Wild Cards/Characters: Difference between revisions

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* [[Evil Redhead]]
* [[Evil Redhead]]
* [[Foe Yay]]: In the most disturbing way possible with Tachyon. {{spoiler|He traps Tachyon's mind in a female body and rapes him/her.}}
* [[Foe Yay]]: In the most disturbing way possible with Tachyon. {{spoiler|He traps Tachyon's mind in a female body and rapes him/her.}}
* [[Half Human Hybrid]]
* [[Half-Human Hybrid]]
* [[Mind Control]]
* [[Mind Control]]
* [[Pet the Dog]]: Hideously subverted in Double Solitaire. {{spoiler|Blaise claims to be buddies with Jay Ackroyd, a man he used to respect when he was a kid, and then proceeds to cut off his fingers.}}
* [[Pet the Dog]]: Hideously subverted in Double Solitaire. {{spoiler|Blaise claims to be buddies with Jay Ackroyd, a man he used to respect when he was a kid, and then proceeds to cut off his fingers.}}
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=== Dr.Tachyon ===
=== Dr.Tachyon ===
His real name is [[Some Call Me Tim|Tisianne brant T'sara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian]], an [[Human Aliens|alien]] prince from the Takisian race. His people created the Wild Card virus. Tachyon tried to prevent the virus from being tested on Earth, but failed. Feeling [[The Atoner|extremely guilty]], he devoted his life to help the victims of the virus.
His real name is [[Some Call Me... Tim|Tisianne brant T'sara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian]], an [[Human Aliens|alien]] prince from the Takisian race. His people created the Wild Card virus. Tachyon tried to prevent the virus from being tested on Earth, but failed. Feeling [[The Atoner|extremely guilty]], he devoted his life to help the victims of the virus.


The series has [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]; amongst all of them, Dr. Tachyon is arguably the main protagonist.
The series has [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]; amongst all of them, Dr. Tachyon is arguably the main protagonist.
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* [[Implausible Hair Color]]: Tach's hair is metallic red, described as looking like fine copper wires.
* [[Implausible Hair Color]]: Tach's hair is metallic red, described as looking like fine copper wires.
* [[Interspecies Romance]]: See [[Casanova]], above.
* [[Interspecies Romance]]: See [[Casanova]], above.
* [[Morally Ambiguous Doctorate]]: He knows a lot about genetics and biochemistry, and was part of the research team that created the virus.
* [[Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate]]: He knows a lot about genetics and biochemistry, and was part of the research team that created the virus.
* [[My Greatest Failure]]: What happened to Blythe haunts Tachyon for a long, long time.
* [[My Greatest Failure]]: What happened to Blythe haunts Tachyon for a long, long time.
* [[Older Than They Look]]: Takisians age very slowly. He is eighty years old already, but he is physiologically in his twenties at most.
* [[Older Than They Look]]: Takisians age very slowly. He is eighty years old already, but he is physiologically in his twenties at most.
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* [[Purple Eyes]]
* [[Purple Eyes]]
* [[Reed Richards Is Useless]]: Tachyon's advanced knowledge of biology doesn't affect Earth science much.
* [[Reed Richards Is Useless]]: Tachyon's advanced knowledge of biology doesn't affect Earth science much.
* [[Some Call Me Tim]]: Tachyon's actual name is Prince Tisianne brant Ts'ara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian of House Ilkazam (and that's just his first name; his full name would list his genealogy for the last thousand generations).
* [[Some Call Me... Tim]]: Tachyon's actual name is Prince Tisianne brant Ts'ara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian of House Ilkazam (and that's just his first name; his full name would list his genealogy for the last thousand generations).
* {{spoiler|[[Trauma Conga Line]]: Accidentaly destroys the love of his life, has a bout with impotence, loses his right hand, is trapped into a woman's body, raped, and impregnated by his own grandson... and those are only some highlights of what happens to Tach.}}
* {{spoiler|[[Trauma Conga Line]]: Accidentaly destroys the love of his life, has a bout with impotence, loses his right hand, is trapped into a woman's body, raped, and impregnated by his own grandson... and those are only some highlights of what happens to Tach.}}


