Background

There was a Jack O'Lantern showing up after the original Jack O'Lantern (Jason Macendale) abandoned the identity. That one is a different Jack O'Lantern altogether, Jack O'Lantern II, whose identity is still unrevealed. He shares Macendale's methods (physical attacks and weaponry), while the Mad Jack generation shares Mysterio's methods (trickery and illusions).

Danny Berkhart was paid by J.J.J. to make Spider-Man think he was the ghost of the first Mysterio, who was faking his death at the time. After Berkhart was jailed, Jameson abandoned him to his luck. Berkhart resented that ever since.

After Norman Osborn's return, a very enigmatic third Jack appeared. He called himself Mad Jack. He had a grudge with J.J.J. He saved Spider-Man's life after having him defeated. He had a cat, Maguire, that was very well- taught, and obeyed every command. He beat Jameson to a pulp, and blackmailed him (threatening his wife) into selling the Bugle to Osborn, rejecting the million dollars payment and saying he did it for pleasure.

As it would later be revealed, that Mad Jack was actually Daniel Berkhart, Mysterio II, working with tech support by Maguire Beck (cousin to the original Mysterio). Both had been tutored by Quentin Beck in his illusionary arts, and both using the Mad Jack costume in turns. Maguire was in costume seldomly, prefering to stay behind doing the tech support. Sometimes they would send an android (with Berkhart's face) in costume, for the riskiest assignments. Maguire and Berkhart always shared radio contact.

Later, during Identity Crisis - Prodigy!, Berkhart and Conundrum met. It was revealed that they were old aquaintances, and had a common past, with an "old man", their tutor, now dead. This indicates Conundrum was also Mysterio's student. While fighting Prodigy (actually Spidey), Conundrum mentions Jack's reflexes are getting slower with his age (indicating Berkhart was the one in costume that time). Prodigy eventually finds out that if he closes his eyes and trusts his Spider-Sense, he might have better chances, because the villains' attacks are illusions. He knocks Conundrum out, and Mad Jack is shot dead by one of Norman's bodyguards... except the last page shows a very alive Mad Jack talking to Norman Osborn. His death was faked, because it served the purposes of both men.

Mad Jack's next appearance was in the Spider-Man: The Mysterio Manifesto mini-series, where Jack and a new Mysterio (the original blew his brains out), tormented Spidey, J.J.J., Daredevil and Just A Guy Named Joe. It was revealed that Maguire had become the solo Jack O'Lantern, while Danny Berkhart assumed Mysterio's legacy and became Quentin Beck's heir, reassuming his position as Mysterio II. Mad Jack (Maguire) was captured, while Berkhart escaped with Maguire (the cat). He apparantly sold a spare Mysterio costume to the Kingpin, who in turn sold it to Francis Klum. Berkhart battled Klum for the right to be called Mysterio. Which is odd, considering that if he didnt want another fishbowl around, he shouldnt have sold the costume. Ah, the difficulties that come with madness.

Berkhart is no longer Mad Jack, so for the moment, this profile is discontinued. Go to Mysterio II's profile for his subsequent feats.

Thanks To:

The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

Some of the above information is extracted from the various versions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe and the more recent Marvel Encyclopaedias.