- "Still think my plan sucks?"
- ―Cipher to Letty Ortiz
Cipher is the alias of a notorious cyberterrorist with multiple connections to the criminal underworld.
After several of her operations and hired help were ruined by Dominic Toretto and his crew, she blackmailed Dominic into betraying his crew by kidnapping Elena Neves and her son, Brian Marcos, using them as leverage against him to get him steal the necessary components. However, her plan was foiled when Dom betrayed her and rejoined his crew after Deckard and Owen Shaw saved Marcos.
Three years later, she was captured by Mr. Nobody and his agents, but then captured by rogue agent and Dom's younger brother, Jakob Toretto to help with activating Project Aries. She eventually persuaded Jakob's business partner Otto to turn against Jakob and aid her in taking out Dom and his crew, but her plans were foiled once more and Otto was killed. However, Cipher escaped to see another day to plan retribution.
She was later approached by Dante Reyes, who was looking to form a partnership with her, however he then turned her agents against her as he realised they had different interests. Cipher was able to fight off her agents and warn the Toretto's before being arrested by the Agency and taken to a black site prison where Letty was also brought. The two worked together to escape and were discovered by Gisele Yashar, who found them in Antarctica.
Biography
Early Life
Cipher is an adept hacker, one who managed to keep her identity from becoming public knowledge, thus making herself a full ghost and at some point, she met Connor Rhodes and he became her right-hand man and second-in-command, thus being her most loyal ally. While not unknown, she managed to fool other hackers and government authority into thinking she is an organization and not a person. Cipher travels constantly and scrubs her digital footprint from known databases frequently.[1]
Employing Owen Shaw
Some time in the early 2010s, Cipher employed mercenaries Owen Shaw and Mose Jakande. She hired Owen to steal several military-grade components that would allow her to create a "Nightshade" device, a tech-bomb that functioned like a Electromagnetic Pulse after his brother, Deckard Shaw refused.[2][1] She also tasked Rhodes to keep an eye on him and his team, thus pretending to work for him only. Owen also worked with Arturo Braga who moved "guns, drugs, and money" out of the country for him, possibly even for Cipher.
Employing Mose Jakande
Mose was hired to steal the God's Eye, a surveillance program that allowed an individual to track anyone anywhere on the planet by proxy of other devices such as cell phones and public security cameras.[3] While both Mose and Owen were able to capture or gather the components necessary, they were eventually thwarted by the efforts of Dominic Toretto and his crew in assistance with Diplomatic Security Service agent, Luke Hobbs.[2][3]
Revenge Plot
In an act of revenge, Cipher kidnapped Brazilian former officer and DSS agent Elena Neves, and her son, Marcos, with the intent of using them against Dominic, a man motivated to action by his loyalty to family.[1]
Meeting Dominic Toretto
- "That's the thing about fate. It's cunning."
- ―Cipher
Cipher meets Dom in Cuba
Cipher met Dominic in Havana, Cuba, posing as a woman having trouble getting the engine for her car to start. When Dominic stopped to help her, she pretended to be none-the-wiser to his identity, manipulating the situation so that he would talk to her.
When she asked how his honeymoon with his wife was going, she revealed that she removed a necessary component from her car to lure him in. Cipher told him that he was going to work for her. When Dominic refused, Cipher gave him a cell phone that presumably showed him Elena and her son, Marcos. She later departed, anticipating when they would go up against his crew, warning him not to tell anyone about their conversation.
Infiltrating Mr. Nobody's Agency
Following Dominic's betrayal of the team and theft of the EMP device in Berlin, Germany, Cipher tracked the location of the God's Eye down to Mr. Nobody's blacksite and attacked the base with Dominic. They stole the God's Eye from the base and Cipher took the opportunity to kiss Dominic in a show of her superiority when Letty questions her husband's actions.
Dominic's Son and Elena Neves
Cipher infiltrates Mr. Nobody's base
Following their departure from the government base, Dominic starts to question the intentions behind Cipher's plans. In a move to silence him and to show him that she was in control, Cipher showed him where she was keeping Elena and Marcos captive. She allowed him to speak with Elena before sending him to New York City to retrieve the nuclear launch codes for a Russian submarine in the possession of the Russian Minister of Defence.
