Jake Mallard (Earth-616)

Steeplejack
Name	Jake Mallard
Current Alias	Steeplejack
Affiliation and Relationships
Relatives	Two brothers (both deceased)
Marital Status	Single
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Male
Eyes	Irises: Black
Hair	Brown
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Human
Living Status	Deceased
Reality	Earth-616
Place of Death	New York City
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Construction worker
Education	Middle-school dropout
Base of Operations	New York City, New York
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Len Wein, George Tuska
First	Power Man #18 (January, 1974)
First	Power Man #18 (January, 1974)
Death	Power Man #18 (January, 1974)
Death	Power Man #18 (January, 1974)

History

Jake Mallard and his two brothers were construction workers in New York City, employed by contractor Maxwell Plumm. They were unaware of Plumm's business practices, which included bad quality construction gear and budget cuts in security, so that he could earn more money.

Due to those practices, Jake's brothers both died in a fall due to a sudden wind slipping the cable of a girder. Jake noticed the sub-standard materials and the security practices and swore he would have his revenge on Plumm. He then created a custom identity for himself, the Steeplejack, and designed weaponry basing on specialized construction tools.

He first attacked Plumm in his own construction building. He tried to throw him to his death. However, one of the nearby bystanders was superhero Power Man, who considered the Steeplejack a villain. Power Man fought the Steeplejack. When the Steeplejack finally threw Plumm from the building, Cage stopped the fight to save him. Plumm recognized Cage and hired him as a bodyguard.

The Steeplejack returned that night to perform a sabotage in the building, wanting to make it collapse. However, Power Man was performing watching duty on the building, and jumped for the second assault The Steeplejack used his torch-gun to keep Power Man on the run, until Power Man made an asbestos shield for himself. Nevertheless, the Steeplejack damaged the floor under him. During the fight, they damaged a bad-quality girder and the Steeplejack, like his brothers before him, fell several stories to the floor. His fuel tanks exploded due to the crash, and he died.

Plumm, unimpressed, continued his usual business practices. However, the Steeplejack's gear caught his attention, and he decided to use it himself, eventually becoming the second Steeplejack.

Attributes

Powers

Mallard might have had superhuman durability, due to him withstanding a melee with Power Man while shirtless.

Abilities

Although a middle-school dropout, Mallard was intelligent enough to design and create weaponry.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• A backpack with fuel for his torch. It was connected to it through a hose he could also use to strangulate enemies.

Weapons

• A rivet submachine gun that shot red-hot rivets. It could also be used as a long-range torch, able to melt steel in minutes time at thirty feet.

See Also

• 1 appearance(s) of Jake Mallard (Earth-616)
• 1 mention(s) of Jake Mallard (Earth-616)
• 1 image(s) of Jake Mallard (Earth-616)

Links and References

• Steeplejack at the Marvel Appendix