The following is a list of characters from the comic book series Jack Staff.
Iain M. Angel First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #8 An author, Angel received acclaim for his work on the comic series Dandyman. He later successfully transitions to writing novels with The Jig Saw Man, which tells the story of a serial killer who takes a different organ from eight victims. He undertakes a tour of Northern England and in each of the signing locations someone is murdered in the style of the Jig Saw Man. This is enough for DI Maveryk to arrest Angel for murder at his Castletown appearance. However, Helen Morgan realises the real killer is the disembodied entity the Word, using Angel's book as instructions to build a physical body for itself. Angel is greatly shaken by the resulting confrontation with the Word, believing that books are coming to kill him.
While the first part of Angel's name is a reference to author Iain M. Banks, the character is modeled on Neil Gaiman, and his name is an anagram of the latter's name.
Black Warrior First appearance: Jack Staff Special #1 An apocalyptic figure seen in prophetic visions by John. The Black Warrior was a powerful fighter, but when he was finally defeated there was no body inside the armour, which was then broken up to prevent his return. Subsequently various parts turned up on the black market. One of the Black Warrior's gauntlets is in the possession of Q, while the other is used by Ben Kulmer as the Claw. Kulmer later steals the Warrior's sword from the town's museum, where the Warrior's helmet is also held. The Claw later grows in influence over the conflicted Kulmer, though ultimately what connection there might be between the Warrior and Kulmer is unknown.
Blazing Glory First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #1 In 1919, she was found as a baby in the heart of a volcano. Adopted and raised by explorer Sommerset Stone, at age 13 she develops the mutant ability to burst into flame, secreting an oil that protects her from burning; Glory is also capable of flight. She joined the Freedom Fighters during World War II, helping out in the aftermath of the Castletown Blitz in 1940. However in 1942 a trap set by Brain Head washed the protective oil from her skin, and Blazing Glory was subsequently injured by her own flame. She was subsequently taken to safety by Sgt. States, and transferred to hospital.
Jim Bones First appearance: Jack Staff (v2) #9 A sadistic bogeyman, he imprisoned Lord Nod and terrorised the Land of Dreams before the young Zipper stopped him by freeing Lord Nod. However, he later manifested in Castletown.
Brain Head First appearance: Jack Staff (v2) #6 A highly intelligent, arrogant, and misanthropic dwarf, Brain Head moved to villainy due to the scientific community's rejection of both his work and his diminutive appearance. He clashed with Jack Staff on several occasions before striking an alliance with the Nazis, who offered him revenge and possession of Kapitan Krieg's body if he used his teleporter to bring German troops directly to Castletown. Krieg however turned on him, and Jack Staff was able to destroy the machine. Brain Head disappeared along with the machine, his home and Krieg, and has not been seen since.
Jack Staff twice addresses the character as 'Brian', suggesting this is part of Brain Head's true identity.
Bramble & Son Rag-and-bone men by day and dubiously competent vampire hunters by night, they have repeatedly run into Becky Burdock in their fight against the undead. They do however maintain a considerable library of rare books on the subject of vampirism.
The characters were heavily based on the leads in the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, even retaining the same given names and characterisations.
Albert Bramble First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #1 Albert Bramble first encountered vampires during the Castletown Blitz when he was seven years old; after being rescued from a bomb site by Sgt. States, he discovered his mother was dead from unknown means. Trying to find out what happened, he witnessed the battle between Templar Richards and the Freedom Fighters, saving Jack Staff's life.
Now a crotchety old man, Albert has raised his son Harold to also hunt vampires — "the family trade". He is generally slovenly and unkempt, and frequently puts down his son's attempts to romance Becky Burdock even after it becomes clear her vampirism is no danger. He experiences spasms he refers to as "the oogly moogly". Albert warns Harold of making the same mistakes he did; he appears to have previously enjoyed a liaison with a vampire called Ruth, who may even have been Harold's mother.
In a parallel reality, Albert was a vampire himself. Despite the efforts of Rocky Reality to mend the timeline this version was transported to the regular universe, and battled the human Alfred, besting him in combat and leaving him for dead. The Man of Shadow was able to revive Albert, and the two versions were then merged by Rocky.
Harold Bramble First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #3 Harold would prefer to have a normal life and clashes with his father over the business, especially over their finances; it is a sore point that their daily trade which funds vampire hunting is "the only job that pays less than vampire hunting". He has an infatuation with Becky Burdock, something that causes clashes between him and his father, and dislikes the Man of Shadows for his interest in Becky.
Becky Burdock First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #1 As a toddler in Castletown in 1981, Becky was caught up in a battle between Jack Staff and the Hurricane, though she has no memory of the events.
