Patriot (comics)

The first Patriot, Jeffrey Mace, created by writer Ray Gill and artist Bill Everett, debuted in The Human Torch # 4 (Spring 1941; numbered #3 on cover).[1] He was a reporter who became a costumed adventurer after seeing Captain America in action, and was later a member of the World War II superhero team the Liberty Legion. The Patriot himself became the third Captain America.

The second Marvel Universe character to use the name Patriot debuted in Young Avengers #1 (April 2005): Eli Bradley, grandson of Isaiah Bradley, an incarnation of Captain America.[2] Isaiah had received his powers (in the limited series Truth: Red, White & Black) as part of an early Super-Soldier Serum experiment tested on African American men in an attempt to reproduce the formula lost after being used to turn Steve Rogers into Captain America. Eli's mother was conceived before Isaiah's involvement with the experiment, however, so Eli could not have inherited his grandfather's powers genetically.

When Iron Lad began his search for the next generation of Avengers, he came to the Bradley household in search of Isaiah's son, Josiah. However, Josiah had been missing for several months, and Iron Lad met Eli instead. Eli claimed to have gained superpowers through an emergency blood transfusion from his grandfather, but this was untrue. He later gained his powers artificially with Mutant Growth Hormone (MGH), an illegal street drug that causes brief periods of superhuman abilities. MGH has been demonstrated to promote irascibility in individuals. Writer Allan Heinberg has stated that Bradley's drug usage is based on his own history,[3] stating

Since I had personally had a recent (and regrettable) experience with steroids, steroid use was something I wanted to write about. For better or worse, Eli's race was never a factor in those storytelling decisions, and I hope that by the end of this arc, Eli's story will be an inspiring one to all our readers.

Patriot became a founding member of the Young Avengers. The public believed his costume resembled that of Captain America's 1940s sidekick, Bucky, but he revealed that his costume is a redesign of his grandfather's. He has an adversarial relationship with teammate Hawkeye, who nonetheless gave him Captain America's original star-spangled triangular shield.

When the truth about Eli's lack of superpowers was revealed, Eli quit the team. He returned after the Hulkling was kidnapped by the Super-Skrull, and the other Young Avengers convinced him that he was the only one of them capable of leading the team, even without his powers. Patriot was later gravely wounded by a Kree warrior when he jumped in front of a blast meant for Captain America, and received a blood transfusion from his grandfather, Isaiah, which granted him the abilities afforded by the Super-Soldier Serum.[4]

Eli joined Captain America's Secret Avengers during the "Civil War" storyline. Patriot led his team to assist the Runaways after they were attacked by the government. The Young Avengers and the Runaways worked together when two of their members were captured, and the Runaways decided to stay out of the mix in the war. Patriot managed to keep most of his team together, but Stature decided to join Iron Man's side.[5]

Eli later seeks out the Winter Soldier (whom he had earlier met during the Civil War)[6] to discuss the meaning of being a patriot at a time when he disagrees with registration and much of the way America is being run, and the two have a heartfelt chat about America as an idea and about the original Patriot, Jeffrey Mace.[7]

During the "Secret Invasion" storyline, Eli and the other Young Avengers were the first team to respond to the Skrull invasion of Manhattan. Despite their valiant efforts, and the aid of the Initiative cadets, they are all defeated. However, they are saved by the timely arrival of Nick Fury and the Secret Warriors and help Earth's heroes defeat the Skrull invaders.[8]

During the "Dark Reign" storyline, Eli was outraged when Norman Osborn formed his "official" team of Avengers and even more so when he announced a new team of Young Avengers. Eli's Young Avengers confront the latter and demand that they either join the first team of Young Avengers, or find another name for themselves. Near the end of the issue, Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) admits her love for Eli after he breaks his hand, to which he responds 'I may break my hand everyday', making their relationship clear after a few months of dating.[9]

Eli appears alongside the other Young Avengers in Avengers: Children's Crusade. He ultimately leaves the group during the aftermath, feeling guilty for preventing the Scarlet Witch from undoing the near-extinction of mutantkind that she had caused.[10]

Eli is later mentioned in Gillen's volume 2 of Young Avengers when Tommy Shepherd confirms the Not-Patriot is an impostor after getting off the phone with Eli's mother, remarking that Eli is still in Arizona and has not left his bed in two weeks. It is still unknown why he has been bedridden.[11]

