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This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
- NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Black Mask from the DC Extended Universe. The mainstream version can be found here: Black Mask (DC).
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| “ | F-ck family. All due respect, but f-ck that. Family's a f-cking illusion. You know what my family gave me? Nothing. I know what everyone says, "Here comes Roman Sionis. He was handed life on a silver spoon. Gin and tonics at five. I'll have the duck." Blah blah blah. Fake f-cking f—cks. But, look at me now. I've located the Bertinelli diamond. I'm about to own this city. Not just the East End. I am thinking big, baby, and I want you there with me. We could make our own family. | „ |
| ~ Roman Sionis to Mr. Keo. |
| “ | I wanna kill you. Because without the Joker around...I can. For all your noise and bluster, you're just a...a silly little girl, with no one around to protect her. | „ |
| ~ Sionis to Harley Quinn. |
| “ | Friends. Brothers. Men of Gotham! I have funded you. I've protected you. I have scratched your backs just to keep you out jail. Now, it's time to say thank you. Go show those little bitches you don't mess with Roman Sionis!!! | „ |
| ~ Black Mask giving a speech to his followers. |
Roman Sionis, also better known by the alias Black Mask, is the main antagonist of the 2020 DC Extended Universe film Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
He is a powerful Gotham City crime lord, the owner of the Black Mask Club and the boss of Victor Zsasz, who seeks to take control over all of Gotham by acquiring the Bertinelli fortune. However, after the street orphan Cassandra Cain accidentally gets the Bertinelli Diamond, which will grant access to whoever has to the eponymous fortune, Black Mask puts a reward on Cain so he can take the diamond. He is also the archenemy of Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey.
He was portrayed by Ewan McGregor, who also played Mark Renton in the Trainspotting duology, Stephen Wilson in Eye of the Beholder, Tom Lincoln in The Island, Terry Blaine in Cassandra's Dream, Patrick McKenna in Angels and Demons, Ray Stussy in Fargo and a possessing Overlook Hotel in Doctor Sleep.
History[]
Roman Sionis was first seen in the movie at his club where he tries to convince a Chinese mob boss to join his criminal empire only to be shut down. He draws the attention of Harley Quinn, who just broke his driver and bodyguard's legs.
He asks her if she is having a good time and if her boyfriend, the Joker, will be joining them. She replies that Joker has some business to take care of and she will be leaving soon. Before leaving he says to her that he sends his regards. Unbeknownst to him and everybody in Gotham, The Joker and Harley broke up.
The next day, he watches Dinah Lance (Black Canary), his club's featured singer, defending an unconscious Harley from two rapists. He is so impressed by Dinah's fighting skills that he decides to promote her to be his new personal bodyguard and driver so he sends his right-hand man Victor Zsasz to pick her up and tell her the news.
The same day, he goes to a warehouse where he holds a Chinese mob boss, along with the man's wife and daughter, captive. He decides to send a message to all criminals in Gotham who don't work for him of what could happen if they refuse to join him, so he orders Zsasz to brutally murder the mob boss, along with his wife and daughter.
After this, he discovers the location of the Bertinelli diamond, which contains a code to access the Bertinelli fortune; he plans to use the money to bribe every cop and politician in Gotham City and become its most powerful crime lord. Cassandra Cain steals the diamond from Zsasz, however, so Sionis resolves to kill her and Harley, who no longer enjoys the Joker's protection because she and the Clown Prince of Crime have broken up.
He was killed when Cass plants a grenade on him and Harley throws him off a pier; he screams before being blown to bits.
Personality[]
Roman Sionis is said to be an absolute narcissist who is also rather misogynistic and foul-tempered individual. He is also highly ambitious and power-hungry, sadistic, and emotionally unstable. He appears to see his right-hand man/best friend and theorized lover Victor Zsasz as an obsession as they both love violence. He also appears to have some level of attraction towards his new driver/bodyguard Dinah Lance but that went away after she turned on him.
Trivia[]
- Black Mask is, so far, not only one of the few characters in the DC Extended Universe to be LGBT, but the first incarnation of Black Mask to be so. In the mainstream comic book continuity, Black Mask has always been depicted as straight.
- Despite this, Roman Sionis' sexuality was never addressed in the finished film. However, it's not strange for characters to be announced as LGBT in a film for their sexuality to not be acknowledged onscreen like with Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films or Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
- Even so, two possible hints that may reference his sexuality are the mention that Roman was disowned by his father, which perhaps may have something to do with Roman's sexual orientation, and that Harley Quinn mentions at one point that Roman dislikes her for having a vagina, possibly indicating that Sionis doesn't like women at all. However, given his interaction with Black Canary, it's likely that Sionis is bisexual.
- Despite this, Roman Sionis' sexuality was never addressed in the finished film. However, it's not strange for characters to be announced as LGBT in a film for their sexuality to not be acknowledged onscreen like with Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films or Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
- Ewan McGregor's performance as Black Mask was praised by film critics, much like Margot Robbie's reprisal as Harley Quinn.
- Unlike the comic version who only got a skull look in No Mans Land via cutting up his own face, this version wears a skull mask.
- A reference to Black Mask was previously seen in Justice League, as a building of Janus Cosmetics can be seen as part of Gotham City's skyline.
- This is the first live-action appearance of Roman Sionis and the second live-action appearance of someone using the Black Mask identity. Black Mask had appeared in the first season of Gotham, although the identity of the character was Roman's father, Richard Sionis.
- Roman Sionis is the second main antagonist in a DC Extended Universe (following Lex Luthor) to not have any superpowers or cosmic abilities. Additionally, his motives are much lower in scale compared to previous main villains as he only wants to rule Gotham City.
- Black Mask's death is, by far, considered one of the most graphic of the DC Extended Universe. It also sparked controversy for die-hard DC fans for his shortlived portrayal in the DC Extended Universe.
External Links[]
- Black Mask on the Pure Evil Wiki.
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