Jack-in-the-Box

Few characters embody the heart of Kurt Busiek's Astro City universe quite like Jack-in-the-Box, who burst onto the scene in 1998 alongside the Modern Age's most thoughtful superhero storytelling. Created by Busiek and Brent E. Anderson, this colorful figure has kept remarkable company over the decades — sharing pages with Astro City luminaries like Samaritan, Winged Victory, and Cleopatra — which tells you everything about the caliber of the world he inhabits. Across Astro City, Astro City: Local Heroes, and the collected Astro City Metrobook, Jack-in-the-Box has proven a distinctive and enduring piece of Busiek's richly humanist tapestry, persisting in that universe from 1998 all the way through 2025. If you're diving into Astro City and want a character who feels genuinely native to that world's blend of wonder and street-level soul, this is absolutely one to seek out.