Captain Mohler [1] was apparently the ranking officer at the Nazis' island base near Crete. Prior to his arrival, Belloq had radioed Mohler and told him to set up the Tabernacle for the Ark-opening ceremony. He and Belloq had made a deal whereby Mohler would arrange the Jewish ceremony, in return for Belloq speaking favorably of him once back in Berlin.[2] He met Belloq and Dietrich at the base when they arrived, then walked with them, Toht, the captive Marion Ravenwood and several soldiers to the Tabernacle. During the ceremony, Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood were tied to a stake and Mohler, along with the rest of the soldiers at the Tabernacle, watched Belloq begin the ceremony with Dietrich and Arnold Ernst Toht at his side. Spirits flew out of the Ark, and Belloq shouted it was beautiful, seconds before one of the spirits transformed into the Angel of Death. Belloq's body absorbed the holy fires of the Ark, which shot outward from his body, killing Mohler along with the rest of the soldiers. The bodies of all the Nazis were then swept away by a whirlwind.
Behind the Scenes
- Mohler, credited as Tall Captain, was played by Tony Vogel in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- Despite being seen in the procession heading through the canyon he isn't immediately visible in the crowd of Nazis at the Tabernacle, but nothing states that he was not killed during the ceremony. Furthermore, the novelization implies he does die when the Ark is opened, by having him present at the scene, and the comic book more explicitly shows or at least implies his demise, by having him (or an officer meant to be him) subdue Jones at the Tabernacle, and thus be present when the Ark is opened. Because of this, he was undoubtedly killed in the Tabernacle in all official canon.
- In the script he is killed by being shot during Indy's escape which does not occur in the final film.
Appearances
- Raiders of the Lost Ark novel (First appearance)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Raiders of the Lost Ark comic