John "Broad Arrow Jack" Ashleigh (c. 1860s - 1941) was a British pirate who became part of the crew of the Nautillus under Captain Nemo and, later, his daughter, Janni Dakkar, who Jack eventually married.
History[]
Jack with the crew of the Nautilus, 1898.
Broad Arrow Jack (born John Ashleigh) was a young Englishman who with his father and brother were the only survivors of a shipwreck. They were captured by a band who served the infamous Ogre. When Jack refused to kneel to The Ogre he was branded on the back with a broad arrow, the traditional symbol of British authority.
Jack's father and brother were killed by The Ogre and his gang, and Jack embarked on an outlaw campaign of revenge and robbery against upper crust society.
He eventually ended up back in England, having traveled a very long road, married to an aristocrat and living in Rockholme Castle.
Interactions with the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen[]
Eventually, Jack became a member of the crew of the submarine Nautillus, the advanced vehicle commanded by the Sikh science-pirate known as Captain Nemo. Jack was very close to Nemo and his first-mate, Ishmael.[1] During Nemo's time as member of the British group known as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Jack actively participated, notably, during the Martian Invasion of 1898, when he rescued the young James Grey from the boiling waters of the Thames River.[2]
Later, in 1910, Jack attended to Nemo's deathbed, and was deeply affected when his Captain passed away. Days later, Jack, Ismael and the rest of the crew went to London after Nemo's daughter, Janni, who didn't want to accept her role as Captain of the Nautilus and Queen of the Pirates of Lincoln Island. After a traumatic event, Janni eventually took up her father's mantle and became the new Captain Nemo, much to Jack and Ishmael's joy.[3]
Heart of Ice[]
Jack at Antarctica, 1925
Jack was part of the theft of Queen Ayesha's treasures during her stay at Charles Foster Kane's mansion in the United States. Later, when Janni wanted to recreate her father's expedition to the South Pole, Jack went with her. As they were chased by three science-adventurers sent by Kane, Ishmael and the rest of the expedition perished, with only Jack, Janni and the genius Augustus van Dusen surviving by hiding in an ancient, alien structure.
After van Dusen sacrificed himself for the duo, Jack escorted an unconscious Janni back to the Nautilus and escaped from Antarctica. Jack and Janni, now very close to each other, married a short time after their return to Lincoln Island. Their daughter Hira was born a year later.[4]
A Perfect Match...and a Perfect Fuse![]
Jack was present during Hira's arranged wedding with the French air-pirate Armand Robur, son and heir to the more infamous Jean Robur, in 1937. He was interviewed by American reporter Hildy Johnson, who was covering the event.[5]
The Roses of Berlin[]
In 1941, Jack accompanied Janni to the German-Tomanian Berlin Metropolis to rescue Hira and her husband Armand. Jack was killed in the attempt.[6]
Source material[]
Broad Arrow Jack was created by E. Harcourt Burrage and appeared in the eponymous penny dreadful Broad Arrow Jack (1866).
References[]
- ↑ The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I
- ↑ The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II - "All Creatures Great and Small"
- ↑ The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century - "What Keeps Mankind Alive?"
- ↑ Nemo: Heart of Ice
- ↑ A Perfect Match.. And A Perfect Fuse!
- ↑ Nemo: The Roses of Berlin