Jack Flag (Jack Harrison) is a
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. He has occasionally appeared alongside
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
and has been a member of the
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
.
Publication history
He first appeared in ''
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
'' #434 (Dec. 1994), and was created by
Mark Gruenwald
Mark Eugene Gruenwald (; June 18, 1953 – August 12, 1996) was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler known for his long association with Marvel Comics.
Biography
Early career
Gruenwald got his start in comics fa ...
and
Dave Hoover
David Harold Hoover (May 14, 1955 – September 4, 2011) was an American comics artist and animator, most notable for his art on DC Comics' ''The Wanderers'' and '' Starman'' and Marvel Comics' '' Captain America''.
Biography
Early life
...
.
Fictional character biography
Jack and his brother, Drake, were members of
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
's computer hotline network. Together, they created a citizen's patrol group in their hometown Sandhaven,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. Several criminals attacked Drake; the attack left him unable to use his legs. After the attack, Jack and Drake discovered that the
Serpent Society
The Serpent Society is an organization of snake-themed supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The society is a continuation of the original group the Serpent Squad and was later changed into Serpent Solutions. ...
had infiltrated their hometown and they had attempted to contact the local authorities. They found that law enforcement had been bribed by the Serpent Society. Jack, unhappy with this information, began training in martial arts and weight lifting so that he could fight the Serpent Society on his own. He took on a disguise becoming Jack Flag, an identity which he thought would make Captain America proud.
During a bank robbery, Jack intervened and stepped on
Rock Python
Rock Python (M'Gula) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a member of the Serpent Society. He first appeared in '' Captain America'' vol. 1 # ...
and
Fer-de-Lance (both of whom were members of the Serpent Society). Shortly after this, Jack attempted to infiltrate the Society, but
King Cobra did not fully trust Flag. King Cobra sent Jack to steal a painting from
Mr. Hyde
Dr. Henry Jekyll, nicknamed in some copies of the story as Harry Jekyll, and his alternative personality, Mr. Edward Hyde, is the central character of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde''. In the story, ...
, who severely beat Jack. While fighting, Hyde's chemicals drenched Jack and he developed superhuman physical abilities. After receiving his new powers, Flag easily defeated Mr. Hyde and retrieved the painting. Before returning the painting to King Cobra, Flag contacted Captain America's hotline and informed them that the Serpent Society was in Sandhaven. Impressed that he was able to defeat Mr. Hyde, Cobra tried out Jack as a new King Cobra. While Flag was undercover with the Serpent Society, Captain America, and his
protégé
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
,
Free Spirit, showed up to aid Jack and defeat the Society. Jack followed Captain America and Free Spirit east, aiding them against
ULTIMATUM
An ultimatum (; ) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series o ...
,
AIM, and
Madcap. When Captain America believed he was dying, he charged Jack Flag, Free Spirit,
Fabian Stankowicz
Fabian Stankowicz is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as comic relief, a former supervillain foe of and then support crewmember of the Avengers (comics), Avengers. ...
and
Zach Moonhunter with maintaining his hotline.
Civil War
During the ''
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
'' storyline, Jack Flag is shown to be living a civilian life with his girlfriend Lucy in Cleveland, Ohio, but refuses to either register or throw out his suit and weapons on the basis of the Superhuman Registration Act being "un-American". Growing frustrated with the police's slow response and lack of action about crime in his area, he intervenes in disguise as Jack Flag when a woman is attacked outside of his apartment building. Because of this, he is targeted by the new
Thunderbolts for violating the Superhuman Registration Act. He is able to subdue almost all of the Thunderbolt's team. As he escaped, he is then stabbed in the spine by
Bullseye
Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to:
Symbols
* ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block
* (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click
Animals and plants
* Bull's Eye, ''Euryo ...
, puncturing his
cauda equina
The cauda equina () is a bundle of spinal nerves and spinal nerve rootlets, consisting of the second through fifth lumbar nerve pairs, the first through fifth sacral nerve pairs, and the coccygeal nerve, all of which arise from the lumbar enlargeme ...
and leaving him paralyzed. Bullseye states that Flag would "never walk again". He is then taken into custody, where he is severely beaten by an enraged
Swordsman
Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...
.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Jack Flag is later shown leading the prisoners of the
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...
prison against
Blastaar
Blastaar (, ), sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone. He is also a ...
's army, which he does from a wheelchair. After escaping with the
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
, Jack's spine is repaired, in two minutes, by
Knowhere
Knowhere (pronounced "no where") is a fictional location appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, and related media. It is depicted as the enormous severed head of an ancient celestial being, which serves as an interdimension ...