Stealing the Nuclear Football
When Dominic feigns engine troubles, Cipher's immediate view of Dominic was blocked by a truck and she grew suspicious. She was unaware of Dominic's meeting with Magdalene Shaw to save his son and Elena, and monitored his activity when prepares to steal the launch codes she desires. Cipher hijacked the computer chips of numerous cars in the city and uses them against the motorcade protecting the Minister of Defense. When his car was nearly crushed by the vehicles under her control, Dominic was able to clear the briefcase containing the launch codes before being intercepted by his crew,. Cipher merely urged him to escape as she could do nothing to help him.
Killing Elena
Dom threatens Cipher after Elena's death
Dominic isn't able to escape, and Letty was able to steal the briefcase from him. Cipher watched as Dominic hesitated to kill Letty and learns from her enforcer, Connor Rhodes, that Dominic rescued his wife from certain death at Rhodes' hand. Cipher entered Elena's cell and taunts Dominic with his child. Instead of letting Marcos be executed, Cipher lets Rhodes execute Elena in front of Dominic. Cipher sent Dominic to Russia to use the EMP device to disable a nuclear submarine, which allows Cipher to hijack it.
Stealing the Submarine
Cipher evades capture after her plan fails
Cipher was able to take control of the submarine and tries to lead the submarine to deep water. Hobbs and the crew make a concentrated effort to stall her efforts. She was caught off guard by the arrival of Owen and his brother Deckard (who she was led to believe was killed by Dominic) when they boarded her plane to save Marcos. When the timer for the nuclear missile launch was pulled from the submarine, Dominic turned against Cipher and kills Rhodes. An outraged Cipher pursued the team and tried to kill them with the submarine. She fires a infrared missile on Dom's car.
Foiled Plan and Escaping
Dominic redirects the missile toward the submarine and destroys it while Deckard reached the front of the plane and attempted to kill her as revenge for her actions against the Shaws, but Cipher escaped by parachuting out of the plane as Shaw was forced to save Marcos from being flown out of death. She was still at large and Mr. Nobody believed Cipher was spotted in Athens, but won't have the power to nuke any cities thanks to Dom and his crew as they celebrated with a barbeque at their new home at New York.
Project Aries
Apprehended by Mr. Nobody
- "Say you get what you're after. A weapon that's so dangerous it shouldn't exist for another half century. What would you do with it? Launch some global attack? Sell it to the highest bidder? Or maybe you see yourself as a necessary shock to the system?"
- ―Cipher
At some point after the Submarine Chase, Cipher was apprehended by Mr. Nobody. While she was transported on a plane, it was intercepted by Jakob Toretto and Otto who attacked the plane and extracted Cipher. They kept her held hostage in their base of operations to keep her from interfering with their plan to steal Project Aries.
Meeting Jakob Toretto
Cipher convinces Otto to work with her instead.
After stealing the first half of Project Aries in Montequinto, Jakob met Cipher at the base and she tries to convince him into working with her instead, but Jakob declined as he doesn't work for competition. Cipher explored Jakob's relationship with Dom and lets him know where to find the other half of Project Aries and lets him know that Jakob had no chance of survival now that Dom was involved.
Betraying Jakob and joining Otto
After Jakob was apprehended by Dominic Toretto's Crew in Edinburgh, Otto regrouped at his Base of Operations and Cipher convinced him to work with her and double cross Jakob. Cipher assisted Otto from the base when he intercepts Dom's safe house and freed Jakob and observed Otto and Jakob launch a satellite into Orbit to activate Project Aries with Elle Lue's DNA. Cipher, realizing that the plans are nearly failing, decided to finish the mission herself.
Second Failed Plan and Escape
Cipher joins forces with Otto
After the satellite was destroyed, Cipher flew in on a high-tech jet in one last attempt to kill the crew, who has boarded Otto's 16-wheeler truck, the Armadillo. She was able to blow up the truck but only kills Otto, Dom was able to get out at the last minute as the truck ricocheted into Cipher's plane, destroying it. Although seemingly dead, it was revealed that Cipher was flying the jet on a computer simulator and she was able to disappear once again in defeat.
Aftermath of Project Aries
Following her escape and Project Aries, Cipher continued about her ways, still holding vengeance towards Dom and his crew, planning new ways to kill them. She setup a new headquarters in Los Angeles and continued to surveil the family.
Dante Reyes' Revenge
Meeting Dante Reyes
- "I will remember this."
- ―Cipher to Dante Reyes
Cipher approached by Dante Reyes.
