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Freedom Fighters (comics)
Encyclopedia
Freedom Fighters is a DC Comics
comic book
superhero
team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics
. Although the characters were created by Quality, they never were gathered in a group before acquired by DC. The team first appeared in a Justice League of America
/Justice Society of America
team-up, which ran in Justice League of America #107-108 (October–December 1973
), written by Len Wein
and drawn by Dick Dillin
. Their own ongoing series premiered with Freedom Fighters #1 (April 1976
), written by Gerry Conway
and Martin Pasko
, and drawn by Rik Estrada.
The earliest version of the Freedom Fighters was assembled on December 7, 1941. This group, however, failed in its attempt to stop the devastation at Pearl Harbor
. Magno was killed. This version of the group was a retcon
and their deaths were depicted in the pages of Roy Thomas
' two books chronicling that era: All-Star Squadron
and the Young All-Stars
.
The DC version of the characters were said to reside on the parallel world
of "Earth-X", where Nazi Germany
eventually won a prolonged World War II
due to a Japanese invasion of California
and the development of nuclear weapons by the Nazis (which implies the successful Allied commando
raid on the Tinnsjå train ferry
, which delivered heavy water
, never happened in this world).
In addition to the core members of the "second team" which were the members seen in the seventies comic book, other Quality heroes joined later: Red Bee
, Miss America
, Manhunter
, Plastic Man
, and Quicksilver
.
Since the Crisis on Infinite Earths
, the Freedom Fighters have been based on the main DC Universe
Earth, and were all members of the All-Star Squadron.
Years after the war, a third version of the team surfaced in the 1980s, with the rise of a new age of heroes. The Justice Society
, Blackhawks
, and Freedom Fighters were captured by the alien Appellax creatures and placed in internment camps
. They were freed by the new Justice League of America
.
Then the Freedom Fighters regrouped for a brief time, but soon called it quits again when Firebrand was killed in battle with the Silver Ghost.
A fourth, more modern version of the team appeared as an auxiliary of the new Justice Society of America. The Human Bomb, Black Condor, and Phantom Lady were killed by the Secret Society of Super Villains
in Infinite Crisis
#1. Damage
was critically injured, Iron Munro
was not there for some reason, and the Ray
was captured by the Psycho-Pirate
, and connected to Alexander Luthor
's dimension-altering tower.
, led by Father Time
. The new team conducts assassinations and other illegal acts against criminal and terrorist organizations. As issue #1 of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters begins, the team is tasked to capture the revived Uncle Sam
, who is in the process of forming his own Freedom Fighters team; Sam subsequently recruits the S.H.A.D.E. members to his cause, openly disapproving of their use of deadly force (although they continue to kill people even under Uncle Sam's guidance).
This version of the team is loosely based on notes by Grant Morrison
and written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. Uncle Sam is portrayed as an almost Christ-like figure, returning from the dead, with the new Firebrand
filling a John the Baptist
role. Father Time is shown as aiding in Senator Frank Knight's being secretly murdered in the midst of his successful campaign for the Presidency of the U.S. and replaced by a sentient robot double, Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard
, who proceeds with an agenda to implant RFID chips in every U.S. citizen by law and control them to bring chaos to the world through war.
In Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #3, a team created by Father Time called First Strike
attacked the Freedom Fighters but not before being stopped by the new Black Condor.
In #4, Condor manages to weaken First Strike long enough for the Freedom Fighters to fight back. Human Bomb kills one First Strike's members, Propaganda, and the team heads back to S.H.A.D.E. headquarters.
In #5, The Freedom Fighters defeat First Strike, but are taken out by a young woman claiming to be Miss America
. While they are being tortured, S.H.A.D.E. headquarters is attacked by a new Red Bee and an old woman claiming to be the real Miss America.
In #6, the Freedom Fighters defeat the new Miss America with the original's help, forcing Father Time to retreat. As he begins "molting" into a new body, he gives the order to "activate the traitor." This turns out to be the Ray, who attacks and kills the new Invisible Hood
and calls down giant reinforcements.
In #7, The Freedom Fighters face off against the Cosmigods as Uncle Sam calls them. In the midst of the battle the traitorous Ray is confronted by the returning Ray Terrill. As predicted Gonzo turns on the newly rejuvenated Father Time, who proceeds to give Uncle Sam the evidence of to prove Gonzo's true identity. Sam presents the evidence to the world, and seemingly the final battle between First Strike and the Freedom Fighters begins.
