| The Liberator | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Nedor Comics America's Best Comics (DC) |
| First appearance | Exciting Comics #15 (December 1941) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Dr. Nelson Drew |
| Team affiliations | SMASH |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength and speed |
The Liberator is asuperhero from theGolden Age of Comics. His first appearance was inExciting Comics #15 (December 1941), published byNedor Comics.[1] The character was later revived by writerAlan Moore forAmerica's Best Comics.
The Liberator is the secret identity of Dr. Nelson Drew, a chemistry teacher at fictional Claflin University (as in, not to be confused with the historically black college affiliated withSouth Carolina State University). He discovers an ancient Egyptian formula called Lamesis that gives him superhuman strength and speed.[2] Drew uses his powers as the Liberator to fightNazi saboteurs duringWorld War II.[3] The formula sometimes wears off, turning the Liberator back into Dr. Drew at inopportune moments.[4]
The Liberator debuted inExciting Comics #15, and appeared regularly in that title andAmerica's Best Comics (not to be confused with the laterDC Comics imprint). His last Golden Age appearance was inExciting Comics #35 (October 1944).[1]
Alan Moore revived the Liberator, along with many other Nedor Comics characters, for hisTom Strong series. InTom Strong #12 (June 2001), the Liberator was revealed to have been one of the members ofSMASH that had been placed in suspended animation after an alien invasion from the Moon in 1969. Awakened 30 years later, the Liberator joined his former comrades in the fight against the alien. SMASH disbanded shortly thereafter, but reformed three years later. The Liberator is a member of the reformed group.
Currently, The Liberator is one of dozens of Golden Age superhero characters appearing inDynamite Entertainment'sProject Superpowers line of comics.[5] The basic premise is that TheFighting Yank spent years imprisoning all of his fellow heroes in the mystical Urn of Pandora, mistakenly thinking that it would bring about the end of all evil; The Liberator was one of those heroes. Decades later, the Urn was broken and the heroes freed. As seen in theBlack Terror miniseries,[6] The Liberator is now one of several patriotic-themed heroes who protect the U.S. president and America's interests, even if this pits them against their fellow heroes.
