| FREEDOM FIGHTERS | BIOGRAPHY |
Freedom Fighters; Art by Shane Davis
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TEAM DATA
Status: Active
Current Members: Uncle Sam, Miss America, Ray II, Doll Man III, Human Bomb II, Phantom Lady III, Black Condor III,
Base of Operation: Mobile, but based in Washington DC; the Heartland
First Appearance: Justice League of America #107 (September-October 1973)
OVERVIEW
The living spirit of America, Uncle Sam brought together a group of heroes to try and prevent the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and a number of the heroes - Invisible Justice, Magno, Red Torpedo and Neon the Unknown - perished, with Hourman thought to be the only survivor, though the final member of the group, Miss America, was discovered to have survived also some time later.
Uncle Sam later formed a second group of Freedom Fighters, who served alongside the All-Star Squadron for much of the second World War, before going on to battle tyranny worldwide. The members of the group, who all absorbed a measure of Uncle Sam's longevity were Black Condor, Doll Man, Firebrand I, the Human Bomb, Midnight, Phantom Lady, Quicksilver (Max Mercury), The Ray and the Red Bee.
The Red Bee died on an early mission of the Freedom Fighters. Of the others, only Max Mercury remains active as a hero, though Phantom Lady, the Ray and Black Condor are all still alive.
MEMBERSHIP
HISTORY
Originally gathered together to be warned of the upcoming dangers facing America at home and abroad by the personification of the American Spirit, Uncle Sam, mystery men including The Ray and The Black Condor, began to focus their energies on fighting Nazi saboteurs and spies.
On December 6, 1941, however, Uncle Sam gathered a group of mystery men (Neon the Unknown, Miss America, Invisible Justice, The Red Torpedo, Hourman, Magno) to battle an upcoming threat to America, which turned out to be a Japanese task force set on destroying Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. They failed to stop the entire force, and several of them (Neon, Magno and possibly Invisible Justice) were killed. Uncle Sam and Miss America were picked up later on December 7, Uncle Sam dismissed as a lunatic and Miss America's comatose body returned to Project M. Hourman was picked up by a Japanese sub and taken for interrogation.
Over two months later, receiving another premonition, Uncle Sam appeared before the first full meeting of the All-Star Squadron and recruited several members to aid him in stopping a Japanese attack on Santa Barbara, California. Those heroes stopped the invasion fleet and rescued Hourman, but at the cost of the Red Bee's life. Joining Uncle Sam were The Ray, The Black Condor, The Human Bomb, The Phantom Lady and Doll Man. These six heroes made up the core group of the sub-team called the Freedom Fighters.
The group was later based in Washington DC, and was very informal, with no known headquarters. Other heroes were brought in on cases, either for a one-time or continuing basis, but their identities remain largely unknown. They included Quicksilver/Max Mercury, Manhunter (Dan Richards), Midnight and possibly others. It is not known whether the group continued after World War II, but they were apprehended by the conquerors from Appellax and put in internment camps along with the Blackhawks and the JSA. They were later freed by the newly formed Justice League of America. The Freedom Fighters attempted a comeback but retired after seeing Firebrand fall in battle.
In recent years, Uncle Sam and other embodiments of the American spirit merged to become the Patriot, but recent events re-awoke the traditional spirit and Uncle Sam walked the nation once more. He reformed the Freedom Fighters with mostly second-generation heroes: Black Condor II, Damage Human Bomb (I), Iron Munro, Phantom Lady II and The Ray. This incarnation of the team was disbanded after the Human Bomb, Black Condor, Uncle Sam and Phantom Lady were killed by the Secret Society of Super-Villains during the events known as the Infinite Crisis.
Uncle Sam rose from apparent death once again and decided to recruit a new Freedom Force, something which brought him into conflict with the secret organization S.H.A.D.E., led by Father Time, which was forming its own incarnation of Freedom Fighters to use for black ops. Uncle Sam disapproved of the brutality of the S.H.A.D.E. agents but was soon able to win over these new versions of the classic freedom fighters.
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of Freedom Fighters in chronological order click here
PROFILE REFERENCES
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #8 (October 1985)