Related
ADie Hardprequel serial unveil the truth behindJohn McClane ’s iconic “ Yippee - ki - yay ” moment . John McTiernan ’s 1988 movie about a lone cop caught up in a terrorist takeover of Nakatomi Plaza on Christmas Eve is considered one of the slap-up action pic ever made , full of many quote - worthy moments . One such moment is during John ’s first fundamental interaction with the villainous Hans Gruber , who incriminate his mysterious intruder of reckon he ’s a cowpoke like John Wayne . Although John allow in he ’s more of a Roy Rogers sports fan , theDie Hard : Year Onecomic miniseries suggest Gruber ’s assessment is both correct and wrong .
In the movie , John visits Los Angeles hop to patch up withhis estranged married woman Hollyat her troupe ’s corporate Christmas company and is forced to improvise bring through her and as many of her co - workers when Gruber and his confederate take over the building . In the godsend ! Studios comicDie intemperately : Year Oneby Howard Chaykin and Stephen Thompson , reader see John McClane during his first class with the NYPD , cater security for a secret event onboard a yacht during the 1976 4thof July . That upshot is hijacked by terrorist who jeopardize to blow up the ship unless their demand are met , taking the node and the event ’s wealthy benefactor hostage .
InDie Hard : Year One # 4 , John hides below deck with Rosie , a womanhood who see an execution by corrupt pig who are also postulate with the hijacking . Having disabled one of the terrorist himself , John adopt his receiving set and reassures Rosie with a line that even John admits sound likesomething from a John Wayne movie : " I ’m a duly sworn officer of the NYPD … and I ’ve got a line of work to do . " While the parallel to his future at Nakatomi Plaza are most in all probability emblematic , John makes a silly misunderstanding when feedback from his radio gives away his positioning , something that he ’s certain Matt Dillon or John Wayne would n’t have done .

While this glimpse into John McClane ’s past tense proves that indeed trouble seems to accompany him no matter where or when , this revelation try out Hans Gruber labeling John as a puncher was once accurate . outnumber and outgunned , McClane seeks to cease the terrorists and salvage the rider , drop one - liner like Dillon or Wayne wouldin similar situations . This level is cement even further when John takes down two more terrorists with his gun before their loss leader call him via the receiving set as “ Cowboy . ” While it ’s not surprising the terrorist portrayed by the previous Alan Rickman ’s insult is astonishingly insightful , the comment in this context is more comical than injurious as time and experience facilitate McClane outgrow such idea . alternatively of barging in guns blazing in an ominous - fated attempt to economise the day at Nakatomi Plaza , McClane seeks to carefully tax the site , taking down the terrorists while also keeping the loss of life to a lower limit .
In the goal , both terrorist groups make the same mistakein underestimating John McClane . Despite their act and firepower , they are no equal for John ’s dedication and ability to improvise under the worst conditions . While the event ofDie Hard : Year Onemight explain how John is ready to handle the event that stretch inDie heavily , they also confirm thatJohn McClanewas a only cowboy long before he ever frustrate way with Hans Gruber .
NEXT : The Only Way To Save Die Hard Is To Kill John McClane



