Miss America

Real Name: Madeline Joyce (in Silver Age, she married after the war to become Madeline Joyce Franks)

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Adventurer

Affiliations: Golden Age the All Winners Squad

Silver Age Invaders, Liberty Legion, Penance Council of the V-Battalion

Enemies: Golden Age the Cherub; King Cobra; the Shocker; Isbisa, Flaming Hate, Blackbeard, the Fox, the Vixen, the Fencing Master, the Ghoul

Known Relatives: Golden Age James Bennett (uncle and legal guardian)

Silver Age Robert Franks (husband, Whizzer, deceased), Robert Junior (son, a.k.a. Nuklo), unnamed child (died shortly after childbirth)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Golden Age U.S.A.; Silver Age Times Tower, New York City

First Appearance: Marvel Mystery Comics #49 (Timely, October 1943)

Powers/Abilities: Able to fly, superhuman endurance. Superhuman strength (the strength of "a thousand men"), X-ray vision and "the wisdom of ages". When revived in the Silver Age she only retained the power of flight.

History: (Marvel Mystery Comics #49-85, Miss America #1-5, g.a.) Madeline Joyce was raised by her uncle, a wealthy businessman who was funding experiments in electricity. Being a curious person, Madeline decided one day to have a look around the lab, which was located inside a converted lighthouse along the coast. Her timing was unfortunate, for that same night the area was victim to a freak storm, and the lighthouse was struck by lightning while Madeline was inside. Her body was subjected to so much voltage that she should have died hundreds of times over. Instead, she was sent into a coma for a week, and when she awoke she discovered she had gained miraculous powers. Inspired perhaps by tales of other superhumans, Madeline created a patriotic costume and ventured forth to fight crime as Miss America.

(Marvel Premiere #29, Invaders I #6, Marvel Premiere #30, Invaders I #7) Miss America joined several fellow heroes in forming the Liberty Legion, first to free the brainwashed hero group the Invaders, and then, having decided to stay together, to defend the American homefront against Fifth Columnists.

(Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1, Marvel Two-in-One #20) The Liberty Legion teamed up with the Thing, a time-travelling hero from the future, and battled several Nazi villains attacking New York.

(Invaders I #35-38) Miss America joined the Invaders in battling the armoured German superhuman Iron Cross.

(Invaders II #1-4) Alongside the Invaders again, Miss America fought the Battle-Axis, American superheroes who had switched to the Nazi cause.

(Captain America Annual #6) During June 1946 the Invaders travelled to Japan to destroy a solar-powered prototype tank.

(What If? I #4) After the end of the war, the Invaders agreed to stay together at the request of the President, but changed their name to the All-Winners Squad.

(All-Winners Comics #19, ga) The All-Winners Squad defeated Isbisa, possibly the first nuclear terrorist.

(What If? I #4) Miss America was present when the android Adam II attempted to assassinate a young and up-coming politician, a fight in which one Captain America lost his life (the Spirit of '76), and another took up the mantle (the Patriot).

(All-Winners Comics #21, ga) The All-Winners Squad battled the Future Man and Madame Death.

(All-Select #11, Blonde Phantom #12-14, Sun Girl #1, ga) No synopses available.

(She-Hulk II #22) The All-Winners Squad encountered the She-Hulk, a heroine who had travelled back in time, while trying to recover a stolen nuclear weapon.

(bts) The All-Winners Squad disbanded in 1949. Shortly after the Whizzer and Miss America married.

(Citizen V and the V-Battalion #1, bts) Several superhumans active during the war decided to create a secret organisation, the V-Battalion, to stop any such atrocity against humanity ever happening again. The Whizzer and Miss America were two of the founders, joining the ruling body known as the Penance Council.

(Citizen V and the V-Battalion #2, fb) Miss America attended the funeral of Union Jack (Brian Falsworth), who had died in a car crash.

(Giant-Sized Avengers #1, fb) In 1960 the Whizzer and Miss America were guarding a secret nuclear facility when their old enemy Isbisa sabotaged it (though the pair didn't learn at that time that he was responsible), causing a meltdown. Since Miss America was pregnant at the time, the child she was carrying was affected. He was born a mutant, uncontrollably generating lethal radiation. With no other choice, the couple gave their child to the government to be raised in isolation.

(Avengers I #185, 185, fb) Miss America soon became pregnant again. The couple were travelling in Europe at this time, and with Madeline close to term, they sought aid from Herbert Wyndham (a.k.a. the High Evolutionary), a geneticist who lived atop Wundagore Mountain in Transia. The child was apparently still born, and Miss America died giving birth. She was buried on the side of the mountain.

Comments: Created by Otto Binder and Nicholas Charles.

Thanks to Jess Nevins for allowing me to use information from his excellent Golden Age Heroes Directory and his Guide to Golden Age Marvel Characters. Thanks also to Richard Boucher & Darrin Wiltshire @ PR-Publications for permission to use information from their equally brilliant collection of Golden Age Sites, PR Publications. Their knowledge of Golden Age characters far outstrips my own.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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