Hiram Worchester
Encyclopedia
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 first 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
tourists 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 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 after this. Aces High closed some time in the 1990s, and Hiram faded from public life. His current whereabouts are not mentioned in the newest series of books.
. 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.
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...
book series, who was created 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...
. 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
Wild Cards (book)
The first volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R. R. Martin. It was first published in 1987 and contained a dozen short stories establishing the Wild Cards universe, introducing the main characters and setting up plot threads that still continue to play out over...
. 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 first appearance, Hiram quickly gave it up (the GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
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
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...
, which does booming business as Nat
Nat (Wild Cards)
Nat is a slang term from the Wild Cards novels referring to normal humans uninfected by the Wild Card virus. Most often used by Jokers when referring to their uninfected oppressors, though also occasionally employed by Aces as a pejorative...
tourists 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 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
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...
world tour, he falls victim to the parasitic Ti Malice
Ti Malice (Wild Cards)
This character is named after the Vodou Loa, Ti Malice.Ti Malice is a character from the Wild Cards anthology series. He first appeared in the fourth book of the series, Aces Abroad, in the short story "Beasts of Burden" by John J. Miller....
, 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
Fortunato (Wild Cards)
Fortunato is a character from the Wild Cards series of books. He is a pimp, but prefers to downplay, even to himself, the negative aspects of his "escort" business . Fortunato is also an ace. His wild card grants him immense telepathic and telekinetic powers...
help to escape the country alive. When he learns Chrysalis
Chrysalis (Wild Cards)
Chrysalis is a character from the Wild Cards series of books. Chrysalis is the current owner/operator of the Crystal Palace, one of Jokertown's most well known nightclubs. She has blue eyes, almost totally transparent skin and muscle tissue, and no hair. She usually wears minimal amounts of...
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
Ace of Spades
At least in English-speaking countries, the ace of spades is traditionally seen as the highest card in the deck of playing cards, although the actual value of the card varies from game to game...
card from a nearby deck onto her remains to make the police think that it was the bow-and-arrow killer
Yeoman (Wild Cards)
Yeoman is a fictional character in the Wild Cards series of books. He was created by John J. Miller and first appeared in the short story Comes a Hunter in the first book of the series...
that murdered her. The police, meanwhile, are looking for a super-strong
Superhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
ace or joker due to the way she was beaten. When Hiram is finally caught by one of his closest friends 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...
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 after this. Aces High closed some time in the 1990s, and Hiram faded from public life. His current whereabouts are not mentioned in the newest series of books.
Description
Hiram Worchester is a white male of medium height, but considerable girth. Impeccably dressed in expensive suits, Hiram shaves his head, but maintains a perfectly groomed spade beard. Always polite and seemingly unflappable, Hiram speaks with a British accent. He occasionally uses his powers on those who irritate him, such as Digger DownsDigger Downs
Thomas "Digger" Downs, created by Steve Perrin, is a minor character from the Wild Cards series of anthology books.Digger is an investgative reporter for Aces magazine, a periodical on the lives of the Wild Cards universe's more publicly known Aces...
. 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.