Jack-in-the-Box

JACK-IN-THE-BOX

Real Name: Zachary Johnson

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Toy engineer, CEO of Z.J. Toys, former crimefighter

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: Isaac (father-in-law), Tamra Dixon (wife), Jack Johnson (Jack-in-the-Box, father, deceased), Jerome Isaac Johnson (son)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Bakerville, Astro City, Earth-Astro City

First Appearance: Kurt Busiek’s Astro City I (Image) #3 (October, 1995)

Powers: Jack-in-the-Box was a skilled and acrobatic hand-to-hand combatant. He wore footapults, extendable boots that let him leap great bounds and extendable gauntlets called handsprings. He was armed with rubber noses that delivered an electrical shock to whoever he put them on and confetti that could tightly bind opponents.

History: (Kurt Busiek’s Astro City I (Image) #3 (fb)) - Zachary Johnson was the CEO of the toy company Z.J. Toys, and at night he patrolled Astro City as the crimefighter Jack-in-the-Box. During Jack-in-the-Box’s crimefighting career he made numerous enemies, including the Human Weasel, the Brass Monkey and the crimelord Deacon, who he clashed with numerous times.

(Kurt Busiek’s Astro City I (Image) #3) - Jack-in-the-Box busted up a warehouse robbery, but lookout man Andrew Eisenstein got away and spotted Jack changing into his civilian identity in an alleyway and saw his unmasked face. Eisenstein alternated between dreaming about potential riches and respect he’d have in the underworld for exposing Jack’s identity and abject terror that Jack had seen him and was on his trail. He drank at the Craig Avenue Bar & Grill and hinted to his buddies that he was set for the big time when Jack busted up the bar, looking for information on a smuggling deal the Middleman was setting up. Eisenstein fled, but hung around Bakerville until he found Jack’s apartment, spotting him leave with his wife Tamra. Eisenstein signed on to be one of Middleman’s crew, and again narrowly escaped being busted by Jack as they picked up a shipment of hi-tech weaponry from Pyramid. Eisenstein briefly considered selling his knowledge to the Deacon, but realized the vicious crimelord would probably kill him to keep him from telling anybody else who Jack was. He was convinced Jack knew he saw him in the alleyway and fled Astro City.

Comments: Created by Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross & Brent E. Anderson.

Jack-in-the-Box was originally published by Image Comics.

Jack-in-the-Box’s appearance in Kurt Busiek’s Astro City I (Image) #3 was reprinted in Kurt Busiek’s Astro City: Life in the Big City #3.