MovieChat Forums > Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) Discussion > Wachs can't catch a break (SPOILERS!)

Wachs can't catch a break (SPOILERS!)

posted 15 years ago by Koosh_King01
3 replies | jump to latest

Sheesh, poor Dr. Wachs seems fated to die. In the original novel he's killed in the same accident that leaves Nick invisible, by an explosion, and in the movie he's injected with poison by Jenkins' henchmen.

So, if he doesn't die in a lab accident he gets murdered by government spies. Poor guy. Although in the book he is admittedly kind of a jerk (not that Carillon didn't deserve the thrashing Wachs gave him).

Speaking of which, Wachs makes a lot of sense when he says to Jenkins, "I want to find him as much as you do, so what are we doing here?" Jenkins ignores this proposition and has his men murder the good Doctor, ostensibly to keep Nick's existence known only to himself (and Singleton).

But...considering Wachs is a pretty meek college professor it should be easy enough to boss him around, and having an actual scientist on your invisible man hunting team seems like a good idea. Could even use him to lure Nick in with the hope of a cure.

The story possibilities of a Wachs/Jenkins teamup would've thus been interesting in that light, but instead they just have Jenkins kill him to make Jenkins look more villainous. Pity.

[–] scyza 14 years ago

Actually, I thought they were injecting him some kind of truth serum to make sure he really was telling them everything he knew. Apart from the information he seemed to be of little use for them, so I figured they killed him afterwards.

Wachs would probably have been a good addition to their team but maybe they weren't sure where his loyalties really lay, he had after all met Nick already. He might have leaked information to the authorities, surely Jenkins would never risk that. I don't think it was out of character for Jenkins (as he was portrayed in the film) to kill Wachs - he was very ruthless and even obsessed when it came to hunting down the invisible man.

The Jenkins from the book would not have done this I believe. He was more calculating and not as crazy as the Jenkins portrayed in the film.

[–] DaveHasNoTimeForAnyOfThisBull 13 years ago

Yes I agree with the truth serum part, otherwise why would they have told him to 'make a fist', so if he DOESN'T MAKE A FIST HE WOULD HAVE LIVED????????? He probably had a heart attack or something else to cause his death under their custody and they covered it up with a casual death.

No, I'm laughing with you not at{against} you!

[–] Alfabeta 13 years ago

"The story possibilities of a Wachs/Jenkins teamup would've thus been interesting in that light, but instead they just have Jenkins kill him to make Jenkins look more villainous. Pity."

Agreed! It could have saved the anticlimactic third act.