Jenner

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Villain Overview Gallery

Evil-doer
Full Name	Jenner
Alias	None
Origin	The Secret Of NIMH
Occupation	High-ranking rat senator Political opponent of Nicodemus
Powers / Skills	Advanced intelligence Charisma Eloquent orator Slowed aging Combat proficiency Swordsmanship
Hobby	Scheming.
Goals	Kill Nicodemus (succeeded). Remain in the rose bush. Steal the mysterious magic stone from Mrs. Brisby. Become the leader of the rats (all failed).
Crimes	Conspiracy High treason Murder Usurpation Abuse of power Attempted theft
Type of Villain	Feral Traitor

“	No taste for blood, huh? They've taken the animal out of you.	„
	~ Jenner taunting his henchman Sullivan for his lack of evil.

“	I've learned this much: take what you can, when you can!	„
	~ Jenner's last words, and his most famous quote.

Jenner is the main antagonist of Don Bluth's 1st feature film The Secret of NIMH, which is based on the 1971 children's book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by the late Robert C. O'Brien. It is based on the novel's character of the same name.

He was voiced by the late Paul Shenar, who also played Alejandro Sosa in the 1983 Scarface remake.

Biography

Beginnings

Just like the other rats of NIMH, Jenner started out as a ordinary street rat scourging for food alongside his kind until they were captured by men who were working for an institution called NIMH. There, Jenner, along with the rats and mice, were subjected to torture and experimentation, which surprisingly increased their intelligence.

With that in mind, Jenner escaped from NIMH with the other rats through the the ventilation systems, where most of the mice were blown away to their deaths (except for two, Jonathan Brisby and Mr. Ages). As the rats of NIMH (led by Nicodemus) took refuge in a rose bush near the Fitzgibbons' farm and formed a society of their own, Jenner became power hungry as he intends to overthrow Nicodemus to become the new leader of the rats, even openly criticizing Nicodemus' plan to evade to Thorn Valley in case the humans would find out.

Meeting Brisby

During a meeting with the rat council, Jenner continues voicing his opposition towards Nicodemus' plan of evading to Thorn Valley, demanding that they remain in the rose bush. When one of the rats pointed out that the farmer will find out and bring in more humans to exterminate them all, Jenner suggested that they should fight back against the humans, but the rats are not happy about this, knowing that doing so would put them in even more danger.

Eventually, Jonathan's widow by the name of Mrs. Brisby comes to the rats to ask for help moving her home, as she can't move her family without risking her son Timothy's health (due to having pneumonia). Mr. Ages and Justin (the captain of the guards) plead to the council that they use their machinery that they stole from the farmer to move the Brisby home into a safer place, but the council is very reluctant as they have their own problems. However, Jenner immediately voices his support to help move the Brisby home under the impression that it would honor the late Jonathan before convincing the council to support for it. Mrs. Brisby was uneasy with Jenner's presence, but thanked him anyway.

As Nicodemus, Justin and Mrs. Brisby are leaving for their boat ride, it turns out that Jenner intends to exploit the situation to kill Nicodemus as he carefully explains his plan to his confidant Sullivan: he will sabotage the operation by cutting the ropes that will be used to lift and move the Brisby home in the hopes that it will crush Nicodemus. Sullivan expresses reluctance to taking such a risk and when he asks what to do about Justin, Jenner replies that he'll handle Justin himself.

Killing Nicodemus

During the moving of the Brisby home under the supervision of Nicodemus, Jenner and Sullivan stand ready to cut the ropes. Sullivan then starts to have second thoughts, but Jenner threatens him not to back down, saying that he has involved in it up to his neck. Eventually, as the home towers over Nicodemus, Jenner cuts the ropes himself (despite Sullivan's objections), dropping the Brisby home and killing Nicodemus in the process.

With Nicodemus dead and the rats fallen into grief, Jenner uses the situation to declare himself as the new leader and persuade the other rats to return to the rose bush. However, Mrs. Brisby arrives after drugging the Fitzgibbons' cat Dragon and informs the rats that the farmer has received a call from NIMH, who intends to send its exterminators to bulldoze the rose bush and wipe out the rats tomorrow morning with the farmer's permission. Jenner refused to believe this by calling Mrs. Brisby a hysterical liar and demanded the other rats to follow him, but they refused as they want to leave for Thorn Valley tonight as Nicodemus planned for. Having enough and deciding to make an example of his leadership, an angry Jenner shows his true colors by wielding out his sword in an attempt to kill Mrs. Brisby.

Finally realizing that Jenner has gone mad, a remorseful Sullivan confesses to Justin about the incident, prompting Justin to defend Mrs. Brisby by telling Jenner to leave her alone. However, Jenner refuses by slashing Justin in the arm and spotting the stone of power given to Mrs. Brisby by Nicodemus, desiring the magical item for himself. Fortunately, Sullivan gives his sword to Justin, but ends up being mortally slashed in the chest by Jenner.

