Real Super Powers

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: