Hiram Worchester

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Fatman
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Publication information
Publisher	George R. R. Martin
First appearance	Wild Cards (book) (1988)
Created by	George R. R. Martin
In story information
Alter ego	Hiram Worchester
Team affiliations	Popinjay, Chrysalis, Fortunato
Abilities	Gravity control.

Hiram Worchester is a fictional character from the Wild Cards book series, who was created by George R. R. Martin. His first appearance was a brief cameo in "Wild Card Chic," a short in-story document in the first book of the series, Wild Cards. Hiram is an ace, one of the forunate few gifted with amazing abilities by the Wild Card virus. He can manipulate gravity, which he uses to render his 375 pound frame a mere 35 pounds, making him incredibly agile for his size. Customarily, to affect others with his power, he raises his forearm and curls his hand into a fist as a focus for his concentration; a running theme in the Wild Cards setting is empowered individuals unconsciously placing limits or conditions on their abilities, though in Jokers Wild Hiram appears somewhat aware that his hand motion is nothing more than a focusing technique.

Though he is described as having had a brief career as a superhero named "Fatman" prior to his fist appearance, Hiram quickly gave it up (the GURPS Wild Cards sourcebook contains the telling line "...as a crimefighter he is an excellent cook.") to return to his first love, the gourmet restaurant business. He opens Aces High, located in the Empire State Building, which does booming business as Nat tourist flock there in hopes of seeing Ace celebrities. A number of both major and minor Aces also hang out there, basking in the glory. Aces High is also the location of the traditional Wild Card Day dinner, with all Aces invited free of charge (they must provide proof of an Ace ability). This is the source of some controversy in the Wild Cards universe, as it is seen to be elitist that only Aces, and not Jokers, are given this treatment.

Hiram is generally reluctant to get involved in heroics, but does so in the story "Pennies from Hell" (Wild Cards II: Aces High), when he falls in love with a woman who turns out to be one of Fortunato's "gieshas" in training. The young woman ends up becoming the victim of a seeming serial killer (later revealed to be a pawn of The Astronomer). Hiram later saves the life of Water Lily when she is flung off a balcony by the Astronomer, and develops a crush on her. However, during the Aces Abroad world tour, he falls victim to the parasitic Ti Malice, and Lily ends up as a "mount" of the evil joker as well.

The strain of being Ti Malice's mount eventually takes its toll on Hiram. His absences from work became greater and greater, alienating his chefs and maitre d'. While in Japan he ran afoul of a Yakuza ace and required Fortunato's help to escape the country alive. When he learns Chrysalis has arranged to have a presidential candidate assassinated, the stressed-out Hiram kills her when she refuses to stop the assassin and tries to leave, using his gravity powers to make her so heavy her body collapses shattering all her bones. Panicking, he throws an ace of spades card from a nearby deck onto her remains to make the police think that it was the bow-and-arrow killer that murdered her. The police, meanwhile, are looking for a super-strong ace or joker due to the way she was beaten. When Hiram is finally caught by one of his closest friends Jay Ackroyd and by Yeoman, he is vilified by the Joker community for killing the popular Chrysalis, and several attempts are made on his life.

The courts found Hiram guilty of murder, but released him under his own recognizance with the injunction that it is now illegal for him to use his powers. Business at Aces High drops off after Hiram's public fall from grace. Though still a tourist destination, many local aces stopped frequenting the establishment.

[edit] Description

Hiram Worchester is a white male of medium height, but considerable girth. Impeccably dressed in expesive suits, Hiram shaves his head, but maintains a perfectly groomed spade beard. Always polite and seemingly unflapable, Hiram speaks with a British accent. He occasionally uses his powers on those who irritate him, such as Digger Downs. Typically, this is harmless, such as making the nosy reporter weightless and then pushing him out the door. A more dangerous loss of control resulted in the death of Chrysalis. During his time as a mount of Ti Malice, Hiram often appeared gaunt, ill groomed, and irritable; a sure sign to those who knew him that something was wrong.