The bus had a horrific accident with a tanker truck full of an experimental chemical. Then one day, his entire family was on a bus with the rest of their church's congregation, on the way to a picnic. Madcap was once a deeply religious young man who believed there was an order and purpose to the universe. Like so many other supervillains, he let opportunities for wealth and power pass him by in favor of an agenda against a particular crime fighter. With a colorful costume and a bunch of comical gadgets built by the arms dealer known as the Tinkerer, the Jester made a name for himself as a thief and enforcer for hire, but soon his primary motivation became revenge on Daredevil, who had previously thwarted him.

Frustrated that even with all his skills the best acting job he could get was as the stooge who gets pies thrown in his face on a kids' show, Powers turned his skills to crime. Unfortunately, he declined to actually take acting classes, feeling certain his raw talent would be enough (it wasn't). An egotistical aspiring actor, Jonathan Powers trained in various areas that he thought would make him a more versatile star, such as gymnastics, weight training, and fencing. Created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan for 'Daredevil' #42, the Jester was a distinctly Marvel Age of Comics take on a Joker-like villain.