Jack-in-the-Box

From Herocopia

Jack-in-the-Box is a wisecracking crimefighter in Astro City's Bakerville area. Dressed as a clown, he uses various gadgets that continue on that theme. While it is unconfirmed to the public, three separate men have used the Jack-in-the-Box identity over the decades.

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson, the first Jack-in-the-Box, was an engineer for WhamCo toys. When he found out his toy designs were being used to create weaponry for gangs, he created the Jack-in-the-Box identity to expose the corruption in his company. Afterward, he continued to fight crime.

He was killed in the line of duty fighting the Underlord.

Zachary Johnson

Zachary is Jack Johnson's son. He initially took on the Jack-in-the-Box mantle to bring down the Underlord, avenging his father's death, but like his father, he continued in the role.

An engineer as well, he is the head of Z.J. Toys, a toy company. He is married to Tamara Dixon, a news anchor, and the two have a young son.

Equipment

All the Jack-in-the-Boxes share in common the same basic set of crimefighting technology:

Jack-in-the-Box's wrists and legs are equipped with handsprings and footapults respectively, giant springs of a sort. With the footapults, he bounces across building tops and perform the amazing acrobatic feats that are his signature. The handsprings essentially turn his forearms into stretchable appendages, letting him launch a punch or a clasping grasp across a distance.

His gloves can fire a form of super-tough "confetti," which he uses to entangle criminals, binding them to the spot.

In his satchel, he carries his "electro-noses," red clown noses that electrify the poor sap whose nose they get attached to.