| Khan | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Real Name | Samir Khanna |
| Aliases | Khan |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Joker-ace |
| Wild Card Traits | Claws, enhanced reflexes, enhanced senses, enhanced strength, regeneration |
| Social Information | |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation | Bodyguard |
| Base of Operations | Chicago |
| Relatives | Naya (sister) |
| Origin | |
| First Appearance | Low Chicago |
| Creator | Marko Kloos |
Khan is a character in the Wild Cards series of books.
History
Khan is the United States born son of an Indian father and Polish mother. Initially just a scrawny kid, the wild card virus dealt him a joker, cursing him with the appearance of a Bengal tiger on the left side of his body, but granting him significantly augmented strength to go with his feline appearance. Having been empowered by the wild card he proceeded to use his talents working as a freelance bodyguard.
With a strong reputation of twelve years without losing a principle, Khan was able to score some very lucrative protection jobs, and in one such job at a high stakes poker game in Chicago attended by a bevy of powerful aces he found himself accidentally shunted back in time to 1929 by the temporal relocation power of Croyd Crenson. His efforts to start building his reputation for more bodyguard work in this new era saw him interfere in a feud between Al Capone and Bugs Moran, although unbeknownst to him at the time his actions started having a detrimental impact to the course of history. Crenson and his associate John Nighthawk arrived soon after to return him to 2017 and did so after first pressuring him to undo some of the damage he had done.
Wild Card Traits
Khan's wild card mutated the left side of his body to resemble a Bengal Tiger. Along with the physical mutation he also found himself gifted with a number of tiger-like traits, from the speed and power to the sharp fangs and claws. His left eye is quite effective in low light conditions, and his senses of smell and hearing have been greatly enhanced. Khan also exhibits a fast reaction time despite his large size, and his rapid healing allows him to recover from severe trauma in a matter of hours.
Appearance
At 6'3", and solidly built, Khan is an imposing figure, especially with the wild card having transformed the entire left of his body to resemble that of a tiger. Left of the straight demarcation line, his fur is orange and white with black stripes, and his feline eye is green. His left hand and foot are both oversized and the sharp, retractable claws of his left hand can extend to three inches. Khan grows out the facial hair of his right side human half in an effort to exhibit a little symmetry, and applies eye liner to his right eye to complete the effect.
Personality
Khan's loyalties lie mostly with his pay, so he is not above killing if the job calls for it, although he's intelligent enough to avoid unnecessary killings and the complications they bring. He can be fiercely protective of his clients, and also tends to be protective of women if he encounters situations where women are preyed upon.
Selected Reading
- Wild Cards Volume XXV: Low Chicago - "Stripes"
- Wild Cards Volume XXXI: Pairing Up - "In the Forests of the Night"
- Berlin is Never Berlin