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Jack of Hearts #4

Apr 1984
Bill Mantlo, George Freeman

Story Name:

Heart Attack


Synopsis

Jack of Hearts #4 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

Jack of Hearts is a prisoner aboard a spaceship headed into Contraxia’s sun and all he can do is worry over the fate of his beloved Marcy Kane a/k/a Kaina. Meanwhile, on Contraxia, having abandoned their strict moral code to approve sacrificing Jack’s life, the populace has erupted into celebration, which quickly turns to rioting and orgies, dissipation and vulgarity. Commander Varga of the Survivalists is consumed by guilt, both over how they abandoned their moral code to sacrifice Jack and seeing what his world has turned into. Smythe defends his actions in both murdering the Sun Priestesses and framing Jack for the crime. Varga fears that the one witness, Kaina, can expose their misdeeds but Smythe reveals that Kaina has been imprisoned aboard the ship and will die with Jack….

And Jack discovers Kaina is aboard the ship and he is heartbroken that the one person he wished to save will die with him; Kaina, seeing there is no chance of escape, puts a brighter spin on it that they will die together to save the world….

The Survivalist fleet heads after the ship, Varga forcing Smythe and the others to rescue Kaina. As Jack’s ship begins its descent into the sun, Kaina is overcome by the heat while Varga boards a small shuttle to ty to bring Jack and Kaina back to Contraxia. But Smythe, knowing that will jeopardize everything the Survivalists have striven for, attacks him and sends the gravely injured Varga out to Jack’s ship….

Varga docks with Jack’s ship and has come to make amends. He puts Kaina into the shuttle then frees Jack—who slams the shuttle door and launches Kaina back to safety while he and Varga continue the journey into the sun. Varga is incinerated by the intense heat while Jack enters the heart of the sun and it is reignited. Smythe and the Survivalists are rejoicing that their scheme worked when Jack, returning to Contraxia, passes them, unwittingly burning all of their ships to a crisp. Arriving at the planet, Jack’s presence causes massive tsunamis and burns the forests and stands before Kaina who says, “Forgive them, my love, for they knew not what they did.” Jack, realizing his increased power cuts him off forever from any human relationships, asks Kaina to instruct the people, leading them back to their code of honor, while he heads deeper into space to find his destiny….



 

Review / Commentaries


Jack of Hearts #4 Review by (September 26, 2024)

Review: And so it ends: Jack of Hearts came in as an ordinary superhero with Earthbound problems and he exits his series as a cosmic hero hobnobbing with the likes of the Silver Surfer and Thanos. And the Christ imagery from the previous issue is underscored, and not very subtly, by Kaina’s prayer to him “Forgive them, my love, for they knew not what they did.” At least he makes a better fake Jesus than the whiny and mopey Silver Surfer as written by Stan Lee. And the issue is quite impressive with some spectacular scenes of sci-fi wonder. So, here’s hoping they didn’t waste his potential as he moved to meet…his Destiny!

Comments: Jack of Hearts next appears in QUASAR #15 and following, then moving to SILVER SURFER (1987) #70 onward, eventually joining the Avengers during the MAXIMUM SECURITY event and hanging around for a few years after that. Marcy Kane/Kaina’s only subsequent appearance is in a flashback in SHE-HULK (2022) #3. Hilary Barta and Eduardo Baretto also contributed to the inking. Letterer Jack Morelli credited as John Morelli. 



> Jack of Hearts comic book info and issue index

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George Freeman
George Freeman
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George Freeman (Cover Penciler)
George Freeman (Cover Inker)
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Additional Credits
Letterer: Jack Morelli.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Jack of Hearts
Jack of Hearts

(Jonathan Hart)

Plus: Marcy Kane (Kaina).