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Created by Len Wein and Dick DillinIn

FIRST APPEARANCE:
Justice League of America #107 (September-October 1973)

+ History

The Freedom Fighters is a team composed of characters purchased by DC from Quality Comics. After their acquisition, they were given a home in the DC Universe on Earth-X in 1976. In their first appearance, they encountered the Justice League. Later, Roy Thomas gave them a DC Golden Age history as well. These heroes were united under Uncle Sam on the day Pearl Harbor was bombed, and relocated to Earth-X later when they learned that Hitler was winning the war there. In their Golden Age Quality Comics appearances, these characters were never a team.

In the wake of the "Infinite Crisis," Uncle Sam does indeed remember his past, traveling to Earth-X. It is unclear whether he retains this memory because he is a mystical being, or whether this is true for all the Freedom Fighters (Doll Man, Firebrand, Ray, Black Condor, Human Bomb and Phantom Lady).

Quality Heroes

The Freedom Fighters are a group of heroes most often led by the spirit of America, also known as Uncle Sam. The F. F. first assembled at the dawn of World War II, but Uncle Sam's story began shortly after signing the Declaration of Independence. In 1776, a group of founding fathers conducted a ritual to create a talisman to capture the "spirit" of the new nation. Afterwards, the talisman found turn created a mystical avatar that embodied that spirit. It first manifested during the Revolutionary War as the Minuteman, and faded away in 1781 after the Battle of Yorktown. He then manifested as Brother Jonathan during the war of 1812; he was later known as Uncle Sam. (Spectre v.3 #38)

He first appeared in the 20th century just before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. (National Comics #1) Then on December 7, 1941, Uncle Sam assembled Hourman, the Invisible Hood, Magno, Miss America, Neon the Unknown, and the Red Torpedo to stop the Japanese attack. They fought well, but were overwhelmed by the Japaneses fleet. Uncle Sam and Miss America were found unconscious and retrieved by the U.S. Navy. Miss America was then taken, comatose, to Project M. (Secret Origins #26) The rest were presumed dead but in fact, all but Magno later reappeared. The Invisible Hood survived until 1974 when he was murdered by the Icicle and the Mist (Starman v.2 #2). Hourman was taken by the Japanese and resurfaced later (All-Star Squadron #33) The Red Torpedo went on to aid in creating the Starman of 1951. (Starman v.2 #77) Neon was transported by his powers to his place of origin—a mystical desert oasis—where he remained. The fates of these heroes went unknown until February 23, 1942, at the first full meeting of the All-Star Squadron. At the Perisphere in New York City, Uncle Sam revealed their failed attempt to the All-Stars. (All-Star Squadron #31-32)

The original Freedom Fighters: Uncle Sam, Invisible Hood, Magno, Miss America, Neon, Red Torpedo and Hourman

Uncle Sam was unaware that two other heroes had almost joined their Pearl Harbor mission. Just before the Freedom Fighters departed, both Midnight and the Doll Man had tracked Uncle Sam to Bannermain Chemicals (where he'd found Hourman). Midnight and Doll Man arrived to find the Freedom Fighters teleporting away. The two men dove into the portal, but were transported instead to occupied France, where they joined the resistance for several months. There they intercepted a message and learned of a second Japanese attack, on Santa Barbara, California. Before they could act, they ran afoul of the evil Baron Blitzkreig. Oddly, just as the Baron blasted Doll Man, another portal appeared and Midnight carried his partner through it back to New York City. Midnight made his way to the headquarters of the All-Star Squadron.

Second Formation: Black Condor, Doll Man, Human Bomb, Phantom Lady, the Ray, and the Red Bee

As fate would have it, Sam had just returned to tell the tale of Pearl Harbor. Given Midnight's warning of a new attack, a new band of Freedom Fighters—including Doll Man, Black Condor, the Human Bomb, Phantom Lady, the Ray, and the Red Bee—joined Uncle Sam. Midnight was sidelined due to injury. (#32)

The F. F. found Baron Blitzkreig to be the mastermind of the attack. He held Hourman as his hostage. (#33) Soon the whole team was captured as well, with the exception of the Red Bee. (#34) The team rather pitied the Red Bee who, despite his vigor, simply didn't have the power to measure up in the fight. Phantom Lady and the Ray managed to activate Hourman's super-strength, but it wasn't in time to save the Red Bee. Just as he returned to help his teammates, the Red Bee was mauled to death by Baron Blitzkreig. The villain escaped. (#35)

