▁his ▁cl out ▁to ▁force ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁script ▁to ▁make ▁Ram bo ▁a ▁more ▁sympath etic ▁character , ▁including ▁having ▁Ram bo ▁not ▁directly ▁kill ▁any ▁police ▁or ▁national ▁gu ards men ▁( in ▁the ▁novel , ▁he ▁k ills ▁many ), ▁and ▁having ▁him ▁surv ive ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁instead ▁of ▁dying ▁as ▁he ▁does ▁in ▁the ▁book . ▁ ▁Ram bo , ▁whose ▁first ▁name ▁is ▁not ▁specified ▁in ▁the ▁novel , ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁first ▁name ▁" John " ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁song ▁" When ▁Johnny ▁Com es ▁March ing ▁Home ". ▁ ▁The ▁resulting ▁film , ▁First ▁Blood , ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁success , ▁ear ning ▁$ 1 2 5 ▁million ▁on ▁a ▁$ 1 5 ▁million ▁budget , ▁and ▁sp aw ning ▁an ▁entire ▁Ram bo ▁franch ise . ▁ ▁' Sp ino ff ▁Story ' ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁pro se ▁anth ology ▁Match Up ▁was ▁released ▁which ▁included ▁a ▁short ▁story ▁collaboration ▁between ▁David ▁Mor rell ▁and ▁Gay le ▁Ly nd s ▁entitled ▁' R am bo ▁on ▁their ▁M inds '. ▁The ▁story ▁was ▁market ed ▁as ▁a ▁c ros so ver ▁team up ▁between ▁the ▁character ▁Ram bo ▁and ▁Ly nd s ' ▁character ▁L iz ▁San borough . ▁However , ▁although ▁L iz ▁Sans borough ▁features ▁prom in ently ▁within ▁the ▁story , ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Ram bo ▁never ▁truly ▁appears ▁in ▁physical ▁form . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁plot ▁has ▁several ▁characters ▁recall