Hancock

John Hancock (born John McDonough) is the ghoul mayor of Goodneighbor in 2287, and a potential companion of the Sole Survivor.

Background
Born John McDonough, Hancock is the estranged younger brother of Diamond City's mayor, McDonough. The two had a rocky relationship from the beginning; John considered him "entitled" and claims that the elder brother would sometimes shove rotten tatoes down the back of his shirt and slap them.

Despite this, he held some degree of brotherly love for his elder sibling - but this all changed in 2282, when the elder McDonough ran for mayor on an anti-ghoul platform, inciting hatred and fear of the city's mutated inhabitants. The relationship between them broke down completely when John confronted him in his office after his inauguration speech, and his brother offered no sign of remorse for the anti-ghoul violence that his campaign had incited, simply gloating that the city was finally his.

Drugs and despair
John tried to save as many ghouls as he could by relocating them to the town of Goodneighbor, at the time run by the ruthless mob boss Vic. Unfortunately, many of the refugees couldn't adjust to life in the slum and fled into the ruins of Boston and the surrounding wasteland of the Commonwealth, eventually dying to starvation or violence. Over time, he fell into a rut of depression and drug abuse, at some point taking an experimental, radioactive drug in an attempt to transform himself into a ghoul. The attempt was successful, and he today remarks that both the high and the subsequent transformation were "so worth it."

His absolute lowest point came after witnessing the murder of a fellow drifter at the hands of Vic's henchmen. Despite knowing that there was nothing he could have done against the armed goons, John nonetheless considered his lack of intervention cowardly, and in the aftermath felt "like less than nothing." In a fit of despair, he went on a particularly intense bender of drug abuse, eventually blacking out completely.

Revolution
When he came to, John found himself lying on the floor of the Old State House next to a set of clothes that, according to a nearby plaque, belonged to the founding father John Hancock. Inspired by the historical figure (and in awe of his fashion sense), John donned the outfit and took the name "Hancock", taking it upon himself to raise a revolutionary militia to overthrow Vic. Temporarily going sober in preparation, he gathered a crew of drifters and convinced KL-E-0 to loan them some weapons.

They gathered together one night, waiting on the rooftops and inside buildings for Vic's goons to gather. Holding off until their opponents were heavily intoxicated from a night of partying, the militia burst from their hiding spots and massacred the gangsters. His muscle wiped out to a man, it was a simple matter for Hancock and his men to storm Vic's quarters in the State House, dragging him out to be hanged by the neck from the balcony.

Looking down from the balcony and seeing that most of the town had gathered to witness the commotion, Hancock issued a simple proclamation: "Of the people, for the people!" With that, he was no longer John McDonough, the Diamond City refugee, but John Hancock, the undisputed mayor of Goodneighbor.

Mayor of Goodneighbor
By 2287, Hancock continues to serve as mayor. The majority of Goodneighbor's citizens look to him for leadership, and he acts as a source of reassurance concerning the looming synth threat. Following the events of Bobbi No-Nose's big plan (The Big Dig), a plot to steal from his stronghold, he claims to feel too pampered and comfortable. He gives a speech proclaiming his leave of absence. ("No one in power should be comfortable for too long.") Hancock then proceeds to offer his services to the Sole Survivor as a possible companion.

Effects of player's actions

 * When John Hancock's approval with the Sole Survivor reaches the highest level, he will grant the Isodoped perk, which makes the critical meter fill +20% faster as long as the Sole Survivor has at least 250 rads.
 * Hancock is a potential candidate for romance, an option that unlocks after reaching the highest level of affinity.

Other interactions

 * Hancock will occasionally give the character chems. Like most other companions, he will also make comments regarding places visited or generally about the Commonwealth.
 * If spoken to after gaining more than 500 affinity, Hancock will refer to the Sole Survivor as his friend. It is then possible to flirt with Hancock, and by passing his Speech challenge he will mention that he has impure thoughts about them, and hints at acting on those thoughts. This is obtainable without the Silver Shroud costume while he is a companion and flirting within the second private conversation.

Fallout: The Board Game
Hancock can be found randomly when taking a card from the loot deck. While Hancock is the active companion, the player character can exhaust him to move one enemy to their space and fight it. If the player character fails to kill that enemy, he must be discarded.

When the player character performs the camp action, he will become unexhausted. However, if the player character does not have Perception at that time, he must be discarded.

Appearances
John Hancock appears in Fallout 4 and Fallout: The Board Game.

Behind the scenes

 * At one point during development, Hancock was not marked as essential, and could be killed normally. Unused commentary from Finn alludes to this fact.


 * John Hancock was a statesman and prominent patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He also took part in Paul Revere's midnight ride.
 * Hancock appears to be wearing John Hancock's coat and the hat of Major Thomas Melville, both of which are in reality currently housed and on display in the Old State House in Boston, the building in which Hancock makes his home.

Bugs

 * Hancock can be killed by the player character regardless when he is dismissed as a companion.
 * Hancock issues a misc quest to investigate Pickman Gallery, but if he is available as a companion, on returning to report to him there will be no dialogue available to complete the misc quest. This also the case with the interaction with Hancock in The Silver Shroud mission. To finish this quest, speak with Hancock and let him join as the companion. Then speak with him again and in dialogue, there will be an option to finish the mentioned quest. Hancock will say something like: "When I wanted you to investigate Pickman Gallery, I didn't mean you to take me there." He does it even if one didn't take him with or had another companion on that quest. After that, the quest will be finished.
 * As Hancock somehow seems to be non-essential, dismissing him while being far away from a settlement the Sole Survivor wants him to be (e.g. the Sole Survivor is at Sanctuary Hills, dismissing him back to Goodneighbor) will cause him to be killed halfway through his journey way back. He can be killed by anything in the wasteland, even a mongrel.