Jack Bristow
Jonathan Donahue Bristow, PhD (a.k.a. Jack; Ivan Bychkov; Juan el Toro; Sheikh Yahya bin Kaizaad)
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Jack is in excellent physical condition. As an older man, he spends considerable effort maintaining muscle mass and fighting skills.
In fights, Jack uses his size, football experience, and pure physicality to overwhelm opponents. He boxes and works out at Petrie's Gym, working to keep up with younger opponents. As a southpaw who can switch to orthodox stance, he is difficult to counter in a fight. His left cross and left hook are powerful one-shot-knockout punches.
Body Features
Tall and broad-shouldered, Jack is a big man. He has shown excellent athelticism throughout his life, and played football as a center linebacker at OSU. He was scouted for professional football, but opted for a mathematics PhD (and CIA career).
Facial Features
Jack is fanatical about smoothing out emotional 'tells' from his facial expression. He's developed this skill over decades as a CIA operative and particularly as a double-agent. The result is a cold and intimidating presence that he uses to his advantage.
He's a handsome man, with strong, regularl features. He does have big ears, though.
Physical quirks
His glare is legendary.
Jack is cat-like in his appearance, and will seldom appear ruffled or wrinkled. He dislikes being unkempt and will make it a priority to be neat in appearance.
Special abilities
Jack has a knack for anticipating amubshes; based on his exceptional analytical ability and observation skills.
He is also very good at throwing off stuns and powering through physically painful situations.
Apparel & Accessories
After spending ten years as an executive in a lucrative criminal enterprise, Jack has developed a taste for high-end and bespoke clothing. Where else was he going to spend his money?
Tasteful, and neither extravagent or flamboyant, Jack wears expensive but dutifully conservative suits and accessories.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Born in 1950 in Cleveland, Ohio, to a second generation Irish woman and a decorated combat veteran Marine. His father saw action in the Pacific in WW2 and never recovered. He suffered from PTSD and alcoholism. When Jack was 6, his father abandoned his family.
As a young man, Jack was mentored by his godfather. He felt protective over his single-and-struggling mother, and sought to be the 'man of the house.' He was a serious boy, and observers commented on his 'old soul.' Respectful and dutiful, he joined Boy Scouts and the church choir. He was also a talented musician and athlete. In high school he was a standout linebacker, and earned a free ride to Ohio State to play football.
In spite of his 'jock' status, he was at heart an academic. He majored in mathematics and excelled. When the time came to decide what to do after graduation, he opted to be recrutied as a CIA analyst and the Agency supported him during his post-graduate work. This is when he first met both Arvin Sloane and Irina Derevko.
He met and fell in love with Laura, and they married after he completed his PhD. They moved to Arlington, VA for him to pursue a career at the CIA. At this time, he was only an analyst, but Arvin thought is combination of atheltic ability and brainpower would make him a great field agent. After discussing the career move with his wife, he agreed to change positions.
Education
Attended Ohio State University (OSU) on a football scholarship. Post-graduate work at OSU in the field of abstract mathematics and game theory. PhD
Employment
Recruited as a CIA analyst in 1970 by Arvin Sloane. The Agency funded his post-doctoral work and he was hired as an analyst in 1972.
Sloane saw potential in him as a field agent, and he began training for that position. Worked as a CIA field agent and was eventually project manager for Project Christmas.
After Laura Bristow was discovered to have been Irina Derevko, a KGB deep cover agent, Jack was suspected of collaborating with her. Spent a year in solitary in a black site, and was eventually cleared.
Was singularly focused on rehabilitating his career during the 80s and took highly dangerous and often reckless assignments. Developed a ruthless reputation. When Sloane was fired from the CIA, he followed Sloane to The Alliance of Twelve and became a double-agent for the CIA.
Covers at SD-6: Worked as an airplane exporter at Jennings Aerospace (with agent Rusick)
Transferred to Credit Dauphine to become "Portfolio Manager" at the bank and work at the main SD-6 office with Sloane and Sydney.
Failures & Embarrassments
Marrying a covert KGB agent was not good for his career or his emotional stability. He has spent every waking minute since 1981 in recovering from that mistake. His coping strategies are not particulalry healthy, however.
Mental Trauma
Absent, alcoholic father. Raised by a single mother in the 50's. Betrayal trauma from his marriage to Laura Bristow.
Jack has also acquired PTSD from other difficulties that have come out of his intense and violent work as a covert operative.
Intellectual Characteristics
Jack is the King of Analysis. He is capable of reviewing a situation and quickly and accurately determining the motives of the other parties. This is an offshoot of his work in Game Theory.