In #8, The Freedom Fighters engage in battle against Gonzo's metahuman taskforce at the Washington Monument, and quickly gain support from the civilians. The public eye are now seeing them as real heroes, which was later revealed to be part of Father Time's plan all along. He tricked Gonzo into believing that S.H.A.D.E was against Uncle Sam, while in truth he was preparing the Freedom Fighters to help combat a major threat in the future. Father Time captures Gonzo and turns him into an 'Orphan Box' in the shape of a pair of spectacles. He plan to use it against Gonzo's creator, the Shadow Demons. All of the metahuman taskforce members disappear into the timestream along with Father Time shortly thereafter. A week later, the new President appoints the Freedom Fighters the new directors of S.H.A.D.E.
.
In the new Freedom Fighters mini-series written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti in 2007, Red Bee is captured by an alien insect swarm and transformed into a human/insect hybrid. At the same time, S.H.A.D.E. has planned to make the Freedom Fighters into media darlings to help increase faith in the government following the Amazonian incident.
Uncle Sam, Firebrand, Doll Man, and Human Bomb refuse to go along with the plan and return to the Heartland. For a time, the remaining Freedom Fighters become celebrities, part of a new group called the Crusaders. Red Bee later collapses in her apartment and a swarm of insects suddenly rise out of her body.
Phantom Lady, unable to cope with the media attention, goes on a binge spree, culminating in her drunkenly slicing a criminal in half on national television. Stormy is brought to the heartland, where her body is cleaned of toxins by Miss America.
Sam and Doll Man recruit the original Doll Man (Darrell Dane) from a micro-environment within the Pentagon. After the head of the Crusaders program, Robbins, tries to kill Red Bee, the Freedom Fighters confront him. It is revealed that Robbins has mental powers that he used to control the Crusaders — and Stormy — leading to her binge.
While the Crusaders and Freedom Fighters battle, Red Bee is overtaken by her insectoid side, and uses her pheromones to enslave the Crusaders and Freedom Fighters, and prepares to create a "hive" on Earth. Meanwhile, an attempt to cure the Doll Men and several other micro-sized individuals goes horribly wrong, as all of them are merged into a single mutant form. The mutant goes on a rampage until Emma Thompson reaches Lester. Red Bee is cured of her affliction by Langford Terrill, who had gained the powers of Neon the Unknown
. The team then prepares to fight off an invasion by the insectoids. After their victory, the group go their separate ways, but Sam declares that they will be needed when the Crisis
begins.
power rings are shown heading toward the graves of Phantom Lady
, Black Condor
, and Human Bomb
, presumably to revive them for use in the interstellar revenant army being assembled. Indeed, at least those three are seen later attacking JSA headquarters along with the undead revenants of the Society's members. These three Black Lanterns, along with Al Pratt's undead form, focus on attacking Damage
, though they have little success, continually getting blown up, regenerating and rising again to attack him, until Jean Loring
's revenant kills him.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics
Quality Comics
Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
. Although the characters were created by Quality, they never were gathered in a group before acquired by DC. The team first appeared in a Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
/Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
team-up, which ran in Justice League of America #107-108 (October–December 1973
1973 in comics
-Year overall:* Dell Comics, after 44 years in the comics business, ceases publication; a few of the company's former titles moving to Gold Key Comics....
), written by Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
and drawn by Dick Dillin
Dick Dillin
Richard Allen "Dick" Dillin was an American comic book artist best known for an extraordinarily long 12-year run as the penciler of the DC Comics superhero-team series Justice League of America. He drew 115 issues from 1968 up until his death, bridging the venerable title's Mike Sekowsky and...
. Their own ongoing series premiered with Freedom Fighters #1 (April 1976
1976 in comics
This is a list of comics-related events in 1976.- Year overall :* American Splendor, Harvey Pekar's long-running autobiographical comic book title, publishes its debut issue.* Fantagraphics Books, Inc. founded by Gary Groth and Michael Catron....
), written by Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
and Martin Pasko
Martin Pasko
Martin Pasko is a writer and editor in a diverse array of media, including comic books and television.Pasko has worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his work with DC Comics over three decades. He has written Superman in many media, including television animation, webisodes, and...
