Die Hard, which was released in 1988, saw Bruce Willis shoot to stardom and go on to resurrect the character a further three times as well as influence a whole generation of action movies that would follow.John McClane was one of the biggest action icons of the late eighties and early nineties as the maverick cop who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time.John McClane works as detective lieutenant with the New York City Police Department, during the course of his career he found himself at the Takagi Corporation’s Christmas party when Hans Gruber, a relentless businessman, uses guns, explosives to storm the building in order to steal ,millions of dollars in bearer bonds from the company.In 1990 McClane was once again caught up in events when a group of terrorists take over air control leaving him with the task of stopping the terrorists before his wife's plane and several other incoming flights that are circling the airport run out of fuel and crash.Die Hard with a Vengeance sees McClane pit his wits against Simon Gruber with New York City at stake.At the heart of the Die Hard movies it McClane's everyman quality he fights because he believes it's what anyone would do it's also his job and what his badge stands for.

In 2007 McClane returned after a twelve year absence when he accidentally gets caught up in cyber terrorism after being told to pick up Matthew Farrell where the pair are almost assassinated.

The man doesn't just face trouble at work throughout all the films McClane's home have been on the verge of collapse with his wife on the verge of leaving him at the beginning of the first film.

By Die Hard with a Vengeance the couple are separated due to his heavy drinking habits.

By Die Hard 4 history is repeating itself as John is estranged from his daughter who, like her mother goes by the name Gennero.

Despite the circumstances in which he finds himself McClane is a survivor and due to his thinking outside the box, and sheer tenacity to survive John finds he excels in the circumstances he unwittingly finds himself in.

"Yippee-ki-yay motherf*****r" those terrorists never stood a chance.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw