JACKPOT, The One-Armed Bandit

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Gambler, Assassin

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Farrell; formerly Archie Sloan;
    presumably the Band of the Bland (Black Hole/Morton Kribbee, Sitting Bullseye/Oliver Bedwette, Spanker/Fred Hovel, Tillie the Hun/Matilda von Tromp), le Beaver (Pierre Dentfris), Black Talon (Thibodaux Boudreaux), Bzzk'joh, Dr. Angst (Floyd Mangles), Jokester, Greedy Killerwatt, Kong Lomerate, Maller, Pro-Rata, Puffin, Quizling, and Wally Sidney (see comments);
    unrevealed relationship with Brotherhood of Evil Prepositions (Amonger, Arounder, Betweener, Of, Underneather, Withiner), Galactongue

Enemies: Cleft Chin, Howard the Duck, Archie Sloan, Beverly Switzler, unidentified mafia chieftain;
    presumably Andy the Angel, Chirreep, Jennifer Kale, Korrek, Master C'haaj, Hemlock Shoals, Claude Starkowski (see comments);

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The One-Armed Bandit

Base of Operations: Cleveland, Ohio (of course)

First Appearance: Howard the Duck II#1/2 (October, 1979)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powers: Jackpot is a walking slot machine. While he is missing his left arm, his right arm triggers the rolls in his eyes. If they come up in a match (which they always did), he would spew volumes of coins from his mouth. He apparently created the coins from his own matter or energy stores, as he could be exhausted (and nauseated) by too frequent and/or rapid use of his power. He could spew a surfeit, nay, a plethora of coins--enough to bury and suffocate a person, or to stop a moving car. Each of the coins serves as Jackpot's calling cards, as they are all distinctly marked with his name.
In addition, he is a compulsive gambler. He is more than willing to use his powers to take out competitors, or players in a game, in order to improve his odds of victory.

 

 

History: The source of Jackpot's powers are unknown.
"I once bet an arm and a leg against a mafia chieftain that I could pull off a heist before the he could. I lost the arm--but I made off with the leg and the loot! Since then he learned that there's no such thing as too big a gamble for--Jackpot, the One-Armed Bandit!"

(Howard the Duck II#1/2) - Jackpot bet on Farrell, a marathon runner, to win the Cleveland Marathon. Jackpot made a deal with the promoter of the Marathon, Archie Sloan, to fix the race. However, the race "got too big for a fix," and Sloan tried to weasel out of it. Jackput punished his reneging by burying him under a pile of coins, killing him.
Jackpot then decided to take matters into his own hands and ensure his own victory. Cleft Chin, another runner, was running in the lead. Jackpot drugged a drink that Cleft grabbed as he raced by. Chin soon passed out, but correctly suspecting foul (or is that fowl?) play, Howard the Duck pulled the runner into his cab and decided to help him. Beverly reasoned, "Someone cheated to keep Cleft out of the Marathon...We've got the cheat to keep him in!"). Anyway, they drove Cleft along the race course.

Undaunted, Jackpot rushed in front of Howard's cab and stopped it with a deluge of coins. Howard attempted to fend off Jackpot, using his Quak Fu skills. Jackpot recognized the fighting style of a devotee of Master Chaaj, but knocked Howard back with (you guessed it!) a burst of coins. Beverly rushed to Howard's aid, but Jackpot turned to unleash his crushing coinage on her. Howard jumped on Jackpot's back and triggered Jackpot's right arm repeatedly--exhausting his token stores, and giving him a bad case of the mollygrubs in the process. Howard and Beverly left Jackpot sprawled out on the ground, moaning "Gaak--Barf! Oy, my stomach!"
Howard and Beverly rushed Cleft Chin to the finish line and helped him cross it--the winner!

(Steve Gerber's unpublished script for Howard the Duck#1 "Secret Crisis II" (fb) - BTS) - Jackpot was transported -- along with Dr. Angst and the Band of the Bland (Black Hole, Sitting Bullseye, Spanker, Tillie the Hun), le Beaver, Black Talon, Bzzk'joh, Dr. Bong, Jokester, Greedy Killerwatt, Kong-Lomerate, Maller, Pro-Rata, Puffin, and Quizling -- to within a giant fire hydrant-like construct in an interdimensional space between Reality-616 and Reality-791021 (mirroring the storyline generated by the dark matter-powered Poporb of Krylorian techno-artist Chirreep).

    In addition to this  construct, a motorhome (specifically a Winnebago)-like structure -- containing Andy the Angel, Dakimh the Enchanter, Jennifer Kale, Korrek the Barbarian, Man-Thing, Master C'haaj, Hemlock Shoals, Claude Starkowski -- was also present.

(Steve Gerber's unpublished script for Howard the Duck#1 "Secret Crisis II") - After Howard the Duck encountered the Winnebago group, Hemlock Shoals identified the hydrant group. Dakimh noted that, apart from their evil, they seemed to have little in common...except that they all wanted Howard dead. 

    The monstrous mouth known as Galactongue subsequently appeared and disgorged an entire galaxy. As the contents formed a planet with an immense office building, the Brotherhood of Evil Prepositions (Amonger, Arounder, Betweener, Of, Underneather, Withiner) then arrived and challenged both groups to "Play both ends against the middle, and all you desire shall be yours."

    Both groups were transported to the office building on the planet formed from contents disgorged by Galactongue; Jackpot's group arrived in the boardroom, while Howard's group arrived in the mailroom.



(Steve Gerber's unpublished script for Howard the Duck#1 "Secret Crisis II") - Jackpot was on Dr. Angst's side of the table (with Angst on Kong Lomerate's left), second from the end of the table, between Spanker and Black Talon. 

(Steve Gerber's unpublished script for Howard the Duck#1 "Secret Crisis II" - BTS) - Kong Lomerate led the villains in a plot to destroy the other group.

    Bong, presumably along with some of the others, targeted Andy the Angel, Dakimh the Enchanter, Jennifer Kale, Korrek the Barbarian, Man-Thing, Master C'haaj), Hemlock Shoals, and Claude Starkowski, while Kong led Maller, Jackpot, and Greedy Killerwatt took an elevator down toward the mailroom. When the elevator opened, they found Howard and Chireep, who had followed Howard, in the corridor, and Kong ordered his associates to kill them....

See comments

Comments: "Suggested" by Mark Gruenwald. Plotted by Bill Mantlo and Gene "The Dean" Colan.

"Jackpot! That's the name and the game! I'll wager you've never heard of me--but I've got a style that'll roll your bones!"

    Somewhere, up above, I suspect Mark Gruenwald is looking down at this and saying, "...mmm...you don't really have to credit me for this one..."
That's ok, Jackpot only appeared in eight pages, and so the obvious gag didn't have time to get too old. I liked it, anyway.

    Gerber's unpublished Howard the Duck story

CLARIFICATIONS: 

Cleft Chin

 

 

 

The Marathon Runner sabotaged by Jackpot, and assisted by Howard and Beverly.
--Howard the Duck II#1/2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archie Sloan

 

 

 

The head of Bets-R-Off Race Promotions, he agreed to fix the bet for Jackpot, but was killed by him when he tried to back out of the deal.
--Howard the Duck II#1/2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearances:
Howard the Duck II#1 (October, 1979) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Mike Golden (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Rick Marschall (editor)
 unpublished Howard the Duck story by Gerber - 1985

First posted: 07/12/2002
Last updated: 12/15/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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