| “ | There is no security. | „ |
| ~ Wulfgar's catchphrase. |
Wulfgar (real name Heymar Reinhardt) is the main antagonist of the 1981 thriller film Nighthawks. He is a psychopathic terrorist who, after an accidental slip of his identity by one of his associates in London, is forced to take refuge in New York, where he becomes involved against the main protagonist Deke DaSilva.
He was portrayed by Dutch actor Rutger Hauer ,who also portrayed the well-known sci-fi replicant villain Roy Batty.
Personality
Wulfgar is a borderline homicidal maniac and a sadist; at one point in the movie he hijacks a train and murders a woman for no apparent reason, except that he wanted to. In the movie total, he has probably killed several hundred people alone, as he bombed a department store in London as well as several locations on Wall Street. He has many talent: he's higly educated, he can speaks perfect French and English, he has guitar skills and he has a charm to the ladies.
In The Film
Wulfgar meets a member of his network at a party to deliver travel documents and money. Suspicious of the delivery man, Wulfgar kills him and three officers from the London Metropolitan Police Department, who had been sent to arrest him. Wulfgar escapes while the head of the Police Department berates Inspector Hartman, the lead investigator. In Paris, Wulfgar meets his partner, Shakka, and learns his handlers have ostracized him because of the violent bombing, which killed a number of children. Wulfgar moves his terrorist campaign to New York City.
Lt. Munafo moves DaSilva and Fox to an A.T.A.C (Anti Terrorist Action Command) squad, and they are introduced to Hartman. Hartman and DaSilva clash, as Hartman believes American police officers are not ruthless enough to deal with a terrorist like Wulfgar. While hesitant to condone killing Wulfgar, DaSilva absorbs his new training and begins to understand Wulfgar and how he thinks. Wulfgar, having traveled to New York, moves in with a flight attendant. When she locates his arsenal of weapons, Wulfgar kills her. Munafo receives a tip about her death and orders DaSilva and Fox to search every night club she visited. DaSilva and Fox locate Wulfgar in a nightclub, and, after a shootout and a long foot chase through subway tunnels, Wulfgar takes a woman hostage. DaSilva declines a shot because because of the close proximity of Wulfgar's hostage. Wulfgar eludes capture by cutting Fox on the face with a knife. At the hospital, Fox berates DaSilva for not taking the shot.
Angry, Dasilva vows to kill Wulfgar. Members of A.T.A.C. protect a United Nations function at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Shakka, infiltrating the party in disguise, corners Hartman on an escalator and murders him. After hijacking a tram car, Wulfgar executes the wife of the French ambassador while DaSilva watches from a hovering police helicopter. Wulfgar demands that DaSilva personally board the tramway to receive a released infant. DaSilva is winched up to the aerial tram and confronts Wulfgar face-to-face. DaSilva demands to know why Wulfgar killed the woman. Wulfgar tells DaSilva he killed her because he wanted to. Wulfgar calls himself a speaker for people who can not speak for themselves and says all people are victims.
The police agree to Wulfgar's demands for a bus to escort him and the hostages to the airport, where a jet will be waiting for takeoff. Wulfgar and Shakka hide among the crowd of hostages. As they board, DaSilva plays back a recording of Hartman's lecture in which he denounces Shakka. In a rage, Shakka breaks from the hostages, and Fox shoots her with a sniper rifle. Wulfgar escapes by driving the bus off a ramp into the East River. The police find no sign of Wulfgar ,presuming him dead.
At Wulfgar's residence, the team finds detailed information on themselves and Irene. Wulfgar stalks Irene at her house and breaks in. As he is about to kill her, DaSilva reveals himself as "Irene" in disguise. As DaSilva aims his revolver at Wulfgar, Wulfgar lunges at him; DaSilva fires his revolver twice into the terrorist, sending his dead body crashing back into the street. Dasilva walks out of the house and sits beside Wulfgar on the front steps of Irene's house and stating that there is no attempt to take Wulfgar into custody ,because he is already dead.
Trivia
- Hauer also portrayed Roy Batty ,the well-rememberd villain from the 1982 dark sci-fi film of Ridley Scott Blade Runner ,a year after that Hauer played Wulfgar's character, Scott considered Hauer as a good reason for him playing Batty.
