Jack of Hearts first appeared in the black & white magazine "Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" #22 (March, 1976), and was created by writer Bill Mantlo and illustrator Keith Giffen. He was presented as an antagonist for the superhero White Tiger but his origin story in the following issue established him as a hero. His debut appearance in a color comic book was in "The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2 #214 (August 1977) where he fights the Hulk. He later serves a brief stint as an ally and apprentice of Iron Man, becoming a regular cast member of the series during Mantlo's tenure as writer.