's medical staff. He opts to remain on the station rather than return to Earth (where he would be considered a fugitive). He later joins the Guardians as part of 'The Kree Team' during the crossover event
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book Fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe, shared Marvel Universe, universe. The six-issue limited series w ...
. He is part of a diplomatic team sent to the Inhumans as the Guardians believe the Inhumans are naively endangering the galaxy with their war. Jack is still an active member of the team in
The Thanos Imperative
''The Thanos Imperative'' is a six-issue comic book limited series published in 2010 by Marvel Comics. It was written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and was bookended by two one-shot comics, ''Ignition'' and ''Devastation''. The story focuses on t ...
. During the ''War of Kings'' storyline, one of many alternate future iterations of the 31st Century Guardian,
Starhawk
Starhawk (born Miriam Simos on June 17, 1951) is an American feminist and author. She is known as a theorist of feminist Neopaganism and ecofeminism.
In 2013, she was listed in Watkins' ''Mind Body Spirit'' magazine as one of the 100 Most Spir ...
, kidnaps Jack Flag, Starlord, Bug, Mantis, and Cosmo. They discover that the future is in a perilous flux due to "The Fault": a multi-parsec wide tear in the fabric of spacetime. The tear was created as a result of Black Bolt of the Inhuman-led Kree Empire having detonated a bomb so powerful it ruptured the Dark Matter holding the universe together. The Guardians make their way through this odyssey, attempting to deliver a message to Adam Warlock, who is in the 21st Century just prior to the T-Bomb's Detonation. The Guardians are suffering symptoms of the broken time-stream. With Peter Quill, via the use of a Ba enslaved Celestial and the telepathic dog Cosmo, Warlock manages to stop the growth of the Fault. The tear remains, opening a door for greater perils: Warlock has become his evil self, The Magus, as a result of his saving the universe from destruction via the Fault's expansion, Star-Lord becomes geriatric, Mantis an infant, Bug an adolescent, Cosmo a puppy, and Jack Flag seem intangible. Starhawk reveals to him that this is due to Jack Flag's "unique nature". He informs him that it is Jack Flag's destiny to reshape the universe.
Captain America: Steve Rogers
Jack Flag later returned to Earth, recruited by the rejuvenated Steve Rogers to be a part of
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
and join the fight against the growing threat of
Hydra
Hydra generally refers to:
* Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology
* ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria
Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Hydra (constel ...
. He and Free Spirit went to
Bagalia
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
to deal with
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo () is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Heinrich Zemo and his son Helmut Zemo have both been depicted as a major adversary of Captain America and the Avengers, as well as the le ...
and his "New Masters". Jack ignored Rogers' orders to stay with Free Spirit and went after Zemo himself, confronting him on his getaway plane and defeating him. Angry at him, Rogers throws Flag from the airplane without a parachute, before saying "Hail Hydra". Free Spirit finds him unconscious, but alive, on the street when the villains of Bagalia appear and attempt to kill them. They're eventually rescued by Rogers and other members of S.H.I.E.L.D. in time to get Jack Flag medical attention. He had fallen into a coma as a result of the injury. He's later seen in the medical bay in a comatose state, while Free Spirit and
Rick Jones visit him. Later, Steve Rogers attempts to kill Jack, by injecting him with poison, until Free Spirit arrives and tells him that Jack's family decided to disconnect him. During his funeral, Steve tries to help Cathy and Rick, who are still in grief.
Powers and abilities
After being drenched with Mr. Hyde's chemicals, Jack Flag gained superhuman strength, stamina, and durability. He is also a superb athlete and a skilled martial artist.
Other Media
Video Games
* Jack Flag makes a cameo in ''
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
''Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy'' is a 2021 action-adventure game developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, the game was released for Ni ...
''. Here Jack is a lone inmate at a
Nova Corps
The Nova Corps is a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman, the Corps first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #205 (April 1979). They have since appe ...
prison called "The Rock" overtaken by the
Universal Church of Truth
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
, and has a conversation with
Peter Quill
Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a fictional character and superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, first appeared in ''Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976) ...
in Chapter 5. His origin and powers are later explored in a computer file seen later in the level, alluding to his super strength via the Hyde Formula.
References
External links
Marvel.com - Marvel Universe: Jack Flag
{{Guardians of the Galaxy
Comics characters introduced in 1994
Marvel Comics sidekicks
Fictional characters from Arizona
Guardians of the Galaxy characters
Marvel Comics American superheroes
Marvel Comics superheroes
Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Marvel Comics martial artists
Marvel Comics mutates
United States-themed superheroes
Characters created by Mark Gruenwald