SEWER JACK (Jack Robicheaux)

A small, brown-haired, reclusive Cajun who lives and works in the subway tunnels as an NYC Transit Authority employee, Jack's also an Ace with limited shape-shifting abilities - during particularly stressful moments he can turn into an nine-foot alligator. A were-alligator, if you will. He's also notable for being one of the few people Bagabond gets along with (almost an Ace power in itself).

During these times his human consciousness takes a break while the reptile part of his brain comes to the forefront, and he's generally unaware of anything that's happened once he changes back to human form. Then again, he probably doesn't want to know.

Positive qualities - Gentle nature (when he's Jack).
Negative character traits - Bad tempered & violent (when in alligator form).
Main appearances - Wild Cards, Jokers Wild, Down and Dirty.
Supporting appearances - Dealer's Choice.
In a nutshell - Primordial.
Random quote - "I remember running into a bunch of crazies with guns, and then things get fuzzy."

 

SLEEPER, THE (Croyd Crenson)

To say Croyd's a little difficult to categorise is like saying AC/DC gigs are a little noisy, as the virus has condemned him to wake up in a new body each time he goes to sleep - possibly til the end of time. He may wake up as an Ace, a Joker, or a Deuce, sometimes gifted with extraordinary powers, sometimes none. And while he's unlikely to win any 'good citizen' awards, he can't really be classified as a bad guy either. Let's just say he's the ultimate Wild Card.

His hibernation periods are variable depending on how many changes his body's going through, and can last from a couple of weeks to anything up to seven or eight months. He's got an understandable phobia towards sleep as he's afraid that one day he'll wake up dead (or worse), and so tries to stay awake as long as possible. It's usually several days before he has to resort to the amphetimines, and it's then that the problems start, as their prolonged use tends to make him psychotic and extremely paranoid.

Well versed in most types of criminal behaviour and no stranger to violence, Croyd is a cool, cynical, charismatic customer with a dark sense of humour regardless of what body he's inhabiting. He often hires himself out as a freelance mercenary and will do most things (short of murder) as long as the price is right. Just try to catch him before the drugs kick in. And for Christ's sake, don't get him started on algebra.

Positive attributes - Reasonable (when drug-free), keeps his word, honourable, keen sense of humour.
Negative character traits - Psychotic when he's been on the speed for too long, unpredictable, impulsive, paranoid, long-term criminal.
Main appearances - Wild Cards, Aces High, Down and Dirty, Turn of the Cards, Card Sharks, Marked Cards. Black Trump.
Supporting appearances - Jokers Wild, One-Eyed Jacks, Jokertown Shuffle, Dealer's Choice, Deuces Down.
In a nutshell - Changeable.
Random quote - "I've done lots of odd things, and lots of subtle things. Some of them have even been legal."

 

SNOTMAN (Bill Lockwood), AKA, THE REFLECTOR

Formerly an amorphous shape whose every pore excreted a steady flow of green mucus, the man with the unforgettable name spent a large part of his life as a Joker even other Jokers found repulsive, and he's never forgotten it (nor has anyone else, for that matter). An opportune encounter with The Sleeper during his 'Typhoid Croyd' period resulted in his Wild Card turning him into an Ace with boomerang powers - he's now able to absorb any kind of energy and instantly transform it into an attack of his own. All of which makes him practically indestructible.

Now a pretty boy on the surface but icky on the inside, Lockwood is almost entirely motivated by hatred towards all Jokers, and ambivalence towards everyone else - mainly because he came up with a new name and nobody uses it. He was born Snotman and he'll die Snotman. Live with it, Snotty.

Positive qualities - Loyalty towards Croyd.
Negative character traits - Massive chip on his shoulder, specifically hates Jokers, Modular Man and anyone who calls him Snotman, antagonistic personality, vindictive, not too bright.
Main appearances - Down and Dirty.
Supporting appearances - Dealer's Choice, Black Trump.
In a nutshell - Slimeball.
Random quote - "Don't. Call. Me. Snotman!"

 

STARSHINE - See CAPTAIN TRIPS

 

STEELE, GEORGE (Georgy Vladimirovich Polyakov)

With the exception of Mólniya, there don't seem to be too many Russian Aces around, and those that do exist are probably keeping very quiet about it. Like this guy. Georgy boy is a short, stocky, grey-haired, charismatic, ex-KGB agent of advancing years who's able to cause a person to spontaneously combust just by touching him ("Hey, I never went near him, comrade. He just turned into a ball of fire on his own!"). Has since emigrated to the USA where things like this happen all the time.

Positive qualities - Honourable, loyal (to his country), reasonable, doesn't suffer fools gladly.
Negative character traits - Ruthless (well he was in the KGB).
Main appearances - Aces Abroad, Ace in the Hole.
Supporting appearances - Down and Dirty, Dead Man's Hand.
In a nutshell - Old flame.
Random quote - "There are many things I wish had never happened, but we're here to change what we can, are we not?"

 

SWASH (Sam Washburn), AKA, HIS NIBS

He may not be as famous as his brother Roger (of the goth band, The Jokertown Boys), but Swash's artistic contributions to the group are an essential ingredient to their success.
A Deuce who can draw pretty much anything with perfect precision using just his fingernails, Sam gives himself regular manicures to sharpen them into long crow-quills and is able to 'bleed' ink into them at will, refilling his reservoirs every time he eats. Usually wears a top hat and tails in an effort to distract from the actual tail sprouting from his posterior.

Positive qualities - Upbeat, sense of humour.
Negative character traits - None to speak of.
Main appearances - Deuces Down.
Supporting appearances - None.
In a nutshell - Quick on the draw.
Random quote - "Pardon me if I don't shake, but I'm a little inky right now."