- "Neither the Communists nor A.P.R.A. will ever gain freedom for Peru from the Europeans and their oligarchical puppets! With our Neo-Incan empire we will throw them all out and rule ourselves."
- ―Felipe Uribe[src]
Felipe Uribe was a notorious Peruvian playboy whose family was closely tied to ancient history and archaeology, his father being the renowned Doctor Andrés Silvio Uribe and his sister being the highly-qualified Professor Francisca Uribe del Arco. By 1937, Felipe was living in Buenos Aires, Argentina until he sent a mysterious package to Francisca at her temporal residence at Fairfield, New York, prompting his sister and the American archaeologist Indiana Jones to look for him, with Felipe eventually reveleaing himself as the ambitious leader of an Incan revival movement who wished to gain the Chimu Taya Arms of Cuzco to reestablish the Incan Empire. Blaming Indiana Jones for his father's damaged reputation, Felipe had planned with Francisca to kill the archaeologist before employing the Arms of Cuzco to destroy all European traces from their home country, but the powers of the Arms proved too much for him to handle and Felipe perished in an earthquake at his stronghold in Lake Titicaca.
Biography[]
Early life[]
- "On his deathbed, Papa had us swear to claim vengeance -- to ruin your reputation, to kill you! So we forged El Dedo de Oro from the Cholo diary drawings to trap the famous Jones."
- ―Felipe Uribe to Indiana Jones[src]
Felipe Uribe was born in the archeological Uribe family, being the son of Doctor Andrés Silvio Uribe and the brother of Professor Francisca Uribe del Arco, whom Felipe affectionally nicknamed as "Mi Gran Tigre" (My Great Tiger). The Uribe siblings were acquaintanced with their father's friend Professor Julio Huertas, whom they regarded as an uncle, as well as their father's assistant Ricardo. When the Uribe siblings grew up, both took different directions: Felipe adopted the lifestyle of a playboy while Francisca went to study in prestiguous faculties such as the Universidad Municipal de Lima, Wellesley College, Harvard University, Yale University and the Sorbonne. However, the two still remained close and shared a residence in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[1]
In 1922, the ideal life of the Uribe family came to an unexpected end, however. During an excavation to the Royal Tombs of Ur in Ur, Iraq, the Pu-Abi Harp was apparently discovered by Doctor Uribe but the American archaeologist Indiana Jones was credited for uncovering it. Unknown to the three Uribes, Andrés had gotten the calendar dates wrong,[1] in addition that his reputation was also damaged by the unscrupulous French mercenary René Emile Belloq absconding and selling several artifacts from the dig to the black market.[2] Thus, on his deathbed, the Uribe patriarch made Felipe and Francisca promise that they would claim vengeance by ruining Jones' reputation and killing him. As such, the two siblings decided to lure Jones to South America with the legend of the Chimu Taya Arms of Cuzco, unaware that the artifact was actually real.[1]
Around the 1930s, while keeping his playboy lifestyle, Felipe got engaged with the socialite Elise Farthington, who got along with Francisca and their "Uncle" Huertas. Francisca also claimed that Felipe once rented an aeroplane to fly the mail route across the Andes as part of a prank. To do so, Felipe was assisted by the French World War I hero Antoine d'Espere, who often flew him to whatever destinations he wished in his seek for pleasure, such as Peru.[1]
Becoming the Neo-Incan Emperor[]
- "The Arms of Gold are the key! With de la Posco's map, we'll find them and destroy them -- to shape stone! To destroy Lima or any other centers of foreign power that --"
- ―Felipe to Francisca[src]
Between the 1920s and 1930s, Felipe somehow came into contact with an Incan revival moment of his home country, which wished to get rid of any European oligarchic presence from the face of Peru following the unsuccessful campaigns of the American People's Revolutionary Alliance (A.P.R.A.) and the Communists to expel all European immperialists from the country, which for instance, resulted in Huertas being exiled from Peru. Indoctrinating himself in their beliefs, Felipe became the Emperor of what he and his acolytes saw as a Neo-Incan Empire that would restore Peru to its former glory by throwing out all pro-Europe supporters within the Peruvian government, establishing a stronghold of their own. Despite this, Felipe still planned Jones' doom with Francisca.[1]
In 1936, in order to fully dedicate himself to his new cause, Felipe decided to leave Argentina and fly back to Peru, cutting off all contact with his acquaintances, including his uncle figure and his fianceé, the latter who was preparing to pick him up for dinner and was angry at his unexplained betrayal. However, before leaving, Felipe visited the Museo de las Pacificas, checked on Vasco de la Posco's diary under Eduardo's supervision for hours while it was on display so he could make a fake map to trick Jones, but before he could do so, Felipe realized that the Chimu Taya Arms of Cuzco were actually real, so he decided to lure Jones to Peru, execute him there and seek for the Arms of Gold so he could use them to destroy Lima and any other centers of foreign power.[1]
Now ready to enact his father's posthumous revenge, Felipe forged El Dedo de Oro drawn in de la Posco's diary, sent it in a package to Francisca while she stayed in Fairfield, New York from their apartment and fled from Argentina through d'Espere's assistance, also cutting off any contact with him after returning to his home country, much to d'Espere's consternation. He also swayed Ricardo, his father's assistant, to join the Neo-Incans as well, recruiting him as his Villac Venu (High Priest).[1]
Search for the Arms of Gold[]
- "Well, Jones. My father would be pleased. You can now witness the full power of Incan might before your execution."
