Deadhead (Wild Cards)

Deadhead is a fictional character from the Wild Cards book series. He is an Ace, someone granted super-powers by exposure to the Wild Card virus, but the disturbing nature of his power has driven him nearly insane.

Deadhead has the ability to sense the memories of anyone whose brain he eats. He discovered this by accident; he began experiencing the sensations of animals whenever he ate meat, then worked his way up to animal brains. After several years he worked up the courage to try human brains, and found that he could completely—if temporarily—absorb all the knowledge and memories of the dead person.

At present he works for the Shadow Fists, providing the gang with information in exchange for being kept out of prison or a mental ward. He is twitchy, has poor hygiene, constantly talks to himself in a nervous voice and is always gulping down vitamins and appetite suppressants in a vain effort to avoid his craving for human brains.