Liberty Valance is the main antagonist in the short story and feature film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. He was a sadistic and violent Old West outlaw, a holy terror to the town of Shinbone, and the ruthless leader of an outlaw gang. Played by Lee Marvin in the film version, the only man he feared was rancher Tom Doniphon, played by John Wayne. Liberty began to torment newcomer and lawyer Ransom Stoddard, played by Jimmy Stewart. This conflict drives Stoddard to seek to confront Liberty, which Doniphon knows is a fool's quest for the shaky Easterner. Liberty is portrayed as being an almost mystically good shot.