10 Reasons Why John McClane Is More Badass Than Optimus Prime
Author: Stephen Gerding
July 9th, 2007

#10 - McClane is highly resourceful, like a MacGyver of violence. He uses everything — EVERYTHING — in his environment to his advantage. Optimus Prime: huge robot with giant gun. Zzzz.
#9 - McClane gets the job done on his own. Sure, Sam Jackson was kind of helpful in Die Hard 3, and sometimes others take care of random bs details, but McClane is a one-man army. Optimus Prime has a whole cadre of useless clowns like Jazz and Bumblebee tagging along.
#8 - McClane hates hates hates his enemies with a righteous anger, and proves this by taking them down for good. Prime feels pity for Megatron, which is why Megatron is still running around. Side note for further discussion: Megatron — actually more awesome than Optimus Prime?
#7 - McClane is actually successful at getting shit done, permanently. Prime and the Autobots are lucky enough to win battles, but will never win the war.
#6 - John McClane is secure in his manhood and age. He’s bald and older and he’s fine with that. Optimus Prime felt that he needed to get a flaming paint job in order to be “cool” and “xtreme rad” for today’s kids.
#5 - John McClane doesn’t need need to waste his downtime performing in PSAs teaching kids nonsense about “girls being able to skateboard too.” Here’s the lesson McClane has for America’s youth: get in, blow up the bad guys, if they shoot you, shoot them even more. T. C. O. B.
#4 - McClane fought Starscream. And lived.
#3 - When McClane gets shot, he gets pissed and kills more bad guys. When Prime gets shot, he coughs and hands the Allstar Box over to Judd Nelson.
#2 - Optimus Prime has no sense of humor. Although he might be ticklish. We’re not sure.
#1 - He’s John F*&king McClane
Conceived and written by Steve and Andrew while watching The Smurfs and drinking Old English.
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23 Responses to “10 Reasons Why John McClane Is More Badass Than Optimus Prime”







July 9th, 2007 at 11:45 am
This was an easy comparison. Now, how ’bout John McClane versus Jack Bauer? That would be a true tale of the tape..
July 9th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I hate to be a stickler but I’m pretty sure John McClane only fought Skywarp not Starscream.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
At first I thought it said “John McCain”- which would be the first time ANY presidential candidate was considered cooler than a robot…
July 10th, 2007 at 4:02 am
You say John McClanes better cos he blows every thing up and kills people. Well im pretty sure that if the Transformers killed each other then the 5 to 10 year olds that watch it would be Sh*ting them selves and crying
July 10th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
john mcclane would not even get past bumblebee**
optimus prime hit him so hard he would end up back in 1980 something, on some moonlighting show**
July 11th, 2007 at 2:38 am
John McClane: a REAL man. Optimus Prime: not even a real TRUCK…
July 11th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
The only reason you need for why Optimus Prime is more badass than John McClane.
1. He’s a truck that turns into a robot, and then shoots other trucks and cars that turn into robots. That concept alone should be, nay, is enough to give any man a hard on.
July 12th, 2007 at 2:30 am
“Hard-on”? Are you into Auto-Eroticism?
July 13th, 2007 at 8:54 am
First off, it’s Allspark Cube, not Allstar Box so I question any other points you’ve come up with. Secondly, ‘gets shit done permanently’? I’m a Die Hard fan and I can’t quite remember, Die Hard 3 was about what? Oh yeah! Unresolved business from Die Hard 1! If McClain was such a bad ass that killed everyone and just got more mad when other people messed with him, would be dealing with another Gruber out for revenge? ;) Lastly, Optimus Prime COULD easily destroy John McClain, but he wouldn’t, because he likes humans. Lucky for John!
July 14th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Mc clane would get pissed on literally by bumblebee, to wich bumblebee would only need to light a fire to fry his ass and die hard hippy cai hei motha fucka!
July 15th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
drmedula, im sorry to say this but John McClane, would pull out a little gun and shoot at Prime. Then prime would get mad and Pull out his Sword and slice through John. cos hes human and not from a planet millions of years advance than Johns Mind could imagine
July 21st, 2007 at 7:47 am
what a stupid battle, even if it is just made up. how the hell would a giant robot even compete with one man. all prime would have to do is stomp on his ass. i like mc clain as Britt posted john Mc Calin vs Jack Bauer would be the sh!t.
and Optimus hands over the matrix to Ultra Magnus but stupidly annoying Hot Rod/Judd Nelson jumps in like the FU**NG idot he is to catch it and take Ultra Magnus’ big moment just like he had done before that with Optimus Prime giving Megatron a good ass beating.
July 21st, 2007 at 10:52 am
I’m suprised anyone is taking this even a little bit seriously.(All of MY comments have been jokes).This is kind of like asking if Batman is more bad-ass than Superman…and we all KNOW the answer to that one, don’t we?
July 21st, 2007 at 3:19 pm
To Right Batman. he rules.
July 29th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Heres a better debate.
“who gives a shit.”
July 30th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
#1 reason optimus prime is more badass than john mclaine
mclaine has been in 2 more shitty movies than prime has.
December 4th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
It doesn’t matter who is more badass between the two of them because Johnny Cash would kick the shit out of both of them
December 10th, 2007 at 11:54 am
these words says it all:
yepee-kay-ye mother FUCK#R!!!
*cue violent explosion with many dead badguys
Lets see Optimus make that line work ?!?!
December 15th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Okay this is pretty funny, and Die Hard 4 was awesome…well if you pretend that that was real programming. Transformers was god awful. If we were going off of Transformers the movie “The Animated one from the 80’s” Optimus would smear McClain all over the place and then feed him to Grimlock. Still If any human really had a fighting chance he would be one of them.
I think the real debate should be “who would get more ass” In which case I’d still say Optimus…I imagine the “allspark/matrix” could be most generous in endowment and multipurpose functions, and that low echoing voice is quite nice as well, he doesn’t even need a catch phrase. Although..he’s got some pretty cool ones. “Autobots!!! Transform and rollout!!!” & “Heroes never die. I, Optimus Prime, can never be conquered.” “I am going to end your hunger once and for all.” Is fucking riveting..
I do on the other hand think John McClain could whoop Hotrod with his hands tied. I fucking hate Rodimus Prime…
Also Bumblebee isn’t a wimp…he’s a goram scout…his job is to study and report..not smash and shoot things.
Feh, Auto-Eroticism…I’ve got a hardon for Optimus and I don’t even have a cock.
December 21st, 2007 at 8:41 pm
how the hell is john mcclain more badass than Optimus? call me when John fights a robot transforms into a fucking gun, then gets upgraded into a laser cannon. Transformers happens to be toned down because its for little kids. if they ever made another movie rated r, you’d see violence that can only come from giant robots hitting, blasting, and slicing their way through everything.
December 22nd, 2007 at 3:41 am
Yeah, a “hard R” TRANSFORMERS movie…y’know, for the more SOPHISTCATED giant robot fan.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 pm
hey.. its a joke.. take it easy.. this is hilarious.. Auto-Eroticism haha.. thats a good one.
May 31st, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I am actually having this argument on my bebo at the moment John McClane VS Jack Bauer and in all honestly mostly everyone agrees that John McClane would kick Bauers a**