Master List of U.S. Flagsuit Characters (1st Draft)

[Lorendiac]

Several days ago, on various forums, I requested help from my fellow fans in compiling a list of “Flagsuit Characters” who like to dress and act in a way that will make people see them as Particularly Patriotic American Heroes. I thought it would be appropriate to post the full list on the Fourth of July.

Here were my original guidelines in that post.

To make it onto my final list, a character has to meet a few basic criteria:

1. He (or she) wears a costume that includes red, white, and blue. (The presence of other colors is also acceptable as long as all three of those are included. But if the costume only has two out of three -- red and blue without any white, for instance -- then that doesn't count!)

2. The character obviously wants to be viewed (by the general public) as an exceptionally patriotic American hero. I'm not saying the person must "really" be a hero, or even has to be a citizen or legal resident of the USA, for that matter! I'm just saying that this is the image the character obviously wants to project! If there have been any villains who put on red-white-and-blue outfits in order to fool people into thinking they were heroes for awhile, I'm perfectly willing to count that! (But not if they were just impersonating Captain America, for instance -- only if they invented a fresh identity for the occasion.)

3. He (or she) must have appeared in at least one published comic book story. (I don't want costumed characters who only existed in movies, TV shows, videogames or whatever.

I then offered examples of what I didn’t want – Superman was disqualified by both Rule #1 and Rule #2, as I saw it; Spider-Man was also disqualified by Rule #2.

Many people were kind enough to respond, nominating various candidates for my list. (Thanks, everybody!) This draft now includes 155 separate listings. I try to keep the listings as short and sweet as possible; I don’t usually mention what a hero’s secret identity was, nor what powers he had (if any), nor (in most cases) what comic book series he first appeared in.

In cases where I personally have not been able to double-check such details as the exact physical appearance of the character (did the costume include red, white, and blue, all three colors at once?) I have typed Unconfirmed at the end of the listing to remind myself of the need to do further research, when there’s time, for the Second Draft.

And I only list each “character concept” or “role” once, even if the same alias and costume have been used by multiple characters all belonging to the same company. There is only one listing for “Captain America,” for instance. I figure Steve Rogers was the original and any other “Captain America” has just been a shameless knockoff of the same concept, one way or another, by the company that owns him.

It’s not perfect, but I need to post it while I can, and I promised to post it today. Happy Fourth of July!

(Someday I may do a more elaborate version of this list – perhaps with each character’s name linking to an image of him or her, and some details on secret identities and first appearances and whatnot; perhaps even turning it into a webpage with dozens of scanned images embedded in it. I don’t know. But I don’t have time to worry about it now!)

