Today in the United States, it’s Independence Day, which generally means no postal service, small exposions everywhere, and random patriotic fervor throughout the day. Living as I do on the outskirts of a largish (for Kansas, anyway) city, I find that fervor revealing itself in the form of gunfire, shouting, that one Lee Greenwood song and the wearing of the red, white and blue. The only place one finds more stars-and-stripes attire than early July in the heartland (he said, transitioning effortlessly), is in the comic books where the example of The Shield (the first patriotic superhero) and his longer-lasting counterpart Captain America has led to dozens of imitators, from the Patriot to the Spirit of ’76 to Canada’s Guardian and Germany’s Hauptmann Deutschland. In the 21st Century, the idea of identifying yourself specifically with one country seems at once archaic and oddly honorable, and while you’ll never see me suiting up as “The Meadowlark” or “Captain Ad Astra”, it does beg a question…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) is probably going to fire some rockets tonight, but hopefully one of them will get Widget to a planet where she will become superhuman and act as a superhero, asking: Other than the obligatory Captain America, who is your favorite superhero to wears his or her nation’s colors?
14 Comments
I kinda want to go with Crimson Dynamo, but I don’t think there were any yellow accents to go with all that red.
Wolverine as “Captain Canada” on Super Hero Squad.
I’ve always liked Captain Britain’s costume incorporating the Union Flag. It is a simple enough design, but it is also easily recognizable (if you know the character). But to be honest, my main interest in the character is the loose ties he shared with the Marvel UK Doctor Who comics through the group The Special Executive.
I like Brian’s costume from MI:13, my favorite is probably Union Jack though.
Original Shield
Not a huge gathering i can think of to be honest.
Does Superman Red Son count? that was pretty interesting, if only because it was a bit different.
I’ll allow it!
I can’t think of that many and even fewer that I enjoy…Alisha said Captain Britain. I’ll have to go with him and Union Jack, unless Knight and Squire count, but I don’t think they do
Without a doubt, Captain Britain. I loved Excalibur!
The Star Spangled Kid and Stripesy.The national identity spread across the two heroes is a nice approach. I always loved the inversion of kid and sidekick, too.
Even though he is a bit of a Cap-clone, how about Red Guardian? I always liked that costume.
Second place to General Glory!
The second Red Guardian was even cooler (and cuter.)
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt80/hellcat21/redguardian23.jpg
Captain Canuck! It was a character put out by an independent publisher in the mid 70’s that lasted until the early 80’s.Check his entry out on Wikipedia!
What, no love for Hauptmann Deutschland? :p
Actually, I really dig both Union Jack & Captain Britain, but my favorite would be James Hudson’s original Vindicator/Guardian costume, with the big maple leaf across the side (and just the white mask with yellow eyes–none of those big red goggles like Heather wore).
SuperPatriot all the way! :D