|
Union Jack from Marvel Comics is a patriotic legacy hero who first appeared during WWI.
Union Jack quite literally wears a Union Jack for a costume and it is spectacular. There have been many to hold the mantle as it's something passed down from generation to generation, not unlike the Black Knight. Joseph
(Joey) Chapman is the current Union Jack from Liverpool, England. He was roped into the superhero world when he visited a friend's ancestral home.
There, he was told all about Kenneth's grandfather and uncle who were once Union Jacks, Ken's mother Spitfire, and even their villainous family-member Baron Blood. Kenneth passed the mantle of Union Jack to Joey, deciding that he was a worthy contender fit to continue the legacy after he passed.
Union Jack (Joseph "Joey" Chapman) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the third person to take on the role of Union Jack. He first appeared in Captain America #253 (January, 1981).
POWERS & ABILITIES
Like those who held the title of Union Jack before him, Joseph Chapman is an athlete in peak physical condition. He carries on the Union Jack tradition by using a Webley .455 revolver (though often uses other pistols depending on the mission he is completing) and a silver dagger which he uses for supernatural foes. His costume is also bullet-resistant.
For a time, Chapman was possessed by the spirit of the Pendragon (in this case,
Sir
Lancelot), enhancing his strength, speed, and endurance, and providing him with
super
human sensory acuity, as well as giving him the ability to sense the presence of agents of the Bane and to recognize them as such despite disguises, and access to knowledge of past incarnations of the Pendragon. He also wore a suit of magical/cybernetic exoskeleton armor composed of unknown materials that increased his strength to superhuman levels. He carried a 6' striking staff of unknown materials. Chapman could also ride Beryl, a computerized motorcycle-like vehicle equipped with extensive information databanks, recording memory files, radiation detectors, tracking sensors, automated navigation system, medical analysis instruments, remote guidance system, and the capacity for inter-dimensional travel. All of this equipment was provided by the Green Chapel, of the dimension of Avalon.
Since being possessed by the Pendragon, he has retained a portion of the powers it endowed him, to low superhuman levels.
FICTIONAL CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY
Joey Chapman is an art student and the working class son of a shipbuilder, born in Manchester, England. Chapman was visiting his friend Kenneth Crichton, grandson of original Union Jack, Lord James Montgomery Falsworth, when he learned of Baron Blood, who was conducting a revenge campaign against his old family at that time, and donned the costume to help Captain America fight the vampire. Chapman was allowed to keep the costume and carry on the tradition despite initial resistance from Falsworth family matriarch Jacqueline Crichton; he would repay the family by defending Falsworth Manor against a group of his anti-establishment friends one year later.
He would also assist Lady Jacqueline and Namorita in rescuing Namor from neo-Nazis, defeating Master Man and Warrior Woman in the process.
KNIGHTS OF PENDRAGON
Chapman would later become possessed by the Pendragon spirit and healed of his injuries. He appeared at Kate McClellan's London apartment. As Union Jack, he adopted a new costume, and alongside Kate McClellan and Captain Britain, failed to prevent the kidnapping of Kate's son, Cam by Bane. Alongside Captain Britain and Kate, he battled the minions of the Bane. He conferred with Kate, Ben Gallagher, and Peter Hunter; with them, he was attacked by the Bane in Kent. He also joins the other Pendragons in the search for the
Holy Grail at Kitsford tumnus, and fight fellow Pendragon, Iron Man. With Iron Man, Captain Britain, and the
Knights of
Pendragon, he battles the Bane, and freed Cam McClellan. After the battle, the Pendragons are formed, establishing the Pendragon base at Camelaird Farm. Chapman then encounters Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman and Black Panther; with them, Kate McClellan, and Ben Gallagher, he battled the Bane in Africa. Alongside the Black Panther, he battled Bane ninjas and traveled to Hong Kong where he transforms Dolph and is then killed by Dolph. Chapman would later wake at Avalon, resurrected with the other Pendragons, where the Pendragons battle and finally stopped the Bane.
