Summary
Immortan Joe and the War Boys are some of the most fearsome villains in theMad Maxfranchise, and here is everything we know about them up until their appearances inMad Max: Fury RoadandFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, explained. While theMad Maxsaga has a variety of villains, Immortan Joe has stood out as the most iconic one, with him making his franchise debut in the 2015 revival filmMad Max: Fury Road. The characters were so popular that they returned inFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, and here is everything that is known about them.
Although George Miller’s iconicMad Maxfranchise has been going on since 1979, he attempted to revive it in 2015 withMad Max: Fury Road, with this plan being a massive success.Due to it having been 30 years sinceMad Max Beyond Thunderdome,Miller had to make some major changes, including getting anew actor to play Mad Maxas well as adding a female protagonist named Furiosa. However, one of the biggest changes was introducing a new warlord villain named Immortan Joe, and here is everything that we know about Immortan Joe and his gang of War Boys.
Immortan Joe’s Backstory & Rise To Power
The Comics Provide A Lot Of Backstory
TheMad Maxcomics and other various materials in theMad Maxexpanded universe have given a lot of backstory to Immortan Joe, explaining his origins and rise to power. Immortan Joe was originall named Colonel Joe Moore, with him being a soldier in Oil Wars and the Water Wars. After the apocalypse, however, Immortan Joe started a bike gang which he lead, terrorizing much of Australia. Joe got into battles with the MFP, although his goals changed when he learned about a fresh water aquifier.
In an attempt to obtain this water, Joe decided to lead his bike gang on a battle against the owners of The Citadel, hoping to take the location over. The battle eventually went poorly for the bike gang, but after three days, Joe rallied the troops and led him to victory. During his rule over The Citadel, Joe began to be treated like a god, with many of his followers claiming that he was immortal. This led to him earning the title Immortan Joe, something that he carried for the rest of his life.
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There Are 2 Different Actors
InMad Max: Fury Road, Immortan Joe is played by the actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, with him being the actor that defined many aspects of the iconicMad Maxvillain. However, this wasn’t his first time appearing in the franchise. Interestingly,Hugh Keays-Byrne also played Toecutter in the originalMad Max, although these are meant to be two entirely different characters due to Toecutter’s death at the end of the first film.
Immortan Joe returned inFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, butsince Hugh Keays-Byrne tragically passed away in 2020, the actor had to be replaced in the prequel movie. Instead, actor Lachy Hulme portrayed Immortan Joe inFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, bringing a whole new side to the younger version of theMad Maxvillain.
Why Immortan Joe Wears A Mask To Breathe
It Is More Than Aesthetics
One of the most recognizable traits of Immortan Joe is that he has to wear a mask to breathe in theMad Maxmovies, and here’s why. Throughout his time as one of the warlords in the wasteland, Immortan Joe became a fairly old man. Due to the harshness of the environment, Joe’s health quickly began to fail, meaning that he needed some assistance in order to live. Thus, Immortan Joe decided to continually wear a respirator in order to breathe clean air. However, to hide the apparatus, he decided to decorate the mask with skeleton teeth.
Immortan Joe’s Wives Explained
Here’s Why He Has Five Wives
As Immortan Joe got older,he realized that his sons were not worthy to carry on his rule over The Citadel, with him realizing that he needed to take action. Thus, Joe gathered up the purest women in The Citadel and created a breeding program in an attempt to have a worthy son. These women were named Immortan Joe’s Five Wives, with them forcefully being entered into this breeding program. Luckily, Furiosa and Mad Max were able to help the women escape, creating a massive chase that set up the events ofMad Max: Fury Road.
The War Boys Are Immortan Joe’s Servants & Soldiers
They Loyally Follow Joe
ThroughoutFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaandMad Max: Fury Road, the War Boys are consistently seen working for Immortan Joe. In the franchise, the War Boys are Immortan Joe’s servants and soldiers, with thier zealous belief in Joe’s casues leading them to follow him without question. War Boys are chosen from a young age to follow Immortan Joe, with countless War Boys dying throughout the franchise in an attempt to carry out Immortan Joe’s causes.
Why Immortan Joe’s War Boys All Look Like That
Immortan Joe Also Wears White Powder
Immortan Joe’s War Boysall have a unique appearance, with them being incredibly white with the exception of their eyes and lips. According to the lore ofMad Max: Fury Road,Immortan Joe covers himself with white powder for health reasons, with his War Boys using the white powder in order to appear more like Immortan Joe. They then use black makeup around their eyes to give themselves the appearance of a skeleton, following the design scheme of Joe’s skeleton mask. This appearance is standard for the War Boys, with them being outfitted this way for most of their lives.
Known Members Of The War Boys
Several Have Been Named
Although all kinds of War Boys are seen throughout theMad Maxmovies, there are a few specific ones that are named in the two films. Theleader of the War Boyscult is a character named Rictus Erectus, with him being the youngest son of Immortan Joe. The character Nux is one of the most significant War Boys inMad Max: Fury Road, with the character getting a good bit of screentime.
Imperator Furiosa was a former War Boy, with her having reached the high rank of Imperator before leaving the cult. These are the most important War Boys, although more could always be introduced in the franchise’s future.
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What Happens To Immortan Joe & The War Boys
During the chase inMad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa manages to launch a harpoon into Immortan Joe’s face. The car that the harpoon is attached to then takes off, ripping Joe’s jaw off and violently killing him. This is the end of the reign of Immortan Joe, with Furiosa and Mad Max successfully saving his Five Wives. Not much is known about what happened to the War Boys after Immortan Joe’sMad Maxdeath, although they presumably fell apart after learning that Joe wasn’t truly immortal.
Mad Max
Mad Max is an Australian post-apocalyptic franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. The first three films star Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, a former police officer who seeks revenge after his family is murdered. Tom Hardy took over the role for 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, which was followed by Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa.
