| Nix | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nix | |
| Franchise: | Barkerverse |
| Notability: | Antagonist |
| Type: | Warlock |
| Gender: | Male |
| Location: | Mojave Desert, California |
| Status: | Deceased |
| Died: | 1982 1995 |
| Introduction: | Lord of Illusions |
| Final: | Lord of Illusions |
| Actor: | Daniel von Bargen |
Nix is a fictional warlock and a major antagonist featured in the "Barkerverse" world of Clive Barker. Played by actor Daniel von Bargen, he was the central villain from the 1995 feature film Lord of Illusions.
Biography[]
Nix before he gets fugly-er.
Nix was a middle-aged man who had mastered some measure of the dark arts and could create mystical effects via black magic. Such abilities included subliminal suggestion, levitation, telekinesis, pyrokinesis and geokinesis. With these gifts, Nix sought to become a god. In the early 1980s, he became the leader of a cult that was based out of a run-down compound in the Mojave Desert. One of his most prized acolytes, Philip Swann, who was once a protégé to Nix, broke away from the cult along with several others. Seeking to lure him back, Nix abducted a young girl named Dorothea and used her as bait to trap his former student. Swann and several others returned to the compound and fought against Nix, freeing Dorothea. Dorothea managed to get a hold of a handgun and dealt a fatal shot to Nix's midsection. Not wishing to trust his former mentor might actually die, Swann outfitted him with an iron mask and bound it using blood magic. He then had Nix's body taken out into the deep desert where he was buried.
Nix is fitted with an iron mask of binding.
Thirteen years later, a few of Nix's most devoted followers continued to work in his best interests, convinced that their great leader would return. One such cultist, Butterfield, actively sought revenge against those responsible for Nix's apparent death and earthly imprisonment. Through Philip Swann's personal servant, Valentin, Butterfield was able to locate the burial site and forced Valentin to disinter him, after which, he had Valentin killed.
Butterfield brought Nix's body back to their compound and removed the iron mask. Immediately, Nix's petrified flesh began to reconstitute itself and he was resurrected. Still wishing to find Philip Swann, Butterfield abducted Dorothea again, who had now become Swann's wife. Another figure who had entered the drama was Harry D'Amour - a private investigator of the supernatural from New York City, whom Dorothea had hired when she believed her husband's life was in danger.
Nix addressed the full assemblage of his acolytes, promising to impart to them the wisdom of the grave. However, he no longer wished to become a god and found his followers to be unworthy of his teachings. Using his black magic, he turned the ground beneath them into quicksand and then quickly solidified it, killing those who were partially submerged as well as those who had already drowned.
Harry D'Amour and Philip Swann arrived at the compound to rescue Dorothea. While Swann was practiced in the dark arts, he was primarily an illusionist and did not have the same level of power as Nix. Nix telekinetically applied pressure to Swann's brain, which quickly began to kill him. Swann was able to muster up enough energy to give Harry D'Amour a telepathic boost so he could physically attack Nix. Harry pushed Nix into a seemingly bottomless well. Nix continued to fall until he landed in a pool of molten lava. He used the last of his magic to finish Philip Swann off, stripping the flesh from his bones. After which, he spontaneously combusted and died.
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Nix was created by writer and director Clive Barker.
- Nix is exclusive to the continuity of the Lord of Illusions feature film. He did not appear in "The Last Illusion" short story.
- Nix is the second named character to appear in Lord of Illusions after Butterfield. Actor Daniel von Bargen received second billing in the film.
- Actor Daniel von Bargen is also known for playing Mister John Tate in the 1998 sci-fi/horror film The Faculty by director Robert Rodriguez.
- The iron torture device mask that Philip Swann uses to bind Nix in the 1982 sequence was inspired by a similar death mask worn by the character of witch Asa Vajda, played by Barbara Steele in the 1960 film Black Sunday by director Mario Bava.
- Nix owned a pet mandrill, which he used to torture young Dorothea.
Body Count[]
- Numerous cultists: Drowns and traps his followers in place by magical fast-hardening quicksand.
- Philip Swann: Telepathically crushes his brain & skull then strips the flesh from his head.
See also[]
External Links[]
- Lord of Illusions at IMDB
- Lord of Illusions at Trakt.TV
- Lord of Illusions at Wikipedia
- Lord of Illusions at Letterboxd.com
- Lord of Illusions at Themoviedb.org
References[]
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