History
Owen Ward was originally a medical student who had failed school.[3] Desperate for money, Ward became a petty criminal after stumbling across a cache of Jack O'Lantern's equipment, opting to assume the identity to pursue a career as a supervillain and arms-dealer. While supplying a group of criminals with weapons he claimed were from Norman Osborn's armory, Owen was busted by a police sting. Shooting a cop while fleeing, he was attacked by Venom - whose symbiote went berserk and succumbed to the influence of a dark god, gouging out one of his eyes.[4]
Owen managed to escape, regaling a group of supervillains in the Bar with No Name with his encounter. As the group swapped stories of their own run-ins with Venom, Venom himself attacked and caused them all to flee.[5]
Months later, Owen was approached by one of Malekith's War Witches, who had also been maimed by Venom, and offered him the power to seek revenge in exchange for serving her.[6] Granted magical Jack O'Lantern equipment by the Dreamstone, Owen attacked Venom and began to destroy the city, reveling in the power the Dreamstone gave him, but was ultimately defeated when he was struck by mystical lightning conjured by Venom using his own Dreamstone to emulate Thor. Stripped of the Dreamstone, Owen begged for mercy from Eddie, saying he was just a nobody who found the suit and equipment.[7]
Despite promising to give up the identity, Owen continued operating as Jack O’Lantern and fatally shot Dylan Brock when the boy interrupted a mugging he was committing and his dog revealed itself as the Venom symbiote. The symbiote bonded to Dylan to save his life, and the new Venom proceeded to vengefully attack Owen.[8]
He later attracted the attention of the new hero Gold Goblin, Osborn's alter ego. During their first confrontation, the hero accidentally gave Ward third degree burns on his face. He was sent to a hospital but escaped to revenge on Norman by harming his family. During their second confrontation, just as Norman was about to defeat Ward he decided to talk it out. Ward revealed his past to the hero, and the Gold Goblin convinced Owen to abandon his criminal life and also become a hero.[9] Unfortunately, while in therapy Ward was manipulated by the Queen Goblin as part of her plan to return Norman Osborn's sins back to him. Ward became the Jack O'Lantern once again, taking several people hostage in a park, and when he was confronted by the Gold Goblin he set off the bomb that the Queen Goblin had handed him, killing himself.[2]Attributes
Powers
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Weapons
- Pistol: Jack was initially armed with a pistol, though this was presumably lost following his first altercation with Venom.[4]
- Pumpkin Bombs[12]
Transportation
Notes
- Jack O'Lantern was originally shown with his right eye gouged out in Venom (Vol. 4) #1, but in Venom Annual #1 his left eye was shown gouged out instead.
See Also
- 10 appearance(s) of Owen Ward (Earth-616)
- 4 minor appearance(s) of Owen Ward (Earth-616)
- 2 mention(s) of Owen Ward (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Owen Ward (Earth-616)
- 4 image(s) of Owen Ward (Earth-616)
- 1 quotation(s) by or about Owen Ward (Earth-616)
- 2 item(s) used/owned by Owen Ward (Earth-616)