Death

Justin and Jenner then engage into a swordfight over the fate of the rats of NIMH. During the duel, Justin (being aware of Jenner's wrath and presumably informed by Sullivan) openly berates Jenner for deliberately sabotaging the moving that killed Nicodemus in the first place. In his rage, Jenner openly admits to this by saying that Nicodemus wanted to destroy everything they had and that he should "take what you can, when you can."

Knowing all too well that Jenner is too dangerous to be kept alive, Justin states that "Jenner has learned nothing" and defeats him by stabbing him in the stomach, putting him in great pain. Taking over as the new leader of the rats, Justin makes his announcement to the rats that they should leave for Thorn Valley as planned, but Jenner sneaks up behind him atop a large stone and prepares to kill him from behind. Fortunately, Sullivan takes out his dagger and throws it into Jenner's back, instantly causing him to fall off the rock and into the mud to his death. Satisfied that he put an end to Jenner's madness, Sullivan peacefully dies succumbing to his wounds, and Justin and the other rats mourn for Sullivan's death.

Mrs. Brisby would later use the stone of power to easily move her home away from the mud to a safer place while Justin and the rats evacuate for Thorn Valley, leaving Jenner's plot for power in complete vain.

Personality

“	He is consumed by a lust for power. Thus far, the amulet has remained safely hidden. But if he finds it, heaven help us.	„
	~ Nicodemus about Jenner.

Jenner is a hateful, power-hungry and heartless rat of NIMH, who opposed their leader, the old and wise Nicodemus just because he hated not being in power and opposed the drastic change for the better promised, wanting things to remain the same. Like all of the rats of the Rose Bush, Jenner is highly rational and knowledgeable in nature due to the experiments conducted on him by the scientists of NIMH. Despite this, he retains his animalistic nature much more than any of his fellow rats. He is far and away the least civilised and human-like of them all, with his entire goal to keep his way of life the same being reminiscent to a territorial dispute between two animals. While he accuses Nicodemus to lead his people to uncertain fate at best or starvation in the desert at worst, it is blatant that he just oppose any change whastoever, no matter how justified.

His bellicose nature, murderous solution to every situation, and frail grasp on sanity could be a side effect of the performance enhancers experimented on him; or perhaps by their failure, as he is the only one to be so brutal and destructive to the point of searching conflict instead of peaceful resolution for the sake of it, and immediately resorting to murder anyone on his way. Aside from his megalomaniacal and treacherous nature, Jenner seems to be a misanthrope due to the experiments conducted on him in NIMH. He was ready to attack the humans before they found the Rose Bush despite his people being outnumbered and completely powerless against them, and presumably was plotting to steal Mrs. Brisby's magical amulet to use against humanity.

That said, Jenner is charismatic and sophisticated, being an excellent orator able to convince a crowd with seemingly sound reasonning and mostly conforting lies, and to convince Sullivan to take part of his scheme to kill Nicodemus despite his initial reservations. Nevertheless, most of his eloquence is outright slander, fear-mongering and hate-mongering, with the first thing said to describe him being his hatred and trash-talk of his political rivals.

Truth to be told, his smooth-talking, sophisticated exterior is nothing more than a very thin veil, not even concealing his smug self-aggrandisement, short temper, and deeply unhinged, feral nature. He is at heart a savage, bloodthirsty beast who scorns anyone he deems not animalistic enough, and is delusionally persuaded that a swarm of rats, no matter how evolved, stands a chance against humans' farming tools, let alone highly equipped and prepared scientists. He absolutely despises any sort of contradiction or authority superseding his own, and it takes only the slightest inconvenience to make him fly in vicious, homicidal rages. While not stupid by any stretch of imagination, he is considerably less intelligent that he fancies himself to be, his plans being admittedly well-thought but at best opportunistic and unprepared for setbacks, at worst doomed from the start. Not to mention thoroughly unable to fathom anything outside of his own self-absorbed narrative.

As such, when Mrs. Brisby says NIMH is coming to kill all of the rats, right after he killed Nicodemus to seize power, Jenner cannot think of an excuse, blatantly and unconvincingly accusing her of lying before assaulting her with full intent to kill. Even worse, knowing that staying in the Rosebush would doom all the colony he wants to rule very soon, he would rather doom them all to remain in control for the short time they have left than evacuate and rule for longer in a safer place. Thus demonstrating his obsessive, counter-intuitive focus on short-term benefits, and sheer inability to think ahead.

