John McBain is a fictional character on the American daytime dramas One Life to Live and General Hospital, portrayed by Michael Easton.
Casting Following the cancellation of GH spinoff, Port Charles, actor Michael Easton originated the role of FBI agent John McBain on OLTL on October 1, 2003. In 2006, there were reports that contract negotiations were not going well, and Easton would be leaving the show. Fans speculated he might join GH, where his former co-star, Kelly Monaco (Livvie Locke), had gone after the Port Charles cancellation. Other rumors included him returning to Days of Our Lives where he played Tanner. However, Easton reached an agreement, and was able to stay with OLTL until its cancellation in January 2012. When the cancellation of OLTL was first announced, Easton initially signed with Prospect Park to have his character move to the online version of OLTL. But when Prospect Park's plans fell through, Easton signed a contract with GH, making his debut on March 13, 2012. When several former Port Charles characters & actors were brought to GH, writers revisited the vampire storyline, and Easton started to play a dual role of John and an adaptation of his PC character Caleb Morley on GH in February 2013. Due to Prospect Park's renewed plans to revive OLTL in January 2013, Easton's contract came into question, making his future as McBain on GH unsure. Easton was forced to leave GH in February 2013 due to contract disputes, with his last show airing March 20, 2013.Report: Alderson, Easton, Howarth to return to GH as new characters Easton returned to GH in May 2013 as a new character, Dr. Silas Clay.
Storylines
Agent McBain arrives in fictional Llanview, Pennsylvania on October 1, 2003, looking to recruit Natalie Buchanan (Melissa Archer) for a pool tournament in Las Vegas, as part of an undercover operation. Natalie Buchanan accepts John McBain's offer to train her in the amateur circuit, unaware of the FBI plan to use her to take down Walker Laurence (Trevor St. John). After Natalie marries Cristian Vega (David Fumero), the couple head to Las Vegas, where Cristian is apparently killed by Walker Laurence. Natalie, completely broken after the death of her husband, blames John for knowingly putting her in the dangerous position where her husband was 'killed'. John and Natalie's interactions continue, and through John's gently offering Natalie support, John and Natalie grow closer despite Natalie remaining conflicted about the role he played in Cristian's apparent death. Natalie learns to forgive John, after realizing John had suffered a similar loss when his fiancée Caitlyn was killed 5 years prior.
The Music Box Killer storyline begins, and John remains in Llanview as the lead FBI agent to solve the series of murders. The Music Box Killer is revealed to be Stephen Haver (Matthew Ashford) who is also responsible for Caitlyn's death. After discovering John's attachment to Natalie, Haver kidnaps Natalie and straps her to a bomb in John's bed, intending for her to die the way Caitlyn had died. John, with the help of Bo Buchanan (Robert S. Woods) and Rae Cummings, captures Haver and John dismantles the bomb, saving Natalie. After Haver's arrest, Asa Buchanan sneaks a gun into the Llanview Police Department "LPD", and tries to convince John to kill Haver, John refuses. The FBI is dissatisfied with John's job performance on the MBK case, in response John quits. Bo offers John the lead detective position at the LPD, but he's unsure if he should take it. Natalie tells John he should take the position, when he asks her why, she reminds him his mother moved to town. John and Natalie kiss, discuss their feelings for one another. John admits there was something between them, before Cristian died. However, both decide they are not ready to move on; the situation with Haver brought up a lot of feelings John had about Caitlyn's death. Natalie tries to get a group of John's family and friends to convince him to stay, John accepts the lead detective position. Haver, although in police custody, arranges for John to be poisoned. Natalie saves John's life when she finds John unconscious in the alley behind Rodi's and gets him help. She later helps to nurse him back to health when he returns to his hotel room. While in his hotel room, Natalie discovers mementos from John's relationship with Caitlyn when John asks her to get a shirt from the drawer where the mementos are kept. She mentions nothing. Haver arranges his own death, and frames John for the murder. Natalie maintains John's innocence, hires him an attorney Evangeline Williamson (Renée Elise Goldsberry) but charges against John are dropped after Antonio Vega (Kamar de los Reyes) finds evidence. John and Natalie, begin to heal from the loss of their loved ones.
