Jessica Sanders
| Jessica Sanders | |
|---|---|
| |
| Portrayed by | Ali Larter |
| First appearance | Genesis |
| In-story stats | |
| Known abilities | Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Reflexes |
| Gender | |
| Date of death | 1987 (Niki's sister, not Niki's alter-ego) |
| Residence | Jessica Sanders's home |
| Parent | Hal Sanders |
Jessica is the name of Niki Sanders's alter-ego and twin sister who died in 1987, possibly at the hands of their father.
Character History
Genesis
After seeing Jessica's reflection in the mirror several times, Niki Sanders wakes up to find Linderman's thugs brutally slain. She again sees Jessica in a mirror, now covered in bloodstains. Jessica gestures for her to be quiet.
Don't Look Back
When Niki watches the videotape from her garage studio, she again blacks out and wakes up four hours later to a phone call from Micah. When she returns home, she discovers that someone has already cleaned the garage. She sees Jessica in the mirror, who gestures across the street at a Cadillac. In the glovebox, Niki discovers the car is registered in her name, and a note directs her to the trunk, where she finds the bodies and a map.
One Giant Leap
Niki follows Jessica's map, and buries the thugs. She uncovers the bodies of D.L.'s crew and incorrectly assumes her estranged husband killed them.
Collision
When Niki refuses to go through with her deal to seduce Nathan, Jessica takes control to defend her from one of Mr. Linderman's thugs. She then returns to Nathan's room and seduces him.
Better Halves
After D.L. tells Niki he plans to exonerate himself by questioning the money launderer, Jessica takes control and kills everyone she finds at the poker game. Niki recognizes the carnage and tells D.L. she witnessed the same thing with Linderman's thugs in her garage. Later, Jessica confronts Niki. She confesses to killing D.L.'s crew, Linderman's thugs, and the men at the poker game, and to stealing the money and framing D.L. for the theft. She convinces Niki that D.L. will take Micah and leave her if he finds out. Niki agrees, and retrieves the money, but D.L. catches her. She tries to explain about Jessica, but Jessica takes over and attacks D.L. D.L. strikes back using his powers and incapacitates her.
Nothing to Hide
Niki wishes Jessica would take over so she can get Micah back. Niki breaks a mirror, and then Jessica takes over. She sends Tina away, telling her Niki doesn't need her help any more.
Later, Jessica is loading a gun when she gets a call from Micah. At first, she pretends to be Niki, but Micah sees through it and asks to speak to his mother. Jessica tells him his mother won't be back until Jessica brings him home, so Micah tells her where he and D.L. are. After D.L. hangs up the phone, Jessica loads a gun.
Homecoming
Jessica plans her revenge on D.L. for taking Micah after their fight. She buys a sniper rifle, and locates D.L.'s location after Micah calls her and tells her where they are. When she looks at her car's mirror, a helpless Niki stares at her back. Later, Jessica locates D.L. and Micah and fires a shot at D.L.
Six Months Ago
Six months prior to Homecoming, Niki visited her deceased sister's grave (titled Jessica Sanders, Beloved Daughter and Sister, 1976-1987).
After the confrontation between Niki and her father Hal Sanders, Hal returns to his hotel room. There is a knock at the door, and Niki enters, but it is quickly apparent that Niki's alter-ego Jessica is in control. She reveals that Hal abused Jessica (Niki's real-life sister) to the point where he accidentally killed her. Afterwards, Niki became his "punching bag", and Jessica says she hides the memory of it from Niki. After bloodying his nose and throwing Hal on the bed, Jessica tells Hal to go away and never come back, and shoves Micah's tuition cheque in his mouth.
Powers
Jessica possesses enhanced strength and likely enhanced reflexes. She has torn men in half, taken out a room full of armed men in a matter of seconds, and thrown D.L. across a room. Whether she possesses any other abilities, such as enhanced endurance or durability, is not yet known. It is also not yet known whether her alter ego Niki possesses any of these abilities.
Notes
- Jessica has a tattoo of The Symbol on her right shoulder. Niki does not.
- After the speed with which Jessica dispatched a room full of armed thugs in Better Halves, and the manner of their demise as seen by D.L. and Niki the next morning, it seems safe to assume that at least the alter ego possesses better-than-human speed and strength, and Niki's fight with D.L. seems to confirm this. However, it's also interesting to note that, during the fracas at the poker game, several shots can be clearly heard. It's not clear whether it was the gamblers or Jessica doing the shooting (after all, there was a gun in with the money), but if it was the thugs shooting, it's possible that Niki either dodged or shrugged off their shots.
- Stolen Time has several implications for Jessica's character if it can be considered a canonical source. First, it's the first irrefutable instance of her displaying superhuman strength. Second, it shows her murder of D.L.'s crew to be an act of self defense and casts her motive for framing D.L. as one intended to benefit Micah. This seems to indicate that Jessica, while deranged, is still principally focused on protecting Niki and her son, albeit by draconian means.
- In Collision, when Linderman's henchman corners Niki in the elevator after she leaves Nathan's hotel room, Jessica emerges and puts him on the ground. She then refers to Micah as "our son" in her threat to kill the henchman.