Uncle Sam (comics)

According to Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, "he fights a variety of Axis agents, human and superhuman, from the Black Legion to the shrink-ray-wielding Professor Nakajima. Uncle Sam also fights the mad scientist Dr. Dirge, the King Killer, and the insanity-causing Mad Poet".^[5]

DC Comics

DC Comics acquired the character as part of its acquisition of the Quality characters in the 1950s, and he was used as a supporting character in Justice League of America in the 1970s. This established Uncle Sam as the leader of the Freedom Fighters, a team of former Quality characters that briefly received its own title.^[6] This team was initially based on a parallel world called Earth-X (unrelated to the Marvel Comics universe of the same name), where World War II had lasted into the 1970s.

Uncle Sam's origin was

The Spirit first assumed its now-familiar Uncle Sam incarnation in 1870, when it resurrected a political cartoonist who had been killed by Boss Tweed. The second host of Uncle Sam fought in World War I. A third (the character's Golden Age incarnation) was a superhero during World War II but vanished at the end of the war, erasing any subsequent appearances from the fictional history of the DC Universe (although most of them had already been erased by the Crisis on Infinite Earths). In The Spectre, the Spirit is resurrected in a new costumed form called the Patriot, but later reverts to Uncle Sam in a Superman issue.^{[volume & issue needed]}

A 1997 Vertigo series features the character with the persona of a street person.^[8] A similar notion was suggested by Alan Moore in his 1980s crossover proposal Twilight of the Superheroes; this interpretation was inspired by the satirical novel The Public Burning by Robert Coover, which also features a superheroic version of Uncle Sam.

In Infinite Crisis #1, the Freedom Fighters are attacked by the Secret Society of Super Villains. Three of the Freedom Fighters, Human Bomb, Phantom Lady, and Black Condor are killed in the battle. Uncle Sam himself seemingly dies at the hands of Sinestro. The other team members are brutally injured but survive. Uncle Sam is seen face down in rainwater. When the dead heroes are found strung up on the Washington Monument in #2, Uncle Sam is missing.

The character's latest incarnation appeared in the first issue of

He is also seen in Final Crisis #4 and classified as Corrupted when Alan Scott is looking for remaining superhumans to fight Darkseid's forces.^[10]

Uncle Sam shows up in the Blackest Night crossover, helping many other superheroes fight the returning dead. This includes the slaughtered incarnation of the Freedom Fighters.^[11]

In The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity, a human African-American version appears in the comic series Human Bomb. One of the S.H.A.D.E leaders he calls delivers an order to capture Michael Taylor.^[12]

Powers and abilities

Uncle Sam has demonstrated various powers, including super strength, invulnerability, the ability to alter his size, enhanced speed, and some degree of

Pre-Crisis version of Uncle Sam could at one point travel to parallel universes, as he did with the Freedom Fighters to travel to Earth-X from Earth-Two,^[13] but in another instance, Uncle Sam and the other Freedom Fighters require the help of a scientist's machine to travel to Earth-One.^[14] His powers are said to be in direct proportion of the belief people have in the idea of the United States as The City Upon a Hill. In Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, Father Time states that tests indicate Sam is not a human, metahuman, or magical being, and the indication of what he is can be considered inconclusive. Uncle Sam has stated that he does not have the ability to fly.^[15]

Other versions

Main article: Uncle Sam (Vertigo)

• In 1998, DC published under its adult
  prestige format comic series, Uncle Sam. It was written by Steve Darnall with painted artwork by Alex Ross. The series does not appear to be set in the standard DC Universe
  (though a picture of Superman can be seen when Uncle Sam discovers the shop in the middle of nowhere). Uncle Sam is depicted as a ragged old man who is tormented by visions of historical episodes and modern aspects of the United States at its worst. Uncle Sam is forced to battle a dark doppelganger of himself based on corruption, deceit, and oppression, with the identity of the United States at stake.
• In an alternate DC timeline appearing in
  totalitarian state. Uncle Sam becomes Green Lantern when Wonder Woman gives him Abin Sur's ring, as Hal Jordan is dead in this reality. When Wonder Woman first encounters this Uncle Sam, he is visually similar to the Uncle Sam from Alex Ross' miniseries
  ; once she uses her magic lasso to reveal the truth to him, he reverts to his classic persona and costume.
• In the final issue of
  Mister Mind
  "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-X, including the Quality characters.

Based on comments by Grant Morrison and the fact that a Nazi version of Superman is depicted in the scene, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-X.^[16]

• On
  Columbia
  leads the Freedom Fighters.
• New Super-Man features a character, Flying Dragon General, as an analog of Uncle Sam.

In other media

Television

• Uncle Sam appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Cry Freedom Fighters!", voiced by Peter Renaday. This version draws power from patriotic spirit, and will fade from existence without it, though he can be revived with sufficient energy. He can also project force fields resembling Captain America's original shield and grant his power to others, giving them a more patriotic costume. He and the other Freedom Fighters work with Batman and Plastic Man to fight the forces of the Supreme Chairman of Qward. Following the Supreme Chairman's defeat, Uncle Sam hooks Plastic Man up with a transmission from Barack Obama who thanks him for his services.

Miscellaneous

Uncle Sam appears in Justice League Unlimited #17.

References

1. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0
   .
2. ISBN 978-1605490373
   .
3. ^ Markstein, Don. "Uncle Sam". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
4. ISBN 0-87833-808-X
   . Retrieved 8 April 2020.
5. ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5
   .
6. OCLC 213309017
   .
7. ^ The Spectre (vol. 3) #37–38
8. ISBN 978-1-893905-53-5
   .
9. ^ Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #1–8 (2006)
10. ^ Final Crisis #4 (2008)
11. ^ Blackest Night #1–6 (June 2009 – May 2010)
12. ^ Human Bomb #1
13. ^ All-Star Squadron #36
14. ^ Freedom Fighters #1
15. ^ Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #3
16. ^ Brady, Matt (2007-05-08). "THE 52 EXIT INTERVIEWS: GRANT MORRISON". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 2007-05-10. Retrieved 2007-05-12.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Uncle Sam Strikes Back.

• Uncle Sam Index
• Uncle Sam Profile
• Toonopedia page
• DC Cosmic Teams Profile: Uncle Sam