Origin
Spitfire is the daughter of Union Jack, Lord Montgomery Falsworth and sister to Union Jack, Brian Falsworth. She was born in Maidstone, England prior to World War II. During World War II, Jacqueline was serving in England’s Women’s Royal Volunteer Service, a civil defense group, when she was attacked by the Nazi vampire Baron Blood. Luckily, she was rescued by the original Human Torch, an android who was on a mission in England with his team, the Invaders. He gave Jacqueline a transfusion of his artificial blood. The combination of the vampire bite and Human Torch’s blood gave her superhuman speed.
After the defeat of Baron Blood, she took the name Spitfire and she and her brother joined the Invaders to fight the Axis powers. She fought alongside many superheroes for many months, including Captain America, to whom she even developed a crush. This much to the dislike of Jim Hammond, the Human Torch, who was in love with Jacqueline himself. After the war, the team disbanded.
Creation
Spitfire was created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins in 1976 and first appeared in The Invaders # 7.
Mayor Story Arcs
After the War
Spitfire resigned from costumed crime fighting at the end of the war as well and married British nobleman, Lord Crichton with whom she had a son named Kenneth Crichton. Kenneth was born with a rare form of anemia which prevented him from taking up the Union Jack title handed down through his family.
Years later, Jacqueline, now an aging woman, was visited by her former teammate Captain America, when her aging father sent for their former teammate to help end the returned threat of Baron Blood, assisted by a good friend of her son Kenneth named Joe Chapman, who became the newest incarnation of Union Jack.
A new Life
Jacqueline, now an elderly woman, once again found her past calling to her when Namorita, niece to her old teammate Namor the Sub-Mariner, came looking for her in order to free Namor and Jim Hammond, better known as the Human Torch. They were taken captive by a Neo-Nazi cell in Germany. This resulted in Jacqueline, Union Jack and Captain America teaming up to bust into the compound where Jim and Namor were held. During the battle Namor and Jim were freed. Jacqueline was shot and near fatally wounded. Jim Hammond luckily intervened and once again gave a blood transfusion to save her life. Not only did it save Jacqueline’s life this time, but it also changed her body back to that of a 16 year old woman. Jacqueline was now in the strange position of being a young woman once again. Jacqueline struggled with her new life, not knowing whether she should act as a young woman or just as her older self.
Later, when Kenneth’s health deteriorated, he was seduced by Baron Blood’s protege, the Baroness, who turned him into a vampire and made him the new Baron Blood. The Baroness soon betrayed Kenneth, leaving him to die in the sun.
New Invaders
A few years went by, when Jacqueline, now in a relationship with Joe Chapman, joined the Thin Man’s newest incarnation of the Invaders. Jacqueline was still very much struggling with her new appearance and life and did not even know what to think of her relationship with Joe, a man more than 30 years younger than her in spirit, but looking like the same age as she did. The team was short-lived, and disbanded after Jim Hammond seemingly died. Jacqueline returned to Britain to live in her mansion. She once again started wearing her classic costume in favor of the costume that she wore the last couple of months.
MI:13
Spitfire joined Pete Wisdom‘s MI:13 to defend Britain against the Skrull invasion of Earth along with all the other British superheroes. During the last few years prior to joining MI:13, Lady Jacqueline had shown to have developed more vampiric abilities, including fangs and regeneration. However, she feels no blood lust and has no need to drink it. After repelling the Skrull invasion MI:13 were joined by Blade the vampire hunter who tried to kill Spitfire when they first met. After proving that she was in control of her vampire abilities Blade told her that he had inadvertently brought all vampires back from the dead, which includes both Baron Blood and her son, Kenneth.
She worked with Blade and the rest of the MI:13 team to defeat a Hell Lord who surfaced in the aftermath of the Skrull invasion known as Plokta. She and Blade were forced to fight their way through a number of his minions before catching up with the rest of the team, and making their way towards the threat. They were then betrayed, and led into the Dream Corridor by Captain Midlands, one of their own members. Pete used the Ebony Blade to force his way out and as a team they confronted the Hell Lord, managing to force him into the Dream Corridor where he was defeated. As they prepared to leave, Pete attempted to arrest Blade for his earlier assault on her, but Spitfire fought for him, claiming they would need his help and that as the injured party it was her decision. Her vehemence earned him a spot on the team. Back at base, Blade confided in her his apprehension about working with the team, and allaying his fear she kissed him, promising it would be worth it.
Vampire Hunter
After a date with Blade, Spitfire is confronted by her resurrected son-turned-vampire Kenneth who leads her with promises of looking for a home to the Vampire commander Dracula who has declared war on Britain. Spitfire resists Dracula but appears to fall prey to his mind controlling spell and is forced to kneel before him.
It is soon revealed that this was all part of Pete Wisdom’s plan to out-think Dracula and Spitfire leads MI:13 to discover and subsequently beat Dracula before he can take control of Britain. Spitfire has since appeared as she hunts vampires with Blade as part of MI:13 and in doing so she is beginning to learn more about her emergent vampiric powers and the consequences that go with them. Her relationship with Blade remains strong and his superior knowledge of all things vampire helps Jaq keep her emotions and powers in check as he offers advice and support as both a lover and a mentor.
Powers
Spitfire’s powers during the second world war were caused by a combination of a vampire bite from Baron Blood and a blood transfusion from the android Human Torch’s synthetic blood. This combination gave Jacqueline Falsworth super speed which allowed her to run at speeds fast enough to avoid and outrun bullets. She also produced a trail of fire which would not harm her or those around her.
After Spitfire’s powers faded she aged naturally until she was given another transfusion of the android Human Torch’s blood which reverted her to a younger age and peak physical fitness. It also returned her super speed powers.
Since then Spitfire has begun to develop vampire powers and become a super vampire. Retaining her super speed she has also gained the vampire’s ability to regenerate damaged tissue, enhanced senses including smell and hearing, enhanced strength and immortality. With all the strengths of a vampire and the super speed granted her by the former human torch coupled with her years of experience and combat training she is a formidable foe for any villain who may try to attack Britain.
Other Media
Games
Marvel Avengers Alliance
Spitfire is a playable character in the game. She can be recruited by completing the Special Operation 30: Instruments of Darkness.
Her bio says: After being bitten by a vampire, Jacqueline Falsworth required a transfusion of artificial blood to save her life. The combination of artificial blood and the vampire bite granted her super speed, which she used to her advantage while working with the Invaders. Many years later, she was grievously wounded and given a second transfusion which once again reacted with the old vampire bite, granting her the regenerative powers, claws, and fangs of a vampire but with none of the normal vampiric weaknesses. Embracing her new life as a part-vampire, part-android, part-human, Spitfire seeks her place in the world as a member of MI:13.