History
Harry A. Chesler/Dynamic
Yankee Comics
Rufus is the Bailey Family butler. Like most African-American characters created during the Golden Age of Comic Books, Rufus was prone to bouts of cowardliness and horrendously phonetic accents, but Johnny Rebel treated him with genuine respect as his partner.
Thrilling Nostalgia Comics
The Liberty Brigade
Rufus is given a new lease on life in the a pages of The Liberty Brigade. In his new retcon, his secret identity is Howard Latimer, who was named after his great uncle – Lewis Howard Latimer, the son of former slaves. For further info, Lewis Howard Latimer was the inventor who worked with Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. Latier helped draft the patents for the telephone and the incandescent light bulb as well as creating his own inventions, including an early air conditioning unit.
It is revealed that “Rufus” is an alias issued by the U.S. government to protect his true identity. Like his great uncle, Howard is a genius, who holds three PhDs, worked with Albert Einstein, and created gadgets for The Liberty Brigade. It is also revealed that Rufus is the father of Beatrice Latimer, who becomes the superheroine K the Unknown.