Gregg Hartmann was a liberal politician often heralded as the defender of the wild carders, particularly the jokers. He was an influential senator in the 1970s and 1980s, and almost became the Democrat candidate to the presidency in two occasions (1976 and 1988), but suffered from public, mental breakdowns on both occasions. Few people know that Hartmann was actually a powerful, depraved ace. As the sinister Puppetman, he used his emotion manipulation powers to both achieve his political ambitions and feed on human suffering. A twisted sadist, Hartmann enjoyed playing games with the very jokers he was supposed to be helping.