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History

Professor John Liberty was a history teacher at Freedom University, who in 1941 became outraged at the ongoing conflicts in Europe during World War II. One night while wishing that the patriots of old could help the soldiers of today, his prayers were heard by a spirit that informed Liberty that he had made himself worthy of the spirits. He was soon endowed with a costume and the power to summon the spirits of great American warriors from the past. Initially calling himself Mister Liberty, John was first visited by the spirit of Paul Revere who led him on the trail of Nazi Fifth Columnists who were sabotaging munitions manufacturers. Calling the spirits of the Green Mountain Boys, Mister Liberty gathered a group of Boy Scouts to help subdue the spies until the proper authorities could arrive and arrest them.[1]

John Liberty (Earth-616) from U.S.A

John did not always rely on the aid of the spirits to deal with his foes, as was the case in November 1941 while he was taking a cruise along the Caribbean to gather important documents for his academic research back in the States. At this time, Nazi operatives were sinking American ships in the region, and John's ship was the next downed vessel in the area at the time. With the surviving crew, John swam to "Head-Hunters Heath", a private island owned by a master hunter named Reynolds. Reynolds was really working with the Nazis and enjoyed hunting the survivors of the shipwrecks for sport. Now calling himself Major Liberty, John defeated Reynolds and destroyed the secret U-Boat creche that the Nazis were using on Reynold's property.[2]

Back in the United States by January 1942, John -- at the prompting of the spirit of Paul Revere -- investigated the death of his old college dean Hendrick Vermeer of Sleepy Hollow. Supposedly, Vermeer was murdered by the Headless Horseman of myth. Thanks to the investigation by Major Liberty and Paul Revere, they exposed the killer to be Hendrick's own son Peter, who sought the family fortune to pay his gambling debts.[3]

In May of '42, John helped save his colleague Professor Hans Stiller -- a German exile who invented a super-explosive formula -- from Nazi agents seeking to force him to return to Nazi Germany. In this adventure, John once more did not seek the aid of the spirits but instead convinced one of his students Herman Blake to assist him.[4]

There would be no apparent activity from Major Liberty through the remainder of 1942 and the majority of 1943. In December of that year, Major Liberty was among a number of heroes who were slain by the Cosmic Cube wielding Red Skull and impaled on a massive wall.[5] However, the Cube was recovered by Private Paul Anselm who resurrected all the slain heroes who aided the combined efforts of the Invaders and the time displaced New Avengers and Mighty Avengers. When the Skull was defeated, the heroes used the Cube to wipe out the Major Liberty's memories of the event to preserve history.[6]

During a battle along with the Invaders, he was killed by Hela, when she was mind-controlled by the Nazis with the Gods' Whisperer.[7]

Attributes

Powers

Major Liberty can summon up the ghosts of past American patriots, such as Paul Revere and other Minutemen, to aid him in helping America and battling the forces of evil.

Abilities

Major Liberty is a good hand-to-hand combatant

Notes

Also known as Mr. Liberty.

See Also

Links and References

References

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