Two years following Project Aries, Cipher was approached by Dante Reyes, the son of deceased Brazilian kingpin Hernan Reyes, who revealed they had similar motives and a common enemy in Dom. Cipher questioned whether he wanted Dom dead as well, however Dante told her he didn't want their enemy dead and wanted him to suffer before killing him. Knowing that a partnership could not be formed with her, Dante revealed that he was holding family members and friends of Cipher's agents and bodyguards hostage as a means to force them to turn on her, all except one Dante killed as he had no leverage on him and thus was a liability.
Cipher being attacked by her own agents, after Dante turned them against her by taking their families captive.
As Dante left with two of Cipher's agents, he instructed the rest of them to kill her or their families would end up dead. The agents obliged with Dante's request, but Cipher disarmed their firearms as she revealed she did not trust any of them. They continued to fight Cipher physically, with one agent stabbing her, and they were then able to reengage their firearms. Cipher fought one agent and threw him into an elevator, which she shot the mechanism of, forcing it to free fall to the ground below which she used as an advantage to kill the agent by having him impaled on a piece of piping as the elevator hit the ground.
Warning Dom and Letty
- "There's a war coming... sides are being chosen, and everyone you love will be destroyed."
- ―Cipher to Dom and Letty
Cipher going to Dom for help.
Horrified that Dante was far worse than her, Cipher escaped her headquarters as she drove to Dom and Letty's place at 1327. Bleeding out and on the verge of death, Cipher got to the front door of the Toretto House as Dom answered as she told him that she was surprised as he was. Although Dom thought about killing her for everything she did to him and his family, Cipher convinced him to hear her out as she told him that she was desperate and needed his help. Cipher was allowed into the house as Dom and Letty let her sit on the coach, but had a gun on hand in case she tried anything.
Cipher warns Dom and Letty of Dante's motives.
She warned them of Dante's plan and that she was telling them this because the enemy of her enemy is Dom. She also warned them that a war was coming and people were choosing sides. Cipher was then arrested when Dom and Letty inform Little Nobody of her whereabouts, as he checked into her headquarters to confirm her story to the Torettos. After being arrested, Cipher was sent to a blacksite prison in Antarctica for recovery, experimentation and incarceration. Cipher's warning helped Dom and Letty realized that the mission their friends were on was a setup as they with Little Nobody went to Rome to rescue them, which they failed as they ended up being framed by Dante for an attack on the city and forced most of them to go on the run, minus Letty, due to getting arrested.
Escaping Incarceration
Cipher being kept incarcerated, after making a recovery.
Following her recovery, Cipher was kept incarcerated in the blacksite prison where Letty was soon brought, after Tess, Nobody's daughter, injured her to help her escape. Cipher then used her tech skills to manipulated the air vent systems and used it to trigger a release of sleeping gas to disarm the guards in the prison. Cipher was also able to get out of her restraints as she asked Letty on how it felt to be on her side of the law then freed her from her restraints. When Letty asked her why she was helping her, Cipher explained to her that she needed her help in her plan to escape, although she secretly wanted to help her escape as well in order to get back to Dom and her family.
Cipher fighting Letty.
After revealing her plan to escape through the vents, Cipher and Letty started a fight at the prison, ending with Letty defeating her. Cipher realized where she and Letty were at Antarctica as she waited for her to find out the hard way. After Letty returned, Cipher was sitting on the ground with a jacket and snow boots as she provided her with the same gear and the two were able to escape the blacksite prison. The two began walking aimlessly through Antarctica as they hoped to be rescued.
Saved by Gisele Yashar
Cipher escapes the prison.
As they climb over a mountain, the pair noticed a submarine rising from below. The hatch opened and a woman emerged who was watching them through binoculars. When the woman lowered her binoculars, it was revealed to be Gisele Yashar, who was still alive following her presumed death eight years ago. Gisele assisted the women in escaping Antarctica.
Personality
- "Because the truth is, Dom... I am the crocodile at the watering hole."
- ―Cipher
Cipher is a notoriously powerful, tenacious and manipulative woman, described by Mr. Nobody and Ramsey as the "ultimate definition of high-tech terrorism". She is driven primarily by greed and the want to own anything she can get her hands on. Her knowledge of computers and general tech rivals that; of Ramsey, the creator of the God's Eye and she is equally informed about cars. Her influence within the technological world allows her major access; within the criminal underworld.
