John McBain (One Life to Live)

Infobox soap character
series = One Life to Live
color = #99BADD
name = John McBain



caption1 = Michael Easton as John McBain in the "One Life to Live" opening sequence



caption2 = Michael Easton as John McBain in the "One Life to Live" opening sequence
first = October 1 2003
last =
cause =
alias =
gender = Male
age =
occupation = Former FBI Agent, Police Detective, Former Commissioner of the Llanview Police Deptartment
title =
spouse =
romances = Caitlin Fitzgerald (engaged, pre-2003; deceased)
Kathryn Fitzgerald (kissed, 2004; deceased)
Evangeline Williamson (2004-2005)
Natalie Buchanan (2005-2007)
Marty Saybrooke (2007)
Blair Cramer (2008) [http://www.soaps.com/onelifetolive/update/4906/A_Call_Through_Time "One Life to Live" recap (7/29/08) - Soaps.com] ]
children =
parents = Thomas McBain
Eve McBain
siblings = Dr. Michael McBain
relatives =
cousins = Shannon McBain
portrayer = Michael Easton (2003-present)
creator = Michael Malone

Detective John McBain is a fictional character on the American daytime drama "One Life to Live", portrayed by Michael Easton since October 1 2003.

Character history

An FBI agent, John comes to town in October 2003 and involves Cristian Vega in an undercover operation. After Cristian marries fiancee Natalie Buchanan, the couple head to Las Vegas, where Cristian is killed by Walker "Flynn" Laurence. John soon grows close to widow Natalie, who initially blames John for Cris' death, but they eventually fall for each other. His relationship with Natalie thus complicated, John (now working for the Llanview Police Department), finds comfort with local attorney Evangeline Williamson and they begin to date.

John's estranged younger brother, Dr. Michael McBain, is also introduced in 2003. Michael eventually finds love with (and marries) Marcie Walsh.

In November 2004, just as John and Natalie's relationship solidifies into friendship (and he and Evangeline have added "strings" to their relationship), a man looking exactly like Cristian turns up alive. Amnesiac Cristian, his identity in question, has been programmed in captivity to kill his brother, Antonio Vega; he resists, but is eventually revealed to be the killer of evil Tico Santi, his maternal cousin, who had wreaked havoc for many of Cristian's loved ones. As memories of his former life begain to return, Cristian accepts the consequences of his actions and goes to jail. To help Natalie and his family move on, he pretends that he is, in fact, an impostor. John discovers the truth but Cristian swears him to secrecy.

Keeping Cristian's true identity from Natalie proves difficult, as his feelings for her continue to linger in spite of his relationship with Evangeline. After Evangeline tells him she loves him, John isn't able to say the same. Soon after, Evangeline and John break things off.

Eventually, John moves on to date Natalie, choosing to rescue her first instead of Evangeline, as Natalie is in more danger, when they are both kidnapped by the Killing Club Killer. However, he still fells guilt because he still knows Cristian's identity and doesn't tell Natalie. Things begin to grow even more complicated when Evangeline becomes Cristian's lawyer in an attempt to get his prison sentence appealed (and discovers that he is indeed Cristian). In November 2005, a prison riot led by Carlo Hesser breaks out and John and Cristian are caught in the crossfire. It is also then that Natalie discovers that Cristian is indeed Cristian. Although John and Cristian make it out alive, Natalie is angry for the both of them lying to her and no longer wants anything to do with either of them.

Natalie soon realizes that she has fallen for John, thus officially divorcing Cristian. John becomes consumed with solving the decades-old murder of his father, police officer Thomas McBain. The unsolved crime has plagued John for years, but new evidence begins to surface, which lead to David Vickers, Dr. Paige Miller, and ultimately, Dr. Spencer Truman. On the day of Spencer's arrest, John is able to finally find peace with his father's death, and has asked his mother to give him her engagement ring (from his father) for Natalie. But, John is soon involved in a terrible car pile-up on the highway — he is killed, his body burned beyond recognition. The town of Llanview mourns his death and pray that ADA Hugh Hughes (also in the accident) would survive. On November 10, 2006 it is revealed that Hugh, badly burned and bandaged in a burn unit, is in fact John McBain. He ultimately recovers, aided by some tender loving care by Natalie. During his recovery, he tells Natalie that he loves her.

John later begins to form a bond with Marty Saybrooke and her son Cole Thornhart. He eventually becomes good friends with them and helps Marty get out of her forced marriage to Miles Laurence.

On September 12, 2007, John is suspended from the police department, pending investigation into his role in withholding information about Tommy McBain's true parentage.

John along with Todd Manning leaves town to chase after Marcie McBain, who has skipped town after refusing to give back Todd's child. John's FBI rival Lee Ramsey is put on the case to catch Marcie and John wants to find Marcie before Ramsey does, as Ramsey was a very tough FBI agent. When John and Todd end up in jail, Blair and Marty arrive to bail them out and to join in the search for Marcie. After a long search, John tracks Marcie to New Orleans but they miss finding her. While at a motel, Marty confesses to John that her husband, Patrick, had been murdered. John and Marty make love. John confesses to Marcie that Ramsey's animosity towards him comes from Ramsey being in love with John's deceased girlfriend Caitlin. Ramsey blames John for her death.

Unknown to Marty and John, Cole is being stalked by somebody wearing a death mask, the same person who had been stalking Marty on Halloween. The person in the mask confronts Cole in his apartment and forcfully kidnapps him. Later, Marty is kidnapped from New Orleans.

Marty's kidnapper is an Irish terrorist long wanted by the FBI. Ramsey and John go to Ireland to take down the terrorists and rescue Marty and Cole. John finds an old poetry book by Patrick. Ramsey and John find the place where Marty and Cole are being, kept but Marty and Cole have already been moved. John and Ramsey find the van and Marty and Cole, but are captured by the Irish terrorists. John nagotiates with the leader, Simon. He claims to have what they are looking for and will only give it to him if Marty and Cole are released. Simon agrees but John has to meet him some place else. Marty and Cole are driven off in a van until then.

John and Ramsey find the van; Ramsey shoot the tires out in the hope that the vehicle will come to a stop, but the van goes over a cliff with Marty and Cole inside. Discovering an injured Marty in the wreckage, John promises her that he would be back for her after he fids Cole. He is able to save Cole but can only watch as the van explodes. John and Cole then return to Llanview.