Writer Peter David has indicated that Shooter based Gyrich on himself. David attempted to humanize Peter by giving a backstory which touched upon Gyrich's family life. After Betty Banner criticizes Gyrich for appearing callous and unfeeling when mentioning the pain of Thunderbolt Ross dying, Gyrich cuts Banner off, saying "My father died of Alzheimer's, I took a year's leave to care for him so he wouldn't be watched over by strangers that my crummy salary couldn't even afford. I cleaned up after him, tended to him, and his last words as I cradled his dying body were, 'Who in heck are you?'"; "" later revealed that Gyrich's greatest fear is contracting the same disease that killed his father.