| George G. Battle | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Real Name | George Gordon Battle |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Nat |
| Wild Card Traits | Joker body: Wall climbing, corrosive vomit, enhanced sense of smell, infrared vision |
| Social Information | |
| Citizenship | Citizen of the United States, deceased |
| Occupation | Government agent, lawyer |
| Event Participant | Rox War |
| Affiliations | Card Sharks, Justice Department, CREEP |
| Allies | Crypt Kicker, Puppetman |
| Origin | |
| First Appearance | Dealer’s Choice |
| Final Appearance | Marked Cards |
| Creator | John J. Miller |
George G. Battle is a fictional character in the Wild Cards series of books.
History[]
Trained as a lawyer, George G. Battle has held several shadowy positions in a variety of agencies over the years, including CREEP (Committee to Reelect the President), always operating just on the periphery of events. He first became involved in wild card events in an overt way during the Rox crisis, precipitated by the joker revolutionary Bloat and the jumpers helping him. While a official force of powerful aces directly assaulted the occupied Ellis Island, Battle led a second group of aces through tunnels beneath the island. Battle's team was comprised of Carnifex, Cameo, Corporal Danny Shepherd, Black Shadow, Mr. Nobody, and Crypt Kicker and had the stated goal of assassinating Bloat while he was distracted by the frontal assault.
Later, after the Rox debacle, Battle sought to break into the Jokertown Clinic on orders from his superiors in the Card Sharks. His mission was to acquire samples and notes pertaining to the Wild Card and Trump viruses. Unluckily for Battle, vials containing samples of infected blood were broken open in the commission of his duties and, becoming infected, he almost immediately mutated into a scuttling, multi-limbed joker. However, even in his joker form, the Sharks still had uses for Battle.
Working with one of the few surviving jumpers from the Rox, Battle was given a new body, human and formerly belonging to one of their enemies, that of Senator Gregg Hartmann. Posing as Hartman, Battle used the senator's political influence to discredit an ongoing investigation by Hannah Davis into Card Shark activities. Unknown to Battle, Sen. Hartman had made a dangerous enemy by using his powers to manipulate Black Shadow. The ace vigilante eventually tracked down who he thought was Hartman, unwittingly torturing and murdering Battle instead.
Wild Card Traits[]
Battle's joker form was 4 feet long with three pairs of limbs and bright yellow skin. He was able to walk on vertical surfaces with his three fingered sucker-like feet. George had to vomit on his food to be able to eat it. Luckily, his feeding mechanism could be used offensively. He was able to project his vomit up to 10 feet. The vomit could only melt through metal, which he then ate, but left everything else unharmed. The Card Shark gained a very sensitive sense of smell, but also terrible vision, though he could see in the infrared spectrum. Periodically, Battle's joker form needs to molt.
Appearance[]
In his human form George Battle was a short, compactly built Caucasian male in his fifties with graying hair and a full, neatly trimmed mustache. He gave the impression of wiry physical strength and nervous energy. His right forearm is covered with numerous pale, circular, puckered scars from extinguishing cigars there.
Personality[]
Battle is a fanatical opponent of the Wild Card virus and its victims. He is sly, duplicitous, and willing to do anything or work with anyone to accomplish his goals, even the wild carders he despises.
Battle has a fondness for smoking cigars and as a show of willpower and dedication to his cause, often extinguished them in the flesh of his forearm.
Trivia[]
He is believed to be based on G. Gordon Liddy.