THE MASTER LIST

Aerobica (Catfish Comics) [Unconfirmed]
Agent Liberty (DC)
All-American (Homage. Astro City?) [Unconfirmed]
All-American (Marvel, New Universe timeline)
Amazon (Amalgam, a combo of Wonder Woman and Storm)
American Avenger (Timely, later Marvel) [unconfirmed]
American Crusader (Thrilling publications) [Unconfirmed]
American Dream (Marvel, the MC2 timeline)
American Eagle (Henchman Publishing; the character is a student in the “P.S. 238” series)
American Eagle (Marvel)
American Eagle (Nedor)
American Icon (Image. Appeared in a “Wildguard” miniseries)
American Knight (appeared in a comic called ActionFolksinger) [Unconfirmed]
American Liberty (from “The Moth” by Steve Rude) [Unconfirmed]
American Maid (Tick) [details unclear – may have been in comics, may only have been in illustrated books of some other type?]
American Star (Superdupeheroes or Superduperheroes) [Unconfirmed]
Captain Star (Superheroes/Ace Books) [Unconfirmed]
American Woman (Antarctic Press)
Banner (DC. Fought Batman while wrapped up in a U.S. flag)
Battlestar (Marvel)
Billy Yank (DC) (Civil War era) [Unconfirmed]
Bloodtype (also known as Mister America II) (DC) [Unconfirmed]
Blue Eagle (Marvel, Squadron Supreme universe)
Buckley [Former partner of First American, ABC/Wildstorm] [Unconfirmed]
Buckskin Blake, Defender of America's Liberty (Periodical House) [Unconfirmed]
Captain America Jr. of the X-League II (merger of Captain America plus Captain Marvel Jr.) (Amalgam)
Captain America (Timely, later Marvel)
Captain Americat (the funny-animal version of Captain America in the same Marvel timeline that featured Peter Porker, Spider-Ham)
Captain Battle Jr. (Lev Gleaman)
Captain Battle (Lev Gleaman)
Captain Constitution the Premier Patriot (Ace) [Unconfirmed]
Captain Curtis (Full Bleed Studios) [Unconfirmed]
Captain Flag (MLJ)
Captain Freedom (Harvey)
Casey Jones from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” has reportedly worn a red-white-and-blue mask at times (I am not an expert on TMNT continuity so I don’t know if he was trying to pass himself off as a “very patriotic hero” at the time, or what?)[Unconfirmed, with the character’s patriotic fervor quite dubious]
Citizen Steel (DC)
Citizen V (Marvel – the original Golden Age character apparently didn’t wear red and white and blue in his costume, but various “successors” using the same name in modern continuity have definitely done so)
Civilian Justice (BeyondComics)
Colonel America (Marvel Zombieverse) [Unconfirmed]
Commander America of the Cosmic Avengers (Marvel) [Unconfirmed]
Commander Liberty (Quantum Comics) [Unconfirmed]
Commander Steel (DC)
Commando Yank (Fawcett)
Cowboy (Marvel, part of “Team America”)
Doctor Tomorrow (Acclaim)
Dr. Stellar (Image, their “Big Bang” stories)
Dynaman (DC, only existed as “Dynaman” in an Elseworlds timeline in the 4-part miniseries “The Golden Age”)
Eaglet (Nedor) (Sidekick of their American Eagle)
First American (ABC/Wildstorm, which later became part of DC)
Flag Boy (Superheroes/Ace Books) [Unconfirmed]
Flagg (“Rising Stars” universe, published by Image) (This character also known as “Patriot”)
Flagman (Holyoke, later AC) [Unconfirmed]
Freckled American (ABC/Wildstorm) [unconfirmed]
Free Spirit (Marvel)
Furious American (Chaos!) [Unconfirmed]
General Glory (DC)
Glitter (Marvel, New Universe)
Homelander (from “The Boys” series, published by ABC/Wildstorm and then by Dynamite Entertainment) [Unconfirmed]
Honcho (Marvel, part of “Team America”)
Jack Flag (Marvel)
Justice (Image)
Justice (Marvel, First Line, previously Kid Justice) [Unconfirmed]
Kid America (sidekick to The American) (Dark Horse)
Kid Justice (Marvel, First Line, later justice) [Unconfirmed]
Kid Quick (Nedor, later AC?) [Unconfirmed]
Liberty Belle (DC)
Liberty Girl (allegedly from Marvel’s past) [Unconfirmed]
Liberty Lad (Image, their “Freedom Force” comic book based on the video game)
Liberty (Image)
Lightning (Image, a name used by Rapture during her time in red-white-and-blue as part of the Special Operations Strikeforce)

[Lorendiac]

