JAKUNA SINGHJAKUNA SINGH
Real Name: Jakuna Singh
Identity/Class: Human;
Indian descent and possibly citizenship (see comments)
Occupation: S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division) agent
Group Membership: S.H.I.E.L.D.
Affiliations: Biri, Fred Duncan, Ina, Patrick McShane, Shanna the She-Devil (Shanna O’Hara, Lady Plunder), Charles Xavier,
Enemies: Damiru, Mandrill (Jerome Beechman), el Montano, Nekra (Nekra Sinclair), Raga-Shah
Known Relatives: Sarapha Singh (sister)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly Congo, Africa
First Appearance: Shanna, the She-Devil I#2 (February, 1973)
Powers/Abilities: Jakuna Singh had no known superhuman abilities but he was a trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, presumably indicating extensive training in armed and unarmed combat, espionage, and perhaps other fields.
He was able to fly a jet.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'2"; he appeared to be a few inches taller than the 5'10" Shanna)
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 210 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Presumably black (he was not seen without his turban; black eyebrows and beard)
History:
(Savage Tales I#9/2 (fb) - BTS) - Raga-Shah was a professor at a university in Calcutta, where he met and entranced the young Sarapha Singh, Jakuna’s sister. She fell victim to his seduction and she soon promised to marry him despite her family's objections.
(Savage Tales I#9/2 (fb)) - At some point Sarapha learned of Raga-Shah's
true goal: The death of the entire world, as the ultimate sacrifice to Kāli; Raga-Shah and his followers believed that Kāli would bring them back in
the next life.
(Shanna the She-Devil I#2) - In the African nation of the Congo, S.H.I.E.L.D.
agent Jakuna Singh visited the heroine Shanna and Patrick McShane, the
game preserve warden at
Dahomey Reserve, to warn the Shanna about el Montano, a large-framed
master criminal and humans-slaver,
who also planned to steal a French-designed rocket. Singh asked
Shanna’s help, and she accepted because she hated slavery but asked him
why they needed her. Singh
replied that el Montano greatly valued beauty, and he hoped that Shanna
could infiltrate el Montano's base as a beautiful slave dancer.
(Shanna, the She-Devil I#2) - Singh summoned a helicopter to transport Shanna, with her two leopards Ina and Biri, to the Sahara desert, but she was soon was captured by el Montano’s men. After Shanna defeated el Montano, who died by accident, Singh arrived with French soldiers telling Shanna the rocket was saved and giving her a lift back to her jungle.
(Shanna, the She-Devil I#4) -
Jakuna requested, once again,
Shanna’s help in taking down the mutant criminal Mandrill, whom Shanna
already
met and whom had also kidnapped her father, wealthy mine-owner Gerald
O’Hara. Singh asked her to allow herslef to be captured by Mandrill and
to signal her
position to Singh with a special bracelet to allow the liberation of
other persons
caught by Mandrill.
(Shanna, the She-Devil I#4) - After Shanna sent signals to Singh,
she defeated Mandrill, and Singh arrested him.
While other hostages were released from imprisonment, Shanna’s father was carried away by Mandrill’s agents, and the Mandrill refused to tell Shanna her father’s location.
(Shanna, the She-Devil I#5) - Jakuna Singh arrived by jet to escort Shanna and Patrick McShane to a S.H.I.E.L.D. carrier off the coast, to inform them about a new danger.
Shanna took Ina and Biri with them but once airborne the animals lost control from fear. Singh was able to land the jet without crashing.
Aboard the carrier, Singh put Shanna
in contact with Professor Charles Xavier, whom she had met at a conference on
feline mutations, and Xavier's friend FBI Agent Duncan. Xavier announced that
he has localized two mutants in Africa; one the Mandrill, whose mutation appeared
to be solely physical, and a second, was an unidentified mutant of great power (Nekra). Singh noted
that the Mandrill was in jail, but his female army was still at large, and
Shanna mentioned they still had her father captive. Professor Xavier asked them to
remain vigilant and to summon him for help if necessary.
Nekra enforced her power with a ritualistic dance and promised to
free Mandrill and to kill Shanna.
Shanna
and Nekra fought, and Shanna eventually won the battle, knocking Nekra out with great effort.