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* [[Color Character]]
* [[Color Character]]
* [[Flight]]
* [[Flight]]
* [[Good Adultery Bad Adultery]]: Averted. His betrayal of his wife is treated in a very nuanced way.
* [[Good Adultery, Bad Adultery]]: Averted. His betrayal of his wife is treated in a very nuanced way.
* [[Malcolm Xerox]]: Averted. A black leader with Marxist convictions who actually is sympathetic and reasonable.
* [[Malcolm Xerox]]: Averted. A black leader with Marxist convictions who actually is sympathetic and reasonable.
* [[Messianic Archetype]]
* [[Messianic Archetype]]
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=== Black Shadow ===
=== Black Shadow ===
A grim vigilante with darkness-based powers. Black Shadows uses a variety of disguises and identities to better fight evil.
A grim vigilante with darkness-based powers. Black Shadows uses a variety of disguises and identities to better fight evil.
* [[Anti Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti Heroes|Type IV]]
* [[Anti-Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|Type IV]]
* [[Badass Abnormal]]
* [[Badass Abnormal]]
* [[Broken Ace]]
* [[Broken Ace]]
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* [[Adorkable]]
* [[Adorkable]]
* [[Alliterative Name]]: Mark Meadows.
* [[Alliterative Name]]: Mark Meadows.
* [[Anti Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti Heroes|Type I]], Loser as Hero.
* [[Anti-Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|Type I]], Loser as Hero.
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]
* [[Break the Cutie]]: Really, Mark is too innocent for the [[Crapsack World]] that is Wild Cards.
* [[Break the Cutie]]: Really, Mark is too innocent for the [[Crapsack World]] that is Wild Cards.
* [[Captain Superhero]]
* [[Captain Superhero]]
* [[Daddys Girl]]: Sprout, his mentally disabled daughter.
* [[Daddy's Girl]]: Sprout, his mentally disabled daughter.
* [[Geek Physiques]]: The skinny sort.
* [[Geek Physiques]]: The skinny sort.
* [[Hour of Power]]: His transformations usually only last for an hour.
* [[Hour of Power]]: His transformations usually only last for an hour.
* [[Many Spirits Inside of One]]: All of his alter egos speak to Mark and to each other inside Mark's head.
* [[Many Spirits Inside of One]]: All of his alter egos speak to Mark and to each other inside Mark's head.
* [[Modern Major General]]: Mark spends years as the owner of a head shop in Greenwich Village, but is a piss poor businessman.
* [[Modern Major-General]]: Mark spends years as the owner of a head shop in Greenwich Village, but is a piss poor businessman.
* [[New Age Retro Hippie]]
* [[New Age Retro Hippie]]
* [[Shout Out]]: The names of his "friends" are taken from classic rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s.
* [[Shout Out]]: The names of his "friends" are taken from classic rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s.
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=== Carnifex ===
=== Carnifex ===
Billy Ray, a Justice Department agent who is stronger, faster, and tougher than a normal human. He also can heal very quick. Carnifex is a ferocious fighter that loves action and mayhem a little too much.
Billy Ray, a Justice Department agent who is stronger, faster, and tougher than a normal human. He also can heal very quick. Carnifex is a ferocious fighter that loves action and mayhem a little too much.
* [[Anti Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti Heroes|Mostly a Type III]]
* [[Anti-Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|Mostly a Type III]]
* [[Badass Abnormal]]
* [[Badass Abnormal]]
* [[Battle Couple]]: With the Midnight Angel.
* [[Battle Couple]]: With the Midnight Angel.
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=== Cordelia Chaison ===
=== Cordelia Chaison ===
A Cajun girl with the power to shut down a person's respiratory and circulatory systems. She is the niece of Sewer Jack Robicheaux. Works as a young exec for Global Fun & Games.
A Cajun girl with the power to shut down a person's respiratory and circulatory systems. She is the niece of Sewer Jack Robicheaux. Works as a young exec for Global Fun & Games.
* [[Bad Powers Good People]]
* [[Bad Powers, Good People]]
* [[Shiny Midnight Black]]
* [[Shiny Midnight Black]]
* [[Welcome to The Big City]]: Cordelia's storyline in Jokers Wild is basically this.
* [[Welcome to The Big City]]: Cordelia's storyline in Jokers Wild is basically this.
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* [[Older Than They Look]]: One of the earliest Aces, he appears the same age he was in the Fifties.
* [[Older Than They Look]]: One of the earliest Aces, he appears the same age he was in the Fifties.
* [[Steven Ulysses Perhero]]: His real name is Jack Braun and he got superstrength.
* [[Steven Ulysses Perhero]]: His real name is Jack Braun and he got superstrength.
* [[Worlds Strongest Man]]
* [[World's Strongest Man]]


=== The Great and Powerful Turtle ===
=== The Great and Powerful Turtle ===
Tom Tudbury, a nerd from New Jersey who also happens to be the world's most powerful telekinetic. His powers don't work when he is feeling threatened, so he fights crime inside a floating metal shell.
Tom Tudbury, a nerd from New Jersey who also happens to be the world's most powerful telekinetic. His powers don't work when he is feeling threatened, so he fights crime inside a floating metal shell.
* [[Alliterative Name]]: Tom Tudbury, the Turtle.
* [[Alliterative Name]]: Tom Tudbury, the Turtle.
* [[Anti Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti Heroes|Type I]], Loser as Hero.
* [[Anti-Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|Type I]], Loser as Hero.
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]
* [[Author Avatar]]: He's basically George R. R. Martin with superpowers.
* [[Author Avatar]]: He's basically George R. R. Martin with superpowers.
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* [[Ascended Extra]]: Spent the first several books as "The Great Ape," a [[King Kong]] [[Expy]] whose occasional zoo escapes were often used as a [[Funny Background Event]] / [[Noodle Incident]] throughout the timeline, to the point of being used as a popular Ace pickup line: "Didn't I see you at the last Ape Escape?"
* [[Ascended Extra]]: Spent the first several books as "The Great Ape," a [[King Kong]] [[Expy]] whose occasional zoo escapes were often used as a [[Funny Background Event]] / [[Noodle Incident]] throughout the timeline, to the point of being used as a popular Ace pickup line: "Didn't I see you at the last Ape Escape?"
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]
* [[Heroic Self Deprecation]]
* [[Heroic Self-Deprecation]]
* [[Humanshifting]]
* [[Humanshifting]]
* [[The Mind Is a Plaything of The Body]]: Happens whenever he transforms into a non-human movie character, like [[King Kong]], a [[The Howling|werewolf]], or the [[Creature From the Black Lagoon]].
* [[The Mind Is a Plaything of The Body]]: Happens whenever he transforms into a non-human movie character, like [[King Kong]], a [[The Howling|werewolf]], or the [[Creature From the Black Lagoon]].
* [[Nice Guy]]
* [[Nice Guy]]
* [[Required Secondary Powers]]: Jerry usually can't change his mass. But he can absorb energy and convert it into additional mass to change into someone bigger. In a later book, he makes explicit use of his energy absorption power to redirect electricity.
* [[Required Secondary Powers]]: Jerry usually can't change his mass. But he can absorb energy and convert it into additional mass to change into someone bigger. In a later book, he makes explicit use of his energy absorption power to redirect electricity.
* [[Rich in Dollars Poor In Sense]]: Before he gets [[Character Development]].
* [[Rich in Dollars, Poor In Sense]]: Before he gets [[Character Development]].
* [[Shapeshifter Mode Lock]]: Spends more than a decade trapped as a giant ape.
* [[Shapeshifter Mode Lock]]: Spends more than a decade trapped as a giant ape.


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A super-sophisticated android created by [[Mad Scientist]] Maxim Travnicek. Mod Man is mostly a nice guy, but forced to follow the orders of his sociopathic creator. He fights crime as a superhero as a ploy from Travnicek to gain publicity and wealth.
A super-sophisticated android created by [[Mad Scientist]] Maxim Travnicek. Mod Man is mostly a nice guy, but forced to follow the orders of his sociopathic creator. He fights crime as a superhero as a ploy from Travnicek to gain publicity and wealth.
* [[Casanova]]: A love machine, literally.
* [[Casanova]]: A love machine, literally.
* [[Fantastic Racism]] / [[What Measure Is a Non Human|What Measure Is A Non-Organic]]: Mostly he suffers this from his own [[Jerkass]] creator. The term "toaster" to refer to an android may have originated in Wild Cards.
* [[Fantastic Racism]] / [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?|What Measure Is A Non-Organic]]: Mostly he suffers this from his own [[Jerkass]] creator. The term "toaster" to refer to an android may have originated in Wild Cards.
* [[Flying Brick]]: Mod Man can fly, is incredibly strong, durable, has an array of sensors, and a veritable arsenal of ranged attacks.
* [[Flying Brick]]: Mod Man can fly, is incredibly strong, durable, has an array of sensors, and a veritable arsenal of ranged attacks.
* [[Magic Powered Pseudoscience]]
* [[Magic Powered Pseudoscience]]
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* [[Loveable Rogue]]: He's this most of the time, but is also a partial Subversion in that Croyd can turn really nasty, almost reaching [[Ax Crazy]] levels when he is on a bad drug trip.
* [[Loveable Rogue]]: He's this most of the time, but is also a partial Subversion in that Croyd can turn really nasty, almost reaching [[Ax Crazy]] levels when he is on a bad drug trip.
* [[Older Than They Look]]: Croyd regenerates every time he sleeps, so he never grows old. He's active as an ace since the 1940s.
* [[Older Than They Look]]: Croyd regenerates every time he sleeps, so he never grows old. He's active as an ace since the 1940s.
* [[Re Power]]: stays awake for about a month, sleeps for two to three more, wakes up with new powers - and a new appearance - every time. Since there's a very real chance of him waking up dead from this, it's also [[Superpower Russian Roulette]].
* [[Re-Power]]: stays awake for about a month, sleeps for two to three more, wakes up with new powers - and a new appearance - every time. Since there's a very real chance of him waking up dead from this, it's also [[Superpower Russian Roulette]].


=== Ti Malice ===
=== Ti Malice ===
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=== Reverend Leo Barnett ===
=== Reverend Leo Barnett ===
A Fundamentalist Christian preacher that gains fame by taking a anti-Wild Cards stance. Later he goes into politics.
A Fundamentalist Christian preacher that gains fame by taking a anti-Wild Cards stance. Later he goes into politics.
* [[Anti Villain]]
* [[Anti-Villain]]
* [[The Fundamentalist]]: A partial subversion, in that Barnett is somewhat more reasonable than people would expect.
* [[The Fundamentalist]]: A partial subversion, in that Barnett is somewhat more reasonable than people would expect.
* [[Hypocrite]]: Has affairs with lots of women and secretly enjoys literature by liberal writers.
* [[Hypocrite]]: Has affairs with lots of women and secretly enjoys literature by liberal writers.
* [[Maybe Magic Maybe Mundane]]: He's charismatic and sometimes ridiculously lucky. People have suspected him of being a secret Ace.
* [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane]]: He's charismatic and sometimes ridiculously lucky. People have suspected him of being a secret Ace.
* {{spoiler|[[President Evil]]: Barnett becomes President in the Card Sharks books. Many Wild Carders would consider him this. In truth, he's not that different from any other politician.}}
* {{spoiler|[[President Evil]]: Barnett becomes President in the Card Sharks books. Many Wild Carders would consider him this. In truth, he's not that different from any other politician.}}
* [[Sexy Priest]]
* [[Sexy Priest]]
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* [[Alternate Company Equivalent]]: He's effectively the [[Wild Cards]] version of [[Green Arrow]].
* [[Alternate Company Equivalent]]: He's effectively the [[Wild Cards]] version of [[Green Arrow]].
** Also has a lot of elements remininiscent of [[The Punisher]].
** Also has a lot of elements remininiscent of [[The Punisher]].
* [[Anti Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti Heroes|Type IV]]
* [[Anti-Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|Type IV]]
* [[The Archer]]
* [[The Archer]]
* [[Arch Enemy]]: Vietnamese crime boss Kien Phuc.
* [[Arch Enemy]]: Vietnamese crime boss Kien Phuc.
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=== Bloat ===
=== Bloat ===
Joker leader in the Jumper books. Bloat is an immobile, gigantic montain of pale flesh, with the head and shoulders of a teen boy perched atop it. He has extraordinarily potent [[Psychic Powers]]. His home base is the Rox, formerly known as Ellis Island.
Joker leader in the Jumper books. Bloat is an immobile, gigantic montain of pale flesh, with the head and shoulders of a teen boy perched atop it. He has extraordinarily potent [[Psychic Powers]]. His home base is the Rox, formerly known as Ellis Island.
* [[Anti Villain]]: Bloat is quite sympathetic, even though he is technicaly the [[Big Bad]] for the Jumper trilogy.
* [[Anti-Villain]]: Bloat is quite sympathetic, even though he is technicaly the [[Big Bad]] for the Jumper trilogy.
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]: A darker version than the Turtle or Mark Meadows.
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]: A darker version than the Turtle or Mark Meadows.
* [[Blessed With Suck]]
* [[Blessed With Suck]]
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* [[Psychic Powers]]
* [[Psychic Powers]]
* [[Reality Warper]]: Only inside the Rox.
* [[Reality Warper]]: Only inside the Rox.
* [[Tall Dark and Handsome]]: The Outcast, Bloat's alter ego.
* [[Tall, Dark and Handsome]]: The Outcast, Bloat's alter ego.


=== Bludgeon ===
=== Bludgeon ===
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* [[Asshole Victim]]
* [[Asshole Victim]]
* [[The Brute]]
* [[The Brute]]
* [[Cluster F Bomb]]
* [[Cluster F-Bomb]]
* [[Dumb Muscle]]
* [[Dumb Muscle]]
* [[Mismatched Eyes]]: One blue, one red.
* [[Mismatched Eyes]]: One blue, one red.
* [[Politically Incorrect Villain]]: Extremely homophobic and sexist.
* [[Politically-Incorrect Villain]]: Extremely homophobic and sexist.


=== Chrysalis ===
=== Chrysalis ===
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=== The Oddity ===
=== The Oddity ===
The Oddity is actually three people permanently merged into one monstrous, constantly shifting, painful whole. They're superhumanly strong and tough and act as a vigilante in Jokertown.
The Oddity is actually three people permanently merged into one monstrous, constantly shifting, painful whole. They're superhumanly strong and tough and act as a vigilante in Jokertown.
* [[Anti Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti Heroes|Type III]]
* [[Anti-Hero]]: [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|Type III]]
* [[The Big Guy]]
* [[The Big Guy]]
* [[Biological Mashup]]
* [[Biological Mashup]]

Revision as of 12:15, 8 January 2014


This character sheet is for Wild Cards.

Aliens

Blaise

Blaise is Doctor Tachyon's grandson. He is a human/Takisian hybrid with very potent mind control powers and a very nasty personality.

Dr.Tachyon

His real name is Tisianne brant T'sara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian, an alien prince from the Takisian race. His people created the Wild Card virus. Tachyon tried to prevent the virus from being tested on Earth, but failed. Feeling extremely guilty, he devoted his life to help the victims of the virus.

The series has Loads and Loads of Characters; amongst all of them, Dr. Tachyon is arguably the main protagonist.

