JONES BOYSEarth-5555 circa 8162 A.D.
JONES BOYS
Earth-5555 circa 8162 A.D.
Membership: "Incinerator" Jones and his family (see comments; Cousin Bob, Cousin Rob, "bowl cut," "fire forehead," at least three others unidentified; all apparently deceased)
Purpose: Mercenaries;
former participants in the Game
Aliases: None
Affiliations: Unrevealed;
the fact that Incinerator Jones was upset to be in a
position to kill the remaining members of the Evil Dead perhaps
suggests that they were former allies, or at least somewhat respected
competitors
Enemies: Death's Head (Freelance Peacekeeping Agent), Dragon's Claws (Digit/Gan Ayerson, Michael Dragon, Mercy Connaught, Scavenger, Scratch, Steel/Shonin Ikeda), N.U.R.S.E. (the National Union of Retired Sports Experts; notably Matron and Stenson)
Base of Operations: The 'Pool, Northern England, Earth-5555 circa 8162 A.D,
First Appearance: Dragon's Claws#5 (November, 1988)
History:
(Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Incinerator
Jones and the Jones Boys were former participants in the Game, a brutal
form of gladiatorial combat organized by the World Development Council
to curb civil unrest.
(Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - In 8158 AD,
following the massacre of 153 civilians during a play-off, which became
known as the Miami Bloodbath, the WDC canceled the Game. Concerned
that unemployed ex-Gamers would stoke urban unrest, the WDC created
N.U.R.S.E. (the National Union of Retired Sports Experts), ostensibly
to find suitable work for them; instead, N.U.R.S.E.’s corrupt head,
Matron, attempted to extort protection money from the former Gamers,
causing many of them to rebel.
(Dragon's Claws#2 - BTS / Dragon's Claws#5 (fb) - BTS) - The Dragon's Claws took down the Evil Dead -- killing three of their members, leaving only Slaughterhouse and Death Nell alive -- under the direction of N.U.R.S.E., apparently/secretly for refusing to pay N.U.R.S.E.'s protection money.
(Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Unable to pay N.U.R.S.E.'s protection money, Incinerator Jones instructed his Jones Boys loot the Evil Dead's base.
Comments: Created by Simon Furman and Geoff Senior under the Marvel UK imprint.
I don't think ALL of the Jones Boys are offspring of Incinerator Jones. Notably, the names Cousin Bob and Cousin Rob certainly imply that they may be the children of one of Incinerator Jones' siblings. However, Cousin Bob referred to Incinerator as "poppa." Maybe it's just a whole family, or maybe they're not related at all, and it's like the Ramones, or Thompson Twins.
I went back and forth a few times
trying to decide whether to profile Incinerator Jones as one profile,
with the Jones Boys and its individual members as sub-profiles, or with
the Jones Boys as the main profile, with Incinerator and the others as
sub-profiles. Maybe someday when I have more time, I'll split off
Incinerator Jones, at least, into his own profile. Cousin Rob and
Cousin Bob have enough character to get their own profiles, too. "Fire
forehead" could, too, but since he didn't get any identification
whatsoever, I think he belongs with the others in sub-profiles.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Jones Boys have no known connections to:
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He wore a full face mask as well as a gas mask (presumably allowing him to breathe in smoky or at least low-oxygen areas. Like most of the Jones Boys, he carried a tank on his back that carried a gas he could ignite, allowing him to project flames. He also carried a dagger, with which he unwisely chose to challenge Mercy. Maybe he wanted to die... Hair: Unrevealed (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Incinerator
Jones and the Jones Boys were former participants in the Game, a brutal
form of gladiatorial combat organized by the World Development Council
to curb civil unrest. (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Unable to pay N.U.R.S.E.'s protection money, Incinerator Jones instructed his Jones Boys to loot the Evil Dead's base. (Dragon's Claws#5 - BTS) - After Cousin Rob and Bob ran afoul of and were slain by the mechanoid Death's Head, Death Nell hired Death's Head to take out the rest of the Jones Boys.(Dragon's Claws#5 - BTS) - Dragon's Claws were sent to take down Incinerator Jones and the Jones Boys. (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Incinerator Jones led a a number of his boys and girls to the Evil Dead's base. (Dragon's Claws) - Incinerator Jones told his boys and girls to do their daddy proud in obtaining the Evil Dead's weapons and riches. As his one son, "fire forehead" shouted about burning it all down, Incinerator advised him that they should let his brothers and sisters clean out the stuff first. Incinerator silently considered that he wasn't happy that it had come to ex-Gamers killing each other because of N.U.R.S.E., by now N.U.R.S.E. would have noticed their non-payment, and he didn't want to end up like the Evil Dead. |
