Television has given us plenty of compelling characters throughout history, but few are as dangerous, deadly and powerful as Patty Hewes from Damages and Jack Bauer from 24.

While many characters can destroy buildings, deceive people or solve impossible mysteries, only the evil attorney and crime-fighting machine could do all that while asleep.

However, there’s only one spot at the top, so who will it be?

Who has the better team?

Jack Bauer and Patty Hewes know better than anyone that world domination can’t be achieved without the help of a good team, so who has the best one?

In theory, Patty had one top-notch crew with Tom, Uncle Pete and Ellen, however, the first two are already dead and Ellen turned on her.

On the other side, Bauer’s entire team is dead, except for trusty-brainy Chloe. Does he need anyone else?

Winner: Jack Bauer

Deadliest spawn

Parents try to lead by example, but in the case of Jack and Patty, they both failed miserably. If they both died, could their children take after them? Probably not, but who is the best of the worst?

I would bet 99.9% that 24 fans hate Kim just because she gets in the lamest sorts of trouble, like getting lost in the woods with a tiger or being scared when her boss killed his wife. Kim, your dad is busy saving the country, the least you could do is carry a freaking gun.

In Patty’s corner we have Michael, a good-for-nothing immature prick whose only existence is to resent his mom. However, he allegedly became a major druglord and now is trying to take Patty down with the help of Ellen.

Winner: Patty Hewes

Who can save more people?

Both characters are always protecting someone or something as a means to the greater “good”. In Patty’s case, she has to protect her clients and sometimes she protects a potential witness; in Jack’s case, he has to save a person held hostage or prevent the whole world from exploding.

The stakes are definitely higher for Jack, but I’m sick of listening to “I give you my word” just so 10 seconds later the person he was trying to help dies a horrible death.

At least Patty is more upfront about her capabilities… For that matter, everyone is more trustworthy than Jack Bauer

Winner: Patty Hewes

Who has the better enemies?

A hero is only as good as their arch-nemesis, so now we look at the bastards and bitches who have tried to take down our two badasses.

In the four seasons of Damages, no one has been able to defeat Patty Hewes, but perhaps her biggest victory was against Arthur Frobisher, who was almost as compelling and powerful as Patty herself.

In the eight seasons of 24, Jack Bauer has defeated President Logan (was it twice or three times or more?), the Chinese government, the Russian government, his own government and the drug cartels of Latin America.

I was surprised they didn’t throw Jesus Christ in there, but let’s wait for the movie.

Winner: Jack Bauer

Who will survive the Apocalypse?

When all is said and done, surviving death is the only way to proclaim yourself invincible, so who would be able to escape tragedy?

Jack has been hit with a virus, bullets, a bus and explosions. He’s been tortured, beaten and once even Chloe injected him with poison. However, the most he’s had to deal with are some scratches and a band-aid above his eye.

For most of season 2, it seemed Ellen shot Patty but it was someone else who cut her with a knife that left her in the hospital. The next season, her son Michael crashed tried to kill her by crashing her in the street, but nothing really happened.

We’re still not convinced about Patty’s survival skills, so…

Winner: Jack Bauer

Well, now you know what we think, but what do you think?