 |
|
| Niko | |
|---|---|
| Biography | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Place of Death |
Edge City |
| Occupation |
Mafia |
| Portrayer(s) | |
| First appearance | |
Niko was the quaternary antagonist from The Mask in 1994.
He is played by Orestes Matacena in the film.
Storyline[]
The Mask (film)[]
Niko is the feared Mafia Don and 'King' of Edge City. He is the owner of the Casino/Club Coco Bongo, as well as several other businesses. Niko is never seen without his Cuban bodyguards and also has a group of gangsters who work under him, led by his right-hand man Dorian Tyrell.
Through reports by his henchmen, Niko learns that Tyrell's criminal activities have been attracting unwanted attention from the police and that the Coco Bongo was on the verge of being shut down. In addition, Niko learns through his henchmen that Tyrell has been deliberately hiding money from him and a number of bodyguards have pledged allegiance to Tyrell himself. Worried that Tyrell's schemes will attract further attention from the police and that Tyrell may attempt to overthrow his position, Niko tells his henchmen to summon Tyrell personally for a meeting. The meeting soon turns sour, as Niko's henchmen force Tyrell to the floor at gunpoint. One of the henchmen then places a golf tee in Tyrell's mouth and then places a golf ball on top of it. Niko taunts Tyrell by waving a golf club in front of him before swinging the club, hitting the golf ball and narrowly avoiding making contact with Tyrell's skull. He then explains to Tyrell that he will not kill him immediately, but will allow him one week to flee from Edge City.
Two nights later, Niko attends a Charity Ball at the Coco Bongo, believing that Tyrell has left Edge City by now. Smoking cigars and drinking whisky, Niko celebrates with his men. However, the celebration is cut short when the Coco Bongo doors are blown apart in an explosion. Tyrell, under the power of Loki from the mask stolen from Stanley Ipkiss, enters with his henchmen. After a verbal confrontation, a bloody gunfight erupts between Niko and Tyrell's men. Some of Tyrell's men are killed, but eventually, all of Niko's men are eliminated. Tyrell then challenges Niko to shoot him square in the stomach. Niko does so, but the bullets do not harm Tyrell. While Niko looks on in disbelief, Tyrell uses his supernatural abilities to absorb the bullets into his body and fire them back at Niko from his mouth like a gun. Niko is shot and killed in dramatic fashion, flying backwards into the air from the sheer force of the bullets.
However, Dorian ultimately didn't get away in destroying the Coco Bongo, because Stanley Ipkiss appeared on the scene along with his allies and set into motion a chain of events which eventually led to Tyrell's death; so Niko arguably got the last laugh after all.
The Mask: The Animated Series[]
The now-deceased Niko does not appear in the animated series. However, an early draft of one episode was to have the ghosts of Niko, Tyrell and their deceased henchmen to return to Edge City and wreak havoc. The plot was to involve both of the ghosts and their gangs to break the remaining gang members out of jail, regain their areas of influence and resume their war against one another. However, the script would determine that they join forces in an effort to exact revenge against Ipkiss. Both Matacena and Greene were approached in order to reprise their roles, but eventually the episode was scrapped.
Trivia[]
- In the script, Niko was originally called Arnie the Swede, In the novelization by Steve Perry, which follows the script, Niko is the Swede. However, in the novelization by Madeline Dorr, he is called Niko just like final film
- In Perry's Novelization, Niko is mentioned to have a loft and has female security guards
- In the final film and Perry's Novelization, Niko meets with Dorian just before the Mask visits the Coco Bongo for the first time. However, in the workprint and Dorr's Novelization, Niko meets with Dorian the next day and tells to leave town, which makes more sense as Niko says in the film that the cops tried to shut the Coco Bongo down as we see Lt Kellaway and several officers show up at the club the previous night, who find Dr. Freeze dead. Although it's possible in the final film, the police could have been investigating Dorian for other illegal activity.
- In the script, there is a character named Tom Snell, a councilman. Dorian attempted to blackmail him into pulling Niko's gambling license which, Snell mentioned he was approved for already. The next day after the Mask Showed up at the club, Niko meets with Dorian and tells him about some meatballs he cooked. When Dorian tries them. Niko tells them they are the remains of Snell. Niko tells him if messes with him again, he will send him straight to hell, unlike the Novelizations, final movie and workprint, Niko tells Dorian they are partners and gives him tickets to the Casino Ball at the club.
Appearances[]
- The Mask (film)
- The Mask (anime)