It is made clear that Justin's oppostion and Sullivan repeatedly doubting him have tried Jenner's paper-thin patience, and being so close to his end goal only to have it snatched way from him shattered his tenuous grasp on sanity, making him succumb back to his animalistic nature completely. It only takes Mrs Brisby's attempt to save the rats he wants to rule to send him into a increasingly berserker murderous frenzy. In such a state, he tries to kill Mrs Brisby in full view of his new subjects, despite her having proved her good will towards them. Then he attacks Justin at once, indifferent to his attempts to reason with him, slaying his accomplice and gleefully admitting his murder of Nicodemus. As such, no one mourns him for even a second, and he is forgotten right after his demise.

Powers and abilities

As explained by Nicodemus, the NIMH experiments gave the rats and mice they captured, in addition to incredible intelligence, also the slowing down of the natural aging process. Therefore Jenner, in addition to great intelligence, is plausibly capable of aging at a different rate than that of a normal rat. In addition to this he is also a skilled swordsman, as shown during his duel against Justin.

Quotes

“	The Plan is nothing but folly! A doddering old fool's fantasy! Nicodemus would have us destroy this colony only to lead us to starvation in some wilderness!	„
	~ Jenner's first words in the film.

“	Hear me! The Thorn Valley Plan is the aspiration of idiots and dreamers! We... ha ha ha. We were just talking about you.	„
	~ Jenner speaking to the council, then to Justin when he notices he's entered the room.

“	Mrs. Brisby! A thousand pardons, my dear! Forgive the ill temper of my colleague. It would be an honor to assist Jonathan's widow in any way. We are but your humble servants.	„
	~ Jenner pretending to be kind to Mrs. Brisby.

“	With Nicodemus out of the way, what's to stop us from taking over? (Sullivan: Jenner, you can't kill Nicodemus!) No taste for blood, huh? They've taken the animal out of you? (Sullivan: What if we're discovered?) Listen. The Brisby house is a large cement block. In the moving, what if it should fall? (Sullivan: An accident?) Of course! Cut the lines, and the weight of it will crush his bones! (Sullivan, hesitantly: It's risky.) Once rid of Nicodemus, the plan will die. We can stay here as long as we like. (Sullivan: But what about Justin?) Leave him to me....	„
	~ Jenner explaining to his reluctant accomplice Sullivan his evil plan to murder Nicodemus.

“	Don't get any ideas, my friend. You're in this up to your neck!	„
	~ Jenner threatening Sullivan.

“	One day we shall journey to Thorn Valley just as Nicodemus wanted...but not now. Come. Let us return to the rosebush. Where we belong.	„
	~ Jenner attempting to get the rats to go back to the rose bush.

“	(Justin: It was you! You did it! You killed Nicodemus! That was no accident!) Yes. I killed him!	„
	~ Jenner admitting that he killed Nicodemus when Justin figures it out.

“	I've learned this much: Take what you can, when you can!	„
	~ Jenner's last words.

Trivia

• In the original novel, Jenner is a minor character. He is not seen, except in a flashback narrated by Nicodemus. In the novel he begins as Nicodemus' friend during the rats' escape from NIMH, but starts to grow apart when he opposes Nicodemus' plan to leave the farm and live independently. Jenner prefers to stay on the farm and slowly drive the humans out. Eventually, he leads a splinter group of rats away to start their own colony. It is later heard that a number of rats were found electrocuted in a hardware store, but whether or not this is Jenner's group is uncertain. This version of Jenner will return in Racso and the Rats of NIMH, the official sequel to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, written by Leslie Jane Conly (daughter of Robert C. O'Brien) where it is revealed that he survived the accident that he killed his followers and, after a slow and difficult recovery, married and had two children, of whom the son, Racso, is the book's titular protagonist. In this sequel he is described as an extremely strict father but motivated by deep love for his family, and will have a heroic death to help his son and his companions (die by electrocution, as was believed during the events of the first book).
• Overall, the figure of Jenner, in the continuity of the books, is seen in an anti-heroic key, given that he hates humans for what he has suffered from them, would like to fight them with violence and is absolutely not embittered by the idea of ​​leading a life as a thief, but at the same time he is a loving father and a loyal friend of Nicodemus, he has no ambitions for power and domination, he is driven only by a thirst for revenge against humans and prefers to abandon the NIMH rat community rather than assassinate its leader and take his post.
• As an interesting fact, according to Don Bluth, Jenner's voice actor, the late Paul Shenar was supposed to voice Borf in the 1984 videogame Space Ace. However, he was unable to voice the character at that moment. Instead, Don Bluth was able to voice the character.
• Jenner is Paul Shenar's only voice role.
• When Sullivan fatally stabs Jenner, he isn't holding his sword in the next shot.

External Links

• Jenner on the Pure Evil Wiki