| Hero McHeroface | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Real Name | Stuart Hill |
| Aliases | Hero McHeroface |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Ace |
| Wild Card Traits | Emotion absorption, enhanced strength, enhanced reflexes, enhanced senses |
| Social Information | |
| Place of Birth | England |
| Citizenship | British |
| Occupation | Aid worker |
| Affiliations | Reachers |
| Relatives | Kelly Hill (sister) |
| Allies | Colin, Stargaze |
| Origin | |
| First Appearance | Pairing Up |
| Creator | Peter Newman |
Stuart "Hero McHeroface" Hill is a character in the Wild Cards series of books.
History[]
Stuart Hill had built a small reputation for himself as a search and rescue responder for hire with Reachers when his boss dragged him along to a fundraiser event to auction off an ace name for him. An early glance at the proposed names revealed some unflattering monikers for Stuart, but the event did have one bright turning point when he was lured into a reading from Stella Sumner, a minor celebrity astrologer from the United States with a thriving YouTube channel. The pair hit it off immediately, although the winning nickname proved to be less of a hit with Stuart who from then on came to be known as Hero McHeroface.
Stella and Stuart crossed paths some months later when Colin hatched a plan to have Stuart himself auctioned off for a blind date. Stella's publicist was in on it and the event was rigged just enough to encourage public votes putting Stella and Stuart together for the celebrity hookup. The date itself was initially successful, but took a darker turn when flowers arrived at their table with a card indicating that a secret admirer was out there and watching. The pair came to an agreement that they would continue to be seen together while they worked to uncover the identity of the stalker, an awkward position to take when they were each developing a romantic interest in the other.
After a troubled, fake-yet-not-quite-fake romance, all unfolding in the public eye, they were ambushed by Pygmalion on a very public date at a museum. Pygmalion, now revealed as the mystery stalker, had developed an unhealthy interest in Stella and was prepared to remove Stuart from the picture violently just to get the younger man out of the way. Stuart, reinforced by the gathered public believing in him, held off the famous ace as well as he could, although his limited increase in strength and agility were a poor match for the brute force of the animated museum statues under Pygmalion's control. Stella was forced to reveal her own ace to the public, transforming into her Sagittarius form to tip scales and help Stuart overpower their attacker.
Wild Card Traits[]
Stuart is empowered by the positive belief in him by others in his near vicinity. As long as at least one person nearby believes in him he will find himself bolstered by their conviction in a way that enhances his physical traits to a limited degree. His strength, reflexes, and senses all get powered up, and if enough people are present to empower him he can be enhanced to a superhuman level.
Another aspect of his wild card is that the incoming positive energy gives him a rough sense of the people reinforcing him, although he can't determine who those people are in a larger group if just a few select individuals are providing the positivity.
Appearance[]
Stuart is a young man with red dyed hair that he usually spikes up with hair gel. He typically wears jeans and tee-shirts with sturdy boots and caps off the look with a custom red fireman's jacket.
Personality[]
Stuart is an enthusiastic and likable young man, quick to help others if the need arises. He has a particular hero worship of members of the Silver Helix, especially various aces who have taken over the mantle of Red Coat over the years. He generally dislikes the various nicknames that have been bestowed upon him, with a particular distaste for Hero McHeroface.
Selected Reading[]
- Wild Cards Volume XXXI: Pairing Up - "What's Your Sign?"
- Wild Cards Volume XXXIII: House Rules - "Two Lovedays"