History: (Spectre III #37 (fb)) - <July 4, 1776> After signing the Declaration of Independance the founding fathers listened to Benjamin Franklin's plan to create a mystic nation alongside the physical one. Representatives brought icons from the 13 former colonies, and alchemist Taylor Samuel Hawke used them to create a spiritual being to represent America. The being manifested as an eagle and an eye in a pyramid before forming itself into a talisman. The founding fathers swore secrecy, and to protect the talisman to ensure the success of America.

(Spectre III #38 (fb)) - <1777> Samuel Hawke was on a wagon train bringing supplies to George Washington's troops at Valley Forge when the train was attacked by Hessian soldiers working for the British. Samuel tricked the troops into pursuing him while the wagon train escaped, but he was fatally shot for his efforts. As he lay dying the spirit of American freedom appeared to him and merged with his spirit, and he became Minuteman, the embodiment of the war of independence. He fought the British, crossed the Delaware with George Washington, and in the guise of Brother Jonathan he rallied Andrew Jackson's troops at New Orleans.

(Spectre III #38 (fb)) - During the Civil War the American talisman split in two, and the Spirit of America split into two avatars, Billy Yank and Johnny Red.

(Spectre III #38 (fb)) - <1870s> Political cartoonist Samuel Augustus Adams savaged Boss Tweed in the newspapers, and was fatally shot by Tweed's goons. The Spirit of America appeared to him, and he became Uncle Sam to fight corruption in America.

(Spectre III #38 (fb)) - The Spirit of America chose a new host to become Uncle Sam during WWI.

<1940> Patriot Samuel opposed the Black Legions, a group of Nazis trying to cause upheaval in America. Samuel was visited by Uncle Sam, who merged with him and defeated the Black Legion. Uncle Sam joined the All-Star Squadron, and later formed his own team, the Freedom Fighters.

(JSA #42) - <April, 1944> Time traveling Black Barax attacked Washington to draw out Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, and tried to abduct the Human Bomb to use his explosive power to fuel his damaged time-cube. The Freedom Fighters drove Barax back to his own time with the help of Mr. Terrific and time traveling heroes Hawkgirl II and Mr. Terrific II. The grateful Freedom Fighters had Human Bomb power Barax’ abandoned time-cube so the future heroes could return to their own time.

(Spectre III #38 (fb)) - After Vietnam Uncle Sam lost considerable power, only being as powerful as people's conception of America and what it stood for.

(Spectre III #37, 38) - NYPD officer Nate Kane had been investigating the disappearance of Rebecca Taylor for years, and had recently received a letter from her that had been sent decades ago. It contained a piece of America's talisman, the mythic heart of the country, and he took it to Prof. Hazzard, who was visiting NYC. Shortly thereafter he was gunned down, and Hazzard took the talisman to the Iconic Level of the Dreaming to investigate it. Spectre was also piecing together why Kane had been shot and met Hazzard there. The talisman summoned up Brother Jonathan, a primal version of Uncle Sam, and he attacked Spectre as an intruder. Jonathan's power equaled Spectre's in the realm of icon, and soundly defeated him. Hazzard managed to wake up, only to find special agents Jefferson and Shadrach pointing a gun at him. Shadrach tried to shoot Hazzard, but Spectre saved him. He confronted the agent, but after seeing the void behind his eyes he felt powerless, and Shadrach made off with the talisman. Shadrach served the National Interest, a cabal dedicated to assembling the talisman and recreating the Spirit of America and putting it under their own control.

(Spectre III #47, 49) - The Spirit of America sent dreams to Sojourner Tsange-Taylot, her mother, and several others, requesting their presence at Mount Rushmore. The Spirit then gathered Native American Tahzey Wovoka and the spirit of his brother Victorio Cutter, who were also part of his plan.

(Spectre III #50) - The Spirit of America called forth the rest of his chosen ones, meaning to incorporate all the disenfranchised and dissident members of America to create a new avatar before the National Interest could manipulate him. Sam Wilson and his extraterrestrial armor served as a template for a new, powerful body, and Victorio and Tahzey served as a personality template. The reborn spirit of America was called the Patriot, and when the National Interest tried to create their avatar, something went wrong, and they brought forth the American Scream, the dark side of the American dream.Spectre emerged to fight him, and was backed up by the Patriot, the new avatar of America that the Spirit of America created itself. The heroes were victorious, and the Scream was banished after leaving its followers in the Interest mad.

(Spectre III #62) - Corrigan decided to give up the mantle of the Spectre, at last seeking peace in death. Craemer arranged for his bones to be buried in a small grave, and performed a funeral service, with all of the friends Corrigan met as the Spectre attending, including the Patriot. The Spectre-Force vanished and Jim ascended to Heaven.

(JSA: Our Worlds at War #1) - Uncle Sam took on the identity of Patriot, the new embodiment of the American spirit. During the Imperiex War he was called in as a JSA reserve on a mission to disrupt Imperiex’s link to his ship’s power supply. The JSA found that Imperiex’s ship was leeching it’s power from the planet Daxam, which Imperiex had pulled out of its’ orbit. Patriot led a group of reservists who dubbed themselves the Freedom Fighters, and they freed the Daxamites from Imperiex control, while the JSA not only cut off Imperiex from his power, but managed to blow up his ship as well.