Caitlyn's sister and FBI agent, Katherine Fitzgerald, arrives in town looking for Paul Cramer (David Tom), a man Natalie begins a friendship with and John is leery of. Katherine wants to recover money stolen from the Santi organization she believes Paul has. Paul no longer has the money, and is pressured by John to testify against the Santis. Later, it is discovered by John and his brother Michael that Paul is being paid under the table by the chief of staff, Dr. Long to transport black market organs. John tries to discourage Natalie's involvement with Paul but despite John's numerous warnings, Natalie's friendship with Paul develops into a light hearted flirtation. John begins to struggle with his feelings for Natalie again, and letting go of his past with Caitlyn. John begins to allow himself to get closer to Natalie.abc.com at the Internet Archive On May 11, 2004, Natalie takes off with Paul to Atlantic City. An upset John follows. When John finds Natalie, he's unable to verbalize why he has followed her and she becomes upset and tells him, Paul is offering her fun, what can he offer her. In response, John kisses Natalie. When Paul interrupts, John tells Natalie he's heading back to Llanview and asks if she'll join him. Natalie accepts John's offer and apologizes to Paul for leaving. John and Natalie end up in bed together, but Natalie stops them from having sex because she feels John has not moved on from Caitlyn and doesn't want to be a stand in for a ghost.abc.com at the Internet Archive John remarks maybe she's the one with the ghost, referring Cristian. Natalie, in a gesture to prove she is moving on from Christian, removes her wedding ring. Natalie tells John, she saw his drawer filled with memories of Caitlyn, and he is still holding onto her. Natalie leaves, and despite John's request she wait on him, she later heads back to Atlantic City to see Paul. John, wanting a relationship with Natalie, finally lets go of Caitlyn. The timing is again off, as Natalie becomes stressed with her mother's heart transplant, and being accused of murdering Paul Cramer. John supports Natalie through these crises, but the two do not become a couple. After, her mother's recovery and Paul is discovered to be alive, Natalie wanting a change leaves town with Paul in search of the Santi fortune.
After a few encounters with Evangeline, John and Evangeline have sex while trapped in a basement.One Life to Live recap (6/29/04) - abc.com at the Internet Archive Evangeline breaks up with then-boyfriend R. J. Gannon (Timothy Stickney), and John and Evangeline decide to continue seeing each other. Evangeline decides to surprise John for a visit at his Angel Square apartment, only to find him playing cards on his bed with Natalie who he invited to watch a movie. An upset Evangeline runs out, but John follows, assuring her he and Natalie are just friends, and asking Evangeline not to give up on them. When Evangeline later admits she needs more from him, John agrees to "attach strings," and they begin officially dating. In November 2004, Paul Cramer is dead, and Natalie is John's lead suspect and Evangeline is her attorney. Natalie doesn't trust John, despite his pleas to help her and he is forced to arrest her. To get Natalie released, he digs up a judges' grave without a warrant and finds evidence linking someone else to the crime. John breaking the law to help Natalie causes conflict in his relationship with Evangelina. Natalie, realizing the lengths John has gone to help her, tells him what happened the night Cramer died and that she didn't kill him. John crosses Natalie off the suspect lists, and their friendship is strengthened.
November 2004, David Fumero starts a short-term contract to reprise his role of Cristian Vega, and an amnesiac Cristian turns up alive. Natalie believes despite changes in her husband's behavior and his memory problems, he feels like her husband. John is not convinced, and believes Cris is a dangerous threat to Natalie, so he pressures her to consider leaving him. To silence John's concerns, Natalie gives John Amnesiac Cristian's DNA to prove he is her husband. John and Natalie are both unaware Cristian has been programmed in captivity to kill his brother, Antonio Vega (Kamar de los Reyes) and his maternal cousin Tico Santi (Javier Morga). Cristian successfully kills Tico and is convicted for his murderOne Life to Live recap (1/12/05) - abc.com at the Internet Archive As memories of his former life begin to return, Cristian accepts the consequences of his actions and goes to jail. To help Natalie and his family move on, he pretends he is, in fact, an impostor. John gets the DNA results proving the John Doe is in fact Cristian, 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. When Evangeline tells him she loves him, John isn't able to say the same. Soon after, John and Evangeline break things off.
Eventually, John moves on to date Natalie, though he still fells guilt knowing Cristian's identity and not telling 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 he is indeed Cristian. In November 2005, a prison riot led by Carlo Hesser (Thom Christopher) breaks out and John and Cristian are caught in the crossfire as Natalie discovers Cristian is indeed Cristian. Although John and Cristian make it out alive, Natalie is angry at both of them for lying to her, and no longer wants anything to do with either of them.
Natalie soon realizes she has fallen for John, and officially divorces 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 leads to David Vickers (Tuc Watkins), Dr. Paige Miller, and ultimately, Dr. Spencer Truman (Paul Satterfield). 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 mourns his death and prays Llanview Assistant District Attorney Hugh Hughes (Josh Casaubon) will survive after an accident. On the episode first-run November 10, 2006, it is revealed Hugh, badly burned and bandaged in a burn unit, is in fact John McBain.One Life to Live recap (11/10/06) - soaps.com He ultimately recovers, aided by some tender loving care by Natalie. During his recovery, he tells Natalie he loves her. John's relationship with Natalie, a fledgling forensics expert, ends in 2007. Believing she is protecting John, she tampers with evidence at the crime scene of Spencer's murder. With John unable to get past the difficulties of his recovery and Natalie's overprotectiveness, she breaks up with him in April 2007.