| Xbalanque | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Aliases | Xbalanque |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Ace |
| Wild Card Traits | Density enhancement, astral projection, regeneration, enhanced strength and durability |
| Social Information | |
| Place of Birth | Guatemala |
| Citizenship | Guatemalan national |
| Occupation | Revolutionary |
| Base of Operations | Mobile |
| Affiliations | Hero Twins |
| Allies | Esteban Akabal, Maria |
| Origin | |
| First Appearance | Aces Abroad |
| Creator | Leanne C. Harper |
Xbalanque is a fictional character in the Wild Cards series of books. He is one of the Hero Twins, a Quiché Maya, and spiritual brother to Hunapu.
History[]
Xbalanque came from a village accessible to the modern world and close to various Mayan ruins. This brought him into frequent contact with outsiders who came to study the ruins and artefacts, earning him a decent living assisting in their digs. He would also supplement this income by stealing some of the recovered goods for sale on the black market.
One night, while drunk on gin, Xbalanque pierced his ear with a stingray spine and burned his blood-soaked tee-shirt as an offering to his ancestral gods. He was surprised when this action caused his spirit to cross over to Xibalba, the realm of death, where he was granted audience with the gods. They gave him the name of Xbalanque and told him to meet with his brother in Guatemala City.
After stealing a jeep, Xbalanque drove to a village and attempted to acquire food and drink, but was interrupted when a force from the Guatemalan army arrived and started terrorising the locals. Xbalanque's ace fully activated allowing him to save himself and school teacher, Esteban Akabal, from a firing squad. The pair proceeded on together and gradually drew a force of fighters around themselves as they headed for Guatemala City, experiencing several clashes with government troops along the way.
The Hero Twins and Akabal jointly issued a statement that they would have a sanctuary for the Mayan people. The government reacted violently to this, attempting to crush the insurrection, but the ace powers of the Hero Twins were enough to beat them back.
Wild Card Traits[]
Xbalanque is able to send his spirit to Xibalba by the ritual sacrificing of blood. Injury sustained to his own body during these rituals heals quickly, the cuts disappearing in a matter of hours. Xbalanque can also radically increase the density of himself and a small amount of additional mass. In this state he gains incredible strength and resistance to impact trauma. Bullets bounce off without harming him and he routinely uses his strength to hurl heavy objects with enough force to destroy vehicles.
Appearance[]
A small man at 5'2", Xbalanque is broader and stockier than his spiritual brother. He is a Quiché Maya with a classic Mayan profile who typically wears modern clothing, but has become accustomed to wearing the traditional dress of a Mayan warrior-priest.
Personality[]
Xbalanque is not religious despite being brought up in a Catholic environment. He used to be a self-absorbed man and a thief until the teacher, Esteban Akabal, convinced him to partake in a revolution for the benefit of the Mayan people. Since adopting this new path, Xbalanque has embraced it wholeheartedly, although he also feels revulsion towards the ritual spilling of blood that it demands of him.
Trivia[]
Selected Reading[]
- Wild Cards Volume IV: Aces Abroad - "Blood Rights"