, and drawn by Rik Estrada.
Fictional team history
Although when the Freedom Fighters appeared in the first time in Justice League of America #107-108, they were considered natives from Earth-X, retroactive stories established the group as native from Earth-Two, who migrated to Earth-X.The earliest version of the Freedom Fighters was assembled on December 7, 1941. This group, however, failed in its attempt to stop the devastation at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
. Magno was killed. This version of the group was a retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
and their deaths were depicted in the pages of Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
' two books chronicling that era: All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
and the Young All-Stars
Young All-Stars
The Young All-Stars are a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes. They were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Michael Bair, and introduced in Young All-Stars #1, dated June 1987.-Publication history:...
.
The DC version of the characters were said to reside on the parallel world
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
of "Earth-X", where Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
eventually won a prolonged World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
due to a Japanese invasion of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the development of nuclear weapons by the Nazis (which implies the successful Allied commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
raid on the Tinnsjå train ferry
Norwegian heavy water sabotage
The Norwegian heavy water sabotage was a series of actions undertaken by Norwegian saboteurs during World War II to prevent the German nuclear energy project from acquiring heavy water , which could be used to produce nuclear weapons...
, which delivered heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
, never happened in this world).
In addition to the core members of the "second team" which were the members seen in the seventies comic book, other Quality heroes joined later: Red Bee
Red Bee (comics)
The Red Bee is a fictional superhero from the Golden Age of Comics who first appeared in Hit Comics #1, published in July 1940 by Quality Comics. The character was obtained by DC Comics in 1956...
, Miss America
Miss America (DC Comics)
Miss America is a fictional comic book superheroine from the . She was first created by Quality Comics in Military Comics #1 , and was carried over to DC Comics when they purchased Quality in the 1950s...
, Manhunter
Manhunter (comics)
-Golden Age:The first of DC's Manhunters was a non-costumed independent investigator, Paul Kirk, who helped police solve crimes during the early 1940s. Though the series was titled "Paul Kirk, Manhunter", Kirk didn't use the Manhunter name as an alias...
, Plastic Man
Plastic Man
Plastic Man is a fictional comic-book superhero originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, he first appeared in Police Comics #1 ....
, and Quicksilver
Max Mercury
Max Mercury is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero based on Quality Comics' Quicksilver.- Publication history :He first appeared in Quality's National Comics #5, cover dated November 1940, as Quicksilver...
.
Since the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, the Freedom Fighters have been based on the main DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
Earth, and were all members of the All-Star Squadron.
Years after the war, a third version of the team surfaced in the 1980s, with the rise of a new age of heroes. The Justice Society
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
, Blackhawks
Blackhawk (comics)
Blackhawk, a long-running comic book series, was also a film serial, a radio series and a novel. The comic book was published first by Quality Comics and later by DC Comics. The series was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera, and Bob Powell, but the artist most associated with the feature is Reed...
, and Freedom Fighters were captured by the alien Appellax creatures and placed in internment camps
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
. They were freed by the new Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
.
Then the Freedom Fighters regrouped for a brief time, but soon called it quits again when Firebrand was killed in battle with the Silver Ghost.
A fourth, more modern version of the team appeared as an auxiliary of the new Justice Society of America. The Human Bomb, Black Condor, and Phantom Lady were killed by the Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
in Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
#1. Damage
Damage (comics)
Damage is a DC Comics superhero who first appeared in a comic book of the same name during the Zero Hour crisis. He is the son of the original Atom Al Pratt. He has been a member of the Titans, the Freedom Fighters, and Justice Society of America....
was critically injured, Iron Munro
Iron Munro
Iron Munro is a fictional superhero, who first appeared in Shadow Comics #1 , published by Street & Smith. He is loosely based on Aarn Munro, the hero of a series of short stories written by John W. Campbell in the 1930s...
was not there for some reason, and the Ray
Ray (comics)
The Ray is the name of four fictional characters, all superheroes in the DC Comics universe.The first Ray was a Quality Comics character who was one of those purchased by DC Comics. He was later retconned as a member of the Freedom Fighters...
was captured by the Psycho-Pirate
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
, and connected to Alexander Luthor
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
's dimension-altering tower.
