Uncle Sam (DC)

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Uncle Sam is a male comic superhero who features in DC Comics.

Contents

Biography

Quality

Uncle Sam was a spiritual entity born in 1776 following the formation of the United States and grew until the 48 States became united under a single flag. (National Comics v1 #1) In 1777, near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, an American patriot named Samuel was shot dead by some Hessian soldiers. In his last moments, he saw and talked to the spirit of freedom that was Uncle Sam who reassured him that America would be free. The two would merge together become a single entity that invisibly provided guidance to the USA during its turbulent history. (National Comics v1 #5) The entity watched the destinies of the growing nation through various periods of history including the American Civil War where he carried the flag and was pleased when the north and south settled their differences thus making the nation whole once more. In 1917, he fought in the trenches as he sought to preserve the principles of democracy. (National Comics v1 #1)

The spirit of America began taking a direct role in defending the U.S.A. His first foe was the Cobra, and his henchmen Snyle and Scar. Around this time, America was facing a subversive threat from a group called the Purple Shirts who wanted to tear down the nation's democratic principles and install a dictatorship to replace it. Uncle Sam during this moment came upon a young boy named Buddy Smith whose father was killed by the Purple Shirts. He became moved by the boy's plight and took him under his wing as they worked to defeat the criminal organization attempting to overtake the country. (National Comics v1 #1) Afterwards, he witnessed Senator Grover attempt to pass a bill to better regulate the candy industry that was using substandard product that harmed children. Unknown to anyone, J. P. Potter who was a candy magnate sought to strongarm the senator to defeat the bill. It was only the efforts of ‘Scoop’ Casey a reporter who helped try to expose Potters actions. Uncle Sam and Buddy intervened to protect them where they helped Senator Grover by removing the thugs threatening him before confronting Potter. Ultimately, Potter was defeated and was caught by Sam during his attempt at escaping whereupon he died from the shock to his heart. (National Comics v1 #2) Afterwards, he next heard news of a rising and popular leader emerging on an Asiatic nation who had stirred his countrymen into a war-like state to get them to invade the Philippines. Uncle Sam and Buddy then departed for the nation in order to stop the rise of tyranny. (National Comics v1 #3)

Afterwards, a steel shortage came to affect the nation following miners being scared of a giant in one of the biggest mines. This led to the President calling Uncle Sam to the White House and to investigate the matter with the miners claiming that a giant warned them away from the mines. Whilst delving into the tunnels, an unknown assailant pushed the pair into what seemed like a bottomless pit where they arrived in Kid-Land that was a place inhabited by children all of whom had been abducted by the Pied Piper of Hamelin and brought them to the centre of the Earth where they would never age. They revealed that their land was the home of all manner of evil beings from fairy tale land including giants and goblins. These were led by the Wicked Witch Queen after they were banished from their home where their laziness meant that they took up residence in Kid-Land and forced the natives to work for them. The metal from the mines above were used to raid the fortifications of the children and steal their supplies. The children had a rule that their land contain no adults and they refused to have Uncle Sam stay with them but he was determined to help them. Whilst Buddy stayed with the kids, he watched as the Witch Queen's armies attacked only to fall into the children's ambush. Uncle Sam battled a giant but found his opponent was not truly evil where he warned that the Witch Queen was power crazy and a dangerous foe. She came to unleash the Monster on Kid-Land to destroy her enemies but the beast killed her before going on a rampage. Uncle Sam came to battle and ultimately stop the Monster whereupon the grateful people of Kid-Land helped him and Buddy return to the surface now that the danger of the Witch Queen was over. (Uncle Sam Quarterly v1 #2)

He then responded to the threat of the Mongrol Men that were a race of brute men engineered created by the obscure biologist Jeremiah Korntooth from decades ago. These savage humanoids were let lose by Hitler with Uncle Sam working alongside Bayou Bill and a sailor named Tex in stopping three savages. (Uncle Sam Quarterly v1 #4)

DC

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. On July 4th, 1776, the singing of the Declaration of Independence was made by the founding fathers of the United States of America. During that time, Benjamin Franklin had a plan to forge America into a mystic nation alongside the physical one. Thus, he brought together the 13 representatives of the various states who also had a token of their respective areas. Once gathered together, the mystical rite was overseen by an alchemist named Taylor Samuel Hawke who used them to forge a spiritual being that represented America. A mystical talisman was thus formed that manifested as an eagle on one side whilst the other had an eye in a pyramid. The founding fathers were sworn to secrecy about that day and pledged to protect the talisman to ensure the success of America. (Spectre v3 #37) The character of Uncle Sam grew in America’s popular culture throughout the 1800s. In the 1870s, he was given form by a Nast political cartoonist named Samuel Augustus Adams. As it happened, Adams had come to possess the halved American Talisman. His cartoons drew fire from his detractors—literally. Adams was accosted at gunpoint for expressing his views. The American Spirit saved his life as it had others before, and the mighty Uncle Sam was borne. The American Spirit manifested itself again as Uncle Sam during World Wars I and II. (Spectre v3 #38)

