Line #78 Characters/JackRyan


1	Character page for Creator/TomClancy's [[Literature/JackRyan "Ryanverse"]] and its various adaptations.
2	----
3	[[foldercontrol]]
4
5	!!Recurring Characters (novels and 1990-1994 film continuity)
6
7	!!!'''Ryan Family'''
8
9	[[folder:Jack Ryan]]
10	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jackryanalecbaldwin.jpg]]
11	[[caption-width-right:300:''"Jack, next time you get a bright idea, just put it in a memo!"'']]
12	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jackryanharrisonford.jpg]]
13	[[caption-width-right:300:''"I'm afraid if I dig any deeper no-one's going to like what I find."'']]
14	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/AlecBaldwin (''The Hunt for Red October'') \| Creator/HarrisonFord (''Patriot Games'', ''Clear and Present Danger'')
15	!!!'''Film Appearances:''' ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' \| ''Film/PatriotGames'' \| ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''
16
17	The main character of the novels and the 1990-1994 film adaptations bearing the [[Literature/JackRyan same name]], Jack Ryan is a UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} intelligence analyst, author, part-time historian and professor of Naval History at the United States Naval Academy, who (at the start of ''Red October'') is conscripted into a mission to establish contact with the crew of the ''Red October'', liaising with Captain Marko Ramius as a result.
18	By the time the events of [[Film/PatriotGames the second film]] begin, Jack has left the CIA and taken up a full-time role with the Naval Academy, while also on vacation (and researching material for a book) in London. After he thwarts the kidnapping of several members of the Royal Family, Jack runs afoul of the leader of a RenegadeSplinterFaction of Irish terrorists. In [[Film/ClearAndPresentDanger the third film]], Jack is given a FieldPromotion as the Acting Deputy Director of Intelligence in the CIA after Greer is sidelined due to terminal cancer, and authorizes a covert mission in Columbia. When the mission goes awry, Jack is forced to step up and rescue the missing forces from the country, alongside fellow operative John Clark, while dealing with the machinations of both the U.S. and Columbian governments along the way. Later instalments of the novels bring Jack into greater focus on a national scale, as he ascends to the role of President of the United States after a mass casualty incident in ''Literature/DebtOfHonor''. Future titles also bring his son, [[InTheBlood Jack Ryan Jr.]], into the fold as an analyst and government agent following in his father's footsteps.
19	----
20	* ActionDuo: Becomes this, alongside the more-experienced commando John Clark, as they work to rescue the missing soldiers in Columbia during the third act of the film adaptation of ''Clear and Present Danger''.
21	* ActionSurvivor: In nearly every film (and several of the novels), Jack ends up being the RightManInTheWrongPlace, and only survives through a combination of wits and quick thinking.
22	** In ''Patriot Games'', he winds up going up against ULA terrorists, including Sean Miller, Ned Clark and, in the third act, a final duel against Miller himself. In the first case, he wins by rushing Miller, knocking him down and driving off the attackers with wild gunfire. In the second, he is effortlessly knocked down by Clark, and would have been killed had the Marine guard at Annapolis not intervened. In the third and final instance, Miller unintentionally kills his own allies then [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard inadvertantly aids Jack]] by dropping a sharp anchor during their fight.
23	** ''Clear and Present Danger'' has a much more overt case of this, as Jack manages to be the ''only'' occupant in the convoy that survives the ambush in Columbia unscathed, then manages to survive the operation to get into Cortez's factory and rescue the captured soldiers, despite being the only one of the trio (alongside Chavez and Clark) to not have a weapon.
24	** In ''Debt of Honor'', Jack (along with Cathy and a pair of Senators) only survive the attack on the Capital due to the fact that they were in the tunnels underneath the building at the time of the bombing. As such, they are the only survivors of the incident.