  • The Atoner
  • Bittersweet Ending: Tachyon returns to his home planet and becomes a planetary leader. Unfortunately Takisian society is in shambles due to Blaise's actions, and Tachyon is still traumatized by his year trapped in a "mind-blind" (non-telepathic) female body.
  • Butt Monkey: In the later novels he suffers so much that it comes closest to Cosmic Plaything.
  • Byronic Hero
  • Camp Straight: As an alien aristocrat he dresses very flamboyantly and behaves similarly.
  • Casanova: Tries to sleep with every single women he finds attractive.
  • Foe Yay: With his dashing cousin Zabb, goes from subtext to text, when Tachyon is trapped in a female body and starts a relationship with Zabb.
  • Freaky Friday Flip: Tachyon swaps bodies with Kelly Ann Jenkins, a teenage girl. Also a form of Grand Theft Me, as the swap is enginered by Blaise, Tachyon's grandson, as a way to revenge himself on Tachyon. To make matters incredibly disturbing, Blaise rapes and impregnates Tachyon.
  • Ho Yay: Tachyon has it with almost the entire male cast.
  • Human Aliens: All Takisians are.
  • Implausible Hair Color: Tach's hair is metallic red, described as looking like fine copper wires.
  • Interspecies Romance: See Casanova, above.
  • Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate: He knows a lot about genetics and biochemistry, and was part of the research team that created the virus.
  • My Greatest Failure: What happened to Blythe haunts Tachyon for a long, long time.
  • Older Than They Look: Takisians age very slowly. He is eighty years old already, but he is physiologically in his twenties at most.
  • Omniglot: He speaks English, German, French, Spanish, and several other languages, human and alien.
  • Psychic Powers: As a Takisian psy-lord, he is a powerful telepath as well as a mind-controller.
  • Purple Eyes
  • Reed Richards Is Useless: Tachyon's advanced knowledge of biology doesn't affect Earth science much.
  • Some Call Me... Tim: Tachyon's actual name is Prince Tisianne brant Ts'ara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian of House Ilkazam (and that's just his first name; his full name would list his genealogy for the last thousand generations).
  • Trauma Conga Line: Accidentaly destroys the love of his life, has a bout with impotence, loses his right hand, is trapped into a woman's body, raped, and impregnated by his own grandson... and those are only some highlights of what happens to Tach.

Jube the Walrus

A humanoid walrus that owns a newspaper stand in Jokertown. Everybody likes old, harmless Jube. No one knows that he isn't a joker, or even human. Jube is actually an alien spy, studying Earth for the Network, an alien The Federation.

Aces

The Astronomer

The main antagonist of the first trilogy of novels, the Astronomer is an insanely powerful Evil Sorcerer that is also the leader of his own dark cult. He is a bad guy's bad guy. Just count the number of "evil" tropes.

Bagabond

A bag lady with the power to communicate with and control animals. Her best friends are two alley cats.

Black Eagle

Earl Sanderson, a powerful black ace from the 1940s and important figure in the civil rights movement. He was a member of the Exotics for Democracy. Capable of flight and generating force fields.

Black Shadow

A grim vigilante with darkness-based powers. Black Shadows uses a variety of disguises and identities to better fight evil.

Captain Trips

Mark Meadows, a hippie with the power to transform himself into several different superheroic alter egos, that he calls his "friends." He is also a genius biochemist. For his various alter-egos, see The Radical, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Moonchild, Cosmic Traveler, Starshine, Aquarius, and Monster.

Carnifex

Billy Ray, a Justice Department agent who is stronger, faster, and tougher than a normal human. He also can heal very quick. Carnifex is a ferocious fighter that loves action and mayhem a little too much.

Cordelia Chaison

A Cajun girl with the power to shut down a person's respiratory and circulatory systems. She is the niece of Sewer Jack Robicheaux. Works as a young exec for Global Fun & Games.

Demise

Demise is James Spector, a failed accountant that was killed by the virus and later came back to life. He gained the power to kill with a look (and he's pretty much unkillable too). Unhinged by his experiences, he became a hitman.

Fadeout

Philip Cunningham, a high-ranking criminal in the Shadow Fist Society. He can become invisible at will.

Fortunato

A half-black, half-Japanese pimp with the power of tantric magic. One of the protagonists in the first trilogy of novels.

Golden Boy

Golden Boy is Jack Braun, a WWII veteran and has-been actor with the power of superstrength, invulnerability, and eternal youth. He was a member of the superteam Exotics for Democracy in the 1940s, but has more or less retired from superheroics after being pressured into testifying against his friends in the paranoid political climate of 1950.

The Great and Powerful Turtle

Tom Tudbury, a nerd from New Jersey who also happens to be the world's most powerful telekinetic. His powers don't work when he is feeling threatened, so he fights crime inside a floating metal shell.

The Hero Twins

A pair of modern day Mayans living in Guatemala that become re-incarnations of the ancient legendary brothers, Hunapu and Xbalanque. They lead a resistance movement to recreate a Mayan regime.

Jumpin' Jack Flash

One of Captain Trips's alter-egos, probably the most well-known of them in the original novels, since he is a ladies' man and a showoff. Flash has fire powers and a personality to match.

Mackie Messer

A young, mentally disturbed German hunchback with the power to vibrate his own body out of phase with the physical universe. In doing so, he can walk through walls and use his hands as buzzsaw weapons.

Mister Nobody

Jerry Strauss, a man capable of changing his appearance at will. He's a big movie fan, and specializes in transforming into famous actors and actresses.

Modular Man

A super-sophisticated android created by Mad Scientist Maxim Travnicek. Mod Man is mostly a nice guy, but forced to follow the orders of his sociopathic creator. He fights crime as a superhero as a ploy from Travnicek to gain publicity and wealth.

  • Casanova: A love machine, literally.
  • Fantastic Racism / What Measure Is A Non-Organic: Mostly he suffers this from his own Jerkass creator. The term "toaster" to refer to an android may have originated in Wild Cards.
  • Flying Brick: Mod Man can fly, is incredibly strong, durable, has an array of sensors, and a veritable arsenal of ranged attacks.
  • Magic Powered Pseudoscience
  • Personality Chip: An in-built version, Modular Man is designed to replicate human emotions and psychology.
  • Ridiculously Human Robots: Modular Man looks completely human, and he is even fully functional. He can also eat and drink.
  • Three Laws Compliant: Averted. Travnicek has hardwired imperatives into Modular Man that compel him to obey his creator, but he can fully hurt other people.
  • Turned Against Their Masters: Travnicek programmed him to be unable of this. Mod Man manages to work his way around it and arranges for Travnicek to be killed anyway. But considering that Travnicek is a sociopath that treats Mod Man as a slave, it's a happy ending.

Moonchild

One of Captain Trips's alter-egos. She is a beautiful Korean woman with superhuman martial arts prowess.

Polyakov

Russian ace with the power of pyrokinesis. Used to be a bigwig in the Soviet secret service.

Popinjay

Jay Ackroyd, a private detective with the power of teleporting any object he can point his finger at to any place he has ever been. Also known for his sense of humour. Hates firearms.

Puppetman

Senator Gregg Hartmann, seemingly a liberal, idealistic politician that fights for the rights of Wild Carders. He's secretely Puppetman, a manipulative emotional vampire.

Roulette

A high-class prostitute that can kill men by having sex with them. She is an agent of the Astronomer.

Sewer Jack

Jack Robicheaux, a Cajun transit worker with the power to transform himself into a big alligator.

The Sleeper

Croyd Crenson, a man that changes his appearance and powers every time he falls asleep. Works as an ace for hire.

Ti Malice

A hideously atrophied joker-ace with the power to possess people by attaching itself to their necks. Its victims (called "mounts") become completely addicted to Ti Malice's kiss.

Veronica

A former prostitute of Fortunato's, Veronica has the power to make any man weak and helpless. Seriously.

Water Lily

Jane Dow, a young woman with the power to control water. Born in a small town, she comes to New York City in 1986, and gets involved in the ace scene.

Hiram Worchester

Hiram is the owner of the Aces High restaurant, the chicest meeting place for aces in the 1970s and 1980s. He is a powerful ace himself, with mastery over gravity. He had a short superhero career as Fatman.

  • Acrofatic: Not quite, but he is susprisingly light on his feet, considering that he uses his power to decrease his own weight.
  • Break the Cutie: Poor Hiram. His life takes a nosedive when he becomes a slave to the monstrous Ti Malice.
  • Camp Straight: Not as much as Tachyon, but Hiram is quite flamboyant.
  • Embarrassing Nickname: He hates it when they call him Fatman.
  • Gravity Master
  • Karma Houdini: Played with, considering he suffers no punishment for the murder of Chrysalis but his life is already destroyed by Ti Malice.

Wraith

Jennifer Maloy, meek librarian by day, daring jewel thief by night. She can become insubstantial at will.

Nats

Reverend Leo Barnett

A Fundamentalist Christian preacher that gains fame by taking a anti-Wild Cards stance. Later he goes into politics.

  • Anti-Villain
  • The Fundamentalist: A partial subversion, in that Barnett is somewhat more reasonable than people would expect.
  • Hypocrite: Has affairs with lots of women and secretly enjoys literature by liberal writers.
  • Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: He's charismatic and sometimes ridiculously lucky. People have suspected him of being a secret Ace.
  • President Evil: Barnett becomes President in the Card Sharks books. Many Wild Carders would consider him this. In truth, he's not that different from any other politician.
  • Sexy Priest

Jetboy

Bobby Tomlin, an heroic fighter pilot from World War II, tried to stop the release of the Wild Card virus.

Sara Morgenstern

Star reporter from the Washington Post, specialized in Wild Cards issues. Has a vendetta with Senator Gregg Hartmann.

Rosemary Muldoon

Real name Rosa-Maria Gambione, a Mafia princess that became stranged from her family, changed her name and became a New York district attorney. Later tried to become a leader in the Mafia, playing both sides.

Yeoman

Daniel Brennan, a Vietnam Vet that swore revenge on crime boss Kien Phuc. He is a zen archer with Improbable Aiming Skills.


Jokers

Bloat

Joker leader in the Jumper books. Bloat is an immobile, gigantic montain of pale flesh, with the head and shoulders of a teen boy perched atop it. He has extraordinarily potent Psychic Powers. His home base is the Rox, formerly known as Ellis Island.

Bludgeon

Gigantic joker bruiser with superstrength and a club-like right arm. Works as muscle for the mobs.

Chrysalis

Chrysalis is the owner of the Crystal Palace nightclub in Jokertown, and is the unofficial queen of the Joker underworld, brokering information to all parties. Her skin is invisible, her organs and skeleton exposed for all to see.

Xavier Desmond

The so-called Mayor of Jokertown, Desmond has an elephant trunk where his nose should be. He is the founder and leader of the Jokers' Anti-Defamation League and a major champion of joker's rights.

Peregrine

The host of a Good Morning America style TV show. Peregrine is a superheroine who is technically considered a Joker but has kept her natural beauty. She has big, bird-like wings and is capable of flight. This leads many to consider her an Ace.

The Oddity

The Oddity is actually three people permanently merged into one monstrous, constantly shifting, painful whole. They're superhumanly strong and tough and act as a vigilante in Jokertown.

Quasiman

Hunchbacked joker-ace with the powers of superstrength, precognition and teleportation. He's a friend of Father Squid, and handyman of the Church of Jesus Christ Joker.

Father Squid

Priest of the Church of Jesus Christ Joker. A former Catholic priest who created a unique version of Christianity especially for Jokers.

  • The Atoner
  • Dark Is Not Evil: He looks like Cthulhu is his dad but he's one of the few completely good characters in this series. Unless you count the time he spent as a Joker Terrorist in the Seventies.
  • Good Shepard
  • Vietnam War: served four tours in the Joker Brigade.
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