# Pick a fictional character to get you through the post-apocalyptic world. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316 "2010-09-19T20:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/61 "2010-09-20T17:26:02Z")
I would want [Margot Tenenbaum](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1039&bih=527&q=margot+tenenbaum&gbv=2&aq=0&aqi=g4g-m1&aql=&oq=Margot+Ten&gs_rfai=) as a traveling companion through the wastelands. There would be nothing like traveling with a gloomy New York socialite playwright who, though resentful, would have no other option other than to follow my lead. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/62 "2010-09-20T17:50:08Z")
Doc Savage ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/63 "2010-09-20T17:50:29Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Apropos of nothing, is Lindsey Lohan still gay? (Do I have the right girl? The one who French-kissed her brother and dated a model.) Angelina Jolie is the one who French-kissed her brother and dated a model. Lindsey Lohan did have a fairly long term relationship with a woman, but they’ve broken up. I believe she self-identifies as bisexual - she made a faux personals ad awhile ago that implied she would consider dating men or women. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/64 "2010-09-20T17:55:13Z")
> [@DJ\_Motorbike](#): > > I would want [Margot Tenenbaum](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1039&bih=527&q=margot+tenenbaum&gbv=2&aq=0&aqi=g4g-m1&aql=&oq=Margot+Ten&gs_rfai=) as a traveling companion through the wastelands. There would be nothing like traveling with a gloomy New York socialite playwright who, though resentful, would have no other option other than to follow my lead. On the one hand that’s Gwyneth Paltrow, whom I love as deeply as my black little heart will allow. On the other hand, that’s not a really good use of your rations. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/65 "2010-09-20T18:16:57Z")
MacGyver would be perfect, but I’d also suggest Stu Redman from Stephen King’s _The Stand_. Whatever situation comes Stu’s way, he deals with; using whatever resources are available. With plenty of common sense, and fully aware of his limitations, Stu would survive somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/66 "2010-09-20T18:32:42Z")
MacGyver, natch. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/67 "2010-09-20T21:02:14Z")
> [@](#): > > On the one hand that’s Gwyneth Paltrow, whom I love as deeply as my black little heart will allow. > > On the other hand, that’s not a really good use of your rations. Eh, she doesn’t eat much. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/68 "2010-09-20T21:06:29Z")
Roland from **The Dark Tower**. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/69 "2010-09-20T21:14:30Z")
What about Scooby Doo? There’s going to be a lot of angry ghosts. . . ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/70 "2010-09-20T21:16:34Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > What about Scooby Doo? There’s going to be a lot of angry ghosts. . . Freddie can build stuff. Velma’s analytical intelligence will be useful, plus she’s cute and will keep a man warm on a cold nuclear winter night. Daphne and Shaggy can be used as bait in a trap for the roving bands of cannibals. And Scooby, of course, can be killed and eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/71 "2010-09-20T22:16:33Z")
Since Harry Dresden is out. . . Zap Rowsdower. Oh, OK, Michael Weston. I figure he’ll have all kinds of interesting voiceovers. . . “When traveling through a post-apocalyptic wasteland, it’s important to not get dehydrated. If you hang a plastic tarp at night and leave a corner hanging down, the dew will drip down into your canteen, and the water collected from the air will be free of parasites.” and he could probably improvise/repair weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/72 "2010-09-20T22:48:20Z")
> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#): > > Doc Savage Strong candidate. But, I’d go with a left-field choice. Lex Luthor. He’d have a functional society going inside of 2 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/73 "2010-09-20T22:49:04Z")
Apropos of the reponse (2) above me… Is Bear Grylls fictional enough to count? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/74 "2010-09-20T22:55:47Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Roland from **The Dark Tower**. Absolutely not. Being part of Roland’s ka-tet is a death sentence. Not only do you have a really good chance (i.e. nearly 100%) to die, you have the chance to die _multiple times_! I’m also taking back my vote for Sarah Connor. That crazy bitch isn’t going to drag my pasty white ass around, despite sharing the same last name. Everyone but her direct offspring is cannon fodder as far as she’s concerned. I’m throwing my lot in with: **Tarzan:** Man is that a good choice. Strip him of any of the comic book superpowers like eternal youth and talking to animals, and he’s still a solid guy to hang out with. I’m assuming he can adapt to just about any environment and thrive. Any hostile dangerous environment would be adapted to to make it seem like a perfectly normal, comfortable place with all the comforts of home. **MacGuyver:** Totally sweet. He’d find a good location close to lots of abandoned tech, eradicate the local Reavers with some subsonic noise annoyance (but non-violent) machine, and slowly transform the area into a technological paradise. \*\*Wall\*E: \*\*He didn’t survive an apocalypse - he was just left behind on a planet-sized dump. The cute little guy just keeps going and going, and would go so unbelievably out of his way to make a human comfortable it makes my two dogs look like blood thirsty velociraptors who’d eat the fleshy bits off my face the moment I fell asleep. He may not have the speed of MacGuyver, but he beats the shit out of his endurance and desire to work for me. Downside: knowledge of chemistry and explosions. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/75 "2010-09-21T00:58:13Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > [S. D. “Snake” Plisskin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Plissken), baby! I heard he was dead. ---
**Author:** ![GythaOgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GythaOgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GythaOgg)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/76 "2010-09-21T01:59:46Z")
I want The Professor from ‘Gilligan’s Island’. Easy on the eyes and can build almost anything from coconuts and palm trees…head to a tropical climate and we’re set to rebuild! ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/77 "2010-09-21T02:56:14Z")
I suppose there are three kinds of answers: 1. Someone to help you fight off those who seek to prey upon you. I suspect that he may count as super-powered, but I’d go with Brock Samson – frighteningly competent, can fight off hordes of well-armed opponents bare-handed, and (if brusque) not really a bad guy. If that’s unacceptable, then maybe … movie Rambo, or perhaps John McClane. 2. Someone to help you survive/rebuild. MacGyver and the Professor are both good choices. 3. Someone with whom to – um – _begin anew_, if you catch my drift. I’m not much into kids, but if the responsibility falls to me, then I suppose a circa-1990 Helen Hunt would be acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/78 "2010-09-21T03:12:02Z")
I haven’t read the novel, but I might take the father from Disney movie Swiss Family Robinson. Lot’s of knowledge of nature and handy in building improvised shelters and traps. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/79 "2010-09-21T03:15:17Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#): > > I suppose there are three kinds of answers: > > 1. Someone to help you fight off those who seek to prey upon you. I suspect that he may count as super-powered, but I’d go with Brock Samson – frighteningly competent, can fight off hordes of well-armed opponents bare-handed, and (if brusque) not really a bad guy. If that’s unacceptable, then maybe … movie Rambo, or perhaps John McClane. > > 2. Someone to help you survive/rebuild. MacGyver and the Professor are both good choices. > > 3. Someone with whom to – um – _begin anew_, if you catch my drift. I’m not much into kids, but if the responsibility falls to me, then I suppose a circa-1990 Helen Hunt would be acceptable. Oohh, Oohh! I pick Fairuza Balk! Of course, Michael Weston is now out as part of my traveling group, as I’d literally have to be the Last Man on Earth. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316/80 "2010-09-21T03:18:56Z")
I think Strider would be a good pick. If I was hoping to rebuild society to though, I would want to be with a typical Heinlein type hero. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-a-fictional-character-to-get-you-through-the-post-apocalyptic-world/554316.md?page=5)