Niki Sanders

[TARDIS Team]

I’ve been fairly interested in Ali Larter’s character, Niki (Jessica) since the show began, and ever since the first episode aired, I’ve had an opinion on where her character arc is going. I won’t speculate too much because I ‘m not sure how right I might be (my speculation tends to be very hit or miss), but I was curious – has anyone else here read Stephen King’s Dark Tower series?

I’m only up to the fifth book, but Nikki and Jessica remind me very much of Odetta and Detta Walker, who later goes on to be known as Susannah Dean. Here is a paragraph about the character in question, from Wikipedia (some spoilers from The Drawing of the Three below):


Initially, Susannah’s dominant personality is that of Odetta Susannah Holmes, a sweet, well-mannered woman active in the civil rights movement. At times, however, she is taken over by Detta Susannah Walker, a murderously psychotic but incredibly crafty and strong willed woman whom neither Eddie nor Roland can control. After an incident at the beach with the lobstrosities, where Roland forces her two selves to see each other for the first time, her personalities are melded into one, and she becomes Susannah (later Susannah Dean, wife of Eddie).

Now I’ve seen shades of Susannah in Niki since the very beginning of Heroes, and I’m willing to bet hard cash that her character arc is not entirely unlike that of Susannah’s, which only makes sense when you think about it. To be a hero, Niki is going to have to cull Jessica’s homicidal tendencies.

[Novak Fan]

I first I liked it Nikki's character a lot but these days seems out of context , it feels like her plot is the only one that doesn't fit with the others :)

[Daddylion]

I'm with Novak on this though i hoped her storyline will tie in with the rest more soon.

[gameface25]

Ive read the DT series and I have thought this very thing myself. Like Susannah, they will "meld" into one personality with a common goal, utilizing strengths of Jessica, with the willpower of Niki. Id say they may have the bad side come out occasionally, and make it a constant struggle for Niki to control it

[Novak Fan]

I really want to know more about this character because it didn't seems to me like a power if Jessica really exist or existed before. The only power I see so far it's the superstreng Jessica have. Personally I think that Nikki's sister never was there, her dad maybe abused her when she was young (supposedly the abused one it was Jessica not Nikki) and she mades this other personality just to scape. I don't know....I think I just babbling now :lol:

[superhippie2000]

ya i kind of want to find out how her power works and stuff. it just seems as tho she is possesed.

i was watching mary poppins yesterday and when she is singing in the mirror her mirror image has a mind of its own and i kept think wow mary poppins has the same power as nikki.

[TARDIS Team]

My take on it is this – Niki was a weak, polite child who once had a sister named Jessica. Their father killed Jessica one night while he was drunk (when he visits Niki in Six Months Ago, he’s quoting the AA jargon at her). I’m not sure how he got out of that or why he wasn’t sent to prison, bur he kept at it and turned his abuse on Niki.

Niki formed an alternate personality (I know two people in my personal life who suffer from multiple personality disorder) that is strong and protects her from her abusive father, and this personality calls herself Jessica, after her dead sister (Niki’s father acknowledges that Jessica was a real person when ‘ Jessica’ shows up in his hotel in Six Months Ago).

However, Jessica is able to tap an unknown power that lies dormant in Niki – super human strength – and I think, eventually, the two of them will be forced into a situation or reckoning, whereby one will merge with the other and form one person – strong and capable, but compassionate and heroic as well.

[<Adam Knight>]

Nikki is a cool character and has a pretty awesome power!

[Novak Fan]

I know that maybe this could be random but it seems like Nikki's father have a kind of rage disorder as well. He was very angry at Mica for what he did to the laptop. Buuuut again...I would be that angry too if I was the one giving a gif so expensive and the damn kid just go and does that :lol:

[SuperConartist]

Aren't Nikki and Jessica twins? Or did the alternate personality of Nikki just take the name Jessica?

[ginnyfan]

We don't know if they were twins or not... just that they were sisters.

I've never read the Dark Tower series but from day one I really liked Nikki. She's one of my favorite characters. She was fighting for her son from the moment we saw her.

Also, she and D'el are sort of the criminal element of the Heroes... it makes sense that they wouldn't just be one big happy family like the others. They are criminals on the run not regular middle class citizens or... whatever.

[Novak Fan]

Originally posted by SuperConartist
Aren't Nikki and Jessica twins? Or did the alternate personality of Nikki just take the name Jessica?

they said so, but we aren't sure yet...someones say that Nikki created Jessica after her father treated her and he made her believe that Jessica really existed. :\

[chrisxs5]

I am actually starting to think that she might actually be Ulura, the monster we have all seen and heard about. Think about it, everytime she goes into a huge blackout she even has on different clothes. There was the interference from the video tape recording. When she ripped those people in half they looked like a Monster ripped them into pieces. Eventually they will have introduce Uluru and I think it should be her.

[Novak Fan]

mmm maybe, but I don't know if the ADN thing they have different have to do something with that. Or if it is possible

[chrisxs5]

ADN ???