25	* AdaptationalBadass: Several of the films have Jack engaged in a much more action-oriented role, including the climax of ''Patriot Games'' (in which he personally leads the villains away from his family and duels Sean Miller one-on-one), his fistfight against Ned Clark in the same film, and his direct involvement in the rescue mission at the climax of ''Clear and Present Danger''.
26	* AlwaysLawfulGood: To the point that it's a significant source of conflict in the later films. By the time the third film rolls around, and he's been given a motivational speech by Greer (who reminds him to honor the vows he took as a civil servant), Jack ends up testifying to Project RECIPROCITY, even though it will likely bring significant shame to the highest levels of government.
27	* AssassinOutclassin: Invoked multiple times throughout the series. Notably, in ''Patriot Games'', he gets the drop on Ned Clark and attempts to beat him down... [[CurbStompBattle only to be effortlessly beaten back]]. Had the Marine Guard not intervened, Jack would have been shot dead.
28	* AudienceSurrogate: When he arrives on the ''Red October'', Jack gets an explanation of the conflict to date and the current situation by Ramius and Mancuso.
29	* AuthorFilibuster: Several of Jack's speeches in ''Executive Orders'', as is befitting the mindset of Clancy, due to Jack's role as the President and his platform speaking to the American people.
30	* BackInTheSaddle: At the beginning of ''Patriot Games'', Jack has quit working for the CIA to teach History at the US Naval Academy. The events of the ULA attack on the Royals (and Sean Miller's subsequent attack on Jack's family) conspire to get him working for The Company again.
31	* BadassBookworm: Due in part to actually having been a Marine, and in his role (in ''Patriot Games'') as a speaker at a naval academy, though few are able to guess this without knowing his history.
32	* BadassBureaucrat:
33	** Jack starts as this when he takes the role of President. He is considered completely incorruptible and can figure out any riddle that international politics can bring to bear.
34	** Deliberately invoked at the end of the third film, when Jack (who has just finished taking part in a mission to personally rescue troops in Columbia) brushes off the President's attempt to dissuade him from blowing the lid on Operation RECIPROCITY by going before a Senate Subcommittee:
35	--->'''Jack:''' Sorry, Mr. President. I don't dance.
36	* BriefAccentImitation: Jack does a couple in the film version of ''Red October'', first of Admiral Painter, then of Captain Ramius, courtesy of Alec Baldwin's talent for impressions.
37	* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive:
38	** In ''Patriot Games'', Admiral Greer (along with Marty Cantor) visits Jack personally at home in an attempt to convince him to come back to Quantico. Jack initially refuses, claiming that he's out of that life and wants to spend more time with his family. Once his family is attacked by Miller, however, he drops the gloves and rejoins the Company.
39	** Much of ''Debt of Honor'' is motivated by Jack accepting a KickedUpstairs position as VP, precisely because President Durling believes him to be a nuisance and wants him in a largely ceremonial position with no real impact (a decision Jack is fine with). When the Capital is attacked, however, he winds up being the highest in the line of succession, and proceeds to take on the mantle of President of the U.S.A.
40	* TheCameo: In the novel of ''Literature/WithoutRemorse'', he appears in precisely one sequence to show that the "Lt. Ryan" investigating Kelly's murders is Jack's father, not himself.
41	* CassandraTruth: What Jack spends most of the novel of ''The Sum of All Fears'' spouting. He is ignored mainly because of Liz Elliott's personal dislike for him and her undue influence on Bob Fowler. Despite being proven right time and time again, it takes him literally intervening in the Hotline to avert the ultimate crisis.
42	* CunningLinguist: Which he keeps to himself at first in ''Red October'', until he laughs at something one of the officers says about Captain Mancuso having a gun strapped to his hip. When asked about his Russian ability, he replies that it is wise to study the ways of your enemy. To which Captain Ramius agrees, in English.
43	* DareToBeBadass: Usually occurs once per book (or film). Jack is constantly asked by someone (Admiral Greer in the earlier novels / films, other participants in later works) to step up and get involved in the overarching plot due to his experience in the field and as an analyst.
