Roark family

The Roark family is a fictional dynasty from Frank Miller's graphic novel series Sin City.

The family is made up of corrupt officials and landowners of Irish descent, who hold absolute power in Basin City. They are the main antagonists in the series, and are frequent catalysts to various plots and storylines. Several of their associates also serve as villains within the stories.

The family founded what would become Basin City during Gold Rush, when a Roark ancestor brought with him a large number of foreign prostitutes to the gold mining camp. The prostitutes were immediately popular, turning a small camp into a thriving city. Over the years, the prostitutes themselves eventually split from the family and formed their own district reserved specifically for prostitution. This red light district would later be known as Old Town.

In the time period of the comics, the Roark dynasty is currently thriving, with family members in the United States Senate, an Attorney General and a Cardinal.

Patrick Henry Roark, otherwise known as Cardinal Roark, appears in The Hard Goodbye as the brother of Senator Roark and Attorney General Roark and the uncle of Roark Junior. According to Marv, he was once a doctor and priest serving in the medical corps during either World War II or the Korean War. He earned significant praise as a result and later became a Cardinal, gaining much political influence and extending the corruption within Basin City. Marv also mentioned that the Cardinal's influence is what allowed his brother to become a Senator.

While serving the clergy, Cardinal Roark met Kevin, a cannibalistic young serial killer who mutilated and ate Old Town's prostitutes, believing he was devouring their souls. Convinced that Kevin has been spoken to by God, Cardinal Roark shelters him at the Roark family farm outside the city. He also joins in on Kevin's crimes, consuming parts of his victims' corpses.

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