 | (Dragon's Claws#5 - BTS) - As the Jones Boys blew
open the door into the Evil Dead's vault, Dragon's Claws heard this and
rushed to join the struggle. (Dragon's Claws) - The Jones Boys marveled at the Evil Dead's accumulated wealth and weaponry, and Incinerator Jones told his boys to load up: "This stuff could be our salvation. We'll either buy our way out of this mess...or shoot our way out." Incinerator and the Jones Boys failed to notice Nell and Death's Head passing by the open vault. (Dragon's Claws) - Soon after Death's Head engaged the Jones Boys, Dragon's Claws arrived. (Dragon's Claws#5 - BTS) - Slaughterhouse and Death Knell took advantage of the distraction to escape unseen. (Dragon's Claws) - As other Jones Boys fell before Death's Head and Dragon's Claws, Mercy slit Incinerator Jones' throat with her dagger. |  |
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He wore most of his
hair short and blond, with a central orange "Mohawk" style meant to
look like fire. He also wore goggles. Like most of the Jones Boys, he carried a tank on his back that carried a gas he could ignite, allowing him to project flames. (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Cousin Bob and the rest of the Jones Boys were former participants in the Game, a brutal
form of gladiatorial combat organized by the World Development Council
to curb civil unrest. (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Unable to pay N.U.R.S.E.'s protection money, Incinerator Jones instructed his Jones Boys loot the Evil Dead's base. (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - As Cousin Rob and Cousin Bob approached the Evil Dead's base, the mechanoid Death's Head materialized, sent there by the Doctor.(Dragon's Claws#5) - Assuming the new arrival to be reinforcements for the Evil Dead, Cousin Rob and Cousin Bob confronted Death's Head, warning him against meeting up with his Evil Dead buddies. Though he would have normally just killed the pair and be done with it, Death's Head sought information on where and when he was, and so he revealed he had nothing to do with the Evil Dead and that he was a freelance peacekeeping agent, and he asked the name of the planet and the year so he could be on his way.  Cousin Bob was amused, considering the mechanoid to be a basket case, but Cousin Rob supplied the information suggested they get out of there to avoid the "mean-lookin' dude." Bob reminded Rob that poppa had told them to claim the Evil Dead's arms and cash, and when Rob started to argue, Bob told him to drop it...at which point Death's Head allowed his right hand to drop to the ground, as if on cue. As Death's Head reached for a weapon attachment, Bob turned his flame-thrower on Death's Head. Unharmed, Death's Head advised Bob that he had been doing fine until they got him mad; as Bob urged and led in flight, Death's Head fired an explosive round that apparently took out Bob. (Dragon's Claws#5 - BTS) - After Death's Head slew Rob, Death Nell exited the Evil Dead's base and told Death's Head she wanted to hire him. --Dragon's Claws#5  Note: Although known as "Cousin Bob," he called Incinerator Jones "Poppa." Maybe Cousin Rob, the one who called him "Cousin Bob," was the nephew of Incinerator, and Bob was Incinerator's son. Or none of them were even related, and it was all just a thing they did. Bob is also pictured in the main profile in the distant images where he and Rob first confronted Death's Head, as well as in the image that shows Bob and Rob mostly full body as they watch Death's Head's hand drop. |
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Cousin Rob wore a red
and yellow helmet styled to look aflame, along with an actual or
ornamental flame extending from its top. Like most of the Jones Boys, he carried a tank on
his back that carried a gas he could ignite, allowing him to project
flames. He also carried a dagger. Although more cautious/fearful, after Bob was slain, Rob angrily turned back on his attacker (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Cousin Rob and the rest of Jones Boys were former participants in the Game, a brutal