[ProdigalSon1979]

I think she is cool but all I do is pity her and her family. But they make an interesting FIRST FAMILY of the Heroes universe dont they =]

[Saviour of Earth]

I think she has a psychological problem and its one she will fight to cure to help her.
She has a split personality though it is more prominent than in in reality, anyway i think she has super strength herself as seen in the new epispode godsend Nikki broke the night stick i dont think it was Jessica did you see how surprised she was when she did it. The whole thing with her having a psychological issue is a characteristic not a pure plot device. Kinda like Issac with the heroin its jus something to give the characters more depth more problems and such. Before this whole thing started Claire was a bit of a b***ch and she was that kind of snobby cheerleader stereotype.
They have flaws and faults that help us associate with them.

[Novak Fan]

I don't know...yeah, she had this surprised face but if you watch that scene again, in the exact moment she grabs the cop's weapon she had a Jessica's kind of like face. But if she's learning to use the superstreng too, then is very cool :)

[Saviour of Earth]

Well i see it mirrored in Issac learning to go without dope to paint the future.
However I dont think he is completly done with heroin just as Jessica isnt done with Nikki so to speak. These are all characteristics that add depth to the characters and also will be used as plot devices. Issac will prolly bounce back onto the heroin, and jessica will pop up every now and then.

[Novak Fan]

I loved her last line in GODSEND

Nikki: God please help me
Jessica: Who need God if you have me?

SO cool :)

[edukisser]

:cool: She´s the hottest character all the way... Anyway I still don´t understand very well the dynamics of her ability...
KISS!
EDU

[Incubi]

As soon as the shrink said something about melding the two personalities together I thought of DT when Detta and Odetta faced off. Niki's been my favorite character since.

I'd like to see Niki and Jess become one, totally new personality, different name and all.

[Dusk919]

Does anyone know how strong she is supposed to be? Is she "Superman" strong? Or "Spider-Man" strong?

[angeloo]

i would figure superman strong because she ripped a person in half and got out of cuffs that were meant for elephants... i dont think spiderman is that strong?

[Dusk919]

Spider-Man is said to have the strength to lift/press 10 tons and Superman has the strength to lift/press somewhere near 100 tons I think. But if she was that strong then whenever she punches anyone she'd just flatten them unless she's holding back a heck of a lot.

[angeloo]

hmm haha i doubt superman then... but how strong would u have to be to rip a person in a half clean?? lol

[Dusk919]

I don't know, you'd probably have to be able to at least lift a pickup truck without straining yourself. Like an F150 or something. That's less than 10 tons though, I'm pretty sure.

[newfan]

Originally posted by Incubi


I'd like to see Niki and Jess become one, totally new personality, different name and all.

I'd like to see that too! Niki is by far my favorite character. I love the evil twin aspect to her..that innner struggle between good and evil..which lets face it..dont we all have some of that in us? That's just my opinion but I think she is great, she is such a strong character.

[chrisxs5]

Originally posted by Dusk919
Spider-Man is said to have the strength to lift/press 10 tons and Superman has the strength to lift/press somewhere near 100 tons I think. But if she was that strong then whenever she punches anyone she'd just flatten them unless she's holding back a heck of a lot.
Characters that have been around as long as S&S dont really have limitations. If they do it would be based on thye comic book series, show or cartoon they are in. For example Spiderman the movie gave him 10 times his own weight putting his strength at half a ton, but in the last comic book series he throws a bus which of course ways more than that. Superman originally was bullet proof since birth but in Smallville he grows into it.
It takes as much as 1200 to 1800 pounds of. pressure to break a femur (thigh bone). No of course that puts her strength at least a ton that is of course that it doesnt take more to rip the bone. Of course I dont know how much it takes to rip skin.

[SenWinchesterKent]

Niki's another one of my faves!!!!!! :) The double personality thing reminds me of a story I wrote, where my character, Sen Winchester, actually develops a second self: Ness, who is a ghost. Even though Sen is the only one who can see him, her family can hear him because she talks in two different voices.
NOTE: Ness is everything opposite of Sen. She represents light and good, he represents dark and evil, she's female, he's male, she's Sen, he's Ness (which is supposed to be her name spelled backwards). :cool:
Eh? :cool:

[Novak Fan]

that sounds cool...you should post it here:

http://kryptonsite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=245

[Alexander III]

She's HOT!!!!!!!!!

[Novak Fan]

Two episodes and no Nikki :mad: she one of my favs!

[ginnyfan]

Not liking Nikki's story arc so far this season. She'd better have a plan or something.

[Novak Fan]

I have to say what story arc? lol ;)
Seriously :( they are totally ignoring her, I still think her character have a lot of potential and they are just wasting her.

[CorkLad]

I honestly don't know why but I can't stand her character she is just annoying

[aXem]

one of my least favorite characters of season 1

they spent too much time on her multiple personalities, imo. I haven't seen any of season 2 yet, though.

[Novak Fan]

Originally posted by aXem


they spent too much time on her multiple personalities, imo. I haven't seen any of season 2 yet, though.

You think so? imo I think they did totally the opposite, even with episodes like The Fix or Godsend I think that they didn't make a good job with the development on this character.

[aXem]

I mean if I was interested in the story, I'd agree.
But I found it too repetitive, that's why I say too much time was given to it.

Really, that whole family was the low point of Season1 for me.

They got interesting toward the end of S1 though.

[Novak Fan]

You should wacth season 2 then, at least Micah's plot got interesting at the end ;)

[Novak Fan]

Damn, she is dead :(