The Man in the Van
The "man in the van" is a term used to describe an agent who sits in the back of a surveillance van,
who is either there to gather intel on a suspect or to provide back-up for a field operative.
RUPERT GILES
BOYD LANGTON
MALCOLM REYNOLDS
KREVLORNSWATH
JOSS WHEDON
Ostensibly, this is a picspam about men. But it is also a feminist picspam.
These characters, these men, couldn't give a rat's ass about traditional gender roles. All they care about is helping others achieve their full potential.
These men are not lovers, or fathers, or protectors. They might be fighters, but they know when to leave well enough alone and let the best-suited person take action, irregardless of whether that person is male or female. For lack of a better term, these men are watchers.
This exploration of the human psyche is courtesty of the whedonland picspam challenge.