Maiden USA (Image, the “Chix” comics)
Major Battle (Image) [Unconfirmed]
Major Liberty (Marvel) [Unconfirmed]
Major Victory (DC)
Man of War (Malibu)
Minute Maid (ABC/Wildstorm) [mother of First American, colors Unconfirmed]
Minute Man (DC, Revolutionary War) [Unconfirmed]
Minute Man (Image, their “Freedom Force” comic book based on the video game)
Minute-Man (Fawcett, later bought by DC)
Miss America (Quality Comics, later bought by DC)
Miss America (Timely, later Marvel)
Miss Liberty (DC, Revolutionary War era) [Unconfirmed]
Miss Victory (Holyoke. Later AC Comics)
Mister U.S. (Image, the “Big Bang” stories)
Mr. America (DC)
Ms. Victory (AC Comics)
NFL Superpro (Marvel)
Nuke (Marvel)
Number 9 (from Daredevil, late 80s? maybe) (Marvel) [Unconfirmed]
Pandemic (Image) [Flag tattoo on back – don’t know what he said he was doing – Unconfirmed]
Pat Patriot (Lev Gleaman) [Unconfirmed]
Patriot (“Rising Stars” universe, published by Image) (This character also known as Flagg)
Patriot (Marvel)
Pistolfist, Revolutionary Warrior (Alias)
Private Strong (Archie)
R.U. Reddy (Marvel, part of “Team America”)
Rad (Femforce, AC)
Radio Girl (Dark Horse; Torch of Liberty’s 1950s sidekick)
Real American of the Phantom Empire (DC) [Unconfirmed]
Rock (Image. This character wore a red-white-and-blue combo while serving with the Special Operations Strikeforce in “Savage Dragon” continuity)
Roughneck (Image, villain) [Unconfirmed – I need to find out if he made any effort to pass himself off as patriotic]
Rusty Ryan (Quality) [Unconfirmed]
S.P.I.C.E. (Image)
S.T.R.I.P.E. (DC)
Savage Dragon (Image. This character wore a red-white-and-blue combo while serving with the Special Operations Strikeforce in “Savage Dragon” continuity)
Sergeant States (from the “Jack Staff” comics from Dancing Elephant Press) [hard to tell because the art is black-and-white, but it sure looks like he’s wearing a variation of the American Flag design]
Skyman (DC) (formerly Star-Spangled Kid)
Skyrocket (DC)
Slugger (ABC/Wildstorm, “Kurt Busiek’s Astro City”) [Unconfirmed]
Smasher (Image)
Sons of Liberty (A group who fought “The Authority” of ABC/Wildstorm) [Unconfirmed – I know nothing about their names and costumes at this moment]
Speedboy the Wonder Kid (Crestwood, and possible other publishers later – sidekick to the original Fighting American)
Star Spangled Adventurer (Superheroes/Ace Books) [Unconfirmed]
Stargirl (DC)
Statesman (“City of Heroes” universe; comics published by Image)
Steel (DC) (not John Henry Irons, but a previous hero (the grandson of Commander Steel) who served in the JLA in their mid-80s Detroit Era)
Stripesy (DC)
Superpatriot (Image)
Super-Patriot (Marvel)
Super-Soldier (sometimes Supersoldier or Super Soldier, Wikipedia says) (merger of Superman and Captain America) (Amalgam)
The American Powerhouse (Malibu’s Bravura imprint, the “Power & Glory” miniseries)
The American (Dark Horse)
The Americommando (formerly Mr. America) (DC) [unconfirmed if he wore a red-white-and-blue costume during his WWII “Americommando” phase]
The Buckies, or Bold Urban Commandos (Marvel) [unconfirmed]
The Comedian (DC, the “Watchmen” timeline)
The Defender (???) [Unconfirmed]
The Eagle (Wildstorm, a “Red Menace” miniseries]
The Fighting American (published by various companies)
The Fighting Yank (Nedor)
The Flag (Ace Periodicals) [Unconfirmed]
The Great Defender (Quality, presumably now belongs to DC)
The Last American (Marvel, published by Epic) [Unconfirmed]
The Liberator (Nedor)
The Old Soldier (part of the universe of “Kurt Busiek’s Astro City” – published by ABC/Wildstorm)
The Patriot (Marvel) [check definite article and colors]
The Shield (MJL, later Archie Comics)
The Spirit of ’76 (Marvel) (check color scheme later)
The Star-Spangled Kid (DC)
The Torch of Liberty (Dark Horse)
U.S.A. (Image, the 1963 universe created by Alan Moore)
Uncle Sam (Quality Comics, later DC)
Union Maid (Served as the official “National Hero” of the USA in the universe of “Captain Confederacy” – she first appeared in a miniseries from Marvel’s EPIC line)
USA Patriot (Henchman Publishing; the character is a student in the “P.S. 238” series)
USA, the Spirit of Old Glory (Quality, later bought by DC)
USAgent (Marvel)
USAngel (ABC/Wildstorm)
Vagabond (Marvel)
Venus (Image, the Big Bang universe)
Wolf (Marvel, part of “Team America”)
Wonder Wabbit (DC, the pre-COIE “Earth-C-Minus” timeline)
Wonder Woman (National Periodical Publications, later DC. See Comment below)
Wrench (Marvel, part of “Team America”)
Yankee Clipper (Marvel)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (Marvel) [Possibly an alternate alias for Captain America, 1776 version, story by Roger Stern? Need to confirm]
Yankee Girl (AC)
Yankee Poodle (DC, the Earth-C universe)
Yeoman America of the Sons of Liberty (alternate-reality version of Captain America) (Marvel)



Comment on Wonder Woman's Qualifications: I am told that the Golden Age Wonder Woman explicitly stated that her costume was meant to honor the American flag and show solidarity with the USA’s part in World War II. This has been heavily retconned in the Post-COIE era so that the modern WW’s costume was not specifically intended to show solidarity with the U.S. flag at all. But the way I figure it, belated retcons in the 1980s don’t change the fact that the character concept was originally meant to be a “Flagsuit Character” within the scope of my definition! :)

Note: As long as I’m on the subject, I’ll just mention that I probably was inspired to compile this list by my recent efforts to write a serial fanfic about Free Spirit (Cathy Webster, a former apprentice of Captain America’s). If, after slogging through that incredibly long list of red-white-and-blue heroes (or characters who seem to think they’re heroes, in some cases), you feel like reading some fairly light-hearted fanfic to relax, then you might follow this link to see the first five chapters of a strange day in her life (set in the Marvel continuity of the mid-90s, when she was still a rookie).