44	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Jack's decision to put himself in harm's way to rescue Lord Holmes and his family, which (being that he has no protection whatsoever) gets him shot for his trouble. Cathy (and Sean Miller's defense attorney) even calls him out on this:
45	-->'''Cathy:''' Jesus, Jack. What were you thinking?
46	* TheDeterminator: He has to be this, considering everything he does and goes through to help secure the ''Red October''. This is also a part of his backstory, as Admiral Painter explains what happened after he was in a severe chopper crash while a student at Annapolis.
47	-->"That kid spent ten months in traction, and another year learning to walk again. He did his fourth year from the hospital."
48	* FaceYourFears: Has a fear of flying, due to being in a helicopter crash early in his career. Through the course of the first film, he ends up flying on four occasions, each time worse than the last (slightly-turbulent transatlantic airliner, US Navy C-2 Grayhound in bad weather, US Navy SH-3 Sea King helicopter in a even worse weather lowering him on a cable down to a submarine [[spoiler:before releasing himself from the cable and falling into the freezing waters to get aboard]]). The last flight, after he has saved the day, in contrast, has him sleeping peacefully [[ItMakesSenseInContext with a teddy bear seated next to him.]]
49	* FieldPromotion:
50	** In ''Clear and Present Danger'', he is bumped up to the role of interim Deputy Director of Intelligence after Greer goes into treatment for pancreatic cancer.
51	** More overtly, due to the events of ''Debt of Honor'', Jack is functionally brought into the role as the ''President of the United States'', due to everyone above him being killed during an attack on the U.S. Congress.
52	* GoodParents: Save the world? Sure, that's important. But don't forget to get a teddy bear for your daughter on your way home.
53	* HauledBeforeASenateSubcommittee: As part of his [[FieldPromotion new job]] as Acting Deputy Director of Intelligence, Jack appears before the Senate twice in ''Clear and Present Danger'' -- the first time, to obtain funding for anti-drug operations in Columbia; the second occurs in the film, right at the credits as he testifies to the true nature of Operation RECIPROCITY.
54	* HonestAdvisor: Jack himself tries to perform this role in the Fowler administration in the books. This is very much against their wishes, as Fowler dislikes Ryan and doesn't care for his advice, but he's too popular both on Capitol Hill and with the CIA rank-and-file to be easily gotten rid of. Ryan notes that this unwillingness to seek out and hear opposing viewpoints is easily Fowler's biggest flaw, far more than any actual policy disagreements he has with the man.
55	* INeedAFreakingDrink: In ''Literature/TheBearAndTheDragon'', after he authorizes the ''USS Gettysburg'' to shoot down a nuclear missile about to hit Washington, he announces that he is going to go get a drink, and if any of the crew want to join him, he is waiving Navy regulations regarding alcohol consumption for twenty-four hours.
56	* InItsHourOfNeed: As President, he chooses to stay in Washington during the events of ''Literature/TheBearAndTheDragon'', rather than flee to safety after the Chinese launch their one remaining nuclear missile at the city. He points out that this is really, really stupid, while he's doing it, and gets incredibly drunk afterwards to try to forget the horror.
57	* InvisiblePresident: In ''Literature/RainbowSix'', he is often mentioned in the book, but ''only'' by the term "The President". The only clue given that Jack is the same President is when FBI Director Dan Murray refers to the President by his first name midway through the book.
58	* ItsAllMyFault: In the film version of ''Clear'', he tells Chavez this when the latter attacks Clark for seemingly leaving the special-forces unit behind.
59	* ItsPersonal:
60	** In ''Patriot Games'', Ryan rejoins the CIA to investigate the attack on Cathy and Sally.
