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CallMeJunior
"...don't call me Junior!"
The title of this article is a nickname. This article is about a canonical subject that lacks a proper name, and is known only by its nickname or callsign. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page or explanation in the article itself.

A Ratty Nepalese resided in Patan, Nepal in 1936, working as a guide and goon-for-hire for travellers. That year, he served as one of Nazi Gestapo intelligence agents Major Arnold Ernst Toht and Otto’s henchmen alongside two others as the two Germans were visiting Patan to retrieve the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra from Marion Ravenwood at her bar, The Raven, for their mission to unearth the Ark of the Covenant at the Well of the Souls at Tanis outside Cairo, Egypt. However, as they were torturing Marion, American archaeologist Indiana Jones showed up and a gunfight ensued, with the Nepalese man being killed during the brawl.

Biography[]

Nepalese, Mongolian, Germans

Major Arnold Ernst Toht, Agent Otto, the Mongolian and the Nepalese goon arriving at the bar.

In 1936, the travelling Nazi Gestapo intelligence agent Major Arnold Ernst Toht and his partner Otto hired this Nepalese Sherpa, another goon of Mongolian origin and a larger fellow Sherpa to help them in their mission to find the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra which they would retrieve from American Marion Ravenwood at her bar The Raven. As with his fellows, Toht secured the Nepalese's loyalty by paying him with a handful of cash.[3]

Ratty Nepalese watching Marion

The goons subtly surrounding Marion Ravenwood.

The five men arrived outside the bar shortly after it had closed following a drinking contest between Marion and an Australian climber, won by the former, but the men could not yet enter the building as American archaeologist Indiana Jones, an old friend of Ravenwood, was visiting the bar that night. After Jones had left, the Nepalese man, the Mongolian and the two Germans entered the bar, leaving the larger goon outside in case they needed backup. Toht spoke to the bar owner as Otto stood by the fire, the Nepalese man stood in front of the bar and the Mongolian subtly followed Marion behind the bar.[1]

Marion threatened

The Mongolian and the Nepalese thug restraining Marion.

As Toht walked over to the fire whilst engaged in a passive-aggressive argument with Ravenwood, the Mongolian was fully behind Marion by the bar. When Toht gave the order, he grabbed Marion, picking her right up off the floor, and, with the aid of the Nepalese man, dragged her, screaming to the centre of the room, where Toht slowly approached her with a flaming metal rod, a sight which made both men restraining the American smile. However, just as the rod was put right up to her face, Jones appeared and swung his bullwhip to grab the rod and fling it away, drawing a revolver and pointing it at the men.[1]

Nepalese burning

The Nepalese thug burning.

The two thugs looked at each other as Toht was threatened, but moments afterwards Otto emerged from behind the fireplace and fired his machine gun at Jones. The archaeologist ducked behind cover, whilst the Mongolian hopped behind the bar, the Nepalese man took cover beneath a table, Otto remained behind the fireplace and Toht drew a pistol and went behind a pillar. The Mongolian produced a bag and drew a revolver from it for himself, before tossing a machine gun to his associate. As a gunfight ensued, Jones managed to shoot the fire, sending flaming logs tumbling into the Nepalese goon. Burning, the man stood up screaming, terrifying Marion, and started walking forwards when Jones shot him in the face in an act of mercy, killing him for good.[1]

Following Toht's hasty escape and the deaths of his fellows, the Nepalese Sherpa's body was left behind by Jones and Ravenwood to be consumed by the flames of the burning Raven.[1]

Behind the scenes[]

The Ratty Nepalese was portrayed by stuntman Malcolm Weaver in Raiders of the Lost Ark, credited as "Malcom Weaver", who wore makeup and prosthetics for the part.[1] Weaver later performed stunts in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.[4][5]

To shoot the moment where the Ratty Nepalese is caught on the fire and then shot, Weaver had to ignite the clothing on his back after which the film crew then put out the fire with extinguishers and covered him with a blanket.[6]

Despite being the first to die in the film, the Ratty Nepalese is the last to die in Campbell Black's novelization. When Indy and the bigger sherpa are fighting, the Nepalese tries to kill Indy, but Marion shoots the Nepalese, thus rescuing Indy.[7] In the Marvel Comics' comic book adaptation, the man dies at the very beginning of the fight. There, Indy shoots him twice in the chest instead of in the face.[8]

There were plans by Kenner in the 1980s for a playset of The Raven which would have included an action figure of the Ratty Nepalese, under the name of "Nepalese Henchman". The set, however, went ultimately unproduced when the whole Indiana Jones toyline was abruptly cancelled, although some concept art was made.[9]

The Ratty Nepalese is absent from LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and its sequel, but the Sherpa Gunner character seems to be based on him, Otto, the bigger Sherpa and the Mongolian goon, wielding Otto’s weapon, fulfilling the giant Sherpa’s role and taking the appearance of the Nepalese man in the first game and the Mongolian in the second.[10][11]

Appearances[]

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