John was an enemy of the vampire Spike.
Biography
John was a mysterious serial killer and weapons expert who held a grudge against Spike, whom John claimed had taken his soul. Originally, it was implied that this had caused John to kill his family. Later it was shown that John was a killer to begin with; taking his soul merely robbed him of his lust for the kill, or his ability to enjoy it. Alongside Drusilla, John was taken to Las Vegas by Wolfram & Hart as part of the firm's plan to deal with the vampire. While W&H's representative, the demon Tor, hoped to do business with Spike without violence, John attempted to kill Spike when the latter rejected Tor's offers.
Having captured Spike's teammate Beck, John attempted to remove Spike's soul using a ritual, but although the plan succeeded, Spike remained good - realising his own redemption had begun before he even regained his soul, as regaining it had been his own choice. Spike then has Willow direct his soul into Drusilla, thereby offering her a chance at redemption.
Appearances
- Spike