Lord Montgomery Falsworth

Origin

The son of a hereditary peer, James Montgomery Falsworth was born and raised on his family’s ancestral estate, Falsworth Manor, near the village of Dymhurst in England.

Creation

Montgomery Falsworth was a created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins and first appeared in The Invaders #7

Major Story Arcs

World War I

When the First World War breaks out, Falsworth dons the costume of Union Jack, a patriotic hero.

He joins Freedom’s Five, a multinational group of heroes, and fights the Central Powers in a series of commando missions. Despite his growing disillusionment with war caused by his constant involvement in bloody battles, he remains dedicated to defending his country.

He is assigned by David Lloyd George to look into a series of murders that are ultimately revealed to be the work of the vampire Baron Blood, who is secretly Falsworth’s own brother. In their first confrontation Falsworth defeats the villain, but the vampire survives, and the pair maintain mutual enmity.

Interwar

Following the conclusion of the war in 1918, Falsworth is retired from active service and returns to his ancestral home. There, he marries and he and his wife have two children, Jacqueline and Brian, who they raise in the peace of the country. As the world moves towards war in the late 1930s, he grows dissatisfied with the appeasement policies pursued by his government. He and his son disagree on these politics, and eventually have a falling out, with Brian leaving for Germany soon after.

World War II

He again takes up the identity of Union Jack when his daughter is rescued from Baron Blood by the Human Torch, a member of the Invaders. He and Jacqueline, now going by the name Spitfire, offer their home to the Invaders as a base and work with the heroes to fight the vampire. In their climactic battle beneath the manor, Falsworth’s legs are crushed by a boulder thrown by Baron Blood. Crippled by the attack, Falsworth manages to turn the boulder against his attacker, unbalancing him and causing him to become impaled upon a stalagmite. He goes on one final mission to restore Dyna-Mite’s memories and locate his son. Falsworth retires from superheroics after passing the Union Jack identity to his son.

Baron Blood Returns

Several years later, a series of murders that mirror those committed by Baron Blood begin to occur around Falsworth Manor. Suspecting that his brother has somehow returned, he recruits the help of his old friend Captain America. He attempts to lure his brother out of hiding by donning his Union Jack costume. However, before he can carry out his plan he suffers a heart attack. Captain America goes forward with the plan, recruiting Joseph Chapman to wear the Union Jack costume. Captain America slays Baron Blood and burns his body before Falsworth, who dies of complications relating to his heart attack. He passes the mantle of Union Jack on to Chapman.

Powers and Abilities

Falsworth has no known superhuman powers. He is an excellent athlete, and is very skilled in both armed and unarmed combat, particularly with knives and pistols. He is also skilled in espionage. As Union Jack, he wears a bulletproof costume.

Other Media

Film

Captain America: The First Avenger

Falsworth appears as a POW who is rescued by Steve Rogers and later joins him and members of the Howling Commandos in attacking HYDRA bases. He is portrayed by JJ Feild.

Video Games

Captain America: Super Soldier

Falsworth appears as a minor character in this video game based on the Captain America movie. JJ Feild reprises his role.