IGNORED, THE

Okay, so 'ignored' may be putting it a little too strongly. But however you say it, there's no shortage of characters who have been relegated to the sidelines for one reason or another. And since there isn't a major character in the series whose name begins with 'i', this section is devoted to those second-string Wildcarders who either play back-up to the stars, or who have warranted little more than a passing mention in the series.

While it would be nigh on impossible to include every character in the series afflicted by the virus, In an effort to give some of the more notable amongst them their due, we now present the best of the rest. So, from the top...

Volume l: Wild Cards

Bat-ears Brannigan - Ace from the forties, equipped with (among other things, one assumes) UHF hearing and a great name, who angrily seeks out Croyd Crenson after his late-night glass-shattering singing gives him a headache. Ends up buying him a drink and requesting UHF version of 'Galway Bay'. Dies two weeks later after a fight with Muscles Vincenzi.

Mr Rainbow (Timothy Wiggins) - Plump, near-sighted deuce entertainer able to change the colour of his skin. Handy if you want to avoid looking like a tourist when you go on holiday. Introduces the word 'deuce' into the lexicon. One of Joe McCarthy's many victims, hangs himself 14 months after his SCARE testimony.

Lawrence Hague - Telepathic stockbroker whose confession in the fities causes panic on Wall Street. Unsurprisingly sequestered into government service when charges are dropped.

Angelface (Angela Fascetti) - Beautiful, long-haired Joker proprietress of The Funhouse in the sixties before selling out to Xavier Desmond. Whilst normal looking to the unsuspecting eye, possesses hypersensitive nervous system, and whose capillaries rupture at the slightest pressure. Has a heroin addiction to ease the constant pain. Nurses Dr Tachyon during his 'lost' years.

Hardhat (Wojtek Grabowski) - Puritanical Polish immigrant construction worker whose Wild Card turned on witnessing the student demonstrations at People's Park in 1970, Wojtek is an Ace who undergoes a physical transformation of Hulk-like proportions when he gets pissed off. Lacks the green skin, but the super strength and one syllable words are all present and correct. You won't like him when he's angry. But then, you probably won't like him when he's not, either.

Tiny - Simple-minded Joker with perfectly proportioned legs for a human being, though not much help for a body 14 feet tall. Confined to a large, mechanised wheelchair as a result and often seen driving around Jokertown in the sixties, screaming incoherently.

Cosmo & Chaos - Joker juggler double act for The Funhouse during the sixties. Cosmo is blind and able to levitate himself as well as other heavy objects, Chaos has got six arms. Sign 'em up!

Succubus (Sondra Falin) - Joker initially farmed out as a child prostitute by her loving parents, her body responds to a person's pheromones and subconcious to take on the form which that person desires most. Ages two-and-a-half times faster than a normal human.

Peanut - Kind-hearted, but gullible Joker who appears throughout the series. Has a hard, chitinous body and walks stiffly in a lurching, rolling gait.

C.C. Ryder - Protest singer/hippie who's decided to escape from life's pressures by turning herself into a subway car. Good thinking!

Scar - Psychopathic Ace capable of instantaneous teleport. A lieutenant in Kien's organisation who enjoys killing and hunts men in his spare time. Face is covered by Maori tribal tattoos for added scariness.

Howler, The (Stan Wojpowicz) - Ace able to replicate the sounds around him and amplify his voice enough to shatter pretty much anything. Can also fine tune it by controlling the frequency and direction. Neck is considerably thickened and stretched to accomodate mutated throat. Usually wears a distinctive yellow fighting suit in case you can't tell who he is from the noise.

Mai - Vietnamese Ace healer and daughter of Minh, Daniel Brennan's war buddy. Can manipulate the genetic make-up of a person and mold it in whichever way she visualises. Thus able to turn Jokers back into nats.

 

Volume l • Volume ll • Volume lll • Volume lV • Volume V • Volume Vl / Vll • Volume Vlll Volume lX • Volume X • Volume Xl • Volume Xll • Volume Xlll • Volume XlV • Volume XV
Volume XVl • Volume XVll • Mystery Guests