Uncle Sam (Quality Comics character)

Uncle Sam was a gestalt entity who served as a superhero from the 18th to 20th centuries, fighting injustice from the American Revolutionary War through World War II. 
During the mid-20th century, Uncle Sam fought fascism in its many forms, such as the would-be dictators the Black Legion, Andel Cobra, Yiffendi, and King Killer, while also taking on the underworld, fighting to remove the influences of figures like Boss Hank McFlague from politics. 
==Biography==
===18th Century===
====Birth of the Spirit====
In 1776, the new flag of the United States was hoisted and flown, and a new spirit was born from that action. (COMIC: The Coming of Uncle Sam)
In 1777, a Continental Army soldier by the name of Sam had sacrificed his life, distracting Hessian soldiers who sought to prevent a supply train bound for Valley Forge from reaching George Washington. Sam was gunned down but content knowing he had saved the supply train. As he lay dying, the spirit rose over the horizon, congratulating him for saving the country. The spirit merged with Sam, telling him that as one being they would guide America through the future. (COMIC: The True Story of Uncle Sam--Who He Was and How He Came To Be)
=== 19th Century===
====Civil War====
Sam flew the flag during the American Civil War, and later looked on as peace was declared. (COMIC: The Coming of Uncle Sam)
===20th Century===
====The Great War====
Sam was in the trenches during World War I, fighting to preserve democracy, (COMIC: The Coming of Uncle Sam) and led the American forces to victory. (COMIC: The True Story of Uncle Sam--Who He Was and How He Came To Be)
==== Social Justice ====
Uncle Sam fought to protect strikers and protestors in the early 20th century. (COMIC: The True Story of Uncle Sam--Who He Was and How He Came To Be)
====Purple Shirt revolt====
During the Great Depression, thousands of homeless and jobless Americans gathered into a large encampment outside the borders of states that had turned them down for entry. Bitter at the world, they soon fell in line behind Andel Cobra, whose men preached that democracy was dead and a dictatorship would be the way of the future. The Oakies soon unified under the banner of a flaming sword across a crucifix, and became the Purple Shirts. (COMIC: The Coming of Uncle Sam)
Local citizen Ezra Smith sought to show the Purple Shirts the error of their ways, but after making headway, was murdered in cold blood by Scar and Snyle. Smith's young son Buddy Smith wandered into the desert, where he came across Uncle Sam. Sam explained who he was while he tried to cheer up Buddy, and shrugged off a boulder dropped onto him by Snyle. Snyle fled when it had no effect but was caught by Smith. Uncle Sam tried to find out why he did it, but when the cowardly man couldn't provide an answer, let him go with a warning. (COMIC: The Coming of Uncle Sam)
====J.P. Potter's news-silencing campaign====
(COMIC: Smashing the Enemies of Free Speech)
==Weapons and Abilities==
===Inherent Abilities ===
*Dexterity: Uncle Sam was able to climb the brickwork skyscraper that is the Potter Building. (COMIC: Smashing the Enemies of Free Speech)
*Durability: Uncle Sam was physically durable enough to
** shrug off a falling boulder estimated to have weighed a tonThe boulder was estimated to have weighed a ton by Buddy Smith, who, as a child, may not have given a reliable estimate of its weight. and gun stocks being snapped on his head (COMIC: The Coming of Uncle Sam)
**close his hands over an explosive device and contain the explosion in his hands
**survive being dropped into molten metal unscathed
**Cause bayonets to bend following stabbing attempts (COMIC: Peril at the Panama Canal)
*Leaping: Uncle Sam was able to cover large distances in single bounds. He once jumped off of an exploding battleship and grabbed on to a plane flying above. (COMIC: The Hollywood Invasion Plot)
*Mediumship: Uncle Sam was able to speak with the spirit of George Washington. (COMIC: The Hollywood Invasion Plot)
*Speed: Uncle Sam was fast enough to catch bullets and could run at exceptional speeds, (COMIC: The Coming of Uncle Sam) including up to 50 mph. (COMIC: Genius of Destruction)
*Stamina: Uncle Sam was able to fight for three consecutive days and nights.
*Strength: Sam was strong enough lift a speeding roadster over his head one-handed while balanced on one foot. (COMIC: The Coming of Uncle Sam)
== Notes==
*Uncle Sam was created by Will Eisner for Quality Comics.
*Everett M. "Busy" Arnold didn't care for the first issue of Uncle Sam Quarterly, calling it a punk job in a letter to Eisner and complaining about numerous spelling errors.Will Eisner: A Spirited Life - Bob Andelman - TwoMorrows Publishing - Published 2015 - Page 40 - Retrieved 31 January 2021
*Uncle Sam was later purchased by DC Comics after the fall of Quality.The Encyclopedia of Superheroes - Jeff Rovin - Facts on File Publications - Published 1985 - Page 322
==Appearances==
*National Comics
**The Coming of Uncle Sam (first appearance)
**Smashing the Enemies of Free Speech
**Yiffendi Invades the Philippines
**The Floating Islands
**The True Story of Uncle Sam--Who He Was and How He Came To Be (first appearance chronologically)
**Sabotage
**Uncle Sam Leads the Way
**Spy With Two Faces
**The Threat of Boss McFlague
**The Phony Heinrich Brun
**The Steelville Story
**Epidemic of Destruction
**The Mine Slaves
**The Great Darkness
**Genius of Destruction
**The Hollywood Invasion Plot
**Peril at the Panama Canal
==Links==
*Uncle Sam on Wikipedia
*Uncle Sam on the DC Database
*Uncle Sam on the Public Domain Super Heroes Wiki
==References==
Category:Humans
Category:Heroes
Category:Murderers
Category:Veterans of the American Revolutionary War
Category:Veterans of the War of 1812
Category:Veterans of the American Civil War
Category:Veterans of WWI
Category:Veterans of WWII
Category:Superheroes
Category:Immortal Beings
Category:American characters
Category:Comic book characters
Category:Quality Comics characters