[5] The series was heavily influenced by the anthology format of British weekly comics produced by Fleetway Publications and DC Thomson, which featured several short serial episodes in each issue.
[4] In 2005, Comics International began exclusive publication of a monthly four-page strip featuring the supporting character Ben Kulmer (the Claw); this started in #185 of the magazine and ran for twelve episodes; these were subsequently collected in an Image one-shot called The Weird World of Jack Staff King-Size Special.
[10] A crossover was planned between Jack Staff and Invincible,[11] with Grist drawing and Robert Kirkman writing, but scheduling problems prevented it.
Jack Staff himself had already appeared in a cameo in an earlier issue of the title, at the memorial service for the slain Guardians of the Globe,[12] and later helping to defend the Earth from an army of other-dimensional Invincible doubles.
[17] Castletown has recently been buffeted by a storm caused by supervillain Doc Tempest before he was taken down by hero Tom-Tom the Robot Man, while the city is also being haunted by a serial killer dubbed the Castledown Slasher.
Jack Staff was a prominent figure of World War II who performed heroically in the aftermath of the 'Castledown Blitz' as part of the Freedom Fighters but who hasn't been sighted since 1980; however, her editor Gerald Skinner is unmoved and redirects her to reporting on the Slasher.
Under interrogation, Jack tells Crane his name and that he has seen similar killings in 1940, and the archives of World War II intelligence agency Unit D confirm his story before American hero Sgt.
Maveryk attempts to arrest Jack Staff for the murder of Becky, but is forced to let him go due to her survival, while American authorities cover up the Sgt.
[21] Patricia 'Trisha' Carthy, the paraplegic pilot of Tom-Tom, is recuperating in Castledown Royal Infirmary, where Tempest - having deduced her identity - tries to kill her, only to accidentally propel her wheelchair into his face, paralysing himself.
He comes around to find he is now wearing his Jack Staff costume, and realises that Chinard is notorious criminal the Spider, who robbed the Bank of England in 1986, leading to the shutdown of Unit D.[23] Maveryk gains a new partner in D.S.
Meanwhile Becky is being chased by the Hounds of Hell, set on her by the mysterious Man of Shadows; she tries to call Jack for help, but he and the Spider are busy walking into Maveryk's trap while tracking the thief to the Eisner Building.
[24] Another serial killer arrives in Castletown, this time seemingly mimicking the organ-stealing methods depicted in The Jigsaw Man by author Iain M. Angel, also in town.
[26] Becky's editor turns the opening of the coffin into a publicity event, involving a £10,000 prize for guessing the contents, model Lynda Jones and a host of others.
Doctor Spex's x-ray eyes are unable to penetrate the casket, and neither are Morlan the Mystic's psychic senses before the event is crashed by thief the Claw and the Spider, who steals the prize in the resulting confusion.
[28] Raven was trapped by a Time Leech after he refused to ally with its plans for world domination, which were delayed when its human form - a dark-haired woman - suffered amnesia but has recently reawakened in Castletown, revitalising itself with Noone's life-force.
As Malone is responsible for creating Hurricane - an officer by the name of Colonel Gust who had anger issues which were augmented by Storm Damage[31] - he decides to kill all the witnesses, using the miniature military forces controlled by another Project H asset, General Tubbs.
[32] Meanwhile Maveryk also falls victim to the rage and kills Helen, who once again comes back to life and shares her theories about the causes of the anger with Q and the police, realising the link with the events of 1981.
[31] Jack, Becky and Trisha are saved by Commander Hawkes, former leader of Unit D, who teleports them and a man attacked by the mob to his Thunder Ship.
Jack discovers a lab inside ran by his enemy Brain Head, who has used a teleporter to bring the German superhero Kapitan Krieg to the town.
[35][36] Brain Head explains to the captive Freedom Fighters he plans to teleport the German army to Castletown as revenge for the way he feels the country has treated him, also getting to transfer his mind to Krieg's body as a reward.
[38] In the present day, a cult leader hires Bramble & Son to capture Becky, a job that Harold reluctantly accepts.
[38] Elsewhere, Ben Kulmer continues to commit theft in his spare time, but is being hunted by Mason and his pink-clad assassin for stealing the Claw in the first place.
[39] 'Zipper' Nolan is also suffering ominous dreams, featuring his childhood imaginary friends and a battle between the Druid, Lord Nod and the sinister Jim Bones.
The Star Stone resurfaces in a museum, where Ben Kulmer prepares to steal it - only for Molachi to turn up with a new cyborg body, which Becky has unwittingly repaired.
[43] Nolan receives a tip-off that the villain Mister Punch will be outside the swanky restaurant Tuppers, where John is having dinner with model Lynda Jones.
Rocky Reality then appears and is successfully able to correct the timeline, returning Alfred to normal, while the Shadow tells Becky she is now in his debt.
[51] Instead Becky attempts to talk him down, claiming Jack Staff has not been seen until 1981, and has some success until Maveryk arrives with armed police - giving the game away about John into the bargain.
[53] They see "the Destroyer" wearing the complete Valiant Stone among the ruins of Castletown, killing a battered Jack before being challenged by Becky, clad in a green cloak and carrying the Sword of Devastation.
Lynda puts the area in a time lock and opens a portal to the Sword of Devastation but Andrew arrives and passes the Mask of Destiny to Becky.
[57] Charles Murphy of TGR praised the central character's moral compass and the depiction of the British in general in the series,[6] something also picked up on by Matthew Meylikhov in an article for Multiversity Comics.