David Nix

David Nix
Film Appearances	Tomorrowland
Status	Deceased- crushed to death by falling debris.
Gender	Male
Home	Tomorrowland
Species	Human
Actor	Hugh Laurie

David Nix was a human inventor, and the former governor of Tomorrowland as well as its founder and leader.

Background Information

Frank Walker first encounters David Nix at the 1964 New York World's Fair, where he acts as a judge at the Inventor's Fair, by which time he is already Governor in Tomorrowland.

When the young Frank enters "Tomorrowland", Nix is initially unimpressed by the boy and his jet-pack. However, Frank stays and there develops a close relationship with Athena, a friendship later described by Athena as partly an "experiment" undertaken at the suggestion of Nix.

Nix serves as a mentor to young Frank through his teenage years and into his twenties. Together they work on new technologies. After using The Monitor's future-glimpsing powers to discover that the world had a one-in-ten chance of ending, Nix secretly uses The Monitor to broadcast pessimism into the minds of humanity. Nix hopes to spur humanity into an awareness of their plight. But humanity begins to enjoy wallowing in pessimism, and when Nix continues broadcasting this causes the world's end to hasten and The Monitor's glimpses of a possible future become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In January 11, 1984, Nix sends a letter along with a specially-encoded P.I.N. to Steve Jobs. Nix, apparently impressed by Jobs' views on marketing and the art of persuasion (having come to believe in the 'better' versions himself) wanted to give Jobs a taste of the campaign they had previously discussed, although according to Nix, that campaign was currently being revised. Nix advises Jobs to enjoy the pin's effects while it lasts. 

Sometime later that year, Nix, convinced that humanity will never be able to enter Tomorrowland, cancels the Plus Ultra recruitment programme, and describes the Athena class recruiting robots as "obsolete". In 1984 Nix exiles Frank from Tomorrowland, for an unspecified reason, the two also coming to an agreement where Frank has to reside far away from Tomorrowland and turn in anyone who threatens Tomorrowland or risk being executed. Soon after this Athena takes 12 pins and also departs from Tomorrowland, Nix having originally intended to destroy her.

Thirty years after Frank left Tomorrowland he returns with Athena and Casey Newton, using the Spectacle rocket-ship and the old Running Start method of entry. The trio find that Nix has soured and allowed Tomorrowland to decay. But, mysteriously, Nix himself seems to be only a little older than he appeared in 1964, revealing that it's due to the effect of a shake he takes every morning, one that's now chocolate. He later gives the trio a speech, informing them he created the Monitor to show humanity of its impending downfall but instead of fighting back, they ignored it and repackaged it. Nix also reveals he has given up and intend to let the disaster destroy Earth so that he can create a new world of his very own.

Nix opens a portal and tries to deport the trio to an uninhabited island, but they fight back with Nix and Frank exchanging blows while Athena stops the robots and Casey tries to set off the bomb. Although Nix and Frank are left temporarily stranded on the island, they manage to return through the portal but the resulting explosion has Nix trapped underneath some rubble, his legs presumably crushed in the process.

As a final act of revenge, Nix tries to kill Frank, but is stopped by Athena who takes the blast, having originally seen what was going to happen. Casey disarms him and he watches helplessly as Frank destroys The Monitor, Athena's self-destruct program being powerful enough to send it collapsing. Trapped, the Monitor's remains then fall towards Nix who can only mutter, "Oh, bollocks", horrified at how things have progressed before the remains crush Nix, killing him and finally ending his decades-long control of Tomorrowland.

Behind the scenes

• Nix was portrayed by Hugh Laurie in Brad Bird's film Tomorrowland.

Appearances

• Tomorrowland (film) (First appearance)

Gallery

Nix and Frank Walker.

Nix upon reuniting with Frank.

Nix delivering his speech to Casey and Frank.

Nix, Casey and Frank in the machine.

Frank, Casey, Anthea and Nix along with Nix's security guards.

Nix.