HE IS THE JACK OF HEARTS...AND HE IS GOING HOME !!!

Marvel tested the Jack of Hearts' popularity in a dynamite Marvel Premiere #44, with writer Bill (Micronauts) Mantlo at the helm and artist Keith (Defenders) Giffen teaming up along with finisher Rudy (Conan) Nebres.

George Freeman doing the Jack of Hearts!

Jack of Hearts, real name Jack Hart is the son of scientist Philip Hart that created Zero Fluid and an alien woman from the race Contraxian. As a young man Jack was doused in Zero Fluid and gained super powers but was not in total control of his powers. In an attempt to control his powers Jack of Hearts built a containment suit that resembled The Jack of Hearts 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.

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 1st appearance of Jack of Hearts. The White Tiger was a great character created by George Perez. Highly Recommended!

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #23 Origin of Jack of Hearts. Side note: I enjoyed The Killer Elite movie, but if you haven't read it, don't miss out on the Robert Rostand novel. It's the first of a fantastic Locken trilogy.

Created as a foil for the White Tiger in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 (first appearance) & #23 (featuring his origin), he  quickly became a cult favorite, me included, with color appearances in comic books like Incredible Hulk and Iron Man.

Dynamic splash page showcasing Jack of Hearts!

Marvel Premiere #44
Cover by Mike Zeck & Rudy Nebres. 
"The Jack of Hearts"
After effecting  a rescue at sea, Jack of Hearts is going home, to his estate in Connecticut. Once there, he receives an ominous invitation from Hemlock. 
Written by Bill Mantlo with art by Keith Giffen & Rudy Nebres. 

Jack of Hearts had last appeared in Iron Man #113 and appeared next in Defenders #62. He also returned in his own mini-series, also written by Mantlo with some of my favorite George (Captain Canuck) Freeman artwork.

Jack of Hearts was originally designed by George Perez for Deadly Hands of Kung Fu and refined by Dave Cockrum for Marvel Premiere. 

What we really need is a Jack of Hearts Epic Collection trade paperback, or a nice hardcover Marvel Masterworks! There's a lot of great material here deserving of a fitting reprint treatment.

Hadn't seen this bust before, looks great!

Live Large My Friends!

Thank You!

The Micronauts, one of Bill Mantlo's best books. Along with some fantastic Michael Golden, Keith Giffen & Jackson Guice art over the comic book series run.

I really enjoyed Giffen's work on Defenders. Loved the return of Scorpio. Fantastic run!