Origin
During the American Revolutionary War, an American patriot was killed by Hessian mercenaries while successfully defending a supply wagon train bound for General George Washington’s troop encampment at Valley Forge. However, this patriot’s spirit remains on Earth and will reappear whenever America needs him most (a la King Arthur).
Creation
Uncle Sam was created by Will Eisner for Quality Comics. He first appeared in National Comics #1 in July 1940. He was later acquired by DC Comics along with other Quality creations in 1956.
Character Evolution
After DC Comics acquired Uncle Sam, he was placed on the pre-Crisis Earth-Two and was given a new origin. In this new version, the Founding Fathers performed a mystical ritual that conjured the American Spirit and bound it to an artifact called the American Talisman. Whenever America was in its greatest need, the Talisman was bind the Spirit of America with a patriotic citizen, thus creating the hero Uncle Sam.
In 1940, the spirit of American bound itself with a man named Samuel, who became the new Uncle Sam and joined the All-Star Squadron in the fight against the Axis powers.
In this incarnation, Uncle Sam had the ability to travel between parallel universes and soon discovered Earth-X, where America was defeated by the Axis powers. Uncle Sam recruited a number of costumed heroes as members into a team called the Freedom Fighters. Eventually the Freedom Fighters, along with the Earth-One JLA and Earth-Two JSA, overthrew Earth-X’s Nazi government.
As a result of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, history was changed so that Earth-Two and Earth-X never existed. In this post-Crisis New Earth, Uncle Sam still battles for the rights and freedoms of American’s today. His history was altered to show many different hosts, including a Revolutionary Minuteman, a Civil War-era duo representing the Union and the Confederacy, a World War I soldier, and a World War II soldier – the last host before the spirit of America vanished. The spirit of America later returned as the Patriot during the Imperiex War, but later returned to his Uncle Sam incarnation.
Major Story Arcs
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Uncle Sam helped lead the Justice League of America and the Titans against the Anti-Monitor. When the Multiverse was destroyed, Uncle Sam and his history was erased.
Infinite Crisis
During this Crisis, the Society defeated the Freedom Fighters. Uncle Sam was personally defeated by Black Adam. However, the American spirit was able to bring Uncle Sam back, and he would later reform a new version of the Freedom Fighters: Firebrand, Doll Man, the Human Bomb, Phantom Lady, and the Red Bee. The led the fight against Father Time and the agents of S.H.A.D.E.
Blackest Night
Uncle Sam joined forces with other heroes in the battle against the Black Lanterns, which included dead former members of the Freedom Fighters.
Personal Information
Physical Attributes
- Height: 6′ 3″
- Weight: 210 lbs.
- Eye Color: Blue
- Hair Color: White
Status
- Real name: Unknown
- Occupation: Patriotic hero
- Citizenship: United States of America
Powers and Abilities
- Superstrength
- Invulnerability
- Size manipulation
- All powers are proportional to America’s faith in its ideal, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Alternate Version
Earth-10 (Post-52)
On the Earth, Hitler and the Axis powers won World War II. Uncle Sam leads the Freedom Fighters against Hitler’s forces, which includes Nazified versions of the Justice League.
Earth-11 (Post-52)
This Earth features gender-reversed superheroes, so Uncle Sam is now a woman named Columbia but is still the leader of the Freedom Fighters.
Vertigo
In the miniseries Uncle Sam, the character is depicted as a homeless man who suffers from visions of previous lives where he was involved in major events of American history. He is forced to accept his mantel and fight a dark-side version of himself who embodies everything that has become corrupted in American society.
Other Media
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
A version of Uncle Sam appeared in the episode “Cry Freedom Fighters!” along side the post-Infinite Crisis Freedom Fighters lineup. Peter Renaday portrayed Uncle Sam’s voice.