'''R.J. MacReady''' or "Mac" is the main protagonist in [[John Carpenter]]'s [[1982]] [[Horror film|horror]] film ''[[The Thing (film)|The Thing]]''. He is played by [[Kurt Russell]]. {{spoiler}} R.J. MacReady is a [[helicopter]] pilot stationed by the US [[government]] at a research base (Outpost #31) in the depths of the Antartican snowfield. Among his team is a doctor, a couple of computer experts and a bunch of basic researchers. A Captain "Garry" seems to be in charge, but it appears as though the group respect Mac as their leader instead. When the events in ''[[The Thing (film)|The Thing]]'' take place, Mac is the first to take charge. He keeps the group relatively calm and is elected the leader after Garry admits he is not up to the task. He tries to keep his team together, but the [[virus]] begins to spread and after one person is [[infected]], it is hard to stop it from getting somebody else. Eventually, the team suspect MacReady of being "The Thing", and they try to toss him out into the cold Antarctic night. Mac refuses and demands he is to be trusted, holding a stick of [[dynamite]] to threaten them. A rivalry with team member Childs develops through this and it is apparent that they dislike each other (but share a mutual respect). Dr. Copper reveals a means of "testing" to work out who may or may not be infected. Mac, telling everyone he is not infected, ties them all up and admits the test. When it turns out he is not infected, the group falls back behind him and follows his orders once more. With only a few team members left, R.J MacReady launches a full-scale attack on "The Thing." He orders that they destroy the base with [[explosives]], and head into the basement to take care of the [[monster]] once and for all. Doing so, his remaining team members are killed, but Mac destroys the creature in its physical form. Escaping from the exploding base, Mac takes a seat outside in an old shack and is joined by Childs, who has apparently survived. Together they share a bottle of [[whiskey]]. Mac is suggested to have continued his battle against "The Thing" after the credits roll. The official [[video game]] (which serves as a [[sequel]]) sees him rescuing the player at the end, proving that he did indeed survive. Others write off the game as an official sequel and believe Childs was infected, thus infecting Mac with the virus through their sharing of the whiskey bottle. [[Category:Fictional aviators]] {{film-char-stub}}