Current team
A new team of heroes debuted in the limited series Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven, and later featured as Freedom Fighters members in the miniseries Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, which premiered in July 2006. This team consists of new incarnations of the Phantom Lady, the Ray (Stan Silver), the Human Bomb, Doll Man, Bigfoot, Destroyer and Face. It is part of S.H.A.D.E., a secret American government agency chartered under the USA PATRIOT ActUSA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
, led by Father Time
Father Time (DC Comics)
Father Time is a fictional character, a supervillain in publications from DC Comics. The character first appeared in Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein #3 , and was created by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke.-Fictional character biography:...
. The new team conducts assassinations and other illegal acts against criminal and terrorist organizations. As issue #1 of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters begins, the team is tasked to capture the revived Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam (comics)
Uncle Sam is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero based on national personification of the United States, Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam first appeared in National Comics #1 and was created by Will Eisner.-Quality Comics:...
, who is in the process of forming his own Freedom Fighters team; Sam subsequently recruits the S.H.A.D.E. members to his cause, openly disapproving of their use of deadly force (although they continue to kill people even under Uncle Sam's guidance).
This version of the team is loosely based on notes by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. Uncle Sam is portrayed as an almost Christ-like figure, returning from the dead, with the new Firebrand
Firebrand (DC Comics)
Firebrand is a name that has been used by four heroes by DC Comics.-Rod Reilly:Published by Quality Comics from August 1941 to November 1942, Rod Reilly was the bored and wealthy socialite son of a steel tycoon, who decided to fight crime with his servant and friend, "Slugger" Dunn...
filling a John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
role. Father Time is shown as aiding in Senator Frank Knight's being secretly murdered in the midst of his successful campaign for the Presidency of the U.S. and replaced by a sentient robot double, Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard
Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard
Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard is a fictional character, a robot supervillain in the DC Universe. The character first appears in The Battle For Blüdhaven #1 , and becomes the main villain of the Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters limited series . It was created by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and...
, who proceeds with an agenda to implant RFID chips in every U.S. citizen by law and control them to bring chaos to the world through war.
First Strike (comics)
First Strike is a fictional government funded team of superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #3 , and were created by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Daniel Acuña...
attacked the Freedom Fighters but not before being stopped by the new Black Condor.
In #4, Condor manages to weaken First Strike long enough for the Freedom Fighters to fight back. Human Bomb kills one First Strike's members, Propaganda, and the team heads back to S.H.A.D.E. headquarters.
In #5, The Freedom Fighters defeat First Strike, but are taken out by a young woman claiming to be Miss America
Miss America (DC Comics)
Miss America is a fictional comic book superheroine from the . She was first created by Quality Comics in Military Comics #1 , and was carried over to DC Comics when they purchased Quality in the 1950s...
. While they are being tortured, S.H.A.D.E. headquarters is attacked by a new Red Bee and an old woman claiming to be the real Miss America.
In #6, the Freedom Fighters defeat the new Miss America with the original's help, forcing Father Time to retreat. As he begins "molting" into a new body, he gives the order to "activate the traitor." This turns out to be the Ray, who attacks and kills the new Invisible Hood
Invisible Hood
The Invisible Hood is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He was originally owned by Quality Comics, but was later acquired by DC Comics, along with other Quality characters...
and calls down giant reinforcements.
In #7, The Freedom Fighters face off against the Cosmigods as Uncle Sam calls them. In the midst of the battle the traitorous Ray is confronted by the returning Ray Terrill. As predicted Gonzo turns on the newly rejuvenated Father Time, who proceeds to give Uncle Sam the evidence of to prove Gonzo's true identity. Sam presents the evidence to the world, and seemingly the final battle between First Strike and the Freedom Fighters begins.
In #8, The Freedom Fighters engage in battle against Gonzo's metahuman taskforce at the Washington Monument, and quickly gain support from the civilians. The public eye are now seeing them as real heroes, which was later revealed to be part of Father Time's plan all along. He tricked Gonzo into believing that S.H.A.D.E was against Uncle Sam, while in truth he was preparing the Freedom Fighters to help combat a major threat in the future. Father Time captures Gonzo and turns him into an 'Orphan Box' in the shape of a pair of spectacles. He plan to use it against Gonzo's creator, the Shadow Demons. All of the metahuman taskforce members disappear into the timestream along with Father Time shortly thereafter. A week later, the new President appoints the Freedom Fighters the new directors of S.H.A.D.E.
