Early life[]
Joey Chapman was the working class son of a Manchester dock worker who showed a talent for art. He was ashamed of his father when he was young because he believed he didn't do enough to raise his station in life, but once Chapman became an adult he came to respect how hardworking his father had been.[6] He went to university to study art and it was there that he met Kenneth Crichton who he was also on the wrestling team with. Kenneth was the son of Lord and Lady Crichton and the grandson of Lord Falsworth. Despite coming from different worlds the two struck up a close friendship.[7]
It was during a visit to Kenneth's ancestral home Falsworth manor that he was told the family secret: Both Kenny's grandfather and late uncle had worn the heroic mantle of Union Jack, while Ken's mother had been the superheroine Spitfire; also that the black sheep of the family Lord Falsworth's brother had been the vampiric German agent Baron Blood. Also visiting the Manor was family friend Steve Rogers who was summoned by Montgomery to help investigate the return of Baron Blood.[7]
They didn't have to wait long for the Baron soon entered the manor disguised as the local doctor, intending to turn his wheelchair-bound brother into one of the undead, condemning Montgomery to an eternity as a crippled old man. Lord Falsworth intended to act as bait by luring his brother into a trap, but he suffered a heart attack and was too weak to carry it out. It was decided that Joey would take Kenneth's place as Union Jack, as Kenneth would not have been strong enough to survive the fight.[7]
When the Baron was left alone with whom he thought to be his brother, he moved in for the kill; but then Chapman exploded out of the bed and launched a surprise attack against the vampire. Captain America entered the fray shortly afterward, and even though Chapman's inexperience in fighting vampires would work against him, the two valiantly fought Blood, and the Baron was eventually decapitated by Captain America's shield. Recognizing how he had earned it, the Falsworth's decided to allow Joey to continue as the new Union Jack. Shortly afterward Lord Falsworth passed away safe in the knowledge his legacy would live on.[2]
Knights of Pendragon[]
Alongside Kate McClellan and Captain Britain, he failed to prevent the kidnapping of Kate's son, Cam, by the Bane. He also joined the other Pendragons in the search for the Holy Grail at Kitsford Tumnus, and fought fellow Pendragon, Iron Man. With Iron Man, Captain Britain, and the Knights of Pendragon, he battled the Bane and freed Cam McClellan. After the battle, the Pendragons were formed, establishing the Pendragon base at Camelaird Farmand. Chapman encountered Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, and Black Panther and traveled to Hong Kong where he was killed by Dolph. Chapman later woke at Avalon, resurrected with the other Pendragons, where he joined the Pendragons to battle and finally stop the Bane.[8]
Later, while making a public appearance at Stark's Questworld, Chapman had no choice but to battle malfunctioning robots where he received a new armor which would later evolve into a new stronger mystical armour. Life as a Pendragon didn't get any easier as he fought Magpie, tried to stop the Cape Wrath Breeder Reactor from overloading and traveled to Arakne where he met and fought with Spider-Man and the Warheads.[9][10]
When the villainous company Mys-Tech revived his enemy, Baron Blood, Chapman infiltrated the company and once again destroyed his foe, inadvertently starting the Mys-Tech wars. Shortly after the defeat of Mys-Tech, Chapman, alongside the Pendragons fought Minion, Magpie and the Lemurians of Earth-313. Upon the villain's defeat, the Pendragons disbanded and Chapman reverted back to his classic costume.[11]
Post-Pendragons[]
After the Pendragons disbanded, Chapman carried on protecting Britain. However, he failed to prevent Baroness Blood from using the Holy Grail to become immune to sunlight and lost his friend Kenneth (the true heir to the Union Jack mantle) to vampirism and death. Joey shared a relationship with Romany Wisdom, the sister of X-Men ally Pete Wisdom. Although the relationship ended, Chapman stayed in contact with Wisdom as she provided him with vital research on the occult.[12]
He also protected civilians from unnatural winds[13] as well as Irene Merryweather, a reporter and ally of Cable, from mercenaries of the Hellfire Club.[14] He was held prisoner, alongside many of Earth's heroes, by Graviton, until they were all saved by the Thunderbolts.[15]
Invaders[]
Wearing an updated, militaristic version of his old costume Chapman joined the modern incarnation of the Invaders, led by Jim Hammond. Chapman became romantically involved with his New Invaders teammate, Spitfire. However, the relationship did not last and they parted because of the vast age difference. They still remain good friends and partners. With the Invaders he battled Axis Mundi for the Interceptor, a ship built by the Thin Man, fought Baroness Blood and her minions after they kidnapped Spitfire and fought Merano and his rogue Atlanteans to prevent world flooding. After this battle and his break up with Spitfire, the Invaders went their separate ways.[16][17]
Anti-Terrorism[]
At the request of S.H.I.E.L.D., Chapman helped his good friend Captain America in searching the London Underground for the Red Skull's agents. Together with Rogers and Spitfire, they worked together to prevent neo-Nazis & the Red Skull from devastating London.[18]
