4th Of July. It’s a time of celebration. A time where we as a nation, celebrate our hard-fought battle to drive the Native Americans out of their homes and… oh wait, sorry, that’s Thanksgiving.
4th Of July is where we celebrate our independence from the British Kingdoms by over-eating and blowing things up. Another American love is comic books, which have always gone to great lengths to celebrate liberty and freedom through their characters. As a celebration of all of that, I give you The Fifteen Most Patriotic Superheroes Ever!!
The 15 Most Patriotic Super-Heroes Ever
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15. U.S. Agent
Universe: Marvel; Created By: Mark Gruenwald, Paul Neary; First Appearance: Captain America #323 (1986); Powers: Speed, Agility, and Strength. Hand To Hand Combat. Nearly indestructible shield and weapons.
At one point known as Super-Patriot, the US Agent was essentially a really pissed off Captain America. John Walker dreamed of becoming a solider after his brother died in Vietnam. While he did make it to the armed forces, he wasn’t a particularly effective soldier. Gaining superpowers, Walker became the Super-Patriot and then US Agent. Throughout his violent, and lengthy career, Walker tried to claim he was better than Cap, which never turned out well for him. He did take over for Captain America when Steve Rogers was forced to resign. Ed Brubaker used the fallen US Agent as a touching farewell when he ended his run on Captain America.
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14. Phantom Eagle
Universe: Marvel; Created By: Gary Friedrich & Herb Trimpe; First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #16 (1968); Powers: Master pilot. Hand To Hand Combat.
For a relative unknown, Phantom Eagle’s story is awesome. In 1942, at the height of World War I, he was introduced in Wow Comics as teenager Mickey Malone, an aviation ace that took out Nazis in a plane he built. Later, when Friedrich and Trimpe rebooted the character, he became Karl Kaufman, an American of German descent forced to move back to the motherland with his parents.
Once there, Kaufman donned a suit with a hood, a cape, and a black eagle, and started taking out Nazis. Though he would run afoul of Kang The Conqueror and The Hulk, Phantom Eagle’s best story came after he died. Murdered along with his parents, the Ghost Rider allowed Phantom Eagle’s spirit to have a dogfight with the pilot who killed him. Once he slaughters the man who gunned down his family, Karl Kaufman passed peacefully into the great beyond.
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13. American Maid
Universe: The Tick; Created By: Ben Edlund; First Appearance: The Tick Animated Series; Powers: Hand To Hand Combat. Weaponized High Heels and Tiara.
She dressed like a maid, but with a star spangled angle to her good deeds. American Maid whooped ass, traded barbs with The Tick, and became one of the most popular characters on the animated series. There is nothing more American than American Maid. She’s a red, white and blue allegory to the working class citizen battling oppression. Awesome!!
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12. Iron Patriot
Universe: Marvel; Created By: Unknown; First Appearance: Dark Avengers #1 (2009); Powers: All Of Iron Man’s Gadgets
Love or hate the whole Dark Reign series, Iron Patriot was a cool idea. Basically, psychopath and former Green Goblin Norman Osborn took Tony Stark’s armor and gave it a patriotic paint job. What worked here was the idea that the American people could be fooled into thinking Iron Patriot was a force for good, simply because of what the armor symbolized. This character works as both a metaphor for the Government, and a bad ass looking version of Iron Man.
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11. Americommando
Universe: DC; Created By: Ken Fitch & Bernard Bailey; First Appearance: Action Comics #1; Powers: Hand To Hand Combat. Bullwhip. Magic Carpet.
Tex Thompson. You just can’t get a more American sounding name than that. Thompson gives up riches to pursue a life of adventure. Nazis sink a ship Thompson was on that was carrying food to the Allies. Thompson is believed dead, so he dons a costume and becomes Mr. America. Later, when the war really gets heated, President Roosevelt asks Mr. America to join Superman’s All-Star Squadron as The Americommando. Armed with just a whip, a magic carpet, and an ability to kick ass, Americommando helps battle evil until a building falls on him in Justice Society Returns: National Comics. Though Americommando is dead, Thompson returned as The Coordinator in Hero Hotline.
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10. Yankee Poodle
Universe: DC; Created By: Roy Thomas, Scott Shaw!; First Appearance: New Teen Titans #16 (1982); Powers: Shoots semisolid electromagnetic stars from her right hand to repel objects and generates stripes with her left hand to attract objects.
Seriously? How can you not be in love with a character that was based off TV personality Rona Barrett? Living on Earth-C, or Earth-26, a multiverse planet with sentient animals, Rova Barkitt is hit by a meteor sent by Starro, the pissed off space starfish. She acquires superpowers and becomes Yankee Poodle, part of The Zoo Crew. Last seen in Final Crisis, Yankee Poodle and The Zoo Crew continue to fight crime.
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9. Star-Spangled Kid
Universe: DC; Created By: Jerry Siegel, Hal Sherman; First Appearance: Action Comics #40, 1941; Powers: Hand To Hand Combat. Cosmic Converter Belt.
The original Star-Spangled Kid was Sylvester Pemberton. Another teenage hero quick to don a costume and fight Nazis, SSK had help from his sidekick Stripesy (no, I didn’t make that up). At one point, Pemberton was hiding in a cave 50,000 years in the past trying to avoid wiping out humanity with his flu. Once rescued, he changed his name to Skyman and started Infinity Inc. There would be two other Star-Spangled Kids – Pemberton’s stepdaughter Courtney Whitmore and later, Miss Martian took a stab at it.
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8. Lady Liberty
Universe: DC; Created By: Mark W. Barr; First Appearance: Batman And The Outsiders #1 (1982); Powers: A torch that projects energy beams.
While there were multiple Lady Libertys as time went on, nothing could even come close to the original. Why? Well, she had a French accent, was part of a team called The Force Of July and had a thing for a man named Major Victory. What else could you possibly need?
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7. American Eagle
Universe: Marvel; Created By: Doug Moench, Ron Wilson; First Appearance: Marvel Two-in-One Annual #6 (1981); Powers: Superhuman strength, speed, and senses. A crossbow that fires special bolts.
Attempting to save a mountain sacred to his Navajo tribe, Strongbow ran afoul of Klaw, who blasted him with sonic energy. The combination of the sonic blast, and uranium in the mountain, gave Strongbow his powers. Though never given his own title (except digitally), the character was such a favorite amongst writers that he’s made appearances in stories from Jason Aaron, Greg Pak and Warren Ellis.
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6. General Glory
Universe: DC; Created By: Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis; First Appearance: Justice League Of America #46 (1991); Powers: Enhanced strength.
Though not largely known, General Glory is one of my favorites. First, there’s his name. General Glory. Not complete glory, or total glory, but more of a general glory. The story of General Glory, is pretty hunky dory. Given his powers by Lady Liberty after reciting “Lady Liberty, hear my plea, for the land of the brave and the home of the free,” General Glory was pretty much DC’s piss-take of Captain America.
Glory had over-the-top “patriotic” ideals, and a sidekick named Ernie The Battling Boy. I also enjoyed that the Government produced General Glory comics so the bad guys would think he was a fictional character. The cherry on the top of this patriotic ice cream sundae? He regains his powers by convincing Guy Gardner to let him borrow a General Glory comic book, and then reciting the plea.
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5. Uncle Sam
Universe: DC; Created By: Will Eisner; First Appearance: National Comics #1 (1940); Powers: Super-Strength, invulnerability, can grow or shrink.
Interesting character who was never given enough credit. Will Eisner concocted a hero whose powers were proportionate to America’s faith in the ideals of liberty and freedom. In short, if America didn’t believe, Uncle Sam was out of luck. In later variations, he became a spirit of American ideals, one that would attach itself to a dying patriot when the country needed him, like a red, white and blue Spectre. Throughout his history, Uncle Sam has had multiple origins, and several aliases. While he never caught on in the mainstream, Uncle Sam has a loyal following in the comic book world.
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4. The Spirit of '76
Universe: Marvel; Created By: Roy Thomas, Frank Robbins; First Appearance: The Invaders #14 (1977); Powers: Athlete. Hand to hand combat.
William Naslund was a patriot who helped fight Nazis during World War II. At first recruited into The Crusaders by a man named Alfie, Spirit and his buddies soon discovered their benefactor was a German agent who tricked them into fighting an American superhero team, The Invaders. Harry S. Truman made Naslund the new Captain America after Steve Rogers went missing. The Spirit Of ’76 met his untimely end during a battle with Adam II when a robot fell and crushed him. Later, the Contemplator would bring Spirit back to battle alongside Captain America on an alternate planet. Best thing about him? The outfit. It totally rules.
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3. Wonder Woman
Universe: DC; Created By: William Moulton Marston; First Appearance: All Star Comics #8 (1941); Powers: She’s Superman, but invulnerable to magic.
What can you write about Wonder Woman? The longest running female comic book character. A woman stripped of her powers by DC, who were then forced to return them due to outcries by female leaders like Gloria Steinem. Wonder Woman was created as a fighting force against the Nazis, but became so much more. She was a female character in a male-dominated genre that was never the damsel in distress. She kicked ass and could slap out against anybody, even Superman. Her outfit is Americana, as is her outlook on justice.
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2. Fighting American
Universe: Marvel; Created By: Joe Simon, Jack Kirby; First Appearance: Fighting American #1 (1954); Powers: Strength, speed, agility. Hand to hand combat
After creating Captain America, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby felt jilted by Marvel (then Timely) Comics' decision to put the character into another series. Simon and Kirby came up with the Fighting American, essentially a Captain America clone, though with a creepier story. Nelson Flagg was a puny weakling who looked up to his stronger, more athletic brother Johnny. The older Flagg was a sports commentator and an outward opponent of communism. When Johnny is killed, Nelson has his essence transferred to his brother’s scientifically enhanced body. Donning a costume, and getting a sidekick named Speedboy, Fighting American went on to make the world safe against the communists. While never as enduring as Captain America, Fighting America stories are still worth checking out.
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1. Captain America
Universe: Marvel; Created By: Joe Simon, Jack Kirby; First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 (1941); Powers: strength, agility, speed. Expert tactician , Master of Hand To Hand Combat. Vibranium Metal Alloy Shield.
There is no need for an explanation. Captain America is the American Flag come to life and kicking ass. The first time we see him, Cap is knocking out Hitler. The absolute pinnacle of patriotic superhero.
‘NUFF SAID.
