Croyd Crenson, the Sleeper

Real Name: Croyd Crenson

Identity/Class: Human mutate (Ace)

Occupation: Thief and ace for hire

Affiliations: Captain Trips, Jube the Walrus, Bentley, Dr.Tachyon

Known Relatives: Unidentified mother and father (both deceased), Carl (brother), Claudia (sister), Sam Kendall (brother-in-law), Michael (cousin)

Aliases: Typhoid Croyd, various unspecified aliases used to rent apartments

Base of Operations: New York

First Appearance: Wild Cards Volume 1 "The Sleeper"

Powers/Abilities: Croyd's powers derive from his "sleep cycles" which can last from days to weeks. While he 'sleeps' his body actually metamorphoses into a new Ace with completely new powers and abilities. He is unable to control the type of metamorphosis he undergoes, nor is he aware of what powers he possesses. He has to discover them all over again.

History: Fourteen year old Croyd Crenson had grown up in New York, and was a witness to the fateful battle between Jetboy and Dr.Tod on 15th September 1946, the day the world came to know as Wild Card Day. When the virus was released, Croyd and his friends all attempted to get back to their homes - along the way the terrified boy witnessed many horrific cases of people drawing the Black Queen, but he appeared to make it home unharmed. Exhausted, he swiftly fell asleep.

He awoke several weeks later, to discover himself in an entirely new (adult) body. He learned that his father had also been infected, but while Croyd appeared to have drawn an Ace, his parent was less lucky, and had died. Aware that he couldn't return to school, and that he was the new breadwinner of the family, Croyd drifted into crime to support them. He stayed awake for several weeks, but sleep eventually caught up with him again. Once more he hibernated, and once more he awoke with a new form and powers. As this cycle continued, Croyd soon realised that he sometimes awoke as a Joker, and began to fear that one day the change might bring on the Black Queen, so that he would die in his sleep. He developed a fear of sleep, and began taking amphetamines and other drugs to stay awake; in the end all these achieved was to forestay the inevitable, and make him increasingly paranoid the further into his cycle he got.

Years passed, and Croyd's power kept him from aging or a normal life. He settled into a routine, maintaining pre-paid apartments across New York, allowing him to reach a haven swiftly when he became tired. His constantly changing appearance meant he could commit robberies, and if he were seen, he'd simply have to avoid the authorities long enough to change once more; since his unique metabolism heals any and all injuries while he sleeps (including the damage inflicted by drug use) virtually nothing in life carried long term consequences any more. This, combined with the drugs, has given him a somewhat unique outlook on life. In spite of this, he remains a basically decent person, though he is dangerous when "speeding". He is willing to hire his services out for criminal ventures, generally preferring to work alone.

In the late 1980s he briefly became "Typhoid Croyd", carrying a version of the Wild Card Virus which could even reinfect those already infected. Pursued across the city by fearful mobs, and completely off his head on amphetamines, among the more notable victims of reinfection were Puppetman (who went from Ace to Joker), Snotman (who went from Joker to Ace), Dr.Travnicek (Modular Man's creator, who went from Ace to Joker) and Gimli (Joker to Black Queen).

Croyd is generally sympathetic towards Jokers, in part because he is one some of the time, and when Bloat took over Ellis Island, he sided with the immense mutant. Later he helped Captain Trips overthrow the government of Vietnam to set up a Joker home country. He still regrets not finishing school.

Comments: Created by Roger Zelazny.

Thanks to George Abdilnour for additional information on this character.

CLARIFICATIONS: None.

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to US Independents Page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.