This obscure character has but one real appearance, in a 1974 Luke Cage adventure.

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Steeplejack is a giant, bigger and heavier than even Luke Cage aka Power Man. His strength is unbelievable, lying in that grey zone where a low-profile mutation giving superhuman strength is quite possible. Like, say, the Ox.

His durability matches his strength, and of course his speed is impossible for one so huge yadda yadda move so quickly. Steeplejack is also an excellent brawler with keen reflexes. He could to some extend handle even a tough superhuman such as Power Man.

Gear

Steeplejack built himself a special double-barelled pistol. One mode can shoot bursts of red-hot rivets like some sort of very large calibre machine pistol. The other can shoot a long “super-acetylene” torch, fed via an armoured cable from his backpack, that can cut through most non-fireproof things.

It is likely the other modes that were seen later (see the Steeplejack II character profile) had been in development in Mallard’s apartment. But the pistol he held was destroyed by Power Man during their last fight.

History

Jake Mallard left school in eight grade. He had two brothers, who perished in a high iron accident. Mallard blamed their death on the owner of the building they were working on, Maxwell Plumm.

Using a pistol he had just built, Steeplejack attempted to kill Plumm by throwing him off another tall construction site. But the real estate developer was saved by passerby Power Man (Luke Cage).

Plumm hired Cage as a bodyguard. The hero for hire soon surprised Steeplejack attempting a new sabotage that would kill Plumm. The two powerhouses fought in a high-rise under construction. But Power Man hit harder than he intended, knocking Steeplejack back.

Mallard broke through an I-beam (which he previously had sabotaged) and fell to his death, with his acetylene backpack exploding on impact.

Later events gave credibility to Mallard’s accusations. It is indeed likely that his brothers had been killed because Plumm had cut corners with safety measures. In a way he was avenged years later, when the Scourge of the Underworld murdered Maxwell Plumm, who had stolen all of Mallard’s design to become the second Steeplejack.

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Description

See illustrations.

Personality

Mallard was a rough, working class guy. He obviously did not trust the system and preferred to get things done himself. He *may* have been a criminal – or he may just have been a blue collar inventor with serious anger control issues.

He greatly (and quite justifiably) trusted his physical might and weaponry. But he also was a complete racist – at least toward Black people.

Quotes

“This is New York, remember ? Ain’t nobody gets involved in nothin’ in this town !”

“Hey — I don’t know who you are, *boy* — but you keep your big flat nose outta business that don’t concern you !”

“I tried goin’ soft on ya — tried givin’ ya a chance to walk away from here alive — but if you’re that blasted anxious to die, I’ll accommodate ya !”

DC Universe History

He’d be a friend of Rosie, the head of the Demolition Crew. He knows them and built the first version of their various weapons. He attempted to avenge their defeat at the hand of the Predator by fighting him, and was apparently killed.

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: Power Man #18 (1974).