Mike Banning

Michael "Mike" Banning is the main protagonist in the American action thriller film series Has Fallen. He is a former U.S. Army Ranger who now works as an agent for the United States Secret Service.

He is portrayed by Gerard Butler.

Early Life and Military Career
Little is known about Mike Banning's early life other than being born in the United States at September 16th, 1970. At some point, Banning joined the United States Army, specifically the 75th Ranger Regiment, and he made a number of tours around the world.

Secret Service career and family life
After his long-term military service, Banning quickly became an agent for the Secret Service, where he would join the protection detail of President Benjamin Asher.

He is currently married to Leah Banning, who is a nurse working at an unspecified Washington, D.C. hospital. Banning also has a mother-in-law named Doris and a newborn daughter named Lynne Banning, after his deceased boss, Lynne Jacobs.

Tragedy in Camp David
On December 25, 2011, during an icy night at Camp David, Mike and President Asher were boxing each other on the ring downstairs in a sparring match. They were soon interrupted by another Secret Service agent, Dave Forbes, who told them that they had to leave in 10 minutes. While they were taking their boxing gear off, Asher jokingly remarked to Mike that he is not supposed to hit a President and Mike replies he knew that.

Minutes later, Mike changed to the tuxedo when they are taking the President and his family to a campaign fundraiser on Christmas. After learning that the snowstorm outside is getting worse, but advised to be drive, Banning tells them to get the vehicles ready. Mike knocks on the door and tells the president that they are to leave to 5 minutes. Then First Lady Margaret Asher comes up and shows off whatever she should wear the long or the short earrings. Mike suggests she should wear the small one because it would be a classic look for a classy lady. Then Mike goes to Benjamin and Margaret's son, Connor, was playing Uncharted 3. Mike tells him that the bloodbath will start if Margaret catches him playing it and turns off the TV. Connor remarks to Mike that he sucks as he shuts off the game console and Mike replies that he sucks worse as they prepared to leave.

Banning tells Agent Mark Diaz to ride shotgun on Presidential state car nicknamed The Beast, considering his Christmas gift. He asked Forbes if he was okay to stay back and watch the fort. Forbes says with that snowstorm, he'll get out of the tuxedo, seat by the fire and watch Breaking Bad. Banning tells Forbes to leave the babysitter alone. Then he and other Secret Service agents leave Camp David with the President and First Lady as Connor goes with him, as well as Agents Roma and O'Neil.

As Banning, along with Roma and O'Neil, drive Connor in their vehicle, Banning reminds Connor to put his seat belt on. Then he goes over with Connor on number of emergency exits in the West Wing, how many feet from the Oval Office to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) elevator and the number of the security cameras that have audio. Banning says that they make the Secret Service agent out of Connor yet and Roma remarks that he just needs to remember to put his seat belt on.

While traveling, a tree breach falls onto the lead vehicle and crashes into the limo. The lead vehicle crashes through the bridge and falls into the icy water below. The presidential limo then went to the edge of the damage part of the bridge, balancing precariously. Banning and the other agents rushed to the limo when it was sliding down. Banning managed to get the passenger door open, but passenger side door on Margaret's side was jammed. Though Asher attempted to save the unconscious Margaret, he was pulled from the car by Banning when it was about to fall off the bridge.

The car plummeted to the frozen river below, killing Margaret, Diaz and another agent on impact. As President Asher screamed in agony, Banning, along with Connor and the Secret Service agents, were in deep shock over the loss of Margaret.

Haunted by failure
18 months later at July 5, 2013, Mike is still haunted by his failure to save the First Lady. After that tragedy, he was demoted to the desk job in the Treasury Department and had since been a troubled workaholic. He was talking to his wife Leah after he missed the 4th of July celebration with her. He promised he will take her to see the movie among other social events.