Uncle Sam disappeared after World War II, as he had after past American wars. The American Talisman was further fragmented as the nation struggled with racism, corruption and an unpopular war. (Spectre v2 #38)

It was thus decided to re-forge the spirit of America into an entity that represented all people. This saw a group of people willingly offer themselves to the ritual as Uncle Sam was transformed into the Patriot. (Spectre v3 #50)

He continued to operate as the Patriot for a time but later came to abandon that identity. During the Presidency of Lex Luthor, the Spirit of America came to be influenced by his actions in the country. This saw him perceiving Superman as a threat and he attacked the Man of Steel by a general store in Smallville where Sam accusing him of shirking his responsibilities under an alien code of non-interference. Superman caught one of Uncle Sam’s blows and asked to speak to him with the Spirit of America agreeing with the two going to an isolated area to talk to one another. Sam came to confess that it was hard to be the Spirit of America during this time but Superman assured him that America would endure with it being a nation that accepted everyone. (Superman v2 #178)

During the Infinite Crisis, the Freedom Fighters were attacked by the Secret Society of Super Villains who killed Black Condor, Phantom Lady and the Human Bomb with their bodies being strung up on the Washington Monument. Uncle Sam and the Ray were said to had been missing in action. (Infinite Crisis v1 #2) It was said that Sam had been left for dead in the Mississippi River whilst his friends had been murdered. He remained there for a year where its waters helped rejuvenate him and reform him. Uncle Sam then emerged during a time when tensions were high in America as a result of the activities of Metahumans with figures in government looking to enforce strict laws on their activities. Sam spoke to the mind of Andre Twist who became a recruit for the newest incarnation of the Freedom Fighters. (Brave New World v1 #1)

In the confrontation with First Strike, the Freedom Fighters managed to defeat their foes with Uncle Sam intending to expose Gonzo to the world. However, Gonzo called in his biggest asset which was Miss America who effortlessly defeated the other Freedom Fighters and weakened Uncle Sam allowing him to be captured. He was then taken to S.H.A.D.E. headquarters for interrogation at the hands of Father Time. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #5) They remained captivity until reinforcements of other Freedom Fighters arrived to attack the S.H.A.D.E. headquarters with the grandson of the Invisible Hood freeing him. This allowed Uncle Sam to be freed where he helped free his fellow compatriots where they took the fight to the enemy. It was revealed that the Miss America was actually a construct and that the real hero emerged to battle the imposter thus defeating her. This allowed Uncle Sam to battle Father Time with Miss America joining the battle where they wounded the S.H.A.D.E. Director but he managed to escape. In the aftermath, Uncle Sam took the collective Freedom Fighters into the Heartland in order to recover and discern their next course of action. It was then that the Heartlands were invaded by Gonzo created cosmic beings with the Ray Stan Silver being revealed to be a traitor working for S.H.A.D.E. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #6)

During the Final Crisis, the forces of Darkseid began to take over the world after broadcasting the Anti-Life Equation causing everyone to fall under his sway. Uncle Sam was among the many heroes in the world that were corrupted by the Anti-Life broadcasts. (Final Crisis v1 #4)

Overview

Personality and attributes

He was sometimes referred to as Samuel. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #5) For a time, he adopted the identity of the Patriot after the spirit of America was re-forged to represent all its people for a new age. (Spectre v3 #50) In this guise, he had bullet-shaped helmet but came to consider the persona a foolish one thus leading to him returning to his original form. (Superman v2 #178)

Uncle Sam believed that the principles of the nation's forefathers who died for them were worth preserving and even fighting for to uphold them. (National Comics v1 #1) He had said that people would be surprised to the lengths he would go to for America and its people. Uncle Sam largely believed in the tenets of America and its principles in the traditional sense. Thus, he was opposed to actions that were deemed un-American such as forcing citizens to do something that they did not want to do. Instead, he wanted the people to choose their course of action for themselves. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #5) He did not believe understanding languages made a person smarter but rather it was understanding people and things. (National Comics v1 #3)

