Richard Sionis, also known as The Mask, is a rogue businessman in charge of the company Sionis Investments.
Biography[]
Richard Sionis is the CEO of his own financial company known as Sionis Investments. During the recruitment process he gets the candidates to take part in a fight club in which they must battle to the death in order to earn the position. When a body of a failed candidate turns up, this attracts the attention of the Gotham City Police Department, with James Gordon and Harvey Bullock handling the case. Evidence points them to Sionis Investments being responsible for the deaths and the two detectives question Richard Sionis, who views himself as a warrior with a deep fascination of masks.
Gordon tracks down the location of one of the fight clubs which is located at an abandoned office building owned by Richard. Richard kidnaps Gordon and orders three potential candidates to murder Gordon in order to earn the position. Gordon, who has a military background, easily subdues the three men. Richard himself appears donning his mask and attempts to kill Gordon with a sword, but Gordon successfully defeats Richard. Backup arrives and Richard is arrested and is sent to the recently reopened Arkham Asylum.
Despite being locked inside, Richard still has connections and befriends several inmates such as Jerome Valeska. When Barbara Kean is incarcerated at the asylum Richard becomes attracted to her. Although Barbara rebuffs his advances, she eventually pairs up with Richard so he can give her a telephone which allows her to taunt her ex-boyfriend (who just happens to be Jim Gordon) and his girlfriend Leslie Thompkins. Richard, Barbara, Jerome and several other inmates are knocked out with a gas and kidnapped from the asylum by Tabitha Galavan on the orders of her brother Theo.
The inmates are taken to Theo's penthouse in which he wants to create a team of supervillains. Whilst the other inmates are interested in cooperating with Theo's demands, Richard isn't interested and orders to be released so he could continue conducting his own business interests. A disappointed Theo orders for Richard to be "released". Before Richard is able to leave, Tabitha strangles Richard with her whip and violent stabs him several times with a knife, killing him.
Appearances[]
Gotham[]
- "The Mask"
- "Rise of the Villains: Damned If You Do..."
Notes[]
- The character shares a surname with Roman Sionis, who in the DC Comics is known as the supervillain "Black Mask". Nothing in the show verifies Richard's relation to Roman Sionis (due to the latter never appearing) or if Richard himself is intended to be the show's version of Black Mask. The comic books would later retcon Roman Sionis's father to be Richard Sionis and the original founder of the False Face Society.