Jack Flag

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Jack Flag
Jackflag.PNG
Cover art to Thunderbolts #111, by Marko Djurdjevic.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Captain America #434 (Dec. 1994)
Created by Mark Gruenwald (writer)
Dave Hoover (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoJack Harrison
Team affiliations Guardians of the Galaxy
Partnerships Captain America
Notable aliasesKing Cobra, AZ-1260
AbilitiesSuperb athlete
Skilled martial artist
Superhuman strength, stamina and durability

Jack Flag (Jack Harrison) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He has occasionally appeared alongside Captain America and has been a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Contents

Publication history

He first appeared in Captain America #434 (Dec. 1994), and was created by Mark Gruenwald and Dave Hoover.

Fictional character biography

Jack and his brother, Drake, were members of Captain America's computer hotline network. Together, they created a citizen's patrol group in their hometown Sandhaven, Arizona. Several criminals attacked Drake; the attack left him unable to use his legs. After the attack, Jack and Drake discovered that the Serpent Society 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. [1]

During a bank robbery, Jack intervened and stepped on Rock Python and Fer-de-Lance, members of the Serpent Society. Shortly after this, Jack attempted to infiltrate the Society, but King Cobra did not fully trust Jack. King Cobra sent Jack to steal a painting from Mister Hyde, who severely beat Jack. During the battle, Hyde's chemicals drenched Jack and he developed superhuman physical abilities. After receiving his new powers, Jack easily defeated Hyde and retrieved the painting. Before returning the painting to King Cobra, Jack contacted Captain America's hotline and informed them that the Serpent Society was in Sandhaven. [2] Impressed that he was able to defeat Hyde, Cobra tried out Jack as a new King Cobra. While Jack was undercover with the Serpent Society, Captain America, and his protégé Free Spirit, showed up to aid Jack and defeat the Society. Jack followed Captain America and Free Spirit east, aiding them against ULTIMATUM, AIM, and Madcap. When Captain America believed he was dying, he charged Jac, Free Spirit, Fabian Stankowicz, and Zach Moonhunter with maintaining his hotline. [3]

Civil War

During the Civil War 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, Flag intervenes when a woman is attacked outside his apartment building. Because of this, he is targeted by the Thunderbolts for violating the Superhuman Registration Act. [4] Flag subdues the Thunderbolts, but is stabbed in the spine by Bullseye and paralyzed before being taken into custody. [5]

Guardians of the Galaxy

Jack Flag is later shown leading the prisoners of the Negative Zone prison against Blastaar's army, which he does from a wheelchair. [6] After escaping with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Flag's spine is repaired by Knowhere's medical staff. He opts to remain on the station rather than return to Earth, where he would be considered a fugitive. [7] He later joins the Guardians as part of 'The Kree Team' during the crossover event "War of Kings". 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. [8] Flag is still an active member of the team in "The Thanos Imperative". [9] During the War of Kings storyline, Starhawk kidnaps Flag, Star-Lord, Bug, Mantis, and Cosmo. They discover that the future is in a perilous flux due to the Fault, a massive tear in the fabric of space-time that was created by Black Bolt detonating a bomb that ruptured the dark matter holding the universe together. The Guardians stop the Fault from growing, but it remains open.

Captain America: Steve Rogers

Jack Flag later returns to Earth and is recruited by Steve Rogers to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and combat Hydra. He and Free Spirit travel to Bagalia to deal with Baron Zemo and his "New Masters". Flag ignores Rogers' orders to stay with Free Spirit and goes after Zemo himself. Rogers confronts Flag and throws him off the plane, seriously injuring him and rendering him comatose. [10] Later, Rogers attempts to kill Flag by injecting him with poison until Free Spirit arrives and tells him that his family decided to disconnect him from life support. [11] [12]

Powers and abilities

After being drenched with Mr. Hyde's chemicals, Jack Flag gained superhuman strength, stamina, and durability. He is also a skilled martial artist and athlete.

In other media

Jack Flag makes a cameo appearance in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy as an inmate of the Rock, a Nova Corps prison which was overtaken by the Universal Church of Truth. [13]

References

  1. Captain America #434 (December 1994)
  2. Captain America #435-436 (January - February 1995)
  3. Captain America #437-444 (March - October 1995)
  4. Thunderbolts #110 (March 2007)
  5. Thunderbolts #111 (April 2007)
  6. Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #9 (March 2009)
  7. Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #10 (April 2009)
  8. Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #11-12 (May 2009)
  9. Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #25 (June 2010)
  10. Captain America: Steve Rogers #3 (September 2016)
  11. Captain America: Steve Rogers #10 (March 2017)
  12. Boudreaux, Armond; Latta, Corey (August 8, 2017). Titans: How Superheroes Can Help Us Make Sense of a Polarized World. Cascade Books. ISBN   1532604009.
  13. Lento, Tiziano; Lopez, Renee; Graeber, Brendan (October 26, 2021). "Easter Eggs - Guardians of the Galaxy: The Game Wiki Guide". IGN .