At the diner, Banning meets up Secret Service director Lynne Jacobs as well as his former subordinates, including Roma and O'Neil. Roma, who took over Mike's spot as head of the Presidential Detail, introduces Banning to Agent Jones. After Roma and the others left since they have to meet up the South Korean delegation in the White House, including South Korean Prime Minister Lee Tae-Woo, Banning tells Jacobs that he wants back in the Presidential Detail because he is unhappy with the desk job at the Treasury Department. Jacobs assures him that he did what was necessary on that bridge and even President Asher knows that. Jacobs says that Asher just isn't ready to see him everyday because a sight of him still reminds him of Margaret's death and hasn't stopped grieving properly. Banning asks Jacobs about Connor. She replies that he still misses his mother, but still misses Banning and drives the Secret Service crazy with his hiding spots thanks for Banning's training. Jacobs told Banning that he has start living in the real world and forgive himself for failing to save Margaret. As Jacobs was leaving, Banning thanked her for the support.

Back in his car, Banning calls Leah on her cell, but gets her voice mail and says he's just checking in. Then he arrives in the Treasury Department. Around 6.00 PM, Banning hears the motorcade of the South Korean delegation arriving. Then he tosses the soft ball around his computer screen.

Beginning of the North Korean assault on Washington D.C.
The film follows Washington D.C. getting scorched and its population shot to death by North Korean spies who infiltrated the country through Kang Yeonsak, who managed to get all of the spies get past American inspection by having them disguised as federal agents and as tourists. To begin the assault, two North Koreans who faked being U.S. Air Force pilots hijacked a C-130 and they indulgently started mowing down the innocent citizens in D.C. with an all out of sadism and amusement. Then, the C-130's hijackers turned their attention to mowing away the U.S. soldiers defending the White House so that the North Korean ground fighters can mow through with little to no opposition.

Despite the C-130 successfully getting shot down by a F-22 Raptor, the North Korean ground force were overwhelming for any Americans to fight them off, except for Mike Banning. After shooting a few soldiers off with an SIG Sauer P229 E2, Banning is the only soldier who gets through the fleet of numerous North Koreans swarming into the White House and killing everyone inside.

President Benjamin Asher, Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan and numerous high-ranking government officials are taken hostage by Kang Yeonsak, who then has South Korean Prime Minister Lee Tae-Woo shot in the back of his head. The Pentagon and P.E.O.C. can only watch televised executions of hostages or either give in to Kang's demands of pulling away United States Seventh Fleet and withdraw the 28,500 U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea. Banning orders the acting President not to give in to any of Kang's demands. After contacting the Pentagon of his presence, Banning is instructed to find Connor before the North Koreans do so, since capturing Connor can make Asher admit to stating the third password for Ceberus Protocol.

Battle in the White House
Banning manages to find Connor (Asher's son) before the North Koreans do and sneaks him out to safety for the U.S. military rescue teams to find. In the meantime, Kang made Asher's officals give up the NATO alphabetic codes for the first two passwords to start Ceberus Protocol, which will set off the nuclear missiles inside all of America's silos, which will turn the United States into a nuclear wasteland, with all 300 million citizens killed off and soon North Korea can then start forcing every country worldwide to respect its' wrath and apparently respect their unmentioned dictator Kim Jong-un. While nations worldwide such as Russia, India, Japan, China and South Korea (which is unfortunately the target of North Korea's wrath more than any other country) declare state of emergencies, Banning successfully kills any North Korean soldier in his way through gun shootings and knife stabbings. Kang later on acquired the third password without Asher anyways due to heavy decryption, and the fate of worldwide countries now became dependent on how Banning's progress was at reaching Kang.

Taking down Kang and Cerebus
Dave Forbes, who used to be a United States Secret Service agent, started to hold anti-American feelings out of unknown yet complicated reasons and decided to help North Korea activate Ceberus Protocol. Forbes is sent by Kang to go and kill Banning. Forbes does find Banning and pretends to be nice to him. Banning, who doesn't know about Forbes being a traitor, starts to have a friendly talk with him discussing over being relieved that they found each other. However, Forbes has a slip of tongue saying "That fucking Kang guy....he's crazy" making Banning realize that since Forbes knows his name and referred to him as still alive by stating Kang in present tense, he would have met the North Korean in person. As Banning angrily awaited the answer, Forbes was unable to think of a lie and then fights Banning but Banning wins by stabbing him in the heart and morally derides him for being a traitor. Asking why he chose to be a traitor, Forbes could only respond "Fuck me." Banning then orders Forbes to lie to Kang that Forbes killed Banning through the radio microphone speaker, and once Forbes does so with Kang believing him, Banning stabs his forehead with the knife.