Further adventures
In Countdown #38, the Freedom Fighters are seen trying to stop an unplanned nuclear missile launch, initiated by the CalculatorCalculator (comics)
The Calculator is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Detective Comics #463 , and he was created by Bob Rozakis and Mike Grell.-Publication history:...
.
In the new Freedom Fighters mini-series written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti in 2007, Red Bee is captured by an alien insect swarm and transformed into a human/insect hybrid. At the same time, S.H.A.D.E. has planned to make the Freedom Fighters into media darlings to help increase faith in the government following the Amazonian incident.
Uncle Sam, Firebrand, Doll Man, and Human Bomb refuse to go along with the plan and return to the Heartland. For a time, the remaining Freedom Fighters become celebrities, part of a new group called the Crusaders. Red Bee later collapses in her apartment and a swarm of insects suddenly rise out of her body.
Phantom Lady, unable to cope with the media attention, goes on a binge spree, culminating in her drunkenly slicing a criminal in half on national television. Stormy is brought to the heartland, where her body is cleaned of toxins by Miss America.
Sam and Doll Man recruit the original Doll Man (Darrell Dane) from a micro-environment within the Pentagon. After the head of the Crusaders program, Robbins, tries to kill Red Bee, the Freedom Fighters confront him. It is revealed that Robbins has mental powers that he used to control the Crusaders — and Stormy — leading to her binge.
While the Crusaders and Freedom Fighters battle, Red Bee is overtaken by her insectoid side, and uses her pheromones to enslave the Crusaders and Freedom Fighters, and prepares to create a "hive" on Earth. Meanwhile, an attempt to cure the Doll Men and several other micro-sized individuals goes horribly wrong, as all of them are merged into a single mutant form. The mutant goes on a rampage until Emma Thompson reaches Lester. Red Bee is cured of her affliction by Langford Terrill, who had gained the powers of Neon the Unknown
Neon the Unknown
Neon the Unknown is a fictional superhero from the Golden Age of Comic Books created by Jerry Iger for Quality Comics. Neon first appeared in a story penciled and inked by Lou Fine in Hit Comics #1 and was featured on the cover of that same issue...
. The team then prepares to fight off an invasion by the insectoids. After their victory, the group go their separate ways, but Sam declares that they will be needed when the Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
begins.
Blackest Night
In the Blackest Night crossover event, Black LanternBlack Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
power rings are shown heading toward the graves of Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a fictional superheroine, one of the first female superhero characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was subsequently published by a series of now-defunct comic book companies, and a new version of the...
, Black Condor
Black Condor
Black Condor is the name of three fictional characters, DC Comics superheroes who have all been members of the Freedom Fighters. The first Black Condor, Richard Grey Jr., was originally a Quality Comics character.-Quality Comics:...
, and Human Bomb
Human Bomb
The Human Bomb is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Police Comics #1 , and was created by writer and artist Paul Gustavson.-Publication history:...
, presumably to revive them for use in the interstellar revenant army being assembled. Indeed, at least those three are seen later attacking JSA headquarters along with the undead revenants of the Society's members. These three Black Lanterns, along with Al Pratt's undead form, focus on attacking Damage
Damage (comics)
Damage is a DC Comics superhero who first appeared in a comic book of the same name during the Zero Hour crisis. He is the son of the original Atom Al Pratt. He has been a member of the Titans, the Freedom Fighters, and Justice Society of America....
, though they have little success, continually getting blown up, regenerating and rising again to attack him, until Jean Loring
Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with superhero the Atom for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in Showcase #34 , created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane...
's revenant kills him.
Ongoing series
A new ongoing Freedom Fighters series began in September 2010. However, it was canceled after only 9 issues.Other versions
- In the final issue of 5252 (comic book)52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
, a new Multiverse is revealed, consisting of 52 realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-10", X being the Roman Numeral for 10. This new alternate Earth differs from the original pre-Crisis Earth-X. In original continuity, the Freedom Fighters were the only metahumans on the original Earth-X. However, the new Earth-10 is premised on the continued ascendancy of Nazi GermanyNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, which was defeated in the original JLA/JSA/Freedom Fighters crossover. Earth-10 is home to the JLAxis, which consists of Nazi counterparts of the Justice League, who combat an alternate version of the Freedom Fighters. Prefigured by comments by Grant MorrisonGrant MorrisonGrant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-X, which renders these new characters unrelated to previous versions. - The original Freedom Fighters appeared in Justice League Unlimited #17. A rogue US Government agency sends them against the Justice League. The roll call was Uncle SamUncle Sam (comics)Uncle Sam is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero based on national personification of the United States, Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam first appeared in National Comics #1 and was created by Will Eisner.-Quality Comics:...
