| Stigmata | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Aliases | Stigmata |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Joker |
| Wild Card Traits | Perpetually bleeding wounds |
| Social Information | |
| Base of Operations | Jokertown, New York City |
| Origin | |
| First Appearance | Down and Dirty |
Stigmata is a minor character from the Wild Cards series of books. He is a joker with constantly bleeding wounds mimicking those of Jesus Christ.
History[]
Little is known about Stigmata. A tenant at a boarding house in Jokertown in the 1980s, he was evicted for non-payment of rent. His room was then given to the ace Kahina, who had sneaked into the country to destroy the political career of Senator Gregg Hartmann. By the time Kahina had disappeared after being murdered by one of Hartmann's minions, Stigmata had managed to gather enough money to reoccupy his old room. Finding Kahina's luggage still inside he tore up her clothes to use a rags for binding his constantly weeping wounds.
That was how the detective Jay Ackroyd found him. Ackroyd was investigating another murder, but soon surmised Stigmata's situation and bluffed the joker into telling him all he knew about Kahina. Stigmata could only tell him that she was also infected by the wild card due to the trance-like visions which tormented her.
Wild Cards Traits[]
Stigmata's joker has expressed itself as a literal manifestation of the religious phenomenon from which he gets his name. He has perpetually bleeding wounds that correspond precisely with those suffered by Jesus Christ, specifically in his palms, feet, brow, and the side of his torso. Other than being messy and leaving him physically weak the wounds do not seem to threaten his life.
Appearance[]
Stigmata is thin and his appearance is generally haggard and unkempt. He usually has rags or torn clothing binding his permanent wounds in an attempt to staunch their flow.
Personality[]
Stigmata is a nervous, cowardly individual, which is understandable given the nature of his wild card.
Selected Reading[]
- Wild Cards Volume V: Down and Dirty
- Wild Cards Volume VII: Dead Man’s Hand