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Character Info
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Created By
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Lewis Shiner
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Ace Name
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Astronomer
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Real Name
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Robert
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Class
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Wild Card Traits
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Psionic powers
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Status
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Citizen of the United States, deceased
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First Appearance
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Wild Cards Book I: Wild Cards
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Affiliations
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The Astronomer is a character from the Wild Cards series of books. He first appeared in the short story "Pennies from Hell" by Lewis Shiner in Wild Cards II: Aces High, though his presence was earlier implied in "The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato" in the first volume of the series. Leader of a cult known as the Egyptian Freemasons, the Astronomer planned to conquer the world in the aftermath of an invasion by fungoid aliens called the Swarm. Once these plans were foiled, the Astronomer lived only for revenge.
The Astronomer is an old man (born in 1925), who has thinning white hair, wears glasses and is best described as "mole-like"; he is also noted as having a disproportionately large head, the upper part of which enlarges further when he is fully empowered. He is usually confined to a wheelchair, although the proper use of his ace powers can allow him to bypass that problem.
History
In 1966, a small man crawls out of the East River with amnesia. While creeping up the river bank he looks up at the stars in the night sky, when suddenly his card turns. He feels something far away, something terrible and hungry moving ever closer to Earth. Balsam, leader of the Egyptian Masons, takes him in and tells him the name of the entity that he felt - TIAMAT. Balsam explains about the shakti device the " Brother of the Stars" (a Network agent) had given to Cagliostro back in 1777. The man realizes that it is his destiny to become The Astronomer to lead the Masons and rule the world. He thinks by using the shakti to bring the Network to destroy the Swarm the world would come begging with awe and gratitude towards him for saving the world. Due to the unwitting help of Fortunato, The Astronomer took over as leader of the Egyptian Freemasons in 1979.
Wild Card Traits
The Astronomer practices a horrific form of death magic, gaining immense energy through the ritualistic slaying of his victims (usually young women). Once the ritual is completed, The Astronomer is blessed with a huge energy reserve allowing him to utilize the following powers: astral projection, clairsentience, minor precognition, mind control, the ability to selectively erase memories, flight, invisibility to visual and mental senses, ego attacks, hand killing attacks, walking through walls, suppression versus any wild card power, force fields and minor force walls, telepathy and an assortment of energy blasts; however, he can use just one power at any given time.
Appearance
The Astronomer is a half-crippled old man with an abnormally large head sparsely covered with white hair, a thin, twisted body, and very pale white skin. Normally he’s confined to an electric wheelchair, but he can get about on his own when sufficiently powered with psychic energy. As Lord Amun, he appears as a giant man with the head of a ram or jackal and sometimes a colossal erect phallus, holding in his hands the ankh and crooked rod (symbols of life and power). Another avatar is Setekh the Destroyer, a hound the size of a small horse, lean and terribly emaciated, smoke-grey in color with a long, forked, scorpion-like tail carried up over his back.
Personality
Trivia
The Astronomer either hangs out on of the Freemasons hideouts, or a penthouse apartment in the 70's off Central Park. His apartment's decour was subdued with dark wood floors. The main room possessed a sacrificial altar, which he used to gain power with. There was a large skylight over the altar. The altar itself was made of mahogany, had steel manacles at each corner, and a large V-shaped notch at the opposite end.
Selected Reading
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