Cipher is arrogant; with a tendency to gloat about her perceived victories; which blinds her to the smaller details. Cipher is content to work in the shadows and orchestrate schemes behind the scenes, her reputation palpable enough to make other hackers fear and respect her. Cipher does not value family or honor and views those who work alongside her, willingly or otherwise; with a mindset similar to that of Owen Shaw, a means to an end. Cipher is a believer in choice theory and accountability. Both beliefs are intrinsically tied to her need to control situations and people using exploitative methods.
However, deep down, Cipher does have standards, as she was disgusted with Dante Reyes' motives, then turning to Dominic Toretto's Crew for help in an act of desperation. Also, Cipher found the Agency prison a sick place, as she told Letty that they like to fix things before breaking them, which suggests that she knew something was off about the organization. In addition, Cipher doesn't get upset when Letty picked a fight with her, understanding that she put her and her family through a lot. Cipher may, however, have some degree of respect for Letty, having decided to escape the prison with her.
Cipher is also distrustful by nature, always having a back-up plan in the most remote posibility that her own allies betray her, this allows her to always be prepared for any possible future scenario. When Dante manipulated her own men to turn against her with killing their families and friends, Cipher revealed that she had secretly created a special device allowing her to control all their weapons and tools, saying that she never actually trusted them.
Abilities
- "Did you think I would trust you?"
- ―Cipher to her own men.
- Master Tactician: Cipher is a master tactician, using her know-how to deal with dangerous situations and remain ahead of her enemies. Her skill allows her to invade the Mr. Nobody's blacksite, and using Dominic, she was able to steal the God's Eye device, which she later used to track Dominic's crew down to their location. As the spearhead of her operations, she directed Dominic from the safety of her airplane and was able to take control of the electronic mainframe of multiple vehicles from a great distance. While apparently rare, Cipher is able to and has dealt situations that require her direct intervention, but is otherwise content to rely on the skills of others to carry out her plans, preferring to keep her distance from conflict whenever necessary. In addition, Cipher is an extremely manipulative individual, using underhanded tactics to get what she wants and disposing of others when they prove a liability for her plans.
- Master Hacker: To be added
- Expert Combatant: To be added
- Expert Marksman: Cipher has some experience with firearms and explosives. She was able to use a series of concussive grenades to disorient Mr. Nobody and Dominic's crew in order to successfully invade the blacksite without much resistance.
- Skilled Pilot: Cipher also has some experiencing with flying, as shown when she pilots a plane inside a computer simulator. She was able to use the plane's magnet in an attempt to kill Dominic Toretto inside the Armadillo before she is able to fire four missiles at the vehicle, moments before Dom manages to slip away and steer it in front of the plane's range destroying it. Having piloted a plane inside a simulator, this was presumably to continue escaping once more rather than piloting it in person.
Vehicles Driven
| Film | Car |
|---|---|
| The Fate of the Furious | |
| Toyota Land Cruiser (J40) | |
| F9 | UAV Stealth Jet |
| Fast X | DeLorean Alpha5 |
Relationships
Allies
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Enemies
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Trivia
- Cipher is the main antagonist of The Fate of the Furious, the secondary antagonist of F9 and the antihero of Fast X. She also serves as the overarching antagonist of Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7.
- Jenny Slate, Drew Barrymore, Yeardley Smith, Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Robin Wright, Helen Hunt and Kristen Wiig were all considered for the role of Cipher; before Charlize Theron was cast.
- Cipher is one of six antagonists; who survive the events of the film(s) they appear in. The others are Carter Verone (2 Fast 2 Furious), Takashi (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), Arturo Braga (Fast & Furious), Owen Shaw (Fast & Furious 6) and Deckard Shaw (Furious 7). However, she is the only antagonist to escape arrest, and the only antagonist to survive punishment twice (as most of the other villains have either reformed or arrested for their crimes).
- Charlize Theron is the first actress to portray a central antagonist in the Fast & Furious franchise.
- One of the songs in F9, "Furiosa" is an indirect reference to the character Imperator Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road; who was also portrayed; by Charlize Theron.
- Roman Pearce's statement about her being the person who killed Elena Neves is false. The person who killed her was Connor Rhodes; who Dominic Toretto later killed. However, Connor did kill Elena under Cipher's orders.
- In 2021, it was revealed that; Vin Diesel was working on a potential Cipher spin-off film; whether it is her own film or the female-centered spin-off[4].
Gallery
Quotes
Notes
References