John Truck

John Truck is a character in the Sniper Truck film series. Although the character was based on Brendan M. Leonard's play and subsequent book, the characters of "Jack Truck," as he is known in the novels, and "John Truck," as he is known in the films, have differed significantly over the years.

John Truck is played by Wesley Snipes in the three films, Arsenio Hall in "Team Trucks," and Philip Akin in "Sniper Truck 2000."

Character History
John Truck was born February 8th, 1960 in Akron, Ohio. At age 16, he joined the military, where he became an expert marksman and especially skilled at using a sniper rifle. In December 1978, John got into an altercation with his superior officers that left one man permanently injured. John fled the base and never returned, going into business for himself as a professional mercenary. After struggling to keep himself out of trouble dealing with shady clients, John formed a relationship with David Mann, who streamlines the job offers sent to John for a 10% fee. Despite his bad experiences with many members of the criminal underworld, John gains a reputation for taking on jobs that few others would, either based on the targets in question or the difficulty of the work.

In 1985, John is offered a mission that appears to be a trap. In surveying the hit, it becomes clear that John will either be captured, killed by his target, or killed by his employers once the job is completed. Through David, he rejects the offer. The client, mobster Barney Fate, responds by unleashing the deadly weapon Sniper Truck to kill John. John's first encounter with Sniper Truck occurs when the vehicle attacks the apartment complex where David lives, destroying half the building and injuring David. The two retreat to a safe house, where David connects John to James Armor, a bodyguard and computer hacker whose technical knowledge proves critical in bringing down Sniper Truck.

Differences between book and film characters
One of the few things both the novel and film character share is their fondness for ice cold orange Sunkist soda in a can. Truck prefers this brand as it is caffeinated, unlike other orange sodas.

While Truck is a fan of Pacific Islander and Polynesian folk music as well as metal in the novels, John Truck prefers simply metal -- specifically 80s thrash metal like Metallica and Megadeth. A scene in Sniper Truck 2 alludes to this when John, encountering folk music, changes the radio station to "Enter Sandman."