By age 23, Becky becomes a cynical and easily irritated journalist for the sleazy tabloid The World's Press; she is often frustrated with this position, and the poor ethics of her editor Gerald Skinner. She does not speak with her mother often. While researching the disappearance of Jack Staff and the recent vampire murders around Castletown, she was attacked by Sgt. States and transformed into a vampire. Somehow maintaining her mind, she tries to continue her life as if nothing happened - despite her vampiric nature becoming public knowledge - and tries not to get involved in Jack Staff's weird world, but is constantly being drawn into superhero situations anyway.
It was eventually revealed that Becky is the Green's chosen champion, meant to wield the Sword of Devastation in the battle at the end of the world. She is strong enough to resist the control of the Mask of Destiny, facing off the Destroyer without it.
The Butler First appearance: Jack Staff (v2) #17 A well-mannered masked vigilante who appears out of nowhere to aid Jack Staff against Shock!, armed with a serving tray and a bottle of sparkling mineral water. and slips away after the villain is defeated. He reappears under similar circumstances when the Claw attempts to steal a necklace from the museum and is confronted by Jack Staff. After the latter is taken out of time by Calendar Girl the Butler is knocked unconscious. Who or what the Butler is was ultimately unrevealed.
Calendar Girl First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #10 Lynda Jones is a glamour model and local celebrity in Castletown. Her pinup calendars are popular sellers, with John Smith and Alfred Chinard among their audience. The World's Press enlists her for their gaudy coverage of the opening of Raven's casket, where she flirts with John Smith and talks almost entirely in innuendo.
Later she dates Smith - and later reveals that she is also Calendar Girl, a time agent known as a Clock Cop charged with keeping the correct timestream unfolding. To combat a time flux point, she uses a handheld Time Hopper to take him forward in time to observe the Destroyer. While broadly successful, her actions cause Smith to lose three weeks of his life and denounce her for the human cost of her machinations.
The Claw First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #1 Karl Stringer was an amoral small-time thief, who has hired to steal a mystical glove from Gravett Museum by the sinister Mason. During the theft, the glove bonded with him - giving him the power to turn invisible (except for the glove) and deliver electric shocks. As a result he did not hand the glove over to Mason and instead became the criminal known as The Claw. He was eventually apprehended by the police but was instead recruited into Q by Helen and given the new identity Ben Kulmer. In order to cover up his past, he killed fellow criminal Alex when the latter attempted to blackmail him, as well as killing Mason when the latter tracked him down to take possession of the Claw.
Despite nominally fighting on the side of good with Q, Kulmer continues to commit thefts in his spare time for reasons that are unclear to even himself, and occasionally wrestles with his conscience about which side he is really on, and how much influence the Claw - revealed to be part of the armour of the fearsome Black Warrior - has over him.
The Claw aspect of the character is based on Fleetway Publications' The Steel Claw, though the origins of the characters' powers is markedly different. Grist noted that 'Ben Kulmer' is a deliberate Spoonerism of Steel Claw co-creator Ken Bulmer.
Costello Academy students A trio of Costello Academy pupils have superpowers. They use their powers to their own ends, carrying out a series of armed robberies in Castledown. Lusion: a boy capable of projecting convincing illusions, and the ring-leader of the trio. Morph: a girl with shapeshifting abilities who carries out the robberies, but later helps John clear his name for robbery. Flash: after Maveryk asks her if her power is being able to run fast, she reveals her ability is being able to generate blinding flashes of light, allowing the trio to escape.
Harry Crane First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #1 A quiet and principled psychic who sees echoes of past events, Crane was originally a policeman and partner to Maveryk. He hid his abilities until an encounter with Helen Morgan and the Twisted Mirror, which saw him drafted into Q. He sees the best in everyone, and is troubled by having to see visions of murders that nobody stopped and that he can't intervene in; he used to be religious but the visions have caused him to "[not] remember what God looks like anymore." Crane "used to be" a husband and father, and it is unknown what happened to his family. After serving for seven years with Q, Crane attempted to quit after the apparent death of Helen - only to be visited by a resurrected Helen and persuaded to stay.
"The Destroyer" First appearance: Jack Staff Special #1 An unnamed, powerful villain also referred to as the "Devil with an Angel's Face", prophesied to gain control of the Valiant Stone before destroying Castletown and become an even greater threat than the Black Warrior. Calendar Girl takes Jack Staff to the future to witness these events, but the man attacks them and follows them back to the present before being seen off by Becky.
Doc Tempest First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #5 Able to control the weather, Tempest fought the Four Good Guys but was defeated. After they disappear he attacks Castletown but was defeated by Tom Tom. Following the latter's battle with Sgt. States, Tempest is able to deduce that Trisha was controlling Tom Tom. Baulking at being defeated by a disabled 12-year old girl he disguises himself as a doctor and takes her to the roof of Castletown Royal Infirmary, planning to push her off. Trish is able to get loose and when Tempest attempts to kill her with his powers a blast of wind causes her wheelchair to crash into the villain, leaving him paralysed - apart from his tongue.
Doctor Spex First appearance: Jack Staff (v1) #10