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The Howler
Biographical Information
Real Name Stan Wojpowicz
Aliases The Howler
Gender Male
Class Ace
Wild Card Traits Amplified voice
Social Information
Citizenship United States citizen
Occupation Crimefighter, longshoreman
Base of Operations New York City
Relatives Four sisters, one child
Origin
First Appearance Wild Cards
Final Appearance Jokers Wild
Creator Stephen Leigh

The Howler is a fictional character in the Wild Cards anthology. He is an ace with an incredibly powerful voice.

History[]

The Howler was a longshoreman before he became an ace. He had dreamed of a singing career until the wild card turned his voice into something altogether more powerful, which he used to great effect as a freelance crimefighter. Rather than become a common vigilante, the Howler instead co-operated with law enforcement agencies, becoming well known as a public ace hero.

Howler had assisted with containing the Great Jokertown Riot and fighting the Swarm War. Of particular note was his participation in the attack on the Cloisters in 1986. His presence during that attack earned him the enmity of the Astronomer, who had him assassinated later that same year by Roulette. Roulette nearly died in the attempt, almost killed by the Howler's hugely amplified death scream.

Wild Card Traits[]

The Howler had an amplified voice which he could use for a variety of effects. He could amplify his speech well beyond the limits of normal shouting, allowing him to broadcast his voice as if he was using a public address system. Even more powerful was his ability to tune his voice into a powerful sonic blast. With practice he became capable of tuning his voice to specific resonant frequencies so as to knock down walls while leaving nearby glass intact.

Appearance[]

A large man with brown hair greying at the temples, the Howler also had brown eyes and a square jaw. He was mildly unattractive with a grossly enlarged throat. His head and neck were described in one passage as looking like "a baseball on a pedestal." He usually wore a distinctive yellow fighting suit with a kevlar vest when fighting crime.

Personality[]

The Howler was a confident and ambitious man, yet also modest. Howler was content with his lot in life and not overly concerned by the mild deformity in his neck caused by the wild card, reasoning that it was also what made him special.

It is possible, though unconfirmed, that due to Roulette's profession and the existence of a lovechild by another woman that the Howler was not the most discreet in his relationships with women.

Trivia[]

  • The Howler's activities in Wild Cards are very limited and are described only in minor detail. He was more comprehensively introduced as a character in Aces High.
  • According to an article in Aces! Magazine, Digger Downs discovered Howler's secret love child. Given Digger's own "ace up the sleeve," it is possible this means Howler's child is also a wild card.

Selected Reading[]

References[]

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