Later, Union Jack killed what he believed to be the last of the vampires in London and was then summoned by MI5 to lead a makeshift team of heroes - including Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Sabra, and the third Arabian Knight - to defeat a group of superpowered terrorists working for R.A.I.D..[5]
The team initially stopped an assassination attempt by Zaran and Machete who were trying to kill the British Parliament. The villains revealed that R.A.I.D. would now resort to Plan B, to cause massive civilian casualties in London. Union Jack immediately got on the television to warn the public, inadvertently causing R.A.I.D. to begin its attacks early.[5] This forced the makeshift team of heroes to separate in order to deal with the various threats. Union Jack went to the Thames Tunnel where he single handedly defeated Shockwave, Jackhammer, and Jack O'Lantern before heading to Tower Bridge to help Sabra deal with the Death-Throws.The two heroes then went to Heathrow Airport to check on the Contessa and Arabian Knight and managed to safely land a plane that had been hijacked as part of R.A.I.D.'s terrorist plot. When he exited the plane, however, Union Jack found that his companions had fallen under the control of the Corruptor.[19]
He then had to work carefully to defeat the villain and subdue his allies without seriously injuring anyone. With this accomplished, he was summoned back to MI5's headquarters for debriefing by Assistant Director Gavin. The headquarters was soon under attack by Ecstasy, who had come to free her captured allies. After killing a large number of MI5 agents, she was defeated by Union Jack when he overloaded her powers with bioelectric energy from the captured Farouk Al-Fasaud. MI5 soon learned from Ecstasy that R.A.I.D. had smuggled a disassembled Dreadnought into the country for use as a weapon of mass destruction. Union Jack's team was almost defeated by the giant robot before Jack found a weak point on the behemoth and punctured a large canister of liquid nitrogen, encasing the robot in a thick layer of ice.[20]
After saying goodbye to his allies, Union Jack went home to recuperate before realizing that the entire operation had been part of a plot by Assistant Director Gavin to have the Director of MI5 resign so that he could take her job. When he confronted Gavin about this he admitted it, but told Union Jack that he would lose all MI5 funding if he tried to make this knowledge public. Instead, he told Jack that if he kept his mouth shut, he would make sure that Union Jack remained a high-profile name, that he would make sure that his career rose to extraordinary heights. Union Jack responded by punching Gavin in the mouth and pulling him in front of a number of reporters to confess his crimes.[21]
Post Civil War[]
When Captain America "died", Chapman attended his public memorial alongside Spitfire.[22]
Chapman later fought the vampire Hannibal King and half-vampire Blade briefly in London before learning that they were fellow vampire hunters. He then gave them information on the Order of Tyrana and surprised them by revealing that the Order did good work for the world.[3]
When the Skrulls began their Secret Invasion of Earth, Chapman was among the British heroes who fought against their invasion of the British Isles.[23]
After uncovering the WWI-era Freedom Five's record of their fight against aliens from planet Mars with Spitfire and The Destroyer, the Winter Soldier introduced the trio to Killraven, a warrior from another universe whose own Earth had been conquered by Martians.[24]
After she was framed by New York City Mayor Wilson Fisk for abducting and possibly murdering a child, Chapman worked with the London Metropolitan Police in an attempt to apprehend the White Queen and extradite her back to the United States.[25]
During the global vampire invasion, Union Jack helped save Manchester from the vampiric horde birthed by Hunger, stabbing the villain in the head with his machete.[26]
- Peak-Human Strength: While he is no longer super-humanly strong his present strength is believed to be peak human.[6]
- Enhanced Senses: Union Jack can sense the presence of Bane-empowered individuals.[6]
Former Powers
Pendragon: Union Jack used to be possessed by the spirit of Sir Lancelot which granted him enhanced abilities.[27]
- Superhuman Strength: At the height of his Pendragon powers, Union Jack could lift at least 50 tons.[6]
- Superhuman Stamina: Gifted to him with the Pendragon powers.[6]
- Superhuman Durability: Gifted to him with the Pendragon powers.[6]
- Superhuman Speed[27]
- Peak Human Agility[27]
- Peak Human Reflexes[27]
- Enhanced Senses: Gifted to him with the Pendragon powers.[6]
- Accelerated Healing: At the height of his Pendragon powers, Union Jack healed broken bones overnight.[6]
Union Jack is a superb athlete and excellent hand-to-hand combatant.[6] Expert marksman, extensive knowledge of various firearms and explosives, knowledge of anti-terrorist tactics.
- Costume: Costume is made of bullet resistant materials.[6]
- Various equipment and gadgets as needed.
- Steel Dagger: Union Jack carries a dagger with a 6-inch blade, which he straps to his left hip.[6]
- Sidearm: Union Jack carries a Webley .455 caliber pistol in a tied-down flapped holster on his right hip. Other firearms as needed.[6]
- Formerly used a computerized motorcycle named "Beryl".[6]
