Rick Flag
Rick Flag is a male comic character who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Pre-Crisis
Richard Montgomery Flag
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Richard Rogers Flag
According to one account, he was a pilot during World War II. His entire squadron sacrificed themselves so he could destroy an enemy aircraft carrier, and he dedicated his life to making sacrifices for others. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #25) It was later revealed that this actually happened to his father, Richard Montgomery Flag, who became the leader of the 1940's Suicide Squadron. Richard Rogers Flag was born shortly after the war, when his father married Sharon Race. Sharon died when her son was a child, struck as she pushed him out of the way of a moving car. Richard Montgomery Flag sacrificed himself to stop the War Wheel from destroying a city, leaving young Rick orphaned. Rick was adopted by his father's friend Jeb Stuart, and entered the military when he was old enough to enlist. He attended flight school and became a top-rated test pilot, where he developed a friendly rivalry with Ace Morgan. When he applied to become an astronaut, he was introduced to space medicine expert Karin Grace. They bonded over the tragedies they had both experienced, and soon fell in love. When Jeb Stuart revived the Suicide Squad under Task Force X, he invited Rick and Karin to be part of the program. (Secret Origins v2 #14)
He came to head a new, public team that included his girlfriend, Karin Grace, Dr. Hugh Evans, and Jess Bright. During a mission in Cambodia, events saw the team being pursued by a Yet which resulted in the tragic loss Evans and Bright when they as well as their pursuer fell into a crevasse presumably to their deaths. Bright though had survived where he was angered at being left behind with him suffering from frostbite and was near-death when he was found by the Chinese who nursed him back to health. He was then passed onto the Russians who transformed him into the bionic monster called Koshchei the Deathless. With his expertise in engineering, Bright assisted in the creation of the Rocket Red Brigade and lent a hand to the nation of Qurac in assembling their Metahuman team named the Onslaught. Meanwhile, Grace had secretly bore Flag's son and placed him with an adoptive family. Later, Rick was sent to infiltrate the Forgotten Heroes as a spy for the government. (Secret Origins v2 #14)
This new team included Rick and Karin, astro physicist Hugh Evans, and nuclear physicist Jess Bright. Unlike their predecessors it was public, and Rick flew them around the country in a 'Flying Lab'. Their first recorded mission was fighting the 'Red Wave' beast, and Flag piloted an experimental rocket to launch it into the sun. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #25) Hugh and Jess were both also in love with Karin, and Rick insisted that Karin keep their relationship secret so it would not upset the others. The team was shrunk temporarily by cosmic rays, and Flag used his reduced size to blow up an enemy military base containing nuclear weapons. When they battled the Subway serpent in Paris, Flag figured out that they could suffocate it using a giant plastic bag. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #26) Rick disarmed a nuclear weapon when the Creature of Ghost Lake carried it into a populated city. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #27) General Brent put the team back together after a hiatus, and Flag traveled to a parallel Earth where they fought super-intelligent dinosaurs. The Cyclops Polyphemus kidnapped Karin, and Rick tricked the cyclops into getting hit by a boulder. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #37) Rick killed the Master of the Dinosaurs by turning his plane into a bomb and parachuting to safety. The Mirage Master tried to trick the Suicide Squad into killing each other, but Rick was saved by Karin's love. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #38) Rick had to navigate the team to safety when they were trapped inside an alien dinosaur zoo. The Sculptor Sorcerer was hired by gangsters to kill the Suicide Squad, but an island girl fell in love with Rick and released him from the trap. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #39)
In the modern era, Flag was recruited into the second incarnation of Task Force X, better known as the Suicide Squad, where he functioned as the field commander. From the beginning, he was depicted as leading missions comprised of criminals and unstable operatives, putting himself on the line to keep them in check and ensure mission success. His first major mission involved overseeing a squad during an assault against Brimstone, where Flag coordinated the team’s movements with discipline, issued tactical orders under fire, and took the burden of responsibility when the group’s cohesion faltered. (Legends v1 #3) In subsequent missions, Flag continued his role as commander, showing both his dedication to the job and his willingness to clash with higher authority. On one mission against the terrorist group Jihad, Flag personally confronted and eliminated the team’s leader, Rustam, in hand-to-hand combat. Despite the presence of metahumans under his command, Flag was the one to engage directly, using his military training, grit, and refusal to back down against a deadly foe. He also ensured that the more chaotic members of the Squad, such as Deadshot and Captain Boomerang, remained in line through sheer presence and unrelenting focus on the mission. (Suicide Squad v1 #1) Flag’s activities in the field consistently revealed