Arab Henchman (White robe)

## Arab Henchman with sword

An **Arab Henchman** was among a group of thugs hired by two German Gestapo intelligence agents to kill American archaeologist Indiana Jones and bar owner Marion Ravenwood and retrieve the headpiece to the Staff of Ra in the marketplace of Cairo, Egypt in 1936. The thug, along with five other hired native goons, attacked Jones and Ravenwood in the corner of the marketplace next to a silverware stall and attempted to kill the two Americans. However, though Marion was supposedly killed, Jones was able to escape the thugs.

## Biography

### Hired to kill

In 1936, an Arab resided in Cairo, Egypt as a goon-for-hire. That year, along with five other local goons, he was hired by two German Gestapo intelligence agents to kill American archaeologist Indiana Jones and bar owner Marion Ravenwood and acquire the headpiece to the Staff of Ra in the marketplace of Cairo. Their identities concealed by dark masks, the Arab and five other hired native goons united in a shady building in the centre of the marketplace along with their employers, their identities hidden by a long white robe and a *keffiyeh* over their face, and soon followed one of the two agents down a passageway to the stall Jones and Ravenwood were examining.

On the Nazi agent's orders, the six hooded men ambushed the two Americans. The fourth to attack, this Arab went straight for Jones and threw a punch at him, only to be elbowed back in the face and knocked to the side into the stall. As he attempted to recover, Marion started bashing him with a frying pan she had taken from the stall. Marion was soon pulled away by Jones, and the Arab remained unconscious on the floor. A few moments afterwards, he got back up again as another goon wrestled the archaeologist, and attacked him at the exact same time as a fellow thug. However, as Jones dodged the sword strike from this Arab, the weapon went straight into the other, going through his stomach and also catching some fruit.

When he removed his sword from the other Arab, the fruit fell off the weapon and landed by the stall, and the distraction of the goon's death provided enough time for Ravenwood to be inadvertantly wheeled away in a straw carriage whilst Jones fended off this Arab and another. One of the German agents and his informant witnessed Marion's "escape", and the agent signaled for this Arab, the other goon and two more to come with him and the other spy. The six men pursued the American round a corner, and ran past a pile of baskets.

They were running past the baskets when they heard the screeching of the German agent's informant's Capuchin monkey, and turned around to see Marion hiding within one of the baskets. Two other thugs picked up the basket and made off with it, separating from this Arab, the German agents and the three other thugs. Their work complete, this Arab and the other three thugs left. His further fate is unknown.

## Behind the scenes

* The Arab Henchman with the sword was portrayed by an unknown performer in the 1981 Steven Spielberg film *Raiders of the Lost Ark*, who went uncredited in the film.
* In the *Raiders of the Lost Ark* Sourcebook, all of the Arab bandits in Cairo were referred to as "**Arab Henchman**", with collective game stats.
* In the LEGO *Indiana Jones* set based on the scenes in Cairo, only one "**Masked Bandit**" appeared alongside a "Cairo Swordsman" in place of the Arabs in the film.
	+ Whilst in the original film twelve Arab bandits were hired in total by the two German intelligence agents, in the LEGO video game LEGO *Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures* more than twelve were hired, with two character models. None of them performed specific roles, however, therefore the Arab with the club did not technically appear.
	+ In the game’s sequel, LEGO *Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues*, meanwhile, the first wave of Arabs consisted of five "**Masked Bandits**" who all wielded swords and were quickly defeated.

## Appearances

* *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (First appearance)

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 *Raiders of the Lost Ark*
2. ↑ *Raiders of the Lost Ark* Sourcebook
3. ↑ *Ambush in Cairo*
4. ↑ LEGO *Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures*
5. ↑ LEGO *Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues*