BAGABOND (Suzanne Melotti)

Petite bag-lady Ace who, due to her attire and posture, generally looks twenty years older and a helluva lot rougher than she actually is. Thanks to her friend Rosemary, has gradually cleaned herself up a bit (in more ways than one) and rejoined the world to a certain extent. Basically a female Dr Doolittle who can not only telepathically communicate with all animals, but is able to control vast amounts of them at the same time.

Positive qualities - Refuses to answer to anyone, loyal to her friends (few though they are).
Negative character traits - Lacks empathy with the human race, poor hygiene, taste in clothes worse than Dr Tachyon's and Mark Meadows, willing to sacrifice animals under her control if it suits her purposes.
Main appearances - Wild Cards, Aces High, Jokers Wild, Down and Dirty, Marked Cards.
Supporting appearances - None.
In a nutshell - Catty.
Random quote - "People killing other people. Good. The fewer of them, the better I'll like it."

 

BARNETT, LEO (Reverend)

Blond, blue-eyed, dimple-chinned, charismatic politician and fanatical Christian fundamentalist whose goal in life is a) to be president, and b) to rid the world of the Wild Card virus (it's a tool of Satan, don't you know). Used to getting his own way, he would also like to restrict the civil liberties of all those infected by the virus, just in case. He's going to tell you how to live your life, and you're going to like it.

Positive attributes - Genuinely compassionate in general, strong willed.
Negative character traits - Hypocritical, prejudiced towards Wildcarders, fanatical, promiscuous, close-minded, and he's a politician.
Main appearances - Down and Dirty, Ace In The Hole, Death Draws Five.
Supporting appearances - Black Trump.
In a nutshell - (Funda)mentalist.
Random quote - "The Bible tells me everything I need to know about life."

 

BLACK EAGLE (Earl Sanderson Jr.)

Brilliant athlete and student in college, heroic pilot in WW2, this guy had it all even before the Wild Card struck in 1946. Charismatic, handsome, black Ace and member of the legendary Four Aces, (see also Golden Boy, The Envoy, Brain Trust) with the ability to fly at speeds of up to 500 mph, a body tough enough to withstand bullets, and a forcefield that could be projected at will.

Used his fame and powers to in an effort to further the cause of civil rights, and gradually molded himself into an icon of black aspiration, while at the same time kicked some serious butt on the international stage with his compadre, Golden Boy. However, pride comes before a fall, and he fared less well in the fifties due to communist connections from his college days.

Positive attributes - Strong sense of duty, civil rights pioneer, genuinely heroic.
Negative character traits - Politically naive.
Main appearances - Wild Cards.
Supporting appearances - None.
In a nutshell - Tragic hero.
Random quote - "Let them say what they will. I can still fly."

 

BLACK SHADOW (Neil Carton Langford)

Originally a government sponsored Ace working under Gregg Hartmann, Black Shadow is now a hard-boiled, freelance vigilante who enjoys wiping the scum off the streets in true 'Taxi Driver' fashion, and often leaves them swinging from lampposts to belabour the point. A multi-powered Ace with a severe identity crisis (and at least four other street personas which we won't ruin by mentioning), Shad is usually seen (or not) in a dark blue uniform with black cape and domino mask whenever he adopts his Black Shadow identity.

His main talent is the ability to absorb all forms of energy. He can either freeze a person to crystal form (this usually results in death), or induce hypothermia in seconds by draining heat photons from the body in question. He can also turn invisible in the right circumstances (ie. nighttime) by absorbing light from an area and shrouding himself in darkness. On top of that, he can walk on ceilings or walls whenever the need arises. Maybe he can absorb gravity.

Positive attributes - Anti-establishment, self-reliant, well-organised, hates Jumpers, strong-willed, makes Batman look like a hoser.
Negative character traits - Ruthless (this can also be a positive), not above using torture on those crims he really dislikes.
Main appearances - Jokertown Shuffle, Marked Cards.
Supporting appearances - Wild Cards, Dealer's Choice.
In a nutshell - Dark Knight.
Random quote - "This is going to be unnecessarily brutal."

 

BLOAT

The self-styled governor of Liberty Island, Bloat is a teenage Joker who's cursed with a body that expands day-by-day to the point where only an enormous antechamber on the island is able to hold him in, with a team of underlings on permanent cleaning duties to clear away the vast amounts of waste (or 'bloatback') his body excretes 24 hours a day.

As if to compensate, he's also one of the most powerful mentats on Earth, with the ability to read any mind on the island, project himself astrally, and bring into being any animal, vegetable or mineral he cares to imagine merely by thinking it. Add to this a callow personality with a Dungeons & Dragons fixation, and all of a sudden you're in a world of trouble.

Positive attributes - Wants to be good, cares for all Jokers, impervious to insults.
Negative character traits - Immature, unwilling to take responsibility for his actions, inability to face reality, annoying high-pitched giggle, thinks everything is a game, constantly bellyaches.
Main appearances - Jokertown Shuffle, Dealer's Choice.
Supporting appearances - One-Eyed Jacks.
In a nutshell - Outgoing.
Random quote - "Nothing i do is ever good enough."

 

BODYSNATCHER, THE (Zelda)

Formally a female fitness fanatic called Zelda, the Bodysnatcher is now a genderless Jumper who changes bodies like most people change underwear, but has yet to find one that she considers comparable to her original body. Won't truly be happy until everyone on Earth is a corpse, which implies that she hasn't really thought things through properly.

Positive attributes - None.
Negative character traits - Psychopath, sociopath, racist, wants to kill the world.
Main appearances - Dealer's Choice.
Supporting appearances - One-Eyed Jacks, Jokertown Shuffle.
In a nutshell - Bad to the bone.
Random quote - "I'm a twisted motherfucker, what can I say?"

 

BRAIN TRUST (Blythe Van Rensaeller)

Wife of Congressman Henry van Rensaeller and member of the legendary Four Aces, Blythe was active for several years in the forties as an Ace with strong telepathic powers and the ability to absorb other people's minds and memories without causing any harm to the subjects.

After being thrown out by her paranoid husband, shacked up with Dr Tachyon who helped her to develop her abilities to the point where she could control (with difficulty) up to eight personalities at a time. Dropped off the radar in the late forties along with her teammates, thanks to the unlawful House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings.

Positive attributes - Gentle nature.
Negative character traits - Highly strung.
Main appearances - Wild Cards.
Supporting appearances - None.
In a nutshell - Fragile ego.
Random quote - "I'm preserving priceless knowledge."

 

BUSHORN, GARY

Deuce pilot with the enviable power of being able to produce fire from his hands. He pays for it, though - each demonstration of his ability leaves his hands blistered and in considerable pain that takes a day to heal. He also suffers from a constantly high temperature forcing him to sleep in asbestos sheets, as he's learnt the hard way that smoking in bed causes fires.

Positive attributes - Honourable, keeps his word.
Negative character traits - None to speak of.
Main appearances - Deuces Down.
Supporting appearances - Black Trump.
In a nutshell - Mr Burns.
Random quote - "I ain't no friggin' Jumping Jack Flash, throwing fireballs and flying through the air."