston's is his cynicism. His poor upbringing as well as the absence of his family has resulted in his cynical view on life. However, despite this, John has maintained his sanity, and is a good person at heart.