The Jack of Hearts!
MARVEL PREMIERE — Issue no. 44, July 1978
Book: Marvel Premiere
Issue No.: 44
Published: July 25, 1978
Title: “The Jack of Hearts!”
Cover Price: 35¢
Format: Original paper copy
As I understand it, Marvel Premiere served, at least sometimes, as a try-out book. It was an anthology title, and it generally featured a different character each issue. Marvel’s editors could spotlight a superhero in Marvel Premiere and, based on sales and reader mail, decide whether that hero might warrant their own title. Writer and Jack of Hearts creator Bill Mantlo states this all pretty directly on this issue’s fan-mail page (which, in this case, is more of an editorial and doesn’t feature any letters from fans), encouraging fans of Jack to write in with their thoughts. And to also maybe buy an extra copy of the book and gift it to a friend.
Early in the book’s run, Doctor Strange and Iron Fist were both featured in multiple issues of Marvel Premiere before getting their own titles. I’ve also read that sometimes a story would appear in Premiere just because a Marvel property needed a venue for a one-shot story — that was apparently the case with the “Seeker 3000” sci-fi tale in Premiere no. 41.
This issue of Marvel Premiere plays much like the first one of an ongoing Jack of Hearts book. It opens with exposition that explains Jack’s origin, backstory, and super powers. Then it throws Jack into an adventure that conveniently ties into his origin and powers.
Jack of Hearts (whose real name is Jack Hart, so I’m not sure his superhero name is doing much to protect his identity) became a superhero when the criminal organization known as the Corporation killed Jack’s father. Aside from losing his dad, Jack was also exposed to “Zero Fluid,” some super-science chemical concoction that his father was working with. The Zero Fluid gave Jack energy powers that he can’t control without wearing special armor. The implication is, without the armor’s aid, Jack would release enormous amounts of energy and destroy everyone and everything in his vicinity. Jack also has a “computer mind,” but I’m not sure if that is from the Zero Fluid or if he was just born really smart. But it’s probably the former, with the Zero Fluid supercharging his brain along with his body.
The origin and backstory stuff is honestly more intersting than the main part of the story, which has a Corporation goon known as Hemlock goading Jack of Hearts into coming after him. It’s obviously a trap, but Jack takes the bait because he hopes he can get some information from Hemlock about who at the Corporation is responsible for his father’s death. Hemlock wants to capture, not kill, Jack, so that he can figure out the secret of the Zero Fluid.
Of course, capturing a powerful superhero like Jack of Hearts is easier said than done. So Hemlock gets mad and tries to just kill Jack. Hemlock at one point attacks Jack with a garden trowel that is actually a (small) heat-seeking missile. See, Hemlock’s shtick is that, aside from being an assassin, he’s a gardener. Hemlock gets really mad when his azaleas are destroyed during his fight with Jack. Yeah, it’s kind of silly. Not Plantman silly, but it’s in that vicinity.
I’m not sure how this book went over back in the day. I don’t think Jack of Hearts ever got his own ongoing series, but I do vaguely remember reading a Jack mini-series in the 1980s.
Next time — the Master of Kung-Fu versus Skullcrusher!
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