George McHale

"I thought we were friends, Mac."

- Indiana Jones

George "Mac" McHale was a British companion of Indiana Jones in the '40s and '50s. He was a rival archaeologist, friend, and later, a spy working for the Soviet Union.

World War II
In the lead up to, and throughout the Second World War, McHale worked for MI6 when he met World War I veteran Indiana Jones, who had recently joined the Office of Strategic Services. On the time of their meeting, Indy's life was threatened by a luger and Mac somehow saved his life. Indy would owe him the favor ever since. During the war, Mac had a girlfriend named Penelope, and on D-Day (June 6, 1944), he left Indy a letter to deliver to her in case he was killed in the war.

Mac and Indy teamed up regularly during the conflict; They disguised themselves as Nazis to steal the cipher machine responsible for generating Germany's Enigma codes. McHale had to save Jones life again when they traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia when Jones felt the needle of amnesia darts. In 1942, they went on a mission to Flensburg. With the war's end, the political landscape changed and the height of the Cold War brought the threat of the Soviets replacing the Nazis.

Mac was fond of gambling, and eventually racked up a substantial debt, which he kept secret from his friend. At some point during the Cold War, Soviet agents capitalized on his need for money and bought McHale's allegiance.

Journey to Akator
In 1957, McHale and Jones were digging in Mexico when a group of Soviets led by Antonin Dovchenko kidnapped them. They took the duo to a secret US government facility in Nevada where their team leader, Irina Spalko, wanted to find a mysterious artifact stored somewhere within the warehouse. Spalko believed Jones knew where it was, and threatened to have Mac killed if he did not cooperate. Indy complied and assisted the Soviets in locating the artifact, but he attempted to escape by threatening to kill Spalko and escape with Mac. However, Mac stopped him at gunpoint, revealing where his true loyalties lay. Eventually Indy managed to get away using an underground rocket sled while Mac managed to avoid a gruesome death as he evaded the sled's engine flaring just in time, but not without having first received a gunshot wound to his foot, courtesy of Indy.

He later tracked Jones to Nazca, Peru where Indy and Mutt Williams found the crystal skull at Orellana's Tomb. Mac tipped the Soviets off to Indy and Mutt's whereabouts, and the two were captured and taken to a Russian camp in Brazil. There Mac tried to convince Indy to join him like back then "...in Berlin." Indy refused, and instead promised to break Mac's nose; a promise which he fulfilled shortly thereafter. On their way to Akator, when Indy and his company managed to disband the Soviet convoy, Mac, to save his own life, told Indy that he was in fact a double agent working for the CIA. He explained that the reference to Berlin earlier was a hint, since both Indy and Mac worked as double agents there during WWII, and that he had sent his handler, General Ross to bail Jones out of trouble after the Hangar 51 incident.

Mac accompanied Indy's group, but he hadn't changed sides at all: he was leaving behind transponders so that the Soviets could track them down. Inside the temple, his true allegiance was revealed when Spalko and Soviet troops entered -- Mac was no triple agent, but merely lied about being a double agent. When the Crystal Skull of Akator was returned in place and the alien spaceship opened the inter-dimensional portal, Mac attempted to gather gold artifacts before he escaped the fragmenting temple. In his rush to collect the treasure he stumbled and fell. Indy tried to save him with his whip, but Mac was humbled by Indy's attempt to rescue him, despite his betrayals. He insisted that he'd be "OK" and allowed himself to be pulled into the portal to give his friend time to escape.

Personality and traits
McHale had a cheerful air and a passion for gambling and women. The end of World War II saw him take his interests to the extreme, however, and caused his reliability in telling the whole truth to waver. In spite of his treachery, Mack seems to genuinely care for Indy, constantly attempting to share the fortunes of his plunders with the latter, and finally giving his life in gratitude for Jones' friendship

Behind the scenes
Mac was portrayed by Ray Winstone in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The character acts as a spin on René Belloq and Sallah, giving him characteristics of an anti-hero. He is also Jones' World War II counterpart to Remy Baudouin.

Appearances

 * Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead
 * Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
 * Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull novel
 * Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comic