Eli later makes a cameo at the wedding of his former teammates, Wiccan and Hulkling. [12]

In March 2017, Marvel announced that they would be introducing a new Patriot during the Secret Empire storyline.[13] The new Patriot is Rayshaun Lucas, a teen activist who idolizes Sam Wilson.[14] Rayshaun "Shaun" Lucas was living in Brooklyn with his mother when Sam Wilson released footage showing that Rage had been wrongfully accused and savagely beaten by Keane Industries' private security personnel, the Americops. Following Elvin's unjust conviction, Shaun painted his face to resemble Rage's mask and then slipped out to firebomb a local bank, before participating in the subsequent riots in New York City.

After Sam Wilson resigned as Captain America, Shaun washed the Rage mask from his face and began to draw designs for a costume that he called the Patriot.

After the Black Widow finds a notebook with a Patriot suit drawn on it in the backpack of Rayshaun Lucas when he arrives at the secret Hydra resistance base known as "the Mount," she gives the notebook to the Tony Stark A.I. associated with Riri Williams, who in turn builds the suit. After trying to stop a group of bullies from taking an iPad from a little girl, Rayshaun gets beaten. Afterwards, the Tony Stark A.I. calls Rayshaun and gives him the suit that he made for him, explaining that Rayshaun gave him hope again and that the suit is a way to thank him for that. Rayshaun trains with an A.I. version of the Black Widow that the Tony Stark A.I. made and eventually confronts the bullies while he wears the suit and defeats them, giving the little girl her iPad back. Miles Morales and Joaquin Torres tell Rayshaun that they heard about him and that they are looking forward to having him on their team.[15]

He later appears in the desert where he overhears a discussion between Sam Wilson and Misty Knight. He then tells Sam about the people who need his help and support him, despite what the HYDRA government says. This conversation inspires Sam to reassume his mantle of Captain America.[16]

After HYDRA's attack on Las Vegas, Nevada, the Patriot helps the Champions in their search for survivors. When the Champions are expressing frustration over their failure, the Patriot arrives with a baby, the sole survivor of the attack, which inspires the team to continue fighting HYDRA.[17]

The Patriot later becomes the Falcon's sidekick, where they deal with the gang violence in Chicago and are unaware that Blackheart is posing as the Mayor of Chicago.[18]

In Exiles: Days of Then and Now, the Patriot was seen as a member of Quentin Quire's surviving team of heroes fighting against the Annihilation Wave.[20]

Eli Bradley briefly appears in a possible future timeline as part of a new group of Avengers seen in the Children's Crusade event. By this time, he has succeeded Steve Rogers to become the new Captain America and fights crime alongside his wife Samantha, the new Falcon. Their son Steve is also a member of the Avengers as the new Bucky.[21]

The Jeffrey Mace incarnation of the Patriot appears in live-action media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Jason O'Mara.

• Mace first appears in the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., debuting in season four as an ex-journalist who is appointed the public face and new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the events of season three, the Sokovia Accords, and the public outlawing of Steve Rogers in the film Captain America: Civil War. In the episode "Meet the New Boss", Mace demonstrates a level of invulnerability and refers to himself both as an Inhuman and a former superhero. In the episode "The Patriot" however, Mace's team discover his powers stemmed from a serum rather than genetics. In the episode "No Regrets", Mace sacrifices himself inside the virtual world of the Framework to save his team and a group of Inhumans from a HYDRA attack, which causes the death of his body in the real world.[22]
• Mace also appears in the six-part live-action digital series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot.[23]

• The Rayshaun Lucas incarnation of the Patriot appears in the animated film Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, voiced by Kamil McFadden.[24] This version is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. partnered with Daisy Johnson.
• The Eli Bradley incarnation of the Patriot was going to appear in the live-action film Black Panther, but was removed during production.[25]

The Eli Bradley incarnation of the Patriot appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 voiced by Ogie Banks. This version is a supporter of the Anti-Registration side and appears as a boss for the Pro-Registration side.[26] If the player chooses the Pro-Registration side, a dissatisfied Patriot appears and fights them. Upon his defeat, he is arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The Pro-Registration heroes later fight him again alongside Firestar at the Geffen-Meyer Chemical Plant.