Jester (Marvel Comics)

Jester is the name of several Marvel Comics supervillains.

Jonathan Powers

Superherobox


caption=
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Jester
real_name=Jonathan Powers
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Daredevil" vol. #42 (July, 1968)
creators=Stan Lee
Gene Colan
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=
aliases=
powers=Skilled gymnast and swordsman(Powers)|

Jonathan Powers was the original Jester and a enemy of Daredevil.

Fictional character biography

Jonathan Powers was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was a struggling actor of huge ego who finally got his lead break as the leading character in an off-Broadway revival of Cyrano de Bergerac. Panned by critics, jeered by the audience, and disdained by his fellow performers, Powers was fired after one performance. Obsessively, he continued to study the various arts and crafts that he thought would make him a great actor, things like gymnastics and body building. He took everything—except acting classes. Still, Powers was able to find employment as a stooge in a children's television show taped in New York.

Finally getting fed up with having pies thrown in his face, Powers decided that if the audience wanted laughter, he would give it to them. Contracting the criminal weapons-maker known as the Tinkerer to make him a number of gimmicks, Powers fashioned himself a goofy harlequin-like disguise and called himself the Jester. Becoming a professional criminal, the Jester was hired by Richard Raleigh to kill Foggy Nelson. The Jester was opposed by Daredevil. ["Daredevil" #42] The Jester then framed Daredevil for the "murder" of Jonathan Powers, and battled Daredevil again. ["Daredevil" #46] Alongside the Cobra and Mister Hyde, he battled Daredevil once more. ["Daredevil" #61]

The Jester later broadcast false news reports smearing Foggy Nelson's political campaign and undermining public trust in the government and the media. He battled Daredevil once more. ["Daredevil" #124, 129, 131, 133-137] The Jester was later employed by the Purple Man; alongside Cobra, Mister Hyde, and the Gladiator, he battled Daredevil and the Paladin. ["Daredevil" #154] He later battled the Moon Knight and Daredevil as well. ["Moon Knight" Vol. 1 #13]

For a time, the Jester tried to improve his life and restart his life as an actor. As Jonathan Powers, he portrayed Cyrano de Bergerac on television, presumably abandoning the Jester identity. ["Daredevil" #218] However, his attempt to reform failed miserably. Late in Brian Bendis' run on Daredevil (Decalogue story-arc), Powers is revealed to have allowed himself to act as host to a demon (one conjured up by a would-be Ninja), gaining great strength in the process. When the demon leaves him, Powers is apparently left comatose.

Powers and abilities

Jonathan Powers is an athletic man with no superhuman abilities. His main weapons are a set of various joke gimmicks converted into deadly weapons, designed by the Tinkerer. He used a variety of modified toys and gimmicks, including a yo-yo with a weighted knob and steel cable which emits earsplitting sounds when whirled at high speed; ball bearing marbles; exploding gas-filled "popcorn"; plastic flying discs which squirt and anesthetic drug; rubber balls containing plastic explosives; an extendibles artificial hand equipped with an electrical charge; an artificial hand that can be fired from a small air-cannon; and other devices.

Powers also employed two-foot tall miniature robots equipped with laser weaponry, diamond drill-bits, etc., remote controlled by a radio-linked microprocessor. He also employed a specially designed one-man submarine.

Powers is a well-trained hand-to-hand combatant, acrobat and fencer. He is trained in gymnastics, swordsmanship and unarmed combat. He is also a minimally talented actor.

econd Jester

Superherobox


no

caption=
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Jester
real_name=Unrevealed
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut=
creators=
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=The Assembly of Evil
aliases=
powers=|A successor of Powers appeared during the Acts of Vengeance crossover which took place during the original's failed retirement from super-villainy.

Fictional character biography

This Jester was given his weaponry by Doctor Doom. Among the arsenal granted to him by Doom, the "long-lived" Hulk Robot created years prior by a pair of college students and the Eternal Uni-Mind. Jester recruited a team of villains made up of himself, the Hulk Robot, The Fenris twins, Hydro-Man, and Rock of The Hulkbusters to form the Assembly of Evil. The team was defeated by Cloak and Dagger and several intervening Avengers. ["Cloak & Dagger" Vol. 3 #9]

Crazy Gang Jester

Superherobox


no

caption=
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Jester
real_name=Unrevealed
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Marvel Superheroes" #377 (September. 1981) (Earth-238)
"The Mighty World of Marvel" #10 (March, 1984) (Earth-616)
creators=David Thorpe, Paul Neary and Alan Davis (Earth-238)
Alan Moore and Alan Davis (Earth-616)
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Crazy Gang
aliases=Clown
powers=Very agile fighter |

Another Jester was a member of Mad Jim Jaspers' Crazy Gang.

Fictional character biography

When Captain Britain was sent to an alternate Earth, known as Earth-238, by Merlyn. Together with Saturnyne, he hoped to save this world from the corruption that threatened it; instead they encountered Earth-238's Mad Jim Jaspers, a lunatic with the ability to warp reality. Serving Jaspers were the Crazy Gang which included The Jester.

The Jester, also known as the "Clown" is a very agile fighter and sometimes the self-proclaimed leader of the Crazy Gang. His Earth-238 counterpart was known as "Coco". This group of superhumans were based on characters from Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass". Captain Britain and Saturnyne individually managed to escape this Earth and Jaspers and the Crazy Gang, including Jester, were killed when Earth-238 was destroyed by Saturnyne's successor, Mandragon.

Powers and abilities

Jester has no super human powers however he is a highly skilled fencer, acrobat, and kick-boxer. He carries a fencing foil.

Jody Putt

Superherobox


caption=
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Jester
real_name=Jody Putt
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Civil War" #5 (August 2006)
creators=Steve McNiven and Mark Millar
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Thunderbolts
aliases=
powers=|

Jody Putt appeared as Jester during the super-hero "Civil War" as a member of the Thunderbolts Army.

Fictional character biography

As part of the Thunderbolts Army, Jester was among the supervillians who helped capture unregistered heroes. Jester did this due to nanobots in his system which would electrocute him if he didn't do as he was told.

The Jester and Jack O'Lantern are sent to bring in Spider-Man. They pursue the hero through the sewers. Spider-Man ends up badly injured and subdued as the two move in for the kill. Both Jack and Jester are then shot dead by the Punisher.

Mr Hyde later exhumed the body to find away around the nanotechnlogy. [Thunderbolts - Reason in Madness one-shot]

References

External links

*http://marvel.com/universe/Jester