| Jack of Hearts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 (March 1976) |
| Created by | Bill Mantlo (writer) Keith Giffen (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jonathan "Jack" Hart |
| Species | Human-Contraxian hybrid |
| Team affiliations | The Avengers The Defenders Fantastic Four |
| Abilities | Concussive blasts Flight Ability to survive unaided in space Sensitive brain that senses motion Increased intelligence, strength, durability, and memory |
Jack of Hearts (Jack Hart) is afictional superhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The character first appeared inThe Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 (March 1976), and was created by writerBill Mantlo and artistKeith Giffen.[1] He starred in his own four-issue mini series and has been a regular character in theIron Man comics as well as at one point being a member of theAvengers.
Jack of Hearts is the son of scientist Philip Hart (creator of "Zero Fluid") and an alien woman from the Contraxian race. As a young man, Jack was doused in Zero Fluid and gained super powers which he could not control. In an attempt to control his powers, Jack of Hearts built a containment suit that resembled theJack ofHearts playing card. The lack of control became a recurring theme with Jack of Hearts, including his stint in the Avengers where he had to spend 14 hours a day in a containment room to prevent self-destruction. When his powers became uncontrollable he chose to leave Earth, exploding in space without harming any innocent bystanders.
The return of Jack of Hearts and the explosion that killedScott Lang was the launching point of the 2004-05 "Avengers Disassembled". The character was resurrected as part of one of theMarvel Zombies mini-series where Zero Energy reforms into Jack of Hearts, bringing the character back to life. The Zombies were later defeated with the help of Jack of Hearts.
Jack of Hearts first appeared in the black and white magazineThe Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 (March 1976), and was created by writerBill Mantlo and illustratorKeith Giffen. He was presented as an antagonist for the superheroWhite Tiger but his origin story in the following issue established him as a hero. His debut appearance in a color comic book was inThe Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #214 (Aug. 1977)[2] where he fights the Hulk. He later serves a brief stint as an ally and apprentice ofIron Man, becoming a regular cast member of the series during Mantlo's tenure as writer.
Jack has made various guest appearances in several books over the years, includingMarvel Two-in-One,The Defenders,Marvel Premiere, (in a solo story meant to launch the character in his own series)ROM, andMarvel Team-Up, (which served as an intro to his 1984 mini-series) among others. He starred in his own self-titled, four issue limited series from January to April 1984.[3]
He was later made a regular inThe Avengers by writerKurt Busiek, who explained, "I first ran into Jack inThe Deadly Hands of Kung Fu in an issue drawn byGil Kane and Rico Rival. That great overcomplicated costume and the energy that Gil put into the storytelling hooked me, and I’ve been a fan ever since".[2]
In issue #40 of the 6thFantastic Four series (dated February 2022), the character joined thetitular team as a replacement for theHuman Torch.[4]
Jack Hart was born inNew Haven, Connecticut. He is the son of Philip Hart, a scientist who created an energy source called "zero fluid", and Marie, aContraxian alien. After being exposed to a vat of zero fluid, Jack underwent a mutagenic change and gained the ability to project concussive energy from his body. After gaining these powers, Jack began his mission of vengeance against theCorporation that killed his father. This led to Jack fighting other superheroes such as theSons of the Tiger and theHulk. He also fought theWhite Tiger.[5] Eventually, he killed Stryke, his father's killer.[6]
Later, Jack mistakenly foughtIron Man. Being new to super-heroics, he asked Iron Man to take him on as an apprentice, which he did, to show him the ropes. Jack teamed with Iron Man,Nick Fury,Guardsman,Jasper Sitwell,Jean DeWolff, and theWraith, and battledMidas.[7]
Later, Jack moved past his mission of vengeance and became a true hero, working with various other superheroes such as theDefenders. Jack fought theThing, who was under mental control of theMachinesmith.[8] Jack was then reunited with a college girlfriend namedMarcy Kane (who was also a fellow graduate student of Peter Parker, a.k.a.Spider-Man). Marcy, a scientist, andS.H.I.E.L.D. offered to help find a cure for Jack's dangerous super powers. Jack fought some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and his powers were temporarily dampened by Spider-Man.[9] Marcy turned out to be a Contraxian agent sent to Earth to find Jack. It was at this time Jack learned of his Contraxian heritage. Marcy took Jack to Contraxia, where he discovered that his powers had become much stronger, and saved Contraxia by energizing its dying sun. The Contraxians could not find a solution for Jack's unstable powers, and he left Contraxia to wander outer space in exile.[10]
While wandering space he was captured by theStranger. He later escaped captivity on the Stranger's planet.[11] Jack foughtQuasar during his return to Earth; however, Jack exploded when his containment suit was breached in battle with thePresence.[12] Jack was retrieved from space, revived and mentally controlled byMoondragon, and he attackedKismet.[13] The damage to his armor led Jack to seek aid from theSilver Surfer, who found an alien armorer on Anvil who designed a new containment suit for Jack. Jack then battledNebula andGeatar.[14] Shortly after this adventure, Jack fell in love with the alien warriorGanymede, though she did not return his feelings.
In an effort to save R-76, an outpost occupied by theRigellians, Jack of Hearts was injured in battle with the Servitors. Jack was rescued by a team of Avengers, and succeeded in convincing theInfinites to restore R-76.[15] Subsequently, Jack and these Avengers were captured, first by theShi'ar, and then by theRuul acting under the orders of theSupreme Intelligence.[16] Jack and the Avengers eventually escaped to Earth and helped reverse a plan to have Earth consumed byEgo the Living Planet.[17]
Jack's return to Earth happened during the period known as the Kang War, and Jack of Hearts was accepted as a member of theAvengers, becoming the fifty-second superhero to join the team, though the traditional welcoming ceremony for new Avengers were deferred given the nature of the crisis they faced.[18]
When his power levels began to increase beyond the capacity for his containment suit, Jack of Hearts chose to commit suicide rather than continue living in an isolated containment room for 14 hours a day. Jack took a child murderer who had abductedCassie Lang, the daughter ofScott Lang (the second Ant-Man), along with him when he exploded in space.[19] Jack appears as a spirit and as a zombie before being revived by Jill Harper, who discovers a source ofzero-point energy that assumes the form of Jack.[20][21][22][23][24]
Jack Hart's superhuman powers are as a result of the mutagenic effect of his father's "Zero Fluid", combined with the alien genes from his Contraxian mother. He has superhuman stamina and durability. Jack of Hearts also has the ability to generate "zero energy" within his body and project it as concussive force or intense heat or as a propellant to fly. Jack is sometimes unable to exert complete control over his energies, however. For a short time after restarting Contraxia's sun, he uncontrollably radiated enough heat to melt one of Contraxia's polar ice caps.[10] He can survive unprotected in space. Jack of Hearts's brain has incorporated the artificial intelligence of a computerized device called the Scanalyzer, enabling him to think with the speed of a computer and store and retrieve information with a computer-like capacity and efficiency.
Jack originally wore a suit of armor crafted in medieval Europe.[5] His second suit of armor was designed by Torval, and made from alien materials designed to contain the zero energy his body generates.[14] His original suit of armor was later restored and upgraded byMoondragon after Jack was rescued from space by theAvengers and thus leading to his connection with the team.[15]
Jack is a fair hand-to-hand combatant, has had some S.H.I.E.L.D. combat training, and is a talented poet.
Jack of Hearts makes non-speaking cameo appearances inSilver Surfer as a member ofNebula's crew.[episode needed]