Soon thereafter, the Freedom Fighters separated from the All-Star Squadron and were based in Washington D.C. (Who's Who '87 #5) Plastic Man acted as a liaison between the All-Stars and the Freedom Fighters, and Quicksilver and Manhunter I were active with the F. F. as well. Also during this time, the young heroine, Fury, struck up a tentative friendship with Miss America. Later, Miss America would become the adoptive mother of Fury's daughter, Lyta (Fury II). (Young All-Stars #27) Following the war, these heroes largely went into retirement. In 1946, the American Talisman was shattered, and Uncle Sam wasn't seen again for decades. (Spectre v.3 #38)

They surfaced again years later with the rise of a new age of heroes. The JSA, Blackhawks and Freedom Fighters were captured by the alien Appellax creatures and placed in concentration camps. They were freed by the new Justice League of America. (JLA: Year One #)

Pre-Crisis: Earths-X and -1

In the original DC multiverse, Uncle Sam led the Freedom Fighters to Earth-X, where they remained for years to fight Hitler. Although Earth-X was destroyed in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Uncle Sam remembers his time on that world. It is uncertain whether the others remember it, too. Once there, the Spectre informed the Freedom Fighters that three of them must stay on Earth-X to maintain a "cosmic balance"; Uncle Sam, Black Condor, and the Ray agreed to stay. When the going got really rough, Sam recruited even more help from the Blackhawks, Firebrand I, the Jester, Manhunter I, Midnight, Plastic Man and the Spider.

The Freedom Fighters returned to prominence when the Justice League and Justice Society were accidentally transported to Earth-X. There, the Nazis had won the war and Hitler himself was replaced by an android duplicate. The F.F. fought against these Nazis for decades. Dr. Fate located the source of Hitler's power — a mind-control ray. After these rays were destroyed, Earth-X was freed from Nazi control. (Justice League of America #107-108)

Soon after winning their battle agains the Nazis on Earth-X, the Freedom Fighters relocated to Earth-1 in search of more adventure. There, they made new enemies like the Silver Ghost (Freedom Fighters #1-2), Skragg the Super Sniper (#3), and King Samson. (#4-5) The Silver Ghost also later formed his own team. Taking the name Americommando (II), he recruited others called Barracuda, Fireball and Sparky, and Rusty to become the Crusaders. NOTE: The Crusaders were based on Marvel Comics' Invaders superhero team. (#7-9)

This was a turbulent time for its members. Doll Man's wife, the original Doll Girl had perished years before. On Earth-1 he found love again with her counterpart Martha Roberts (#5) but not before being framed for murder. (#10) They were reunited with their old friend Firebrand as well, only to lose him to the Silver Ghost. (#12) Firebrand's death led the team to disband for good. (Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2)

The Modern Freedom Fighters

When the American Talisman was reassembled, Uncle Sam was reincarnated as Patriot. (Spectre v.3 #50) Patriot and other Freedom Fighter torchbearers participated as Justice Society reservists during the Imperiex War. (JSA: Our Worlds at War) Under unknown circumstances, the American Talisman has again assumed the guise of Uncle Sam. (Superman v.2 #178)

Uncle Sam	Black Condor II	Damage	Iron Munro	Phantom Lady II

Apparently, he reformed the Freedom Fighters after this as well. The new team assisted the JSA against Mordru and includes his former comrade, the Human Bomb, as well as successors, Phantom Lady II, Black Condor II, the Ray II, along with Iron Munro and Damage. (JSA #49) This new team was again government funded, making their headquarters in the Pentagon. (#73) The new Freedom Fighters were among the most tragic of losses during the Crisis caused by Alexander Luthor and Superboy Prime. They were attacked by the Society in Metropolis, and Phantom Lady, Human Bomb and Black Condor were all killed. Uncle Sam was temporarily destroyed, Damage was left for dead, and the Ray was taken. (Infinite Crisis #1)

A memorial was constructed for this team at Arlington national cemetery. (Freedom Fighters v.2 #1)

Uncle Sam's next mission was to prevent a horrible American future from coming to pass. His first recruit was Andre Twist, the new Firebrand. Uncle Sam encouraged Twist to take up the spirit of Rod Reilly and join him at the southern Mississippi River. In a vision, Firebrand saw ominous banners heralding a man named "Knight," and S.H.A.D.E. agents lording over America. (Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven #5) Twist hitchhiked to Mississippi, following Uncle Sam's voice.