61	** In the ''Patriot'' novel, this is discussed between Ryan and his supervisor Marty Cantor. After Ryan discovers the location of a French terrorist group, the information is passed on to the French government, which swiftly captures them and executes them after a military trial. The entire event leaves Ryan deeply troubled, which Marty points out wouldn't be true if the terrorists had been ULA. Ryan responds that that's personal and he can't be expected to feel the same way about it, a point Cantor refuses to concede. Every terrorist attack is personal to somebody.
62	** Gets a mild case of this in ''Literature/RedRabbit'', when he finds out that the Pope is being targeted for assassination. He's a Roman Catholic himself, which means the KGB's target is not merely an innocent civilian or a friendly political figure, but the head of his church.
63	* MagneticHero: Jack's reputation continues to grow throughout the novels, to such an extent that when he decides to run again for U.S. President in ''Literature/LockedOn'', he has almost unanimous approval and his chances of winning are considered a ForegoneConclusion.
64	* MedalOfDishonor: Friendly joke version: Jack is presented with the Order of the Purple Target in ''Patriot Games'' after he returns to the Navy Academy.
65	* MirrorCharacter: Emphasized in ''Clear and Present Danger'' with John Clark. Jack is a lawful public servant who's furious when he discovers that his CIA colleagues and political superiors have started an illegal war, while the latter is an off-the-books agent who's neck deep in the illegal war from the very start. Both of them, however, are willing to do whatever it takes to rescue the surviving American soldiers after they're cut off and betrayed.
66	* MistakenForCheating: In the novel of ''Literature/TheSumOfAllFears'', a stressed-out Jack withdraws from Cathy, leading her to believe that he's having an affair. Add to that a mishap with a perfume bottle, and a news leak by vindictive bitch Elizabeth Elliot about "a senior intelligence official"...
67	* NonActionGuy:
68	** Generally downplayed in the books. Jack is a CIA Analyst, an office mouse type who hates flying, takes poorly to being shot at, and spends much of the [[Film/TheHuntForRedOctober first movie he appears in]] out of his depth as he hitches rides on various warships and submarines. As it is eventually revealed, he is also a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and commissioned in the Marine Corps before being medically discharged due to his injuries in a helicopter crash, as Admiral Painter says, "He did his fourth year from the hospital."
69	** Largely averted in the Ford-era films, however, which caused series creator Creator/TomClancy to largely distance himself from the adaptations. Jack is ''much'' more prone to action hero moments -- the entire climax of ''Film/PatriotGames'' is changed from Jack pursuing, and later apprehending, Sean Miller, to an action-packed chase where he voluntarily leads the ULA terrorists away from his family and takes on Miller in one-to-one combat.
70	* NonIdleRich: In the books, he made enough money on the stock market to be immune to pressure when he gives an opinion.
71	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Used as part of his EstablishingCharacterMoment in ''Red October'' -- Jack's realization about the missing submarine causes him to voluntarily jump onto an overnight flight (something he can't stand) with little warning, which Greer points out afterwards.
72	* PapaWolf: Jack is an easy-going history professor, but stand between him and those threatening his family, and he will destroy you. Helping is the fact that he's a former Marine and CIA agent.
73	* RefusalOfTheCall:
74	** In the film adaptation of ''Patriot Games'', he initially refuses Greer's offer to come back to the CIA, reasoning that his family life is too important. However, after Cathy and Sally are attacked by the ULA, he drops the pretenses and marches right into Quantico to lend his support to the investigation.
75	** In ''Dead or Alive'', Jack (who stepped away midway through his first term to let Robby finish it; and was succeeded by Ed Kealty) initially refuses to speak out against Kealty's record, being more concerned with finishing his own memoirs and letting Kealty's accomplishments stand. However, when he finds out that Kealty is planning to prosecute a US Army Ranger who shot sleeping terrorists during a search for Rahman, Jack makes the decision to re-enter the presidential race -- an act that leads to him winning a second term as President.
