Niki Sanders

Niki Sanders
Portrayed by	Ali Larter
First appearance	Genesis
In-story stats
Known ability	Enhanced strength (synthetic)
Formal name	Nicole Sanders
Aliases	Jessica, Gina
Nicknames	Nik, Sugar
Gender
Age	32 (at death)
Date of birth	August 24, 1974
Place of birth	Beverly Hills, CA
Date of death	March 20, 2007
Home	Las Vegas, NV
Residence	Niki Sanders's home
Occupations	Former casino worker and online webcam operator, former agent of the Company
Significant other	D.L. Hawkins (deceased)
Parents	Hal Sanders, Kelly Sullivan
Child	Micah Sanders
Siblings	Tracy Strauss, Barbara, Jessica Sanders (deceased)
Other relatives	Mother-in-law: Paulette Hawkins (deceased) Aunt-in-law: Nana Dawson Cousins-in-law, once removed: Damon Dawson Monica Dawson

Nicole "Niki" Sanders was a former casino worker in Las Vegas. She was raising her son, Micah, alone because her husband D.L. was a fugitive. In the absence of D.L. and his regular paycheck from construction work, she earned extra money as a webcam stripper running lasvegasniki.com. She had an aggressive alter-ego named Jessica, under whose identity violent acts and murders are committed.

Character History

Season One

For an episode-by-episode summary, see Niki Sanders: Season One History.

After finishing some work, Niki gets Micah ready for school. When thugs break in, she rushes out with Micah. She speaks with Micah's principal about his enrollment. When she leaves, she sees her reflection moving differently than she is. Niki takes Micah to Tina's house and returns home. She is confronted by the thugs from earlier, who knock her out. When she awakes, they have been killed. On her way to go get Micah, she blacks out again for several hours. When she returns home she finds a Cadillac with the men's bodies in them. Following a map that has mysteriously been placed in the trunk with the bodies, Niki travels with a sleeping Micah to a deserted road in Nevada where she buries the two thugs. After finishing the two go to Micah's grandmother's house. After they leave, Niki is stopped by more of Linderman's men, who tell her that Linderman is requesting she go to his hotel.

Niki obliges, then meets with Miss Sakamoto. The two discuss that Linderman will forget her debt if she seduces a certain politician. She drops Micah off and returns to the casino running into the man she is to seduce. She does not go through with the deal, but when she is assaulted by one of Linderman's lackeys she reverts to her alter ego, threatens the man and sleeps with Nathan.

The morning after, Miss Sakamoto tells Niki she is now debt free. When she returns home, she finds the police looking for her husband. When they leave, he arrives and the two argue. However, Niki and D.L. are able to resolve their differences and D.L. convinces her that he is innocent. The two then set out to clear his name, and end up walking into a basement where they find mutliple bodies up dead gangsters- all who look as mangled as the thugs in Niki's garage. Niki expresses her fears to D.L., and laters discovers that it was a split personality by the name of Jessica who has done everything. Jessica reveals that it was her that stole Linderman's money and framed D.L. in order to 'save' Micah. Jessica convinces Niki to take the money and Micah and run before D.L. discovers the truth. However, Niki is caught by D.L., and a fight ensues. When Micah interrupts, Niki (Who is now Jessica) is thrown off guard and D.L. uses that to his advantage when he phases through her abdomen, rendering her unconscious.

When she awakens D.L. and Micah are gone, and calls Nathan for help, though he denies it. Niki is then approached by Tina, and Niki lets her know what has happened. Angered, Jessica takes over again, determined to find D.L. Soon enough, Jessica is contacted by Micah, who reveals their location and she sets out to find them and buys a sniper rifle. Jessica, against Niki's wishes, attacks D.L. and shoots him in the arm, and persues them to a cabin in Utah. When she struggles with D.L., she forcefully pushes Micah aside, allowing Niki to regain control. She decides to turn herself in for murder.

