| Digger Downs | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Real Name | Thomas Downs |
| Aliases | Digger Downs, Tommy Downs |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Deuce |
| Wild Card Traits | Enhanced sense of smell tuned to the wild card |
| Social Information | |
| Citizenship | Citizen of the United States |
| Occupation | Reporter |
| Event Participant | 1987 WHO Tour, American Hero |
| Base of Operations | New York City |
| Affiliations | Aces! |
| Allies | Slug Maligne |
| Origin | |
| Creator | Steve Perrin |
Thomas Downs (nicknamed Digger Downs) is a fictional character from the Wild Cards series of books. He is a deuce who works for Aces! magazine as a reporter and uses his wild card ability to sniff out other aces to help him in finding his stories.
History[]
Thomas Downs was a student attending Sanguis Christi Catholic School in 1969 when he began to notice that certain people around the school exuded a particular sweet smell. Among those who had the scent were one of his teachers, and a girl with feathers for hair, both of whom were known jokers. When a school bully bailed him up in a bathroom, Downs smelled the same smell again and was horrified when the boy drew the joker, changing into a reptilian appearance right in front of his eyes. Downs quickly concluded that he himself was wild card positive and had gained the ability to detect the scent of other wild carders in his presence.
A budding journalist with aspirations of winning a Pulitzer prize, even in his school days, Thomas Downs went on to become a notable reporter in New York City working for Aces! magazine. Using his talent to literally sniff out a story he soon became a renowned figure among tabloid reporters following the exploits of aces, and earned himself the nickname "Digger" Downs.
Wild Card Traits[]
Digger Downs can smell anyone carrying the wild card virus. The aroma of wild carders is like a sweet perfume to him. It also provides clues about the emotional state of the person, giving him an indication of whether they are lying or not.
Appearance[]
Downs has brown hair and brown eyes.
Personality[]
Digger Downs is a slob with a perpetually rumpled look about him. He also has a reputation for his willingness to do almost anything for a story and is not above bribery. He deals in all the secrets and gossip surrounding the affairs of aces, and keeps his own wild card talent a carefully hidden secret.
Trivia[]
Selected Reading[]
- Wild Cards Volume IV: Aces Abroad
- Wild Cards Volume VII: Dead Man's Hand
- Wild Cards Volume XVI: Deuces Down - "Four Days in October" (Digger Downs discovers that he can smell the presence of the wild card)
- Wild Cards Volume XVIII: Inside Straight
- Wild Cards Volume XXXIII: House Rules - "Bah, Humbug, Murder"