| Robert Cortland | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Real Name | Robert Cortland |
| Aliases | Bob |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Deuce |
| Wild Card Traits | Self liquefaction |
| Social Information | |
| Place of Birth | England |
| Citizenship | Citizen of Great Britain, naturalised citizen of the United States |
| Occupation | Comedy club proprietor |
| Affiliations | The Village Idiot |
| Allies | Carlotta DeSoto, Jube the Walrus |
| Origin | |
| First Appearance | Deuces Down |
| Creator | Walton Simons |
Robert "Bob" Cortland is a fictional character in the Wild Cards series of books.
History[]
Bob Cortland discovered he'd been touched by the wild card when he was due to go on stage at a school play. His nervousness triggered his first transformation and he simply liquefied onto the floor.
Years later he became owner of a comedy club he called the Village Idiot. Carlotta DeSoto, a comedienne working at the club, came under harassment from unknown assailants and it transpired that these were men in the employ of her ex-husband, hired to return her to a life she had left behind. Bob spent days protecting her, with the help of Croyd Crenson as an expensive hired bodyguard, and eventually the pair left New York to escape Carlotta's entanglements for good.
Wild Card Traits[]
Bob can transform his body into a liquid state. In this form he is nearly deaf and blind, and is unable to breathe. He has very limited locomotive ability when he is "flat", and will flow downhill if he is on a gradient, although he can move slowly about if he needs to.
Appearance[]
Personality[]
A determined man, Bob was accustomed to dealing with club hecklers, and found himself out of his depth dealing with underworld crime.
Trivia[]
- Bob refers to his transformations as "going flat".
- Bob worries that anyone stepping on him might crush important organs.
Selected Reading[]
- Wild Cards Volume XVI: Deuces Down