Golden Boy (Wild Cards)
Encyclopedia
Golden Boy is a character from the Wild Cards
series of books and a member of The Four Aces
.
in Argentina. Braun's physically demonstrative powers and good looks quickly turned him into a media celebrity. He quickly received a contract from Warner Brother's studios and starred in a fictional version of his exploits with the Four Aces. However, things soon changed as the Exotics for Democracy came under scrutiny from the House Un-American Activities Committee
. The Committee was investigating Aces, who they portrayed as an insidious force undermining America. The fact that Braun's partner in the Four Aces, Earl Sanderson, had once been a member of the Communist Party
and continued to be a fellow traveler aroused particular interest as did the fact that Earl was black. When an attempt by the Four Aces to prop up the Nationalist regime in China failed, the Committee subpoenaed all of them. Braun, naively believed that since they had not committed any crimes they had nothing to fear and bowed to pressure from the studio and his wife. He became a cooperating witness. In his testimony he tried to limit the damage he did to his friends, explaining that Earl Sanderson had abandoned the Communist Party years before and indicating that he, Braun, knew nothing of any other aces. However, he accidentally let slip that his teammate Blythe van Renssaeler had absorbed the mind of team advisor Dr Tachyon and thus would know of any aces which Tachyon, an uncooperative Witness, would know of. When van Renssaeler appeared before the Committee she suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized for the rest of her life. In the wake of the Committee hearings the Four Aces broke up as van Renssaeler was institutionalized, Holmes and Harstein were imprisoned, and Sanderson and Tachyon fled the country. Braun survived any legal repercussions but faced condemnation from history and the Wild Card community over his cooperation and carried guilt with himself the rest of his life. After the hearings his movie career failed to take off. He starred in a hit movie based on the life of Eddie Rickenbacker
but the movie based on his own life failed and other attempts at starring vehicles for him faced dismal results. Braun blamed his committee testimony for his poor box office performance, insisting that no one wanted to see "a rat" as a hero. Later he had several years of moderate success with a television series based on Tarzan
. Braun fought in the Korean War
and after retiring from acting went into real estate. Sometime in the 1960s he realized he did not age. In 1988, Braun served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
and almost died when the ace Demise tried to kill him. Braun's last public appearance was in 2007 when he served as a judge on the reality television show American Hero.
Wild Cards
Wild Cards is a science fiction and superhero anthology series set in a shared universe. The series was created by a group of New Mexico science fiction authors, but it is mostly pulled together and edited by best-selling author George R. R. Martin with assistance by Melinda Snodgrass, also a...
series of books and a member of The Four Aces
Four Aces (Wild Cards)
The Four Aces are a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in the Wild Cards anthology series, first appearing in the story "Witness" by Walter Jon Williams in the first book of the series, Wild Cards.-Overview:...
.
Powers
He is regarded, in the series, as possibly the strongest man in the world. His force field, which has a golden glow when active, grants him immunity from virtually anything. He is especially resistant to physical impacts, such as bullets and fists. Over the years, Golden Boy has developed a fear of heights; this came about after being told that a long fall could be one of the things that could kill him.Biography
Jack Braun was born in rural North Dakota in 1924. As a youth he was impressed by the agrarian radicalism of the local farmers, including his family, and by the New Deal liberalism of FDR, as embodied in Agriculture undersecretary Archibald Holmes. He served on the Italian front during WWII, and afterwards moved to New York with the hopes of pursuing an acting career. When the Wild Card virus struck Manhattan he discovered that he had superhuman strength and a forcefield that protected him from harm. In the aftermath of the virus outbreak he met Archibald Holmes, who was directing relief efforts. Holmes recruited Braun, along with fellow veteran and ace Earl Sanderson Jr into a new superteam. The group was officially known as the "Exotics for Democracy" but after the addition of aces David "Envoy" Harstein and Blythe van Renssaeler they became popularly known as the "Four Aces". Holmes used the Four Aces to advance his liberal internationalist vision of the world. In the late 1940s they fought fascism around the world. They tracked down Nazi war criminals and overthrew the regime of Juan PeronJuan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
in Argentina. Braun's physically demonstrative powers and good looks quickly turned him into a media celebrity. He quickly received a contract from Warner Brother's studios and starred in a fictional version of his exploits with the Four Aces. However, things soon changed as the Exotics for Democracy came under scrutiny from the House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
. The Committee was investigating Aces, who they portrayed as an insidious force undermining America. The fact that Braun's partner in the Four Aces, Earl Sanderson, had once been a member of the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
and continued to be a fellow traveler aroused particular interest as did the fact that Earl was black. When an attempt by the Four Aces to prop up the Nationalist regime in China failed, the Committee subpoenaed all of them. Braun, naively believed that since they had not committed any crimes they had nothing to fear and bowed to pressure from the studio and his wife. He became a cooperating witness. In his testimony he tried to limit the damage he did to his friends, explaining that Earl Sanderson had abandoned the Communist Party years before and indicating that he, Braun, knew nothing of any other aces. However, he accidentally let slip that his teammate Blythe van Renssaeler had absorbed the mind of team advisor Dr Tachyon and thus would know of any aces which Tachyon, an uncooperative Witness, would know of. When van Renssaeler appeared before the Committee she suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized for the rest of her life. In the wake of the Committee hearings the Four Aces broke up as van Renssaeler was institutionalized, Holmes and Harstein were imprisoned, and Sanderson and Tachyon fled the country. Braun survived any legal repercussions but faced condemnation from history and the Wild Card community over his cooperation and carried guilt with himself the rest of his life. After the hearings his movie career failed to take off. He starred in a hit movie based on the life of Eddie Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...
but the movie based on his own life failed and other attempts at starring vehicles for him faced dismal results. Braun blamed his committee testimony for his poor box office performance, insisting that no one wanted to see "a rat" as a hero. Later he had several years of moderate success with a television series based on Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
. Braun fought in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and after retiring from acting went into real estate. Sometime in the 1960s he realized he did not age. In 1988, Braun served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
and almost died when the ace Demise tried to kill him. Braun's last public appearance was in 2007 when he served as a judge on the reality television show American Hero.