USA the Spirit of Old Glory

USA was Quality’s second lady super-hero, behind Lady Luck (though USA was their first super-powered heroine and the first to appear in an anthology title). She was clearly inspired by the early American icon called Miss Columbia. Columbia was once a patriotic symbol as prevalent as Uncle Sam, but has since lapsed into some obscurity. (In fact, Columbia appears as a character in DC’s two-issue Uncle Sam.)

As flag-adorned heroines go, USA predated Wonder Woman by about six months, and Quality’s own Miss America by several months.

USA was, like Uncle Sam, the embodiment of an American ideal. As a young girl, she was alive in 1777 and witnessed Betsy Ross’ creation of the new flag. Afterwards, she grew ill, but she carried some threads from that first flag in a locket. The locket was buried with her when she died. In 1941, the locket was unearthed and when opened, USA was borne! With her magic flag and torch of liberty, she showed European loyalists the errors of their fealty. (Feature #42)

USA stopped all manner of spy within the U.S., in the Navy and government offices. USA was quite intolerant of Fifth Columnists, squashing even their right to free speech in America when she punched out a speaker in New York City. She was swift to follow them to their lair and learn their secret plot. (#46) She took to working alongside civilian women in a bomb factory (not bothering to hide her identity). Naturally, she uncovered a spy there, too: her supervisor, Mrs. Cragg. (#47) In her last adventure, she met a man who could have become a romantic interest, Pvt. Allen Marshall. After saving him from saboteurs, they shared a dance at the base’s masquerade ball. USA hasn’t been seen since 1941. (#48)