form of gladiatorial combat organized by the World Development Council
to curb civil unrest. (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - Unable to pay N.U.R.S.E.'s protection money, Incinerator Jones instructed his Jones Boys loot the Evil Dead's base. (Dragon's Claws#5 fb) - BTS) - As Cousin Rob and Cousin Bob approached the Evil Dead's base, the mechanoid Death's Head materialized, sent there by the Doctor.(Dragon's Claws#5) - Assuming the new arrival to be reinforcements for the Evil Dead, Cousin Rob and Cousin Bob confronted Death's Head, warning him against meeting up with his Evil Dead buddies. Though he would have normally just killed the pair and be done with it, Death's Head sought information on where and when he was, and so he revealed he had nothing to do with the Evil Dead and that he was a freelance peacekeeping agent) and asked the name of the planet and the year do he could be on his way. |  |
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Cousin Rob was more concerned with what looked like a "mean-lookin' dude," and he volunteered the desired information (it was 8162 AD and Earth), after which he
suggested they get out of there. Bob reminded Rob that poppa had told
them to claim the Evil Dead's arms and cash, and when Rob started to
argue, Bob told him to drop it...at which point Death's Head allowed
his right hand to drop to the ground, as if on cue. As Death's Head reached for a weapon attachment, Bob turned his flame-thrower on Death's Head. Unharmed, Death's Head advised Bob that he had been doing fine until they got him mad; as Bob urged and led in flight, Death's Head fired an explosive round that apparently took out Bob. Rob then turned and attacked Death's Head with a knife, which bent upon striking Death's Head's armored chest, after which Death's Heads grabbed Rob by the neck and smashed his head through a pipe, noting that though he killed for money, he sometimes did freebies. Death Nell then exited the Evil Dead's base and told Death's Head she wanted to hire him. --Dragon's Claws#5 Note: He was known as "Cousin Rob" to the partner he called Cousin Bob, who in turn called Incinerator Jones "Poppa." Maybe Cousin Rob was the nephew of Incinerator Jones. Or none of them were even related and it was all just a thing they did. Rob is also pictured in the main profile in the distant images where he and bob first confronted Death's Head, as well as in the image that shows Bob and Rob mostly full body as they watch Death's Head's hand drop. |  |
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images: (without ads)
Dragon's Claws#5, pg. 2, panel 5 (Cousin Rob, face, front);
pg. 3, panel 1 (Rob and Bob approaching Death's Head);
panel 4 (Bob; face, profile);
pg. 4, panel 2 (Rob; face, profile);
panel 3 (mostly full Rob and Bob watching DH's fist drop);
panel 5 (Bob; assaulting Death's Head);
pg. 5, panel 4 (Bob; death);
panel 5 (Rob assaulting DH);
pg. 6, panel 4 (DH smashing Rob's head through pipe);
pg. 11, panel 1 (Incinerator and JB in front of Evil Dead's base);
panel 2 ("Fire forehead" face and Incinerator upper body);
panel 3 (Incinerator face mask detail);
pg. 13, panel 2 (Incinerator + 5 JB in ED vault);
pg. 14, panel 4 (DH vs. JB; shoots unidentified female);
pg. 16, panel 1 ("ffh" kicked by Mercy);
panel 4 & 5 ("Bowl cut" jumping and being shot);
pg. 17, panel 3 (Steel & Digit killing two JB);
panel 4-5 (Incinerator challenging and slashed by Mercy);
pg. 18, panel 5 (Incinerator's eyes);
pg. 19, panel 1-2 (Incinerator dying and death);
pg. 21, panel 5 ("ffh" held by Mercy);
pg. 22, panel 3 ("ffh" tortured/questioned by NURSE);
Appearances:
Dragon's Claws#5 (November, 1988) - Simon Furman (writer), Geoff Senior (artist), Richard Starkinos (editor)
First posted: 09/02/2021
Last updated: 03/25/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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The apparent father
(literal or possibly just a paternal figure) of the group, Incinerator
Jones was the leader. 
Cousin Bob either wore red face paint or had a
red tattoo or something covering much of his face. 
Like most of the Jones Boys, he carried a tank on
his back that carried a gas he could ignite, allowing him to project
flames.
Perhaps slightly even more of a pyromaniac than the rest of his family,
he had the word "fire" either painted or tattooed (or something) or his
forehead, and he shaved the front part of his scalp to make sure the
word were seen.
