James Bond, Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne: Which Action Hero Would You Want to Protect You?

You're trapped in strange, unfamiliar surroundings with a bad guy on your tail, no money and no apparent way to get out. Who do you call? No, not Ghost Busters. If given the choice to hail the services of James Bond, Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne, which fictional spy would you want coming to your aid?

While you may dream nightly of swooning into Daniel Craig's (or any of the other many hunk's) arms, forget the actors who portray the characters. This is all about looking at the abilities that each fictional character brings. What is it about each that leads you to believe he is best suited to get you out of a sticky situation?

Where They Came From

While there seems to be some dispute over whether James Bond is based on Fleming himself - both Fleming and Bond attended the same schools, liked the same foods, had similar naval careers and were of similar height, hairstyle, and eye color - or a double-agent that Fleming purportedly knew during World War II, the Bond character is clearly a womanizer who loves to drink and play poker.

Ethan Hunt, on the other hand, is a new character developed specifically for the Mission Impossible film series which is based on the original 1960s television series of the same name. This character is limited to his big-screen persona and whatever information you can glean from the dialog. Aside from an apparent mention in the first film that his parents own a farm in Wisconsin, not much else seems to be known about his background.

Much like the other J.B., Jason Bourne's character was also "bourne" from literature. Writer Robert Ludlum created this top-secret killer who was trained by the American government. The same government that now wants him dead. Unfortunately, Bourne has a bad case of amnesia caused by a few gunshot wounds and a dip in the Mediterranean Sea. In fact, it isn't until The Bourne Ultimatum that he finds out the origin of his talents and that his real name is David Webb.

What They Each Offer

First and foremost, let me start by saying that I have enjoyed all three characters in their various incarnations and most of the actors who have portrayed them. However, when it comes to selecting the spy who can best help you slip out of a difficult situation, it's important to look at what each brings to the table.

Bond is a perfectly coiffed, superbly dressed, smooth and debonair lone wolf who seems more interested in bagging the babes, almost as if spy work is just something that gets in the way of his getting laid. He always arrives in a cool car and until recent installments of the Bond franchise, he mostly relied on technology and gadgets to get him out of trouble. His primary adversaries are foreign sickos who want to dominate the world, which makes me wonder why he would ever care about saving little old me.

While Hunt, like Bond, is part of a large organization of undercover professionals, Hunt rarely operates alone choosing instead to call upon his trustworthy compatriots - such as Luther Stickel - to pull off each caper. Unfortunately, none of his team seems to enjoy the spotlight, so they're not much use on their own and while Hunt is clearly capable, it's questionable whether he can function completely without their assistance. He's not a womanizer - in fact, last we saw him he got married -- so he doesn't have the same babe problem as Bond. Although now that he's married and probably left the IMF, it's difficult to say if we could count on him.

Ultimately, my choice in a tough situation would be Bourne. What's good about Bourne is that while Hunt needs his support team there to help him out, Bourne is completely able to operate independently. And unlike Bond who has traditionally relied on tech toys, Bourne has the ability to turn almost any everyday object - magazines, pens, cell phones -- into handy tools or weapons. Clearly adaptable when faced with difficult circumstances, he can get around in any vehicle that is available, be it motor scooter, taxi or train. Since his girlfriend Marie died he hasn't been involved with other women, so he's not likely to be preoccupied or unavailable to offer assistance. Plus his relationship with women is clearly more mature than Bond's ever was. Hands down, he's my hero.

So there you have it, each super agent with his defining qualities and fatal flaws. Not that I ever expect to be in a situation that would require this kind of brute assistance, but it's nice to know that there are guys out there like Bond, Hunt and Bourne. And, hey, the truth is that if I ever do find myself in a precarious situation, surrounded by a bunch of baddies, and Bourne isn't available, I'm really not all that picky about who saves me.