Jack O'Lantern (Marvel Comics)
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| Jack O'Lantern | |
 Jack O'Lantern. Art by Luke Ross. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Macendale: Machine Man #19 (Feb 1981) Levins: Captain America #396 (Jan 1992) |
| Created by | Macendale: Tom DeFalco Steve Ditko Levins: Mark Gruenwald Rik Levins |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | - Jason Philip Macendale, Jr. - Steven Mark Levins - Daniel Berkhart - Maguire Beck |
| Team affiliations | (Levins) Skeleton Crew Thunderbolts |
| Notable aliases | (Macendale) Hobgoblin |
Jack O'Lantern is the name of four incarnations of a Marvel Comics supervillain. Later incarnations of the character were also referred to as "Mad Jack".
Contents |
[edit] Jason Macendale
[edit] Steven Levins
Steven Levins was a mercenary who fought Captain America and Spider-Man as Jack O'Lantern. His identity was never revealed in a comic book, but in New Avengers Most Wanted, a character compendium, his name was revealed to be Steven Mark Levins. Ghost Rider vol. 5 #10 (2007) confirms the Levins identity for the first time in a comic book.
[edit] Fictional character biography
This incarnation of Jack O'Lantern was a professional criminal, and a partner of Blackwing. Alongside Blackwing, he searched Skullhouse and first battled Captain America.[1] With Blackwing, he was then admitted as a provisional member of the loosely-knit band of Red Skull operatives called the Skeleton Crew.[2]
Soon after that, Jack O'Lantern fought Crossbones and Diamondback, and captured Diamondback.[3] Diamondback tried to escape, and Jack O'Lantern fought her in mid-air.[4] He was ultimately defeated in combat by the Falcon, and taken to the Vault.[5]
He also worked as an enforcer of the gangster the Golem and in this capacity, fought the villain the Hood when he interfered in Golem's machinations.
[edit] Civil War
Levins resurfaced just before the Stamford incident. He was hired by the terrorist organization R.A.I.D., and, along with Jackhammer and Shockwave, was ordered to flood the Thames Tunnel, but their plans were foiled by Union Jack's intervention. All the villains were arrested and Jack O'Lantern was most likely deported back to U.S.A. and then recruited into the Thunderbolts hero-hunting squad.
While pursuing Spider-Man through Manhattan sewers alongside the Jester in Civil War #5, Jack O'Lantern was shot through the head and killed by the Punisher. [6] However, he reappeared in Ghost Rider vol. 5, #8, possessed by a fragment of Lucifer's soul, and now exhibits the ability to detach, levitate, and explode his head, among other powers. However, the Ghost Rider is able to exorcise him by ripping his heart from his chest, setting it aflame, and putting it back in his chest causing it to explode inside.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Levins modeled his costume and equipment after those created by Jason Philip Macendale, Jr.—the previous Jack O'Lantern. Levins wore a complete body armor made of metal-mesh covered in multi-segmented Kevlar panels, incorporating a rigid, articulated shell which can resist a 7-pound bazooka anti-tank warhead. He wore a bulletproof helmet with an internal three hour, compressed air supply. The helmet is equipped with a telescopic infrared image-intensifier for seeing in the dark and 360 degree scanning device for seeing all around himself. The base of the helmet is equipped with a fine network of pinholes which maintain a low temperature, low density flame ("stage-fire") that rings the helmet at all times. The air supply cools the helmet's interior. The helmet is padded to protect his head from injury.
Levins is armed with wrist-blasters which can deliver an electrical shock within a range of 35 feet. He also used various types of grenades, including anaesthetic, lachrymatory (tear gas), hallucinogenic, and regurgitant gas grenades, smoke grenades, and concussion grenades. The grenades are shaped like spheres or pumpkins. He can fire small grenades from wrist devices. He can also release "ghost-grabbers," which are thick, semi-transparent films which adhere to a victim.
Levins rides atop a one-man hovercraft with an electric motor powered by a high density lithium rechargeable battery.
Levins has been trained in most forms of unarmed combat and the martial arts.
[edit] Mad Jack(s)
Daniel Berkhart and Maguire Beck, operating as a team, shared the Jack O'Lantern identity as well as both going by the name of Mad Jack. Berkhart, a friend and student of Mysterio, tended to impersonate Mysterio, and Beck was the original Mysterio's female cousin. Alternating with the costume, the two sometimes also used androids.
After the Green Goblin returned, the Berkhart Jack O'Lantern was assigned to make J. Jonah Jameson sell Osborn the Daily Bugle. After Mysterio killed himself, Berkhart became the new Mysterio, and Beck became the only Mad Jack. The two teamed against Spider-Man, who allied himself with Daredevil. Beck was imprisoned at the end of the storyline.
In the miniseries Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do, Francis Klum purchased Mysterio's weapons and gimmick in order to become yet another new Mysterio. The seller, The Kingpin, said he had acquired the arsenal "from Jack O'Lantern".
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] First appearance
- Captain America #396 (1968)
[edit] Trade paperbacks
- Civil War 2006 series #4
- Union Jack 2006 series #2
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Illinois Ghost Rider 2007 series #1-4
[edit] In other media
- Appeared in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series video games as a mini-boss in The Ravencroft Prison for the Insane level in the SNES/Sega Genesis version.
- The character has also appeared in the Spider-Man animated series, in his Hobgoblin persona.
[edit] Foototes
- ^ Captain America #396-397
- ^ Captain America #398
- ^ Captain America #405-408
- ^ Captain America #409
- ^ Captain America #410
- ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War #5 (November 2006) Marvel Comics
[edit] References
- Grand Comics Database
- Profile of Jack O'Lantern I at Spiderfan.org
- Profile of Jack O'Lantern II at Spiderfan.org
- Profile of Jack O'Lantern III at Spiderfan.org
- Profile of Jack O'Lantern IV at Spiderfan.org
- The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Jack O'Lantern
[edit] External links
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