Ivan Erwich

Ivan Erwich

Ivan Erwich is a supporting villain working for main villain Vladimir Bierko on the first portion of the fifth season of "24" and is portrayed by recurring guest star Mark Sheppard.

Character Summary

Ivan was a Dawn Brigade separatist working for Vladimir Bierko. He was responsible for smuggling canisters of Sentox VX nerve gas out of a hangar from the Ontario Airport.

Prior to this, Erwich was a chemical engineer trained at the University of St. Petersburg. He joined his country's separatist movement six years before the events of Day 5. Erwich had a wife, who was in prison for supporting his cause and a son, who lived in a state-run facility and has said that he didn't remember what his father Ivan even looked like.

Day 5

Erwich was a minor adversary at the beginning of Day 5. We first see him disguised as a hostage at the airport. Because he had no name and a yellow tie, for a while he was known simply as the "Yellow Tie Man". We see a hand off where Erwich is handed a key card by the leader of the hostage situation, Anton Beresch. This key card is used to secure canisters of the Sentox nerve gas. Erwich originally planned to take the gas canisters back to Russia but he later found out that his driver, Schaeffer, was actually working for Walt Cummings. Erwich calls Cummings and that is when he realizes the arming codes have been changed. Erwich realizes that the American government was trying to use the gas canisters against them and begins to reap his vengeance.

In order to alter the arming codes, Erwich seeks the help of Jacob Rossler. However, Jack Bauer is able to get to Rossler first. Unfortunately, his kidnapped slave girl kills him before he can be too useful. Jack has to go undercover as Rossler. With the help of Chloe, Jack is able to alter the arming codes and actually helps test release one gas canister inside a mall. Lynn McGill and other government officials order Jack to keep his cover, but Jack stops the gas before it can kill too many people. He is forced to kill one terrorist and then follows the surviving terrorist, Polakov. Before Polakov can get back to Erwich, Erwich calls Polakov himself and tells him he must kill himself. Later, Erwich's employer, Vladimir Bierko, meets up and eventually stabs Erwich because Erwich was unwise to trust the Americans and ended up wasting an entire canister of gas.