Meanwhile, Father Time (leader of the spy organization S.H.A.D.E.) made parallel plans to secure America's future. Time assembled a new task force consisting of:

• Andy Franklin, a former Blüdhaven scientist who was transformed by the Chemo bomb that destroyed that city. He was recruited by S.H.A.D.E. to become the new Human Bomb (II). Franklin is isolated from others because of his need to wear a protective suit at all times. A "nano-pill" keeps his body stable for 24 hours by gradually releasing his energy.
• An all-new Phantom Lady III (Stormy Knight), the daughter of rising-star Senator Henry Knight. Stormy blows off the steam of her day job as an assassin by playing the nighttime role of the socialite airhead. Few know that she holds a degree in quantum physics and can manipulate the properties of the fourth dimension. This allows her to become immaterial and to bend space to the effect of teleportation.
• The new Doll Man (IV), Lester Colt, a master of martial arts, gymnastics and expert in international politics. While Colt was the assistant of Dr. Jason Glenn, he ingested a serum that enabled him to shrink. That project was scrapped — and Colt was trapped at six inches tall — but Father Time took Colt underground. He secretly pines for his colleague, Emma Glenn. The "Human Action Figure," Colt earned numerous medals and is also a notable scientist.
• The Ray III (Stan Silver). This 26 year-old foreign correspondent for the Washington Sun gained his powers after exposure to radiation in space from a comet. Silver is a fitness nut and Class A narcissist.

Doll Man III	Firebrand IV	Human Bomb II	Phantom Lady III	The Ray III

This troupe saved the White House from a terrorists threat called the Black Legion. Their success won Father Time the congressional support he needed to continue his operations. (DCU: Brave New World)

Secretly, Father Time's actions were meant to spur Uncle Sam into reforming the Freedom Fighters and protect America from an alien threat. This threat came in the form of an entity called Gonzo. Time allowed Gonzo to assume the power of the U.S. Presidency by killing and assuming the identity of Senator Henry Knight (father of Phantom Lady, Stormy Knight). Gonzo/Knight's platform was built around the "metahuman threat," and he ultimately convinced the nation that ...

Father Time's operatives were unaware that they were being maneuvered into Uncle Sam's care. As planned, Gonzo's actions drew the attention of Uncle Sam, who sent Firebrand to interrupt a press conference. Firebrand was captured by Father Time and the team was sent to Tennessee to bring down Uncle Sam. (Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #1)

Sam's prowess surprised the young team and he was able to gather their attention long enough to convince them to side with him instead. Sam called attention to their own faults and challenged them to do real good instead of serving as mere killing machines. The new Freedom Fighters then pretended to bring Sam back to S.H.A.D.E. but instead broke Firebrand out. In the battle, the Human Bomb killed another S.H.A.D.E. operative, Bigfoot. The subsequent remorse convinced him even more that Sam's way was the only way to save his soul. The team stole a plane then headed to Arizona to collect their next member:

• John Trujillo, the Black Condor. (#2) The new Black Condor was borne from the power of Tocotl, the mystical Navajo Spider Woman. After the Navajo fell to Col. Kit Carson in Arizona, they began symbolizing condors as escorts for their fallen's souls to the afterlife. When finally the people returned to their own land, they were protected by this condor spirit. It first took root in a young man who begged them for protection. Trujillo made the traditional journey and was charged by the Spider Woman to work with Uncle Sam. The Black Condor has the power of flight and can emit powerful sonic blasts. (#3)

Black Condor III	Invisible Hood II	Miss America	Ray II	Red Bee II

Soon the "traitors" were confronted by newly engineered S.H.A.D.E. agents, the First Strike — Chief Justice, Spin Doctor (speed), Propaganda (telepathy) and Embargo (telekinesis). (#3) Despite his convictions, the Human Bomb accidentally killed again (this time Propaganda) and First Strike retreated. After this, the team created their own headquarters, retreating via Phantom Lady's powers to a place called the Heartland. They also gathered up their ally, Emma Glenn along with Glenn's laboratory. (#4)

Gonzo eventually convinced Congress to amend the Constitution and require all citizens to be implanted with technology that would allow total mind control. His next weapon took the Freedom Fighters totally off guard: the new Miss America! This Miss America knew everything about the F.F. and their predecessors (and revealed that Happy Terrill was dead, Darrel Dane institutionalized). Her threat spurred the mobilization of three more of Uncle Sam's sleeper agents: new Invisible Hood (Kent Thurston, grandson of the original), Red Bee (Jenna Raleigh, niece of the original) and the original Miss America herself, Joan Dale! (#5)

The real Miss America made quick work of her phony counterpart, which turned out to be an android. Joan revealed that she had used her considerable powers to effect the process of aging for her husband's sake. Since he had recently died, she shed the disguise and threw herself back into America's service at Uncle Sam's side. This added muscle forced Gonzo to play his last cards. All along, he had been keeping the Ray as a sleeper agent in the Freedom Fighters. Once reactivated, the Ray killed the Invisible Hood and revealed the location of the Heartland to Gonzo's massive celestial warriors. (#6)

These warriors were made from the corpses of ancient giants found during the first U.S. mission to the moon. Stormy unleashed the full extent of her powers and sucked them away into a black hole. After the Ray's betrayal, Sam called in another sleeper agent, Ray Terrill.

