Mr. Nobody (Wild Cards)
Encyclopedia
Mr. Nobody is a character from the Wild Cards
anthology series. His first appearance was as "the Projectionist", a throwaway cameo in the story "Shell Games" by George R. R. Martin
, but his character was more fully developed starting in "The Teardrop of India" by Walton Simons, which appeared in the fourth Wild Cards book, Aces Abroad
.
. When he became infected with the Wild Card virus and found himself with minor shapeshifting
powers, he developed an act of sorts, doing celebrity "impressions" at clubs, but his lack of success drove him to a nervous breakdown
in 1965. He was transformed into a King Kong
analogue called the Great Ape, which was quickly captured by New York's abundant Ace heroes. His transformation also caused a blackout
all across New York and parts of New Jersey. Every few years thereafter, he would escape from the zoo, grab the nearest attractive blonde, and attempt to climb the Empire State Building
; thanks to New York's aces, he never made it more than halfway.
In "The Teardrop of India", the Great Ape is brought to Sri Lanka
to shoot a film; coincidentally the "Aces Abroad" world tour is also in Sri Lanka at the time. When a precognitive vision from G.C. Jayewardine shows that the Great Ape is actually a transformed Ace, Dr. Tachyon
manages to unlock Strauss' submerged consciousness and return him to normal.
When his attorney brother is killed by his law partner St. John Latham
, Jerry manages to use his skills to discover the culprit and get revenge, eventually killing Latham in his own penthouse. As his powers and confidence slowly rise to new levels, Strauss becomes a more prominent character in the later novels, eventually becoming the partner of private detective Jay Ackroyd
.
or Plastic Man
) on a grand scale.
Originally a poor actor and impressionist, he has honed his skills to a much greater degree since returning to normal life (after years as the Great Ape). He has also developed investigative skills and learned the rudiments of computer hacking. Jeremiah Strauss is also a millionaire, and has access to all the resources that wealth can provide.
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...
anthology series. His first appearance was as "the Projectionist", a throwaway cameo in the story "Shell Games" by George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
, but his character was more fully developed starting in "The Teardrop of India" by Walton Simons, which appeared in the fourth Wild Cards book, Aces Abroad
Aces Abroad
Aces Abroad is the fourth volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series, edited by George R. R. Martin. It was published in 1988 and dealt with a world tour, sponsored by the United Nations and the World Health Organization, featuring many of the main characters from the previous novels...
.
Character background
Jeremiah Strauss was a wealthy playboy, who wanted more than anything to be in show businessShow business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
. When he became infected with the Wild Card virus and found himself with minor shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
powers, he developed an act of sorts, doing celebrity "impressions" at clubs, but his lack of success drove him to a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
in 1965. He was transformed into a King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
analogue called the Great Ape, which was quickly captured by New York's abundant Ace heroes. His transformation also caused a blackout
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
all across New York and parts of New Jersey. Every few years thereafter, he would escape from the zoo, grab the nearest attractive blonde, and attempt to climb the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
; thanks to New York's aces, he never made it more than halfway.
In "The Teardrop of India", the Great Ape is brought to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
to shoot a film; coincidentally the "Aces Abroad" world tour is also in Sri Lanka at the time. When a precognitive vision from G.C. Jayewardine shows that the Great Ape is actually a transformed Ace, Dr. Tachyon
Dr. Tachyon
Dr. Tachyon is a character from the Wild Cards series of books. He was created for the books by Melinda M. Snodgrass. Tachyon is a geneticist from the planet Takis, whose people naturally developed various telepathic powers...
manages to unlock Strauss' submerged consciousness and return him to normal.
When his attorney brother is killed by his law partner St. John Latham
Loophole (Wild Cards)
Loophole is a character from the Wild Cards series of books, first appearing in volume III, "Jokers Wild." Senior partner in one of New York's most successful law firms, St. John Latham represented a family of companies with their headquarters in the Bahamas and subsidiaries including CariBank and...
, Jerry manages to use his skills to discover the culprit and get revenge, eventually killing Latham in his own penthouse. As his powers and confidence slowly rise to new levels, Strauss becomes a more prominent character in the later novels, eventually becoming the partner of private detective Jay Ackroyd
Popinjay (Wild Cards)
Jay "Popinjay" Ackroyd is a character from the Wild Cards series of books.-Powers:As an Ace , Jay can teleport people and things anywhere he can clearly visualize Jay "Popinjay" Ackroyd is a character from the Wild Cards series of books.-Powers:As an Ace (a Wild Card victim with powers, but...
.
Powers and abilities
Jerry Strauss can shapeshift to look like anyone he imagines, usually choosing film stars. He can also increase his size and mass, though doing so can black out electricity around him; it is theorized by Dr. Tachyon that at least some of this mass is actually converted from the electrical energy he absorbs. He is able to use his malleability to pick locks and vehicle ignitions by forcing a finger into the keyhole and conforming to the proper shape, though it is painful to do so since his finger is not as durable as a genuine key; in addition, driving a vehicle that he has commandeered in this fashion is awkward, as he is forced to drive one-handed and in pain while keeping his finger in the ignition slot. He can also cause certain drastic, inhuman changes to his appearance, such as making his flesh appear to run like melting wax, or elongating a pointed fingerbone out of his flesh (the method he used to kill St. John Latham, extending the bone into Latham's ear canal and literally "scrambling" his brain matter). Straus' primary limitation is reliance on a basically humanoid shape; to date, he has never assumed a form that was not basically humanoid (such as non-humanoid animals), or appeared able to stretch or deform his body (a la Mister FantasticMister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
or Plastic Man
Plastic Man
Plastic Man is a fictional comic-book superhero originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, he first appeared in Police Comics #1 ....
) on a grand scale.
Originally a poor actor and impressionist, he has honed his skills to a much greater degree since returning to normal life (after years as the Great Ape). He has also developed investigative skills and learned the rudiments of computer hacking. Jeremiah Strauss is also a millionaire, and has access to all the resources that wealth can provide.