76	* RetiredBadass: In the film adaptation of ''Patriot Games'', when Jack tries to go up against Ned Clark in a hand-to-hand fight, he's easily overpowered and knocked away, being older and not in the same physical shape. Were it not for the Marine Guard at the Naval Academy's front gate, Jack would have been shot on the spot by Clark.
77	* RightManInTheWrongPlace: Several times in the franchise, Jack suggests or discovers intel that ends up forcing him into an advisory (or even participatory) role to ensure the mission is completed.
78	* SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: Ironically, for this franchise (which has Connery himself as the lead focus of the poster for ''Red October''), Creator/HarrisonFord gets this on the poster for ''Film/PatriotGames''.
79	* SemperFi: Was originally a Marine. However, he was in a terrible accident in his third year at the Naval Academy and while he apparently graduated (from the hospital) it’s unknown if he received an official commission given that he was medically ineligible to serve.
80	* TheStrategist: Both in his role as a CIA analyst, and particularly later, as The President, Jack exemplifies this trope.
81	* ShutUpHannibal: Delivers a simple, effective line to ''the President, of all people'' at the end of the third film, telling him, "Sorry, Mr. President, I don't dance," after the latter tries to suggest that Cutter and Ritter will skate the investigation around RECIPROCITY.
82	* TwentyFifthAmendment: With the death of President Durling at the end of ''Debt of Honor'' and Jack having been sworn in as Vice President only minutes before, Ryan becomes '''President of the United States'''.
83	* UnexpectedSuccessor: Jack is this, as he's thrown into the President's chair just hours after being named Vice-President by former President Durling. As a result of this, Ed Kealty tries to sue him for unrecognized power in ''Executive Orders'', but this challenge is quashed by the end of the book.
84	* VicePresidentWho: In ''Literature/DebtOfHonor'', President Durling invokes this when he appoints Jack as his new vice president. He knows Ryan has no interest in running for President, and since there will be no major legislation he will have to cast the deciding vote for in the Senate, Ryan will be barely remembered. Of course, this is actually a gift for Jack since, after serving as VP, he can never be recalled to government service. Too bad it didn't work out that way.
85	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Suffers from a fear of flying due to being in a helicopter crash in a field training excercise during his third year at the [[MilitaryAcademy Naval Academy]]. Of course, he ends up having to fly several times through the course of ''Red October'', including a harrowing flight in a helicopter in storm-tossed seas [[spoiler: where he drops himself from the chopper into the sea to get aboard the USS ''Dallas''.]] This fear lessens as the series goes on.
86	* WishFulfillment: In ''Executive Orders'', Jack gets his idealized version of a government fully staffed by Americans who just want to get things done, as the entirety of Congress is killed off and replaced by Jack and his handmade picks, who are all shown to be very capable people who just want to get things back on track.
87	* YouAreInCommandNow: Is functionally promoted to the role of Deputy Director of Intelligence at the beginning of ''Clear and Present Danger'', after Admiral Greer is forced to go into treatment for an aggressive form of cancer and is unable to fulfill his duties.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Cathy Ryan]]
91	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cathyryan1.jpg]]
92	%%[[caption-width-right:300:some caption text]]
93	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cathyryan2.jpg]]
94	%%[[caption-width-right:300:some caption text]]
95	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/GatesMcFadden (''The Hunt for Red October'') \| Creator/AnneArcher (''Patriot Games'', ''Clear and Present Danger'')
96	!!!'''Film Appearances:''' ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' \| ''Film/PatriotGames'' \| ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''
97
98	Jack Ryan's wife, a noted ocular surgeon.
99
100	----
101	* ACupAngst: In the novel of ''The Sum of All Fears'', when Cathy suspects that Jack may be cheating on her, she begins to feel insecure about her physical appearance. While examining herself in the mirror she notes that, while she is slender and pretty, she does have small breasts.
102	* AdaptationDyeJob: Is a blonde in the novels; becomes a brunette in the film trilogy.
103	* TheCameo: Is functionally this in ''Red October'', only appearing fleetingly in the beginning of the film.