, Doll ManDoll ManNote: This article is about the Quality Comics character. For the Full Moon Features film Dollman, see Dollman . For the article on the movie's titular character, please see Brick Bardo....
, Human BombHuman BombThe Human Bomb is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Police Comics #1 , and was created by writer and artist Paul Gustavson.-Publication history:...
, Phantom LadyPhantom LadyPhantom Lady is a fictional superheroine, one of the first female superhero characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was subsequently published by a series of now-defunct comic book companies, and a new version of the...
, the RayRay (comics)The Ray is the name of four fictional characters, all superheroes in the DC Comics universe.The first Ray was a Quality Comics character who was one of those purchased by DC Comics. He was later retconned as a member of the Freedom Fighters...
, and Black CondorBlack CondorBlack Condor is the name of three fictional characters, DC Comics superheroes who have all been members of the Freedom Fighters. The first Black Condor, Richard Grey Jr., was originally a Quality Comics character.-Quality Comics:...
. A line of dialogue in the story clarifies that the Ray included as a member of the Freedom Fighters is the father of the RayRay (Ray Terrill)The Ray is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is the second character to use the codename The Ray. Ray Terrill first appeared in The Ray #1 , and was created by Jack C...
who appeared in several episodes of the Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
animated series. - In the WildStormWildStormWildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
miniseries The Authority: Revolution, the initial protagonists are a group called the "Sons of Liberty", a superpatriot group of the 1940s and 1950s. They consist of Paul Revere (super-strength and "broadcast empath"), Minute-Maid (super-strength), Johnny Rocketman (supersonic flight), the Human Hand-Grenade (with the power to shrink, explode, and re-constitute his own body), and Fallout (a man with undefined nuclear powers who wears a shroud). The group is a pastiche of the Freedom Fighters. - In the DC Comics universe, the "Sons of Liberty" were a paramilitary group that funded Agent LibertyAgent LibertyAgent Liberty is a fictional character from DC Comics. He first appeared in Superman vol. 2, #60 . He was also briefly a member of Justice League America during Superman's death...
. - In Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Superwoman/Batwoman #1, written by Freedom Fighters writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, Earth-11 was revealed to be an Earth home to gender-reversed versions of the heroes of New Earth. Among them were the Freedom Fighters, consisting of female versions of the Ray, Human Bomb, Black Condor, and, strangely, Etrigan, as well as a male version of Phantom Lady named Phantom Man. They are led by Columbia, a female version of Uncle Sam.
- In an alternate timeline featured in The All-New Booster Gold #8, a group calling themselves the Freedom Fighters exists. It consists of Hawkman, Green ArrowGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
, AnthroAnthro (comics)Anthro is a fictional character published by DC Comics. Anthro was created by cartoonist Howard Post; he first appeared in Showcase #74, .-Publication history:...
, Wild DogWild Dog (comics)Wild Dog is a fictional vigilante based in the Quad Cities published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Wild Dog #1 , and was created by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty.-Publication history:...
, and PanthaPanthaPantha is a fictional character, a superhero published by DC Comics. She first appeared in New Titans #73 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and Tom Grummett.-Fictional character biography:...
. - In "Time of Crisis", the Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
homage module for Mutants and Masterminds, the Übermenschen team is composed of analogues to the original Freedom Fighters.
Television
- Ray IIRay (comics)The Ray is the name of four fictional characters, all superheroes in the DC Comics universe.The first Ray was a Quality Comics character who was one of those purchased by DC Comics. He was later retconned as a member of the Freedom Fighters...
made background appearances in the Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
animated series. - The original Freedom Fighters appear in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Cry Freedom Fighters!". The line-up consists of Uncle Sam as the leader, Doll Man, Human Bomb, the Ray, Phantom Lady, and the Black Condor, with Plastic ManPlastic ManPlastic Man is a fictional comic-book superhero originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, he first appeared in Police Comics #1 ....
assisting along with BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
.