- ―Emperor Felipe to Indiana Jones[src]
In 1937, months after his disappearance from the public eye, Francisca received Felipe's package with supposed El Dedo de Oro, much to her amazement and Jones', who had been invited by Francisca into her temporal residence. After two criminals unsuccessfully tried to steal the package with the Finger, the two archaeologists sailed to Buenos Aires to check on Felipe, so they requested a sabbatical to Barnett College chairman Snedly to search the Chimu Taya Arms of Cuzco. Upon disembarking, Indy and Francisca went to Felipe's apartment, but Professor Huertas, who informed them about Felipe's disappearance. Finding that Elise was in Buenos Aires, Francisca and Indy visited her at the Tango Palace club one night and realized thanks to Elise what were Felipe's footsteps, leading them to uncover a map hidden in de la Posco's diary.[1]
Following an unexpected attack from the Soldiers of the Sun, Felipe's sister and enemy decided to fly to Lake Titicaca between Peru and Bolivia with Antoine d'Espere's help to find Felipe, but d'Espere crashes with his plane, so Indy and Francisca parachute to safety and sleep in the forests, only to be awakened by Felipe's Neo-Incans the following morning. They then take them to Tahuantinsuyu, but before Ricardo can execute them as human sacrifices after sacrificing a llama, Felipe comes sitting on a palanquin and halts the sacrifices, happy at seeing his sister again and the chance of killing Jones for disgracing the Uribe name.[1]
Felipe and Francisca talked to each other, but Felipe's sister was astonished at the delusions of grandeur her brother was having, promising to restore the Incans to power. It was then that Felipe revealed their true intentions to Jones for ruining their father's reputation by ruining Jones' in turn and kill him, but admitted that he hadn't ordered the attack of Soldiers of the Sun's presence at Buenos Aires as none of his soldiers had left their posts — unknown to the Uribes and Jones, those "Incans" had been sent by Major Claude Reed-Whitby — before proceeding to sentence Jones to death by freezing on a mountain top as sacrifice. Having had a change of heart after being saved by Jones, Francisca implored Felipe to spare him, but Felipe refused and announced his plans to find the Arms of Gold and use them to shape stone, destroy Lima, any centers of foreign power, Communists and the A.P.R.A. so they could rule together the Neo-Incan Empire: akin to ancient Incan traidition, Felipe intended Francisca to serve as his consort for being of his own bloodline and have a family line.[1]
Some days later, after Jones survived his planned execution, Felipe's soldiers tracked him down to Pachacuti's tomb, massacred Major Reed-Whitby and his men and retrieve the Chimu Taya Arms of Cuzco from the foreigners. Jones was then taken before Felipe and Francisca, who was now in Felipe's control thanks to a mild dose of coca. Felipe then hosted a stone-shaped ceremony to harness the power of the Arms of Cuzco, but suddenly, an earthquake started, shaking the temple until it started to fall apart. As a dismayed Felipe couldn't believe what was happening, Francisca revealed to have feigned being drugged and decided to escape with Jones through the tunnels. Despite what he had attempted to do with her, Francisca implored Felipe to escape with them, but Felipe didn't move and, in an heroic act of redemption, pushed his sister away just as Pachacuti's statue fell on him. Seconds before being fatally crushed, Felipe called for his "Papa", fully aware that he would be with his father again.[1]
Personality and traits[]
- Indiana Jones: "What's your brother doing in B.A.?"
- Francisca Uribe del Arco: "Probably living it up! He's a notorious playboy. I'm the serious one in the family."
- ―Indiana Jones and Felipe's sister talking about him, unaware of his secret beliefs[src]
At first glance, Felipe Uribe looked like a notorious playboy without concerns. His sister Francisca remarked that she was the serious one of her family, suggesting that Felipe was known for behaving immaturely most of the time, such as when he rented an aeroplane to fly the mail route across the Andes just for pranking or how he always left his "uncle" Julio without informing him in week-long sprees. He also possibly enjoyed gambling, as his sister noted that as the most plausible reason for Felipe to obtain the Finger of Gold, and had odd pleasures, like one of his friends noted. He was considered attractive by several woman; a Museo de las Pacificas employee regarded him as a "charming" man.[1]
However, after being indoctrinated into the Neo-Incan beliefs, Felipe became desilusional with grandeur aspirations, feeling that he had found his destiny: wishing that no more Spanish would be spoken, that the time of the Incas had returned and that returning to the Incan roots through the Chimu Taya Arms of Cuzco's powers was Peru's future. He also believed that the Incan gods had surrendered Indiana Jones to him for retribution and warned Jones that he could die in complete darkness near the goddess moon. His descent to madness even made him order Francisca to become his consort akin to old Incan tradition and had no qualms over drugging her with coca so she could take her time to convince herself of the wisdom of his plans, ignoring the incest starting a family line with her would cause.[1]
In spite of his flawed lifestyle before and after his Neo-Incan indoctrination, Felipe's love for his family was never shredded: while he abandoned his fianceé without explanations, Felipe deeply loved his sister and his father. It was his father's death and damaged reputation that led both siblings to seek revenge against Jones, with Felipe expressing his belief that their father would be proud of them honoring his dying wish. He had an affectionate relationship with his sister, nicknaming her as "Mi Gran Tigre" and even sharing an apartment. Though he later threatened her by saying that she would not be in charge anymore and that he tried to drug her to force their mariage, in his last moments, Felipe chose to save Francisca from being crushed by Pachacuti's statue, proving that he never stopped caring for her.[1]