104	* DamselInDistress: No less than two times in ''Patriot Games'' -- when she's shot at by Miller on the freeway in Maryland, and during the climax, when she is forced to fend for herself when she's cut off from Jack and the others and has to protect Sally.
105	* DeletedRole: Occurred ''twice'' to the character in the film adaptations -- most of Creator/GatesMcFadden's scenes in ''Red October'' were deleted from the final cut, while a subplot concerning Cathy in ''Clear and Present Danger'' (regarding an experimental eye surgery she is going to perform on a patient, and her reactions towards it) were cut prior to release.
106	* DesignatedGirlFight: Briefly, as she ambushes Annette during the climax of ''Patriot Games'' and knocks her out with [[PistolWhipping the butt of a shotgun]].
107	* ImperiledInPregnancy: Cathy is in the second trimester of her pregnancy when she and Sally are injured in a car accident caused by Miller.
108	* MsFanservice: One of Cathy's scenes in ''Patriot Games'' involves her being romanced by Jack while wearing a slinky red negligee.
109	* OohMeAccentsSlipping: The first lines that Cathy speaks in ''Red October'' lapse into this, as she switches from a British accent in one statement ("That's ''two'' glasses of water...") to the next ("Jack, you're going to miss your plane...").
110	* WomanScorned: In the novel of ''The Sum of All Fears'', after she discovers that the circumstantial evidence of her cheating husband was actually him keeping his promise to take care of Buck Zimmer's family, she publicly humiliates Elliot at a party.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Sally Ryan]]
114	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sallyryan.jpg]]
115	%%[[caption-width-right:300:some caption text]]
116	!!!'''Played By:''' Louise Borras (''The Hunt for Red October'') \| Creator/ThoraBirch (''Patriot Games'', ''Clear and Present Danger'')
117	!!!'''Film Appearances:''' ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' \| ''Film/PatriotGames'' \| ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''
118
119	Jack Ryan's daughter.
120	----
121	* ChildrenAreInnocent: Being a child, she is emperiled at several points in ''Patriot Games'' due to the nature of the ULA attacks. Emphasized in the opening of said film, when she's seen playing with her mother just before Jack tells them to get down.
122	* DaddysGirl: Jack always remembers to get his daughter a present, even when busy saving the world.
123	* DamselInDistress: In ''Patriot Games'', when she's a passenger in the car Cathy is driving when they're shot at by Sean and the ULA members, and during the siege on the Ryan family household at the climax of the film. More overtly, in the film, she ends up slipping and falling on the roof of the house during their escape, necessitating that Jack catch her before she falls off.
124	* HostageMacGuffin: In ''Executive Orders'', when she is targeted for capture by the UIR because they want to demoralize him and enact a BodyguardBetrayal. It doesn't work.
125	* UselessSpleen: Averted. Sally loses her spleen after an attack by the ULA terrorists in ''Patriot Games'', and later Miller, while taunting Ryan, makes a point of mentioning how she'll be disadvantaged.
126	[[/folder]]
127
128	!!!'''U.S. Government'''
129
130	[[folder:Vice Admiral James Greer]]
131	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jamesgreer.jpg]]
132	[[caption-width-right:300:''"Jack, boy! Get yourself in here. Jesus! You look like hell."'']]
133	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/JamesEarlJones
134	!!!'''Film Appearances:''' ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' \| ''Film/PatriotGames'' \| ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''
135
136	A Vice Admiral and the Deputy Director of Intelligence (DDI) at the Central Intelligence Agency, Greer manages Jack and numerous analysts regarding operational intelligence. In ''Red October'', he supports Jack's reasoning behind Admiral Ramius' defection, while in ''Film/PatriotGames'', he convinces Marty to give Jack his old job back at the Company and authorizes several operational missions. By the time of the events in ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger'', Greer is sidelined by a battle with cancer, forcing Jack to take over as the Interim Deputy Director of Intelligence.
