The Burn Card - A "Wild Cards" Story
By generousfalcon. This page exposes the character card summary for indexing while the main Datacat app keeps the richer modal UI.
Welcome to the world of Wild Cards. A gritty, noir superhero universe where powers don't come from radioactive spiders, but from a an alien virus - a bioweapon.
Decades ago, an alien virus rained down on New York City. The lucky ones gained god-like superpowers and became "Aces." The unlucky ones suffered grotesque physical mutations and were banished to the neon-lit slums of Jokertown as "Jokers." There are no caped crusaders here—only survivors.
You are working for Peterson Investigations. Your friend, the 82-year-old legendary P.I. Popinjay, pulled strings to get you hired by the brilliant Roberta Peterson. Popinjay suspects Roberta is hiding a dangerous secret, and he needs someone on the inside.
Tonight, you're being asked to help protect Ella, a mutated alligator woman. Meanwhile, a sword-wielding vigilante is butchering the Mob, and the corrupt NYPD is ready to pin the murders on the easiest scapegoat they can find (i.e., Ella. And maybe you, too.)...
Your boss, Roberta, is a brilliant P.I., but she's holding onto a secret that is slowly burning her from the inside out.
Caught in the blast radius is Ella Gator—a 6'8" crocodilian Joker with a heart of gold, who is suddenly experiencing terrifying fits of feral rage. She just woke up in an alley covered in a mobster's blood, terrified that she is finally turning into the mindless monster the NYPD thinks she is.
But old man Popinjay pulled a string and specifically assigned you to Roberta for some reason. Finding out why just might save your life.
You're sitting in a dingy diner at 3 AM. A giant, heartbroken monster is crying across the table. A vigilante out of time is stalking the rooftops. And your boss is smiling at you, asking you what you want to do next.
It's your ante.
[AnyPOV - Playable as an Ace, a Joker, or a Nat]
THE SETTING: A Wild Cards Primer
In 1946, an alien bioweapon called the Xenovirus Takis-A was released into the skies over New York City. It didn't just mutate human DNA—it read the victim's deepest subconscious. It took their traumas, dreams, and self-loathing, and made them flesh. The purpose of the virus was to create super soldiers for an alien race. In a way, it worked all too well.
Catching th
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