Father Time began to lose "control" over Gonzo and decided to destroy the alien with Uncle Sam's help. Time provided the Freedom Fighters with evidence of Gonzo's crimes which they used to expose him to the public. (#7)

During the final battle, Father Time slipped away, leaving S.H.A.D.E. ungoverned. The President proposed to the Freedom Fighters that they assume control of the organization. Everyone agreed to join in this new venture except Doll Man, who opted for some time off. Miss America then became the liaison between S.H.A.D.E. and the White House. (#8)

Expansion Team

While Amazons were attacking the nation's capital, the Freedom Fighters were captured by insectoid aliens. This resulted in a dramatic transformation for the Red Bee, who after driving off the horde, developed red skin, antennae and pheromone powers. When they returned to Earth, the team was divided over S.H.A.D.E. Director Robbins of the Dept. of Defense wanted to recruit more operatives and put surveillance on super-villains. Uncle Sam and others believed that the F. F. should be more covert, and not spend time doing police work. Sam, Firebrand, Human Bomb and Doll Man left until the team could prove that Americans would support their endeavor. The remaining members were introduced to the public as the frontline defense against American threats. (Uncle Sam & the FF v.2 #1)

Their image was quickly undermined by Phantom Lady, who lapsed into her drinking habits. Robbins forced her to make a public apology, which turned into a nightmare. In a staged battle against the Futurist Militia (Thunderer, Master Task, Gas Chamber, Seducer), Stormy was drunk and killed the Thunderer. After the debacle, Robbins proposed another new band of heroes. (#2) Soon he unveiled the Crusaders: Magno II, Captain Triumph II, Citizen X and the Libertine, who defeated the Freedom Fighters. While Robbins schemed, the Red Bee's new powers—and psychosis—grew. (#3) Robbins was revealed to be an alien telepath. He was killed by the Red Bee, who then took control the Freedom Fighters. (#4) When Jenna forced the Human Bomb into overdrive, Miss America was forced to absorb his energy. She took it into space and seemingly died in the explosion. (#5)

Meanwhile, a second crisis brewed. Below the Pentagon, the long-lost original Doll Man, Darryl Dane, was staging a coup from within a top secret lab. He and his men kidnapped the Vice President. (#3) Uncle Sam arrived with the new Doll Man to negotiate with him and learned that the government had brought Dane in to develop a miniature army. But when the experiment failed, the project was swept under the rug. Worse, the shrunken men suffered brain damage. Dane's wife, Martha (the occasional Doll Girl) died in that time of cancer. Lester's origins were similar to Dane's. He offered the aid of his girlfriend, Emma Glenn, whose father also had developed a shrinking technology. (#4) Once Emma was ready to restore Dane's people, a malfunction resulted in their becoming bonded into a massive monster. (#6) Emma managed to free Lester from the monster, but not the others. The results of her continued efforts have yet to be revealed. (#8)

Now fighting on two fronts, Sam tried to recruit more help. He send Happy Terrill (the original Ray) to find another lost ally: Neon the Unknown. (#5) Neon declined Sam's request. So instead, Terrill decided to drink from the same mystic waters as Corbet had. As the new Neon, Happy arrived in time to prevent the Red Bee from killing her teammates. (#6) Neon burned away the Red Bee's infestation and brought Jenna back to her senses. Their reprieve was brief: she warned that the insectoids were returning for another attack. All the heroes reunited once again under Uncle Sam to fight them. (#7)

The ace up their sleeve was Miss America, who in space had reassembled her atoms—into Miss Cosmos! (#7) In the battle, the Libertine was killed, but the Freedom Fighters destroyed the insect queen her ships. (#8)

After these traumatic events, the Freedom Fighters went their own ways. Phantom Lady received critical acclaim for for a film role and stopped crime fighting. Some of the others continued to call the Heartland their home. (#8)

List of Members

Appearances + References

All-Star Squadron #31-35, 50 Black Lightning v.1 #11 Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #1-2 DC Comics Presents #62 JSA #49 Justice League of America #107-108 Justice League Unlimited #17 Secret Origins v.2 #19, 26 Young All-Stars #27		Freedom Fighters, 15 issues (1976)— no longer in continuity Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters, 8-issue limited series (2006-07) Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters v.2, 8-issue limited series (2007-08)		Quality Comics Heroes  Quality Comics at Cosmic Teams All-Star Squadron The Crusaders On the Web: CBR: Gray and Palmiotti Re-Team on "Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters" Dark Mark: Freedom Fighters Fanzing #23 Article Newsarama: Headed Toward a Star-Spangled Finale Old is New Again Who's Whose in Quality Comics? Golden Age Comics Downloads > Quality Toonpedia: The Freedom Fighters