137	----
138	* BadassBureaucrat: His word clearly means a lot in Washington, and he's willing to go out to personally oversee the final stages of the Red October operation. He also personally steps in to ensure that Jack gets his old job back in ''Film/PatriotGames'', after Marty initially refuses to rehire him.
139	* BigGood: He is revered in Washington, and leads other analysts in numerous intelligence studies and operational missions. His legacy is of particular importance to Jack, who has to protect it in the film version of ''Clear and Present Danger''
140	* CharacterDeath: In both the book and film adaptation of ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger'', he dies (offscreen) after succumbing to terminal cancer midway through the film.
141	* DeceasedFallGuyGambit: The President intends to do this to ''him'' after his death in ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger'', setting him up to take the blame for Operation RECIPROCITY and how much it screwed up, unless Jack backs off. Notably, it doesn't work, as Jack is able to get the intel needed to clear both his own name and Greer's by the end of the film.
142	* DueToTheDead: He is given a full military funeral in ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger'', which is attended by numerous military personnel, Bob Ritter and ''the President himself''.
143	* IncurableCoughOfDeath: At the beginning of the third film, foreshadowing his eventual battle against pancreatic cancer.
144	* IWasNeverHere: He drops this line to a watch officer aboard the frigate USS Reuben James after deliberately detonating the American torpedo targeting the ''Red October''.
145	* MentorOccupationalHazard: Greer is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and spends the first half of the book wasting away in a hospital before finally dying. This also becomes Back Story for Clark, who mentions that he also owed a great deal to Greer.
146	* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Interestingly, it's Greer who reminds Jack (who is at his lowest point in [[Film/ClearAndPresentDanger the third film]]) of this, noting that he has a responsibility to the oath he swore when joining the CIA to make sure justice comes to those who deserve it, even if it implicates the highest offices of the United States.
147	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: In ''Red October'', he knows something big has to be up if it got Jack Ryan onto an overnight flight from London with no preamble. It's later revealed that Jack has a serious fear of flying due to nearly dying in a helicopter crash once.
148	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While he can be critical, he also acts as a MentorArchetype to Ryan, is one of the first to express his sympathies over what happened to Cathy and Sally after Sean Miller attempts to kill them, brings Jack back into the fold at the CIA because he recognizes the latter's value as an analyst, and gives Jack a pep talk about his oath as a civil servant shortly before passing away.
149	* SpannerInTheWorks: One that stretches across two films. In ''Patriot Games'', he convinces Jack to rejoin the CIA in order to find those responsible for the attempted assassination of Holmes -- and Jack stays, eventually rising to the role of Deputy Director of Intelligence (and taking over Greer's job) by the time the events of ''Clear and Present Danger'' begin. As a result, Jack is in the right place to investigate and end Project RECIPROCITY, seemingly clearing out a wave of corruption from within the White House in the process.
150	* TwentyOneGunSalute: During cuts between his funeral and the ambush of the special forces in the film version of ''Clear and Present Danger''. It comes to a head as the three volleys are fired at the funeral, cut against the distress calls and machine gun fire of the battle.
151	* {{Understatement}}: When Greer reveals to Jack that he has pancreatic cancer, of "an aggressive nature":
152	-->'''Jack:''' What does that mean?\
153	'''Greer:''' It means ''I'm in big trouble''.
154	[[/folder]]
155
156	!!Specific Entries
157
158	[[index]]
159
160	[[AC:1990-1994 film series:]]
161
162	* ''[[Characters/TheHuntForRedOctober The Hunt for Red October (Novel and Film)]]''
163	* ''[[Characters/PatriotGames Patriot Games (Novel and Film)]]''
164
165	[[AC:Other continuities:]]
166
167	* ''[[Characters/JackRyan2018 Jack Ryan (2018 Series)]]''
168	[[/index]]

Context Characters / JackRyan