Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Ace Periodicals, golden age

The Flag Takes Star Spangled Flight in Our Flag Comics, Up for Auction

The Flag's abilities included trailing stars & stripes while using his power of flight & an American Flag birthmark that warned him of danger

The rare Ace Periodicals series Our Flag Comics started off with a character called the Unknown Soldier.  While he was certainly patriotic in concept and action, his plain blue costume and mask might have seemed rather ordinary to readers who had recently been introduced to the likes of Captain America and The Shield. While not one of the best-remembered patriotic heroes of the era, The Flag, who first appeared in Our Flag Comics #2 from Ace Periodicals about seven months after the debut of Captain America, is an interesting example of how patriotism could be represented in WWII era comic books.  In addition to the prerequisite red, white and blue costume and an origin embedded in American history, The Flag's abilities included trailing stars and stripes while he used his power of flight and an American Flag birthmark that warned him of dangers to democracy.  The Flag's early appearances in the short-lived Our Flag Comics title are all difficult to get, and there are four issues of the series up for auction in the 2024 August 1 – 2 Rarities of the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40259 at Heritage Auctions.

The Flag was Jim Courtney, a boy born on Flag Day, June 14th, and left on the doorstep of an old flag maker who was nicknamed Old Glory.  The child was born with a birthmark on his chest in the shape of an American Flag.  Upon his 21st birthday in 1941, his dreams are visited by the Spirit of '76, a group of patriots from American history including figures such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who inform him that they are endowing him with "the strength of 100 men, the speed of the wind, and immunity from the weapons of man."

To activate these abilities, he had to touch the American flag birthmark on his chest.  As the stories progressed, it also became apparent that his flag birthmark would glow to warn him of dangers to the country.  Accidentally brushing the birthmark with his hand would deactivate his abilities and leave him vulnerable.  Despite his Superman-level power, that weakness makes the stories work pretty well.   In a second story about the Flag in his debut issue, the patriotic hero takes on a ring of gangsters that have taken over newspapers around the country to spread propaganda.

Our Flag Comics #3 has a group of Nazi agents taking over various buildings in Washington DC to seize the levers of government.  They even have a man impersonate the president to declare the the war is over, sowing confusion around the country, as armed enemy forces take advantage of the confusion before the Flag turns the tide.  In another story featuring the Flag in that issue, Nazi agents use various methods of election interference to attempt to install an authoritarian figure as governor of a state which contains a number of defense plants.  The Flag eventually reveals the scheme and encourages citizens to vote.

It's entertaining stuff from Lou Mougin and Harry Anderson among others, and the series itself lasted for five issues. An underappreciated patriotic WWII hero in a very rare series, the Flag's early appearances in the short-lived Our Flag Comics title are all difficult to get, and there are four issues of the series up for auction in the 2024 August 1 – 2 Rarities of the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40259 at Heritage Auctions.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!