Free Spirit: Safer to Be in Chains

[foxley]

A few additions to the list:

Captain from Texas (Marvel) - a wild west version of Captain America

Joe Public (DC)

Liberty Belle (Charlton) - not to be confused with the DC heroine of the same name, this character appeared in E-Man

Lodestar (DC) - this one may be a bit of stretch. One of the Seven Shadows team killed by Johnny Sorrow in JSA #18, we know nothing about this character except that he wore a patriotic costume

Lone Warrior and his sidekick, Dicky (Ace Periodicals)

Man of War (Centaur) - this may be the same Man of War as published by Malibu

Public Spirit (Epic) - enemy of Marshal Law

the Puppeteer (Fox)

U.S. Jones (Fox)

V-Man (Fox)

War Eagle (Lev Gleason) - appeared in a single issue of Crime Does Not Pay

Yank and Doodle (Prize)

Yankee Boy (Harry A Chesler)

Yankee Doodle Jones (Harry A Chesler)

[foxley]

Another one for the list:

Americommando (DC) - not to be confused with the golden-age character of this name, this was a patriotic identity adopted by the villainous Silver Ghost in the Freedom Fighters title of seventies were he led a team called the Crusaders (a pastiche of Marvel's Invaders).

[Jeremy A. Patterson]

I have a few more for the list:


Liberty Girl (Heroic Publishing; A recent addition)

The Eagle (Fox Features Syndicate)

Fighting Yank (AC Comics; A recent 1950s period piece!)


J.A.P.

[Omar Karindu]

The American Avenger should probably be removed from the list, as he was quite deliberately patterning himself after a South American national hero despite the U.S.A. color scheme.

[Lorendiac]

The American Avenger should probably be removed from the list, as he was quite deliberately patterning himself after a South American national hero despite the U.S.A. color scheme.

I had no idea. Looking back on it, I notice he was one of the ones I heard about from someone else and I didn't manage to double-check the details by July 4, so I virtuously put [Unconfirmed] at the end of his listing to show I wasn't making any personal guarantees about his qualifications! (Whew! Dodged a bullet there, didn't I?) :)

[foxley]

Apparently in Wonder Woman #168, Steve Trevor was given temporary superpowers by the Angle Man and he adopted a red, white and blue costume and the alias 'the Patriot'.

[Lorendiac]

Apparently in Wonder Woman #168, Steve Trevor was given temporary superpowers by the Angle Man and he adopted a red, white and blue costume and the alias 'the Patriot'.

You learn something every day . . . I didn't know Steve Trevor, any version of Steve Trevor, had ever worn any superhero costume whatsoever!

Of course, I was never really a big Wonder Woman fan in the first place . . .

[foxley]

You learn something every day . . . I didn't know Steve Trevor, any version of Steve Trevor, had ever worn any superhero costume whatsoever!

Of course, I was never really a big Wonder Woman fan in the first place . . .

Neither am I but I recently purchased Michael Fleisher's 'The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 2: Wonder Woman' and stumbled across this gem. As with most silver-age stories this was a gimmick for one story and was never mentioned again. Unfortunately there was no picture of the outfit in the encyclopedia but it did specify the colours were red, white and blue.

Oh, and I got the issue number wrong (not having the book in front of me when I made the original post), it was Wonder Woman #174 'Steve Trevor - Alias the Patriot', Jan-Feb 1968 (which is why I had the number 68 in my head).

[Punch]

Dollar Bill-Watchmen

[Lorendiac]

Dollar Bill-Watchmen

I'd completely forgotten what his costume looked like -- probably because he got so little time onstage -- but you're right. He was wearing red-white-and-blue long before the Comedian switched over to a similar color scheme.

[Jeremy A. Patterson]

A few additions to the list:

Captain from Texas (Marvel) - a wild west version of Captain America

Joe Public (DC)

Liberty Belle (Charlton) - not to be confused with the DC heroine of the same name, this character appeared in E-Man

Lodestar (DC) - this one may be a bit of stretch. One of the Seven Shadows team killed by Johnny Sorrow in JSA #18, we know nothing about this character except that he wore a patriotic costume

Lone Warrior and his sidekick, Dicky (Ace Periodicals)

Man of War (Centaur) - this may be the same Man of War as published by Malibu

Public Spirit (Epic) - enemy of Marshal Law

the Puppeteer (Fox)

U.S. Jones (Fox)

V-Man (Fox)

War Eagle (Lev Gleason) - appeared in a single issue of Crime Does Not Pay

Yank and Doodle (Prize)

Yankee Boy (Harry A Chesler)

Yankee Doodle Jones (Harry A Chesler)

The Puppeteer & V-Man were the same character under different names!

J.A.P.

[ultramandingo]

Dan Clowes' s "The Battlin' American" ( who fell in love with Madin Japan ) from Lloyd Llewellyn - Fantagraphics

Major Glory from The Justice Friends - Dexter's Laboratory

Alan Moore 's First American and US Angel - Tomorrow Stories.

and (duh) Howard Chaykin's American Flagg - First Comics

[foxley]

A few additions I found while thumbing through The Encyclopedia of Superheroes by Jeff Rovin:

Captain Commando (Archie)
Captain Fight (Fiction House)
Captain Glory (Dynamic Comics)
Captain Guts (the Print Mint) an underground comic hero parodying right-wing Americana
Captain Terror (Timely)
Captain V (William H. Wise Co.)
Super American (Fiction House)