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In 18 hours, the Rabbit's Foot will be delivered to its Middle Eastern buyer, and we'll have credible intel to prove it. US Security Council will get a report by this time tomorrow. We're talking a military strike within a week. And when the sand settles, our country will do what it does best. Clean up. Infrastructure. Democracy wins.
~ John Musgrave

John Musgrave is the secondary antagonist of the 2006 film Mission: Impossible III.

He was the Operations Manager for the IMF who was Ethan Hunt's handler. However, it is revealed that he was a traitor within the IMF, having been in league with Owen Davian the entire time. It was Musgrave who had set up the death of Lindsey Farris and was behind the kidnapping and torture of Ethan's wife Julia. Musgrave personally intended to frame IMF Director Theodore Brassel for his crimes.

He was portrayed by Billy Crudup, who also portrayed Doctor Manhattan in 2009's Watchmen.

Biography[]

As IMF's Operations Manager[]

During the opening scene of the film, Musgrave sends IMF agent Ethan Hunt to rescue his kidnapped protégée, Lindsey Farris, bringing him out of his semi-retirement of the agency. In the video briefing from a modified camera, Musgrave tells Ethan that three of IMF agents Luther Stickell, Declan Gormley and Zhen Lei are his teammates in this mission.

When Hunt's wife, Julia Meade, is kidnapped by Owen Davian and Ethan himself is arrested by IMF, Musgrave gives Hunt enough time to break free.

Revealing himself as a traitor[]

In Shanghai, China, Ethan has to deliver Rabbit's Foot to Davian in exchange for Julia's release, only Ethan is subdued and loses the Rabbit's Foot in the process which prompts Davian to shoot "Julia".

Musgrave arrives and explains that the woman killed was not Julia, but Davian’s translator, his chief of security, executed for failing to protect him in Vatican City. The ruse was to confirm the authenticity of the Rabbit's Foot. Julia is alive and held as a hostage. Musgrave reveals himself as Davian's superior. He warned Davian that Lindsay Farris was coming for him and arranged for him to acquire the Rabbit's Foot and sell it to various terrorist groups on the black market, so that the IMF would have reasons to launch a preemptive strike and, in his mind, rid the world of terrorism and set Theodore Brassel up to cover his tracks. He also tells Ethan that it is pointless to kill Davian, because there are two more men like him who would quickly take his place.

Paranoid that he was compromised, Musgrave asks Ethan to tell him the contents of Lindsey's message, promising to spare Julia. Ethan demands to talk to Julia to prove she's alive and Musgrave acquiesces, calling Julia on his cell phone and placing it next to Ethan. The second Musgrave hangs up, Ethan bites his hand, knocks Musgrave, frees himself with a pen from Musgrave's pocket and steals his phone to call his colleague and technician, Benjamin "Benji" Dunn. Ethan locates Julia and kills Davian, but is stunned by a bomb that Davian implanted in him earlier. Ethan gets Julia to electrocute him and fry the bomb inside his brain, knocking him out.

Musgrave comes to and, carrying the case containing the Rabbit's Foot, goes to Davian's hideout, presumably to save Davian and kill Ethan before he could expose his crimes. He finds Ethan unconscious and Julia engaged in a gunfight with a henchman. Musgrave attempts to shoot Julia, but she fires back and fatally wounds him. With a pained, silent gasp, Musgrave drops to the floor dead. The case drops to the ground and the Rabbit's Foot harmlessly rolls out.

Quotes[]

Ethan. Three days ago, Agent Lindsey Farris was captured while on a surveillance operation. This is the man she was tracking. His name is Owen Davian. Details are eyes-only, but I can tell you that Davian's a black-market trafficker. Extremely dangerous and a priority for us. At 1400 hours today, a recon satellite ID'd a caravan of vehicles with plates matched those known to have been used by Davian's operatives. They stopped at a derelict factory outside Berlin. It appears they have a hostage. We believe it's Agent Farris. Normally we would disavow, but Lindsey may be the key to getting us closer to Davian, and that's a risk we need to take. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find Lindsey and bring her home. I've already assembled a team. I have them standing by, awaiting your word. This message, let's call it my excellent engagement gift to you, will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Ethan, and thanks again.
~ John speaking to Ethan in a modified mission briefing camera.
It's complicated.
~ Musgrave, revealing himself as the traitor
I thought you could get her back. But I wasn't gonna let Brassel, of all people, undo the work I'd done. I took action, Ethan, on behalf of the working families of our country. The Armed Forces, the White House. I'd had enough of Brassel and his sanctimony; "IMF Executive Director", he's an affirmative action poster boy. You grab Davian like he wanted, then what? Davian's a weed. You cut him out, two more spring up just like him the next day. Arrest him? Then what? You use him. Collaborate with him. And it's Christmas.
~ Musgrave explaining his motives

Relationships[]

Allies[]

Enemies[]

  • Impossible Mission Force
    • Ethan Hunt - Former Colleague
    • Luther Stickell
    • Zhen Lei
    • Declan Gormley
    • Lindsay Farris †
    • Benji Dunn
  • Theodore Brassel
  • Julia Meade-Hunt - Attempted Victim and Killer

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Musgrave appears to be prejudiced towards African-Americans, referring to Brassel as an "affirmative action" hire.
    • It is possible that the reason Musgrave framed Brassel as the mole was not just because of racism, resentment and him being a convenient and accessible scapegoat, but because Musgrave hoped to succeed him as IMF Executive Director.
  • While debriefing Hunt and Musgrave on Farris' failed rescue, Brassel says that he doesn't care if Musgrave's father plays golf with the President. Whether Brassel was speaking hypothetically or whether Musgrave's family is indeed connected to the President is unknown.

Navigation[]

           MissionImposibbleTitle Villains

Mission: Impossible (TV series)
Helmut Kellerman

Mission: Impossible (film)
Jim Phelps | Franz Krieger | Max Mitsopolis | Claire Phelps | Matthias

Mission: Impossible 2
Sean Ambrose | Hugh Stamp | John C. McCloy | Wallis | Ulrich | Michael | Simon

Mission: Impossible III
Owen Davian | John Musgrave | Brownway | Kimbrough

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Kurt Hendricks | Marius Wistrom | Sabine Moreau | Brij Nath

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
The Syndicate
Solomon Lane | Janik Vinter | Kagan | Saif | Richter

Other
Atlee

Mission: Impossible – Fallout
The Apostles
Solomon Lane | John Lark | Nils Debruuk

Other
White Widow | Zola Mitsopolis

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
The Entity | Gabriel | Paris | White Widow | Zola Mitsopolis | Grace | The Buyer | Denlinger

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