The fourth of July celebrates American independence with a day filled with fireworks and hamburgers on the grill. However, American patriotism goes a lot deeper than the annual holiday. It’s embedded within the country’s culture, including comic books. Since comics gained immense popularity during World War II, patriotic heroes have been a mainstay. Let’s take a look at some memorable and not-so-memorable patriotic comic book characters.

Captain America

Captain America first made his debut in 1940 when he punched Adolf Hitler right in his dumb face. Since then, he’s been the first hero that comes to mind when you think about patriotic characters. The man behind the mask, Steve Rogers, isn’t the only character who has taken on the mantle of Captain America though.

Superman

Marvel has Captain America and DC has Superman. While the character, who first appeared in 1938, doesn’t have a costume as patriotic as some heroes, he does stand for truth, justice, and the American way, even though he’s not even from the planet Earth.

Super-Soldier

What do you get when you put Superman and Captain America together, literally? You get Super-Soldier. DC and Marvel published a few books together under the Amalgam banner in 1996, and Super-Soldier was their top hero. He was an ordinary man, injected with a super-soldier serum which contained alien DNA.

Uncle Sam

While Uncle Sam was the man on the posters more than 70 years ago trying to get people to join the military, he was a superhero in books at DC. He formed the group the Freedom Fighters. His powers included strength and size variation, which came from the belief and faith the people have for America.

Nuke

Not every patriotic character is a hero: There are some villains as well. Nuke was a failed attempt to recreate Captain America. The character is primarily known for the American flag tattoo across his face. He blindly follows orders from superiors, and most of the time, his superiors are villains.

Iron Patriot

Depending on who is inside the armor, Iron Patriot could be considered a villain as well. Originally, the man inside the armor was none other than Norman Osborn, also known as the Green Goblin. The President put him in charge of a peacekeeping task force, so Osborn stole one of Iron Man’s suits of armor and painted it in Captain America’s colors. Later, James Rhodes helmed the suit.

Miss America

Miss America first made her debut in 1943 as part of the Invaders and All-Winners Squad. She got struck by lightning and gained some amazing abilities like flight, strength, and invulnerability. She fought alongside heroes like Captain America during the war.

The Comedian

The Comedian is not a good guy by any stretch of the imagination. He’s committed numerous atrocious acts, many in the name of defending America, blindly following the orders of a tyrannical American government. He’s a cold-blooded killer, even killing the mother of his unborn child. His death was the start of the iconic Watchmen series.

Fighting Yank

Back in 1941, Fighting Yank came to be after a Revolutionary War ghost appeared to Bruce Carter. The ghost led Carter to a magical cloak that turned him into the Fighting Yank. The ghost continued to follow Carter, guiding him in battle against the Axis in WWII.

The Shield

The Shield was the first patriotic superhero. The character predates Captain America, beating him to store shelves by a year. Joe Higgen was originally an American soldier that went through an experimental procedure to enhance his abilities. Yes, his origin is near identical to Captain America’s.

Liberty Belle

DC has their own line of patriotic heroes during the 40s. One of the more popular ones was Liberty Belle, a member of the All-Star Squadron. She gets her powers by ringing a miniature Liberty Bell, which gives her enhanced speed and strength.

Mr. America: The Americommando

Tex Thomson is so patriotic that he gets two amazing names. He’s Mr. America. He’s also the Americommando. Tex is a skilled hand-to-hand fighter from the Golden Age of comics. Franklin Delano Roosevelt enlisted the help of Thomson during WWII to become a secret agent behind enemy lines. Later, Tex’s grandson, Trey (pictured above), took the Mr. America moniker while working with the Justice Society.

Star-Spangled Kid

Star-Spangled Kid was one of the many patriotic superheroes during the early 40s. Sylvester Pemberton and a friend saw a patriotic movie and after it was over, he overheard someone say they wish the American flag would come to life and get justice on those who defiled it. He designed the star-covered costume and became the Star-Spangled Kid, a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory.

American Dream

In the MC2 Marvel Universe, a parallel dimension made up of a lot of new heroes, Sharon Carter became American Dream. She idolized Captain America and trained every day to be just like him. She eventually joined the team A-Next and impressed Captain America so much that he gave her his iconic shield.

Yankee Poodle

Rova Barkitt was a gossip columnist in a parallel DC universe where everyone is an anthropomorphic animal. She got struck by a meteor fragment and became Yankee Poodle. She has the powers of “animal magnetism,” which is pretty much just telekinesis. The comedic character joined forces with other heroes in the Zoo Crew.

GI Joe: The Real American Hero

There are a few teams as well that are incredibly patriotic as well. The most notable is G.I. Joe: The Real American Hero. This group of American soldiers and specialists is a counter-terrorism task force that takes on the evil Cobra. G.I. Joe had some memorable characters, which also included WWE wrestler Sgt. Slaughter and Chicago Bears defensive lineman William “The Refrigerator” Perry. Yes, Perry was actually in one issue of the comic series by Devil’s Due Publishing.

Justice Society of America

The Justice Society of America saved the life of the President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and began fighting against the Axis during WWII. The original group featured the first appearances of both the Flash and the Green Lantern, who were later reinvented during the Silver Age of comics. Both Wonder Woman and Superman eventually became members. The group is still around, but the series was rebooted to make the team younger, as opposed to being comprised of aged heroes.

Force of July

Easily, the best-named patriotic superhero team goes to DC’s Force of July. They first popped up in the mid-80s, when things were getting really gritty and dark in comics. This team took on anyone that went against America’s best interests and featured characters you’ve probably never heard of: Major Victory, Lady Liberty, Silent Majority, and Sparkler.

All-Winners Squad

While DC had the Justice Society to fight off the Axis, Marvel had the All-Winners Squad. The team was made up of Captain America, Bucky, Namor, The Angel, Black Marvel, Toro, and the original Human Torch, Jim Hammond. However, this team took a bit of a backseat in 1969 when The Invaders was retconned into the history of Marvel. They’re pretty much the same team, except Black Marvel and The Angel were never members. The Invaders still make appearances in current Marvel books.

U.S.Avengers

Right before the holiday weekend, Marvel announced a new series titled U.S.Avengers. This new, government sponsored superhero group will replace S.H.I.E.L.D., and their duty will be to protect the United States from threats near and far. The team will consist of the new Iron Patriot, Tomorrow’s Captain America, Pod, the Red Hulk, Cannonball, and Squirrel Girl. It will be led by billionaire Roberto Da Costa.