Jessica Darlene Taggart

Jessica Darlene Taggart is an ordinary civilian who appears in the very first scene of Astro City #1, grounding the series' signature perspective — the everyday human experience amid a world of superheroes.

Few characters can claim they were there from the very first page of one of modern comics' most celebrated series — but Jessica Darlene Taggart can. Debuting in Kurt Busiek's Astro City #1 in 1995, she's been part of the rich, humanist tapestry that Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson wove into one of the Copper/Modern Age's most distinctive superhero universes, a world where the extraordinary and the everyday exist side by side. Over thirty years of Astro City storytelling, she's kept remarkable company — sharing pages with icons like Samaritan, Quarrel, and Beautie — and her debut issue carries the weight of a key collector's milestone. With 41 appearances across the Astro City library, Jessica Darlene Taggart is a testament to the staying power of a world built on character, heart, and the quiet magic of a city unlike any other in comics.