According to him, he was everybody's 'uncle' and that all American boys were his nephews. (National Comics v1 #1)

During the 1940s, he was shown to have had a non-powered and non-costumed sidekick in the form of Buddy Smith whose father was killed by the Purple Shirts. Sam had kept the boy by his side as they went across America. (National Comics v1 #1)

Powers and abilities

It was said that Uncle Sam was not human in the traditional sense but yet he was not a Metahuman or magical being either. According to him, he was born from the collective consciousness of a nation. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #5) He was said to be manifestation of the inner mythic reality of the country and its people whereby his soul matched his outer political will. As a talisman, he was a link forged between the U.S. and the mystic reality of America. The peoples will was focused and made into iconic realities thus creating Uncle Sam. However, one account claimed that his talisman was inherently flawed because he did not represent all the people. (Spectre v3 #50)

Due to being one with the nation, he was tied to the land, rivers, mountains and cities which all spoke to him. This allowed them to convey information from all across the country to Uncle Sam. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #4) This included learning personal secrets of a person in the country such as their dreams and desires. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #5) He was able to speak into the minds of others with the experience said to be disconcerting initially. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #6) Sam was also able to understand all languages in the world. (National Comics v1 #3)

He was shown to possess superhuman levels of durability as a boulder was once dropped on him and it shattered with Uncle Sam not even injured. Uncle Sam was able to run at (National Comics v1 #1) It was shown that his hands were powerful as they could contain the powerful explosion of a bomb by cupping over the device. (National Comics v1 #2) With his power, he could also grow to gigantic size allowing him to forcibly ground aircraft to the ground. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #4)

Thus, if his faith and link to America was affected then Uncle Sam was similarly weakened in the process. Thus, if there was no traditional America then he would no longer exist as an entity. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #5)

He could transport himself and others into a pocket dimension of his creation known as the Heartland. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #2) It was said to be a moment forever locked in a time at the height of America’s beauty. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #4) Thus, it appeared as a frozen moment of time in America in the year 1789. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #6) Within this space-time continuum, Uncle Sam and his allies were said to be safe from their enemies. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #4) A temporal barrier was said to protect the Heartland though certain cosmic forces could break into this realm. (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1 #6)

A curious trait of Uncle Sam was that he could not be photographed with him disappearing from any picture taken of him. (National Comics v1 #2)

Notes

  • Uncle Sam was created by Will Eisner where he made his first appearance in Quality Comics National Comics v1 #1 (July, 1940).

Alternate Versions

  • In Superman/Batman v1 #23 (2005), an alternate female version of the character named Columbia resided on the world designated as Earth-11.
  • In The Multiversity: Mastermen v1 #1 (2015), an alternate version of Uncle Sam was shown to inhabit the restored Multiverse where he resided on Earth-10. This was a reality where Nazi Germany won World War II and dominated the world with the Freedom Fighters being a resistance group opposing them. In Freedom Fighters v3 #3 (2019), it was shown that Uncle Sam had a number of comrades that were spirits such as himself with these including Marianne, Hispania, Johnny Canuck, Britannia and others all of whom disappeared as the Nazi's took over the world. Sam himself was lost in the Heartland which was the realm of ideas where he only re-emerged when Americans were inspired by the new Freedom Fighters to rise up against their conquerors. After defeating the Cyborg Overman, the public defeat of the Nazi's led to the re-emergence of the other national avatars with Britannia, Marianne and the Golem of Prague all turning against the occupiers of their respective nations.

In other media

Television

  • In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Uncle Sam appeared in the animated television series in the episode "Cry Freedom Fighters!" where he was voiced by actor Peter Renaday. This version drew his power from patriotic spirit with a lack of it causing him to vanish, leaving only his hat and enough of it will revive him. He displayed the powers of super strength, force field projection where it resembled the original shield of Captain America), and the ability to grant patriotic power to others giving them a more patriotic costume. He and the other Freedom Fighters travel in a ship called the Rockets' Red Glare capable of spaceflight. They worked with Batman and Plastic Man to fight the forces of the Supreme Chairman of Qward. Following the Supreme Chairman of Qward's defeat, Uncle Sam hooks Plastic Man up with a transmission from Barack Obama who thanks Plastic Man for his services.

Appearances

  • National Comics v1: (1940)
  • Uncle Sam Quarterly v1:
  • Spectre v3:
  • Superman v2:
  • Brave New World v1:
  • Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters v1:
  • Freedom Fighters:
  • The Multiversity: Mastermen v1:
  • Freedom Fighters v3:

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