Spring Heeled Jack

Since 1837, Spring Heeled Jack has existed as a character of English folklore. This individual could supposedly jump extremely high, and was sighted all over England, usually in suburban areas. The stories of the odd-looking fellow who could leap impossibly high into the air became the stuff of urban legends, and spawned various works of fiction.

Among the details cited in various descriptions are:

That he was tall, thin, and looked like a gentleman
That he was scary-looking, with claws and red eyes
That he looked like the Devil
That the claws were actually metallic devices he wore at the fingertips
That he could breathe fire, colored white and blue
That he spoke English

The most recent sighting of Jack was in 1986.

Here is a picture from a Penny Dreadful, a fictional serial publication for British teens in the 1800's:

Spring Heeled Jack