(Daredevil I#111 (fb)) - While Nekra was still immobilized, Shanna searched
for Jakuna Singh’s help to imprison Nekra while Patrick McShane watched over her.
When Shanna and Jakuna Singh returned, however, they found McShane dead because Nekra
had escaped after freeing herself and killing him.
After learning that Mandrill had also escaped and that her
father was dead, as well, Shanna promised revenge.
(Savage Tales I#9/2 (fb)) - Seven years after imprisoning Sarapha, Raga-Shah sent a group of
Thugs to the African Dahomey Reserve to assassinate Jakuna Singh, and they
murdered an entire Safari to do so. Shanna drove off the Thugs and found the
wounded Singh,
Shah then
sent Damiru, the Bull of Daka-Jur, to finish his enemy. 
Damiru cast
Shanna aside and slew Singh,
(Savage Tales I#9/2 (fb) - BTS) - Eventually arriving in Raga-Shah's Temple of Daka-Jur, Shanna encountered Sarapha.
(Rampaging Hulk I#9/2) – Shanna avenged Jakuna Singh’s death, as well the killings
of Ina and Biri, defeating Raga-Shah (who after sheltering in the Himalayan
canyons relocated to San Pedro, California) and feeding him to her pet python,
Ananta.
Comments: Created by Carole
Seuling and Ross Andru.
Jakuna Singh is mentioned in Marvel Fanfare I#57 and appears in dream in59. He also appears in vision in the Shanna’s story in Savage Tales I#10/3.
Jakuna Singh is also mentioned in the African Congo profile in the 2008 Marvel Atlas#2, but he is not mentioned in the India page.
While Shanna went to Calcutta, India to find Jakuna's sister, Sarapha, but Jakuna's place of birth has not been revealed so we cannot be sure about his citizenship.
I
always liked the Jakuna Singh character and I think it is a pity he deceased so
soon because I suppose Marvel deserves more Indian characters.
I find
very funny that Jakuna Singh sent Shanna to do the “dirty work” instead of to
combat the criminals with the S.H.I.E.L.D. forces also because in the comic
books it was normal to have the “damsel in distress” to be saved by the male
characters.
Professor
X confirms that he met Shanna during a Chicago 1969 Seminar (Shanna, the
She-Devil I#5 page 11), this is a topical reference.
This profile was completed 7/23/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Angelo Mammone.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Sakuna Singh has no known connection to:
JAKUNA SINGH’s JET
Jakuna
Singh showed his skill as airplane pilot using a jet presumably belonging to
S.H.I.E.L.D. but not showing any symbol of the organization.
- --Shanna, the She-Devil I#5
images: (without ads)
Shanna,
the She-Devil I#4 page 21 panel 5 (Jakuna Singh’s full body)
Shanna,
the She-Devil I#5 page 3 panel 4 (Jakuna Singh’s head);
pg. 7, panel 1 (jet)
Shanna,
the She-Devil I#2 page 3 panel 5 (Jakuna Singh talking to Shanna)
Daredevil
I#111 page 15 panel 1 (Jakuna Singh and Shanna discover Nekra’s get-away and
McShane’s death)
Savage
Tales I#9 page 47 panel 5 (Jakuna Singh wounded)
Savage
Tales I#9 page 50 panel 3 (Jakuna Singh’s death)
Appearances:
Shanna,
the She-Devil I#2 (February 1973) - Carol Seuling (writer), Ross Andru (artist),
Vince Colletta (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Shanna,
the She-Devil I#4 (June 1973) - Carol Seuling and Steve Gerber (writers), Ross
Andru (artist), Vince Colletta (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Shanna,
the She-Devil I#5 (August 1973) - Steve Gerber (writer), Ross Andru (artist),
Vince Colletta (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Daredevil
I#111 (July 1974) - Steve Gerber (writer), Bob Brown (artist), Jim Mooney
(inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Savage
Tales I#9 (March 1975) – Carla Conway & Gerry Conway (writers), Tony DeZuniga
(penciler), Sonny Trinidad aka “the Tribe” (inker), Gerry Conway (editor), Len Wein and Don McGregor (consulting editors)
First posted: 09/08/2021
Last updated: 09/06/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
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