Later, while making a public appearance at Stark's Questworld, Chapman had no choice but to battle malfunctioning robots where he received a new armor which would later evolve into a new stronger mystical armour. Life as a Pendragon didn't get any easier as he fought Magpie, tried to stop the Cape Wrath Breeder Reactor from overloading and traveled to Arakne where he met and fought with Spider-Man and the Warheads.
When the villainous company Mys-Tech revived his enemy Baron Blood, Chapman infiltrated the company and once again destroyed his foe, inadvertently starting the Mys-Tech wars.
Shortly after the defeat of Mys-Tech, Chapman, alongside the Pendragons fought Death's Head/Minion, Magpie and the Lemurians of Earth-313. Upon the villains defeat, the Pendragons disbanded and Chapman would revert to his classic costume.
POST PENDRAGONS
After the Pendragons disbanded, Chapman carries on protecting Britain. However, he failed to prevent Baroness Blood from using the Holy Grail to become immune to sunlight, and lost his friend Kenneth Falsworth (the true heir to the Union Jack mantle) from vampirism and death. He was also seen protecting civilians from unnatural winds.
Chapman also protected reporter and ally of Cable, Irene Merryweather from mercenaries of the Hellfire Club. Chapman was seen when the entire Earth was threatened including during the Maximum Security storyline, and when he was being held prisoner, alongside many of Earth's heroes, by Graviton, until they were all saved by the Thunderbolts.
Joey shares a relationship with Romany Wisdom, the sister of X-Men ally Pete
Wisdom. Although the relationship ends, Chapman stays in contact with Wisdom as she provides him with vital research on the occult.
NEW INVADERS
Wearing an updated, militaristic version of his old costume Chapman joins the modern incarnation of the Invaders, led by Jim Hammond. Chapman becomes romantically involved with his New Invaders teammate, Spitfire. However, the relationship does not last and they part because of the vast age difference. They still remain good friends and partners. With the Invaders they battle Axis Mundi for the Interceptor, a ship built by the Thin
Man, fight Baroness Blood and her minions after they kidnap Spitfire and fight Meranno and his rogue Atlanteans to prevent world flooding. After this battle and his breakup with Spitfire, the Invaders would go their separate ways.
TERRORISM IN LONDON
At the request of S.H.I.E.L.D., Chapman would help his good friend Captain America in searching the London Underground for the Red Skull's agents. Chapman, Rogers, Spitfire, and Sharon Carter worked together to prevent neo-Nazis and the Red Skull from devastating London.
Moving on from his vampire hunting days, he leads a makeshift team of heroes - including Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Sabra and the third Arabian Knight - to defeat a group of super-powered terrorists intent on blowing up London
When Captain America was shot and apparently killed, a notably upset Union Jack spoke a eulogy at his memorial.
MI:13
Chapman appeared in Captain Britain and MI: 13, as explained by writer Paul Cornell, "One of the great things about this title is that, because all British superheroes are de facto part of MI-13, we can visit disparate parts of the Marvel UK scene without it being a big deal. Joe (not 'Joey', who's called Joey? Okay, kangaroos in Aussie, but apart from that...) is going to want to check in with [his former girlfriend Spitfire] soon. Because they parted amicably, and that's still fine with him.
Right?". However, Chapman did not leave MI5 to become part of the permanent team, although he is seen working along Spitfire (who is in MI:13) to clear out a nest of "Sons of the Serpent".
