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Senator Roark
The roark!!!
Occupation: Politician
Gender: Male
Comic Appearances: That Yellow Bastard
Film Appearances: Sin City
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Affiliation(s): Roark Junior
Liebowitz
Patrick Henry Roark
Portrayed by: Powers Boothe
Now, who wants to play?
— Senator Roark

Senator Ethan Roark Sr. is a rich, corrupt politician, who holds most of Basin City in his grip. These privileges are inherited by his son, Roark Junior. Senator Roark murdered his wife with a baseball bat, for which he was never arrested, even though (by his own admission) he left his fingerprints all over the crime scene. He also is the brother of Cardinal Roark; his other brother serves as an Attorney General (not featured).

That Yellow Bastard[]

Senator Roark hopes for his son to become President of the United States, but Junior presents a serious problem: he enjoys raping and murdering pre-pubescent girls. Senator Roark uses his police connections to cover up his son's crimes, but when Junior kidnaps 11 year-old Nancy Callahan, Detective John Hartigan shoots off Junior's ear, hand, and genitals with a .44 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver.

Senator Roark then visits Hartigan in the hospital, explaining that he actually has no intention of killing him. Instead, he plans to finance Hartigan's medical treatment to keep him alive; his ultimate plan is to frame Hartigan for Junior's crimes while Junior recovers from surgery. He then says that he will kill anyone to whom Hartigan tells the truth. Hartigan serves eight years in prison until he confesses to Junior's crimes, with the Senator personally appearing at his parole hearing. During these years, the Senator had recourse to alternative medicines and "Witch doctors" in order to heal his son and restore his reproductive organs and eventually obtain an heir for his dynasty.

By the end of the story, Hartigan kills Junior; he then commits suicide with a .44 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk revolver, rendering Senator Roark unable to have revenge. In his final narration, Hartigan mentions that the Roark family line is ended, the Senator's plans for a legacy now destroyed which completely angers Roark.

The Long Bad Night[]

Johnny buys into the backroom poker game lead by the all-powerful Senator Roark. Johnny repeatedly wins in the high-stakes game, and cleans the senator out. Later, the Senator is waiting for him. In payment for the humilation he suffered at the card game, Roark takes back his money, then reveals a pair of pliers, which he uses to break three of Johnny's fingers. They toss him from the car and the Senator shoots him in the leg, at which point he reveals that he has recognized Johnny as his illegitimate son, but remarks that he only considered his dead son Roark Jr. (who was killed during the events of the first film) his flesh and blood. He leaves Johnny alive, preferring to let him suffer, and Johnny swears revenge. Later, Johnny flees to her hotel, but finds the Senator waiting for him along with Marcie's dismembered head and hands. Again, the senator lets him go. Intent on taking down Roark. Later, playing with significantly less confidence, Johnny folds his first few hands, allowing Roark, who taunts him about his dead mother. He is able to once again con Roark into going all in, and then reveals his winning hand. Johnny taunts his father, reminding him that the story of how he was beaten twice by the same man will follow him for the rest of his life. His vengeance completed, Johnny smiles resignedly as Roarke shoots him in the head, commanding his men to get rid of the body.

Nancy's Last Dance[]

Nancy and Marv mount an assault on Roark's compound, and Marv brutally slaughters Roark's bodyguards while Nancy picks off the guards with a crossbow. Marv is wounded, and Nancy continues on to confront Roark by herself. Roarke shoots her several times and is about to finish her off when he is distracted by the ghost of Hartigan appearing in a mirror, which gives Nancy enough time to recover and shoot him dead.

His death is a case of retroactive continuity as in the first film, following Cardinal Roark's killing, a newspaper clipping shows "Senator Roark decries atrocity", at which point Marv would be held in custody awaiting trial.

Sin City (film)[]

Senator Roark was portrayed by Powers Boothe in the movie. The role was also offered to Christopher Walken and Willem Dafoe, who both turned it down.

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For[]

Powers Boothe reprised his role of Senator Roark in this film.

Gallery[]

Comics[]

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For[]

Sin City
Films Sin City - Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Main Characters Miho - Dwight McCarthy - Gail - Marv - Ava Lord - Wendy - Goldie - Johnny - John Hartigan - Nancy Callahan - Bob - Mort - Marcie - Sally - Joey Canelli - Becky - The Colonel - Customer - Lucille - Manute - Shellie - Senator Roark - Wallenquist - Dallas - Delia - Wallace
Groups Girls of Old Town - Basin City Police Department - Roark family - Irish mercenaries - Magliozzi Family - The Bikers - Wallenquist Organization
Locations Basin City - Old Town - Sacred Oaks - The Projects - The Pits - Kadie's - The Docks - Mimi's - Farm
Music Sin City (soundtrack) - Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For (soundtrack)
Comics The Hard Goodbye - A Dame To Kill For - The Babe Wore Red and Other Stories - The Big Fat Kill - Silent Night - That Yellow Bastard - Daddy's Little Girl - Lost, Lonely & Lethal - Sex & Violence - Just Another Saturday Night - Family Values - Booze, Broads, & Bullets - Hell And Back
Short Stories And Behind Door Number Three? - The Customer is Always Right - The Babe Wore Red - Fat Man and Little Boy - Blue Eyes - Rats - Wrong Turn - Wrong Track
Original Yarns The Long Bad Night - Nancy's Last Dance
Important Articles Chronology - Fan Art - Sin City - Sin City Comics to Film Differences - The Truce - Yarns
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