Morality & Philosophy
Jack's decision-making is ruled primarily by logic. He can analyze a situation so dispassionately that it can be off-putting to many observers. But this is his way of interpreting the world, and does not mean that he himself is amoral or dispassionate.
He and Sydney Bristow share an inherent drive to fix what is right with the world, and to do the right thing. They are sheepdogs at heart.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Jack is motivated by his natural protective tendencies. He has a self-described 'unsentimental patriotism.'
But above all else, he is motivated by Sydney's well-being. He will do whatever it takes to ensure her safety. Even do things she's not particuarly happy about.
This sense of loyalty and dedication extends to his family and friends. In spite of ruthlessness and the apearance of callousness, he is motivated by a charmingly old-fashioned sense of chivalry.
Unless he doesn't like you for some reason. Then he'll burn down the world to make sure you burn, too.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Jack is brilliant. As a young man, he was likeable and had a generous nature. But over the years of being an agent, he's also become completely inept at interpersonal relationships.
Personality Quirks
Hygiene
Impeccable. He hates being dishevelled.
Representation & Legacy
Jack is well known and respected in CIA circles, as well as the intelligence agencies of allied countries. Younger agents fear and revere him; older agents pretty much do the same.
There are still a few people out there who, knowing his history with Irina Derevko, will mock him for lovestruck blindness. These people usually require dental work after they finish their meetings with Jack.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Jack has contacts all over the world. In official positions, criminal organizations, or helpful friends in the general public. When he's not being intimidating, he's pretty likeable, believe it or not.
Family Ties
Sydney Bristow is his only (known) living relative. Irina Derevko is technically an estranged wife as they never officially divorced and Jack never sought an annulment for their marriage.
Religious Views
Jack is a lapsed Catholic. He attended church regularly as a boy, and was even in the choir. But as he grew up, it fell by the wayside. And once in the CIA, doing terrible deeds, he wasn't keen on seeking confession.
Social Aptitude
In dealings with most people, Jack will adopt the persona that he feels will get him closer to his objective. He can be charming or terrifying in turns. It's all quite clinical, really.
However when he is unguarded, he is hampered by the personality changes that came out of Laura's betrayal. He crafted himself into the 'perfect agent' but didn't leave any room for his original personality. As a result, genuine connection is somewhat rare - even with Sydney.
Mannerisms
After years as a double-agent, Jack schooled himself to be in charge of all of his unintentional tells. When he wants to be, he can be a creepy blank slate (or an unmoving statue.)
Hobbies & Pets
Feeds a feral tomcat on the fire escape of his apartment.
Jack is an excellent musician (piano) and if someone could persuade him, he could even sing. But he's not likely to be persuaded. He hasn't touched his piano since "Laura" died.
He reads a lot. He will go to used bookstores and pick up books on obscure, technical topics and digest them. The only manner in which he gives in to clutter is the occasional stack of books in his living space.
Speech
Clinical. Precise. Humor dry as the Sahara Desert.
When he's not in 'agent' or 'professor' mode, he will slip a little into a more blue-collar midwest vernacular.
Relationships
Wealth & Financial state
Jack was paid extremely well at SD-6. There would be little point in joining a criminal organization unless money was involved, so Jack took his paychecks and used them wisesly. He generally lives frugally, but he spends a lot of money on clothing and accessories to play the part of a criminal executive.
More importantly, he used his SD-6 money to create caches of equipment and necessities (cash, IDs, firearms, etc.) in strategic locations worldwide. He regularly keeps millions of dollars in cash in these locations.
Otherwise, he lives in a modest apartment in Downtown Los Angeles.
Honorary & Occupational Titles
- PhD in Mathematics, specializing in Game Theory.
- Field Agent with the CIA
- Founding member and Chief Operations Officer at SD-6.
- Director of the Joint Task Force
- "Dad"
Age
53
Birthplace
Cleveland, Ohio
Spouses
Irina Derevko
(Spouse)
Siblings
Children
Sex
Male
Eyes
Dark Brown
Hair
Iron Grey
Height
6'2"
Weight
200
Quotes & Catchphrases
"If you tell anyone about this conversation, you will no longer be able to wear a hat."
"Legally he's right. Ethically, he's an ass."
"Your mother was sent to the United States to steal secrets from a ranking officer of the CIA. How she and I happened to meet, how she supposedly fell in love, I thought it was all true. But it was just a set up."
"Personally, I would have found it anticlimactic, that after expecting to assemble a weapon of ultimate power, you ended up with a revelation you could have acquired from a fortune cookie."
"I've had twenty years to reflect on that woman's ability to deceive. Trust me. If she lies to me again, I'll know it."
"Laura, the only memory I have of my father is him leaving. I don't want it to be the same for her. Sydney deserves better."
Belief/Deity
Catholic, lapsed
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
Comments