his uncompromising sense of duty, often pushing himself to the edge physically and mentally. On a mission to deal with a Kobra terrorist cell, he pressed forward even after sustaining injuries, refusing to stand down until the objective was complete. He exhibited constant vigilance, often placing himself in the most dangerous positions rather than risking the squad’s effectiveness. His leadership was less about charisma and more about iron discipline, keeping the volatile mix of super-criminals and soldiers from collapsing into chaos during operations. (Suicide Squad v1 #2)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Rick Flag was a white male with blond hair and rugged features. He typically wore green military fatigues with combat boots, webbing straps, and utility pouches, giving him the practical look of a field operative. In later iterations, particularly during his time leading Task Force X, he often wore a black or dark green armored tactical uniform, sometimes with protective shoulder and chest plating. (Legends v1 #3)
Personality-wise, Flag was defined by a hard-edged dedication to his country, a simmering anger at being forced to command criminals, and a deep sense of loyalty to the men and women under his command. While he often showed disdain for Amanda Waller’s manipulation of the Squad, he followed orders because he believed in the importance of the missions. Flag had little patience for nonsense, confronting insubordination with aggression and blunt authority. At the same time, his human side occasionally broke through, revealing guilt over fallen teammates and a sense of responsibility for their deaths. (Suicide Squad v1 #2)
Powers and abilities
As a combatant, Rick Flag had no superhuman powers but was highly skilled in military tactics, unarmed combat, and the use of a wide range of firearms and explosives. His physical conditioning was at peak human levels, enabling him to go toe-to-toe with metahumans when necessary. His most valuable asset was his tactical mind, which allowed him to strategize under pressure and maximize the effectiveness of his team, even when working with unpredictable criminals. His combat training combined with his sheer determination made him one of the most dangerous human operatives in the world. (Suicide Squad v1 #1)
Notes
- Rick Flag was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru where he made his first appearance in The Brave and the Bold v1 #25 (1959).
In other media
Television
- In Justice League Unlimited, Colonel Rick Flag Jr. appeared in the setting of the animated television series set in the DC Animated Universe in the episode "Task Force X" where he was voiced by actor Adam Baldwin.
- In Peacemaker, Rick Flag appeared in the setting of the live-action television series set after The Suicide Squad where he was shown in flashbacks.
Films
- In Suicide Squad, Rick Flag appeared in the setting of the live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Joel Kinnaman. Sometime later, Flag was recruited by A.R.G.U.S. Director Amanda Waller to track down Dr. June Moone. Flag eventually made it to the building where she was being held with a special team, but when they arrived they discovered that the doctor was possessed by a being known as the Enchantress. Flag helped Moone by taking her to A.R.G.U.S. for monitoring. For a time, they began to fall in love progressively becoming lovers, which Waller took advantage of to manipulate the couple, forcing Flag to be the field leader of Task Force X, a team of criminals recruited by Waller to defend the nation. In an attempt to present the project to the United States Government, Amanda Waller went to the Pentagon accompanied by Flag, June Moone, Dexter Tolliver, and Admiral Mackenzie Olsen. There, Moone presented the idea to President Edwards, explaining it as a project of metahuman criminals to protect the country. Waller requested a demonstration of power from Moone, which she reluctantly agreed to, although Flag comforted her moments before her presentation. Moone allowed herself to be possessed by Enchantress, demonstrating her power potential by bringing back files from the vault in Iran. After this, Waller ordered Flag to take her with him, which he complied with. Edwards approved the project to be used in case of supernatural emergencies. Days later, Amanda Waller, Flag, and June Moone traveled to Belle Reve Federal Penitentiary in Louisiana to meet and recruit some of the inmates who would join Task Force X. They were greeted by guard Hunter Griggs, who greeted Flag, although he told him to kiss Waller's ass as she was in charge. Flag headed to the prison sewers, where inmate Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc, was being held, a metahuman with a skin peculiarity that makes him resemble a crocodile. Jones asked him if he wasn't afraid of him, but he asked why he was put in the sewers, to which Jones replied that he had wanted it that way. Flag and Waller then went to the pyrokinetic criminal Chato Santana, aka El Diablo, offering him a good life for accepting, which Santana flatly denied, believing that he had already caused too much damage.
- In The Suicide Squad, Rick Flag appeared in the setting of the live-action film sequel where he was portrayed again by actor Joel Kinnaman.
Video games
- In Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, Rick Flag Jr. appeared in the setting of the video game where he was voiced again by actor Adam Baldwin.
Appearances
- Brave and the Bold v1: (1959)
- Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag v1
External Links
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