COMIC
BRITISH SUPER HEROES - A TO Z
Black
Knight, Dane Whitman (British, American, Ebony Blade Cursed Sword
Strong, Marvel)
Blade, Eric Brooks (Vampire Hunter Born Soho, London MI-13* [Wesley Snipes] British SuperHero,
Marvel)
Captain Avalon, Brian Braddock (Protects mystical Omniverse, Britain Corps,
Excalibur, Marvel)
Captain Midlands,
'Rambling' Sid Ridley (British Army Super Soldier Program MI-13*)
Dark
Angel, Shevaun Haldane (Psylocke, British Superhero Darkmoor, England,
Marvel Comics)
Dr Druid, Anthony Ludgate (Raised England, studied magic Harvard Medical Degree,
British Superhero)
Dr. Faiza Hussain (England, London - Sword Of Arthur
Excalibur Stone [Marvel Disney])
Elsa
Bloodstone, Monster Hunter (Marvel Comics)
Elizabeth 'Betsy' Braddock (Super heroine Captain Britain, mutant Psylocke Amulet of Right
Excalibur Knights)
John
Storm - Storm Force, ex army captain, soldier turned mercenary with
cybernetic arm 1987 Eagle comics
Ka-Zar,
Lord Kevin Plunder (British Royal Heritage England [Tarzan] Raised By Mutant Sabretooth Tiger
Zabu)
Motormouth and Killpower Harley Davis & Julius Mullarkey, Marvel UK Stories British Super Heroes
Mys-Tech Organization
Pete Wisdom (British Secret Agent Mutant Mi-13*
Excalibur X-Force S.T.R.I.K.E.)
Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew (London, England - Avengers Hydra
S.H.I.E.LD British
Superhero, Marvel)
Spitfire, Lady Jacqueline Falsworth Crichton (Vampiric Speedster Marvel Comics,
Immortal MI-13*)
Union Jack, Joseph 'Joey' Chapman (Patriotic Legacy Hero World War One [Liverpool, England] Marvel)
MARVEL
COMICS US SUPERHEROES - A TO Z
Ant
Man,
Captain
America,
Doctor
Strange,
Hulk,
Iron
Man,
Spider-Man,
Thor, and
Wolverine,
*
Military
Intelligence, Section 13 (MI-13), is the United Kingdom's (fictional) agency set up to deal with paranormal occurrences and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside MI5,
MI6, GCHQ, and DI. MI13 is directed by the JIC (Joint Intelligence Committee). The service is directed to protect Britain from mystical, extra-terrestrial and superhuman threats.
HISTORICAL LEGENDS
Saint George is based on a soldier in the Roman army who was martyred in 303 CE (Patron saint of knights)
Sir Galahad - Knight of the Round Table 12-15th century CE literature (King
Arthur legend)
Siegfried - Brunhilde & King Gunter (Kriemhild, Burgundian [Nibelung] princess) c. 1200 CE
RECORDED
HISTORICAL KNIGHTS
Robert
Guiscard - 'The Crafty' (c. 1015-1085 CE) [Norman]
Rodrigo
Díaz de Vivar - 'El Cid' (1043-1099 CE)
Godfrey
of Bouillon (circa 1060-1100)
Sir William Marshal - 'The Greatest Knight that Ever Lived' (c. 1146-1219
CE)
Richard I - 'The Lionhearted' (1157-1199 CE) King of England from 1189 to
1199 CE
Sir William Wallace (c. 1270-1305 CE)
Sir James Douglas - 'The Black Douglas' (c. 1286-1330 CE)
Bertrand du Guesclin - 'The Eagle of Brittany' (c. 1320-1380 CE)
Edward
of Woodstock - 'The Black Prince [of Wales]' (1330-1376 CE)
Sir
Henry Percy - 'Hotspur' (1364-1403 CE)
John
Storm is a hybrid character. A new breed of modern Knight, fighting to protect the
natural world and the archaeology that defines man's development, from
Tanzania, to the Moon and beyond. Storm's ace in the hole is the Elizabeth
Swann, the onboard
AI, Hal, and his enhanced performance via a brain implant and genetic
modification. Thus, just about keeping pace with what the market expects in
a modern world: A technological super secret agent. In this case, for Blue
Shield & UNESCO.
John
Storm is a new breed of British super hero, a modern Knight. Seen here with Dan Hawk, at the helm of the Elizabeth
Swann. The formidable high tech duo discover they have
no way to make it in the book or film world, but discover that they make
excellent comic characters, ideal for publication as graphic novels. George
Franks, mentor, is held to be a descendant of King Arthur, a knight of the
fabled Round Table. The Swann's onboard weapons early warning and targeting system
is called: Merlin. The laser cannon: Excalibur. And the tazer anti-piracy
boarding system: Pendragon.
|