Jack O'Lantern is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Jason Macendale first appeared as Jack O'Lantern in Machine Man #19 (February 1981). The Steven Mark Levins version of Jack O'Lantern first appeared in Captain America #396 (January 1992). The third version of Jack O'Lantern first appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man #241 (December 1996). The fourth version of Jack O'Lantern first appeared in Dark Reign: Made Men #1 (November 2009). The fifth version of Jack O'Lantern first appeared in Venom vol. 2 #1 (2011). Fictional character biography Jason Macendale Jason Macendale was a mercenary who was recruited out of college and trained by the CIA and various para-military organizations. Considered a liability due to his violent nature and amoral personality, this rejection turned Macendale to a career mercenary and ultimately a costumed terrorist. He adopted the Jack O'Lantern alter ego, engaging in combat with Machine Man as his first opponent followed by Spider-Man for the first time. Macendale was later hired to retrieve the Hobgoblin's lost battle van, pulling off the mission successfully despite Spider-Man's untimely appearance. When Flash Thompson insulted the Hobgoblin on national television which had incurred the Hobgoblin's wrath to frame Thompson so that criminal enemies might target Flash instead, Macendale subsequently broke Thompson out of jail, thinking he was doing the Hobgoblin a favor. But Macendale ruined the Hobgoblin's plans to operate "under the radar" while Thompson was in custody. When the Kingpin temporarily abdicated being the organized crime's head on the eastern seaboard and a resulting gang war tore New York City apart, Macendale wished to increase his underworld status and formed an alliance with the Hobgoblin. The Hobgoblin ultimately double-crossed Macendale when the two were fleeing a horde of police officers. Macendale vowed revenge, ultimately hiring the Foreigner to have the Hobgoblin killed. After his co-conspirator's supposed death, all known copies of Goblin weapons and costumes were handed over to Macendale who took over the Hobgoblin identity in order to steal notoriety within the supervillain community. However, Macendale was exposed by the Kingpin's organization and fought a battle against Spider-Man which was meant to prove his abilities but was foiled. To add to the embarrassment, Spider-Man was obviously drunk when they fought and still won. Deciding he needed abilities like the original Green Goblin and Hobgoblin if he was to have a similar reputation,