Jack of Hearts

:"The Jack of Hearts in its most usual sense is a playing card. For the 1919 film, see The Jack of Hearts."

Superherobox| image -->|
caption=Jack of Hearts. Art by Stephen Sadowski.
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Jack of Hearts
real_name=Jack Hart
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" #22 (March 1976)
creators= Bill Mantlo (writer), Keith Giffen (artist)
species=Half human, half-Contraxian
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Avengers Defenders
aliases=
powers=Concussive blasts
Flight
Ability to survive unaided in space
Sensitive brain that senses motion
Increased intelligence and memory|

Jack of Hearts (Jack Hart) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in "Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" #22 (March, 1976).

Fictional character biography

Early life

Jack Hart was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He is the son of Philip Hart, a scientist who created an energy source called "zero fluid", and Marie, an alien humanoid woman of the Contraxian race. 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 the Corporation that killed his father. This led to Jack fighting other superheroes such as the Sons of the Tiger and the Hulk. He also fought the White Tiger. ["Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" #23] Eventually, he killed Stryke, his father's killer. ["Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" #31]

Later, Jack mistakenly fought Iron 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 the Wraith, and battled Midas. Jack was briefly turned to a golden living statue by Midas, and then freed from this golden state by Iron Man and Yellowjacket. ["Iron Man" #103, 105-108] Jack then aided Iron Man in fighting the Soviet Super-Soldiers on the moon. ["Iron Man" #109] Jack aided Iron Man against the Rigellian Commander Arcturus. ["Iron Man" #110-112] Jack later went off on his own, and fought Hemlock. ["Marvel Premiere" #44]

Being a Hero

Later, Jack moved past his mission of blind vengeance and became a true hero, working with various other superheroes such as the Defenders. Jack fought the Thing, who was under mental control of the Machinesmith. ["Marvel Two-in-One" #48] Jack Hart was then reunited with a college girlfriend named Marcy Kane (who was also a fellow graduate student of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man). Marcy, a scientist, and S.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. ["Marvel Team-Up" #134] Marcy turned out to be a Contraxian agent sent to Earth to find Jack. It was at this time Jack learned of his half-Contraxian heritage. Marcy took Jack to Contraxia, where he discovered that his powers had increased exponentially, and saved the home-world of his mother by reenergizing 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. ["Jack of Hearts" #1-4]

While wandering space he was captured by the Stranger. He later escaped captivity on the Stranger's planet. ["Quasar" #15] Jack fought Quasar during his return to Earth; however, Jack exploded when his containment suit was breached in battle with the Presence. ["Quasar" #19-20] Jack was retrieved from space, revived and mentally controlled by Moondragon, and he attacked Kismet. ["Quasar" #28] The damage to his armor led Jack to seek aid from the Silver Surfer, who found an alien armorer on Anvil who designed a new containment suit for Jack. Jack then battled Nebula and Geatar. ["Silver Surfer" Vol. 3 #76-78] Shortly after this adventure, Jack fell in love with the alien warrior woman known as Ganymede, though she did not return his feelings. Eventually he joined the Avengers, becoming the fifty-second superhero to join.

Death

In "Avengers" (vol. 3) #76 (aka #491, due to renumbering), Jack of Hearts chose to commit suicide rather than continue living in containment 14 hours a day. Jack took a child murderer who had abducted Cassie Lang, the daughter of Scott Lang (the second Ant-Man), along with him when he exploded in space.

Avengers Disassembled

In "Avengers" #500 (now back to its original renumbering) during the "Avengers Disassembled" event, Jack reappeared as what appeared to be a zombie just long enough to blow himself up, along with half of the Avengers mansion and Scott Lang. Jack's return was caused by the probability-shifting powers of the Scarlet Witch through methods that have remained ambiguous. It's thus unclear if he was the real Jack or a creation of Scarlet, and in this case the status of the real Jack of Hearts is yet to be determined.

Powers and abilities

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 descent 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. 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.

The left half of Jack of Hearts' body has turned purplish-black from direct exposure to "Zero Fluid". Jack of Hearts' left eye has an opaque white membrane covering the entire pupil.

Jack originally wore a suit of armor crafted in medieval Europe. His second suit of armor was designed by Torval, and made from alien materials designed to contain the Zero energy his body generates.

Jack is a fair hand-to-hand combatant, has had some S.H.I.E.L.D. combat training, and is a skilled writer of poetry.

Bibliography

* "Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" #22-24,26,29-32 (March, 1976-January, 1977) (appeared in White Tiger/Sons of the Tiger series)
* "Incredible Hulk" #213-214 (July-August, 1977)
* "Iron Man" #103-113 (October, 1977-August, 1978)
* "Defenders" #62-64 (August, 1978-October, 1978)
* "Marvel Premiere" #44 (October, 1978)
* "Marvel Two-in-One" #48 (February, 1979)
* "Rom the Spaceknight" #12 (November 1980)
* "Marvel Team-Up" #134 (October, 1983)
* Jack of Hearts" #1-4 (1984, mini-series)
* Silver Surfer Vol 3 # 76, 77, 78

References

External links

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