Born March 23, 1950 (or January 23, 1951), and raised in Mission City, Minnesota, Angus MacGyver (who prefers to be called just MacGyver) moved to California after graduating from Western Tech. He worked several odd jobs before meeting Department of External Services (DXS) agent Pete Thornton. Thornton was impressed with MacGyver's ingenuity - after all, he'd used a paper clip, a wrench, and shoelaces to help them escape two men armed with bazookas. MacGyver then went to work at the DXS for Pete. Over the years, their friendship became so strong that he moved to the Phoenix Foundation when Pete was appointed Director of Operations.

MacGyver, or "Mac," as his friends call him, is a master of on-the-spot improvisation. He can use ordinary household objects to get himself and his companions out of trouble. All he carries with him is a Swiss Army knife and, occasionally, a roll of duct tape. He carries no gun, having forsaken firearms after a traumatic childhood incident, and tries to avoid violence. He is fiercely loyal to his friends; his enemies will find him a clever, resourceful, and uncooperative opponent.

Mac's most unusual trait is his fear of romantic commitment. This fear, which has stifled many a relationship, stems from his previous experiences. His father and his grandmother were killed in a car accident when he was twelve years old; his mother died of complications from a stroke when MacGyver was on assignment overseas. He worries that whomever he becomes close to will die, just like his parents and his grandmother did.

Despite his misgivings about commitment, MacGyver remains the eternal optimist. He firmly believes that the world can and will change for the better - one person at a time.