Uncle Sam (comics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Uncle Sam | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
The comic book character Uncle Sam is a superhero version of the historic national personification of the United States, Uncle Sam, created by Will Eisner.
Uncle Sam first appeared in National Comics #1 (July, 1940), which was published by Quality Comics during the Golden Age of Comic Books. He was depicted as a mystical being who was originally the spirit of a slain patriotic soldier from the American Revolutionary War, and who now appears in the world whenever his country needs him. The character was used for a few years from 1940 to 1944, briefly receiving its own series, Uncle Sam Quarterly.
[edit] Uncle Sam in DC Comics
DC Comics acquired the character as part of its acquisition of the Quality characters, and he was used as a supporting character and leader of the Freedom Fighters, a team of former Quality characters that briefly received its own title.
His origin was rewritten somewhat in The Spectre, where he is described as the third Uncle Sam: the first was created in 1870, when the Spirit of America resurrected a political cartoonist who had been killed by Boss Tweed, and the second fought in World War I. The new origin also states that this Spirit of America had taken human form as the Minuteman, Brother Jonathan and, during the American Civil War, had been split in two as Johnny Reb and Billy Yank. It was also stated he had disappeared at the end of World War II, 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 form called the Patriot, and later reverts to Uncle Sam.
Uncle Sam is apparently killed by Sinestro in Infinite Crisis # 1, along with the rest of the Freedom Fighters in a battle with the Secret Society of Super Villains. However, when the bodies of the Freedom Fighters are found strung up on the Washington Monument in Infinite Crisis #2, Uncle Sam's is missing.
The character's latest incarnation appeared in the first issue of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, and spends the first few issues of this new series attempting to form a new version of the Freedom Fighters. This new Uncle Sam emerges from the Mississippi River at the same time as Father Time is elsewhere planning the future of S.H.A.D.E. with new incarnations of the Freedom Fighters members. Uncle Sam, disturbed by the deadly force used by the new versions of Phantom Lady, The Human Bomb, Doll Man and others, successfully recruits these metahumans into his new Freedom Fighters team, which results in Father Time ordering his remaining S.H.A.D.E. personnel to pursue and kill Uncle Sam and his team. Although Uncle Sam is shown to be against killing, particularly rebuking Doll Man for murdering a crime lord in front of the man's young son (in issue #1), Uncle Sam is not against using using deadly force when necessary.
[edit] Other DC Comics versions
In 1998, DC published under its adult imprint Vertigo a two-issue prestige format comic simply titled Uncle Sam, which was written by Steve Darnall with painted artwork by Alex Ross. The book is not set in the standard DC Universe, and depicts Uncle Sam as a ragged old man who is tormented by visions of historical episodes and modern aspects of the United States at its worst. The bloody crushing of Shays' Rebellion is considered a particularly disillusioning moment for the character, which suggested for him that the professed ideals of the United States have never been seriously respected. 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.
Uncle Sam was a top votegetter for the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards for Favorite Limited Series, Favorite Original Graphic Novel, and Favorite Story for 1998, and the collected edition was a top votegetter for their Favorite Reprint Graphic Album Award for 1999.
In an alternate DC time-line appearing in Superman/Batman, Uncle Sam becomes Green Lantern when Wonder Woman gives him Abin Sur's ring, as Hal Jordan is dead in this reality and so isn't able to take the power ring.
