For the character portraited by Will Smith, see Agent J.
- “You don't smile when you're just made a deal with the devil.”
- —J few moments after being recruited by Agent K.
Agent J (usually called Jay), is one of the two protagonists of the Men in Black comic book series. An agent of the MiB, after being recruited by Agent K. He is a serious character who has to deal with the unorthodox methods of his partner Kay and struggles to avoid being influenced by him. The character only appeared in the original series and became the base for Will Smith's portrayal in the first film and the rest of the franchise.
History
Comics Continuity
Past Life
Apart of his appearance in this issue, there's no known information about his past life, not even a proper name is given more than Agent J or Jay once he's recruited for the MiB. The only external info is about being a DEA agent, Carl North being his partner and nothing more.
Before MiB
Originally a DEA agent that went undercover to stop the trafficking of a new and rare drug called "Bezeck" and to rescue his partner Carl North captured on the same mission. He was presented with the Quinones brothers when Agent Z marked him as a possible recruitement for the MiB, giving the discretion to Agent K to choose.
The Men in Black
Agent J in a mission being "marked" by Agent K
- “Hurry up, get in.”
- —Agent K moments before he neuralyzed his new "partner."
Being undercover for nine months to get into the Quinones organization and finally obtaining a way to get a sample of Bezeck, Kay's car crashes over Quinones' hideout and kill both brothers, leaving the DEA agent shocked and thinking he's the next. Instead, Kay tells him to get in the car, being refused by the DEA agent and asking him to show him his I.D., being neurolyzed by Kay.
He woke up in Kay's car and he explained about the drug following the operation in the past six months and how the drug works becoming people berserk (hence the drug name). Kay said he had luck not just to be alive but being recruited by the Men in Black, which the DEA agent thinks it's just a myth. Finally he accepts Kay's proposal and became a new MiB agent under the name of Agent J.
Men in Black: Far Cry
Jay being saved (again) by Kay
This one-shot made by Marvel Comics was done as a kind of reboot of the original series, as well as a prequel for the film series.
The story on present day shows Jay again as an undercover agent, but this time as an government agent instead being from DEA in a mission to follow the drug Bezeck. But this time, Jay was about to be discovered when Kay enters to the scene with the car to rescue Jay. Then one of the drug dealers shot Jay in the back leaving him unconscious, waking up in a bed in the MiB headquarters.
Before Kay's appareance, Jay had dreams and nightmares of having passed for events before where he had a partner and battled extraterrestial things. It is hinted that Jay had been a MiB agent before and was recruited again without hesitation, being neuralyzed previously. When he saw the HQ, got part of his memories back and realizing his dreams are but memories of his past life as MiB agent, accepting going in a new mission with his partner Kay.
Personality
As in the movies, Agent Jay can be seen as a foil to Agent K. Unlike the movies, he's more serious here and it's seen as the "voice of the reason", fighting everyday to avoid being corrupted for his partner Kay.
Trivia
- Chris O'Donnell and David Schwimmer originally auditioned for the role of J, but turned down the role as O'Donnell believes that the character would be too similar to his role from Batman Forever before the role was given to Will Smith after he met Steven Spielberg after Spielberg remembered that Sonnifield's wife was a fan of TV's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
- J is originally a blonde haired, blue eyed, Caucasian in the MIB comics. J later became canon as an African-American in the live-action MIB films and in Men in Black: The Series, because of Will Smith's ethnicity.
- In the original series, Jay is alive and still an agent for the MiB. In Far Cry instead, at the end of the mission it is unclear if he survived the mission or was decladed dead, the only reference is Zed saying that Kay "has been moved to the inactive roster due to his inability to fully cope with the scope and stresses of our organization."
Appearances
- The Men in Black
- The Original Series
- Men in Black: Far Cry