Two weeks later, she is in jail waiting for her trial. Because of Jessica's aggression, Niki is thrown into a padded cell. A psychiatrist arrives wanting to see Niki. During the conversation Niki looses control, and when she awakens, Dr. Witherson is unconscious. Aron Malsky arrives to let Niki know she has been released and when she arrives home, Jessica regains control. Niki is helpless when she learns Jessica has become an assassin for Linderman and that she had spared off against Matt Parkman when she killed Malsky. When she regains slight control, she approaches Nathan, tells him about Linderman's plans and then asks him to knock her out. He happily obliges.

Jessica is then approached by Linderman himself, who requests he be able to 'borrow' Micah. Jessica refuses, though Linderman has an agent, Candice Wilmer quise herself as Niki in order to trick Micah into going with them. Niki convinces Jessica that she needs to save Micah with D.L.'s help. The pair track Linderman to New York City, where he offers Jessica millions of dollars if she kills D.L. Jessica references how she would love to take the money, but that Niki would not have and so she refuses. Niki regains control and embraces D.L. When Linderman shoots at Niki, D.L. takes the bullet, and then kills Linderman.

Niki supports a weakened D.L. When a loud bang is heard, the two phase through a wall. D.L. tells her that she needs to go on her own if she is to rescue Micah. She leaves him and finds Jessica and a dead Micah in a room. The two fight, and when she looks in a reflection, Jessica tells her that the Jessica she is fighting isn't actually her. Niki punches the impostor across the room. Niki rescues Micah and when she looks into a mirror sees only her own reflection. When they go back to D.L., they find Mohinder and Molly. The group goes down to Kirby Plaza thanks to Micah. Outside, Peter and Sylar are fighting. Niki grabs Sylar's parking meter and beats him with it. She then returns to her family to watch the explosion.

Season Two

For an episode-by-episode summary, see Niki Sanders: Season Two History.

Niki and Micah move on with their lives after telling Niki's dead husband, D.L., goodbye. They later make it to New Orleans so Micah can stay with Nana. Niki explains that she has to go away for a while, but she will return for him.

At a Company facility, Niki escapes from her confinements, making her way past guards and wreaking havoc. She happens upon Mohinder and Bob, with Mohinder immediately recognizing her and knocks Mohinder into a door. She grabs Bob by the neck in an attempt to strangle him, but Mohinder tazes her. Later, Bob assures her that she will be helped with her Multiple Personality Disorder. As Bob leaves, Mohinder attempts to free her, but Niki tells him to stop, explaining that she came of her own free will, even leaving her son behind, so that she can seek aid from the Company.

Niki is partnered with Mohinder in the Company, and she explains that Bob had told her of Mohinder's trust issues, and she is there to ensure that there aren't any problems. Later, Niki is plagued by visions of D.L., caused by Maury who is manipulating her mind with his telepathic powers. The vision convinces her to kill Bob. Niki then proceeds to punch Mohinder when he tries to help. Later, she can't fight off Maury's mind control and injects herself with the virus.

She returns to New Orleans to be with Micah, and explains that because of the virus, she doesn't have much time to live. Micah tells his mother that Monica was kidnapped, and they have to save her. After Micah tells his cell phone to track the GPS signal in Monica's cell phone so they can locate her, they find a burning building in which Monica is being held. Niki races in to help her. Monica escapes without Niki before the building explodes, which ultimately leads to her demise.

One of Us, One of Them

Tracy Strauss travels to New Orleans to discover more about Niki. However, when she arrives at the Dawson's home, she finds the remnants of Niki's wake, along with her body. After she closes the casket, Micah finds her and realizes that Tracy isn't his mom, but that she looks just like her.

Later, Micah tells his laptop to find information and yield any matches on Tracy and Niki, and one match comes up: a birth record. It is revealed that they were both born in the same hospital on the same day, and were delivered by a man named Dr. Zimmerman.

Evolved Human Abilities

Niki possessed super strength. She was strong enough to knock down doors and other obstacles with a single hit, throw people several feet across a room, and literally rip people in half. For months, she could only utilize her power through her alternate personality, Jessica, who is much more violent than her normal self. Jessica used the ability in a variety of crimes ranging from robberies to brutal murders.

In How to Stop an Exploding Man, Niki finally learned how to use her super strength at will.

Equipment

• Cadillac--a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, taken from D.L.'s crew by Jessica and registered in Niki's name
• Digital video camera--used to broadcast video chats for lasvegasniki.com; used by Linderman's thugs to record Niki
• Jessica's map--a map left for Niki by Jessica indicating where to bury the bodies of Linderman's thugs
• Laptop computer--used to run and maintain lasvegasniki.com
• Niki's tape--a videocassette of Niki made by Linderman's thugs; it turns to static as Jessica takes control and murders them

Notes

• While Jessica has a tattoo of The Symbol on her upper right back, Niki does not.
• Niki and Hal use more formal names for each other: Niki calls her father "Hal", and Hal calls his daughter "Nicole".
• Niki is on the list.
• Niki can communicate with her alternate personalities through reflective surfaces: whichever personality is dominant sees the alternate in the reflection. However, Matt Parkman heard thoughts of both personalities via his telepathy during one of their conversations (Run!). Niki and Jessica also communicated in jail sans reflective surface (Godsend). The significance of these unusual occurrences is unknown.
• According to the cast commentary for Godsend, the cast members themselves believed that it was Niki -- not Jessica -- who broke the guard's baton. However, during the Wizard World Los Angeles panel, the writers entertained the possibility that Niki might "eventually" be able to access Jessica's power, indicating they believed she hadn't done so yet. Her use of enhanced strength in How to Stop an Exploding Man at Jessica's urging made reasonably clear that she had not knowingly accessed her power prior to her fight with Candice Willmer.
• While a great deal of confusion about Niki and Jessica's relationship persists, Jeph Loeb stated in an interview that the crew "thought this was very clear on the air. Niki's power is the same as her alternate personality Jessica's: unbelievable strength. They're the same person. Niki discovered her special ability through her split personality, but it was always her ability."
• According to Dr. Zimmerman, Niki's ability is the result of receiving the formula rather than a naturally inherited ability. (I Am Become Death)

Trivia

• The laptop Niki uses for lasvegasniki.com runs Debian Linux and uses Gaim for instant messaging.
• Niki never keeps peanut butter in the refrigerator. (Godsend)
• The ABC Soap Opera One Life to Live is famous for being one of the first serialized dramas to tackle the topic of dissociative identity disorder (DID) in a real and serious way with a beloved lead character. That character was Victoria Lord (Viki), whose most active and dominate alter ego was named Niki. She also had a daughter who, through Niki's carelessness, was traumatized as a child and likewise developed DID. Her name was Jessica, and her main alter ego was named Tess.
• According to a form found in Linderman's archives, Niki's Social Security number is 2574-87-5698. (The Hard Part)
• A 2001 medical form for Niki has an address listed at the top: 348 South 4th Street, Portland, Oregon, 97209. It is unclear whether this was once Niki's address or whether this is the address of the form's originator. The medical form also lists Niki's age as 33. According to NBC's press packet, Niki would have been 28 in 2001. However, according to her her birth certificate (found on Micah's computer), Niki was born on August 24, 1974.
• In New Orleans, Niki drives a Chevrolet with Louisiana license plates KMB801T.
• According to the birth certificate Micah found on his computer, Niki weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces when she was born. She was born August 24, 1974 at 12:56 am in Beverly Hills at Our Lady of Perpetual Faith Hospital, and she was delivered by Dr. Zimmerman. Interestingly enough, Tracy Strauss's birth certificate lists the exact same information.
• According to a court record, Nicole Sanders has had felony complaints brought against her for robbery, homocide [sic], and grand theft auto.

See Also

• For other uses of Niki, see Niki (disambig).
• For Niki Sanders's history in the "explosion future", see Niki Sanders (explosion future).
• For articles related to Niki, see Related Articles:Niki.
• For images of Niki, see Images of Niki/Jessica Sanders.
• For other members of the Hawkins family, see Hawkins (disambig).
• For other members of the Sanders family, see Sanders (disambig).

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Niki Sanders for fan-created theories and other speculation. Template:Linderman