After reaching the bunker, Banning now does find Kang and goes to fight him. President Asher tries to help, but can only watch and Kang grabs him by the throat with Kang gloating "Looks like you failed again, Mike.", until Banning knocks him down to the ground and stabs Kang in the forehead just like with Forbes.

Banning then hurries to deactivate the Ceberus Protocol which requires only one password instead of three, and America's nuclear weapons are locked from detonation. He shut down the program just in time and saved the president and his son. Mike got his job back as head of the Presidential Detail.

London Incident
Mike Banning, realizing that his job is too dangerous after the events of Olympus Has Fallen, decides to resign from the Secret Service, but he hasn't sent his resignation yet. He believes that he must resign in order to look after his wife and the baby she is pregnant with. On his next mission, which Banning decides to make his last, he is assigned to guard President Asher as when Asher and Jacobs travel to London, England to attend the funeral of the British Prime Minister. However, suddenly the funeral is bombarded by surprise attacks by several Arab terrorists disguised as policemen or Royal guards, and they quickly execute the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan. Banning immediately takes out 8 terrorists through gunshots, then he, Asher and Jacobs are forced into a car chase to flee from London, which has now become a death trap. Banning manages to shoot at many motorcycling terrorists trying to get to President Asher, and soon they are now on Marine One aircraft trying to fly out of the city. However, terrorists armed with stinger missiles shoot all Marine One planes down, and when Banning's Marine One helicopter crashes, the collision lodges a metallic spike through Jacobs, and she bleed to death.

Banning and Asher run for it and enter the emptied streets, taking down a squadron of terrorists who have invaded the London Underground. Banning picks up the walkie-talkie from one of the terrorists he shot, and this connects him to Kamran Barkawi (the film's secondary antagonist) who reveals that he coordinated and authorized the invasion on London. Banning only threatens Kamran that he's coming to kill him unless he retreats back to Iran or Pakistan or "wherever the fuckhead-istan you're from". Banning and Asher meet up with Jacqueline Marshall, a British agent at an MI6 safe house, which also gets infiltrated by terrorists. The two men are forced out onto the streets and drive off, but are hit by terrorists in a truck and they kidnap Asher. In retaliation, Banning shoots and stabs the terrorist who was assigned to get Banning until, at the exact moment, the friendly reinforcements arrive.

Banning and the British Special Air Service assault team engage in an open combat against the terrorists' base of operations as they march to save President Asher before he is executed in live feed. Banning and the S.A.S. successfully kill half of Barkawi's men, although the surviving half proves too well armed forcing Banning to refrain from frontal assault after he attempted it (Banning: "Okay, fuck that!") before the S.A.S. use a bomb to clear the way for Banning to jump into Kamran's secret hideout where Asher is. At this time, Kamran Barkawi and his hackers have taken over public TV screens worldwide, including the United States and Japan, with the intention to execute Asher in live feed. Banning reaches Asher at the very last second and orders the S.A.S. commander Will Davies to detonate the explosives attached to the building; while Banning and Asher make a run for it, Kamran is left to incinerate to death from the explosion. Banning and Asher survived the explosion. Banning hands Kamran's phone to Davies, since it could be use to find Kamran's father, Aamir Barkawi (the main antagonist), which led to Barkawi's death by a drone strike.

Two weeks after the events of London, Leah eventually gave birth to Banning's daughter name Lynne, name after Jacobs. As Banning was about to send his letter of resignation, he was inspired by Trumbull's speech. With that, he deleted his letter of resignation.

Abilities
Due to his special forces training from his 75th Ranger Regiment background, Banning is an intelligent and highly skilled Secret Service agent. He is well-trained in close quarters hand-to-hand combat, as he is able to defeat and kill Kang during their brutal fight. Banning is also proficiency in utilizing weapons and knives (He stabs Kang in the skull during their fight). He is also known as a one-man army since he is the only one in the White House trying to save the President.

Quotes
"You know what you assholes don't get? We're not a fucking building! We're not a fucking flag! We're not just one man! Assholes like you have been trying to kill us for a long fucking time. But you know what, a thousand years from now? We'll still fucking be here!"

- Mike Banning during his fight with Kamran Barkawi