The Flag is a comic book superhero, first seen in ''Our Flag'' #2 (October 1941) (

Ace Comics ''Ace Comics'' was a comic book series published by David McKay Publications between 1937 and 1949 — starting just before the Golden Age of Comic Books. The title reprinted syndicated newspaper strips owned by King Features Syndicate, follow ...

). The character continued in ''Our Flag'' until issue #5 (April 1942), and also appeared in ''Four Favorites'' #6 (July 1942). He was given two stories per issue — an expression of the publishers' confidence in the character — but he lasted for less than a year. Fall 1941 was a boom period for patriotic superheroes as the country prepared to enter

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

; during this period, comic book publishers also launched

Miss Victory Miss Victory is an American superheroine who first appeared in ''Captain Fearless'' #1 (Aug. 1941), published by Frank Z. Temerson's Helnit Publishing Co. Ceasing to be published after 1946, she was revived and updated in 1984 as a central chara ...

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

, the Star-Spangled Kid,

U.S. Jones Fox Feature Syndicate (also known as Fox Comics, Fox Publications, and Bruns Publications, Inc.) was a comic book publisher from early in the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Founded by entrepreneur Victor S. ...

, the Fighting Yank,

Captain Flag Captain Flag is a superhero created by MLJ Comics' writer Joe Blair and artist Lin Streeter. He first appeared in September 1941, in issue #16 of '' Blue Ribbon Comics''. He continued until the last issue, ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' #22 (March 1942). ...

and

Yank and Doodle Yank & Doodle is a pair of superheroes who first appeared in the Prize Publications title ''Prize Comics'' in August 1941. They were revived by Dynamite Entertainment in the 2000s. Identical twins Rick and Dick Walters, being too young to enlist ...

, among others.

Publication history

Lou Mougin writes that for the Flag's first issue in ''Our Flag'' #2, "

Jim Mooney James Noel Mooney (August 13, 1919 – March 30, 2008) was an American comics artist best known for his long tenure at DC Comics and as the signature artist of Supergirl, as well as a Marvel Comics inker and Spider-Man artist, both during wh ...

drew him on the cover, winging his way past busted Nazi planes, tanks, and Nazis. Behind him, he left a red-white-and-blue trail with stars. Can't be much more patriotically inclined than that". Mougin described the debut of the Flag as "a good origin, a good costume, good powers, a good weakness, and so-so art for the first story", and said that the further stories, drawn by Harry Anderson, were an improvement.

Character biography

Disabled war veteran and flag-maker John Courtney ("Old Glory") finds a baby boy with a birthmark that resembles an

American flag The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the c ...

on his doorstep, on Flag Day. Believing there's something special about this child, he names him Jim and raises him as his son. On Jim's 21st birthday, he has a vision of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, telling him that "his life was selected by us to perform hard and dangerous tasks". He has the gift of super speed and the strength of 100 men, and he can't be hurt by any weapons. He can activate these powers by touching his birthmark. Jim takes on the alias "the Flag" and uses his powers to help others. According to ''Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes'', "Jim uses these powers to fight enemies of America, whether domestic (crooked businessmen who seek to control the country) or foreign (Germans and Japanese)".

References

Golden Age superheroes 1941 comics debuts {{comics-char-stub