Union Jack

Real Name: Lord James Montgomery Falsworth

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Agent of the British Crown

Affiliations: Freedom's Five; the Invaders

Enemies: Baron Blood

Known Relatives: Brian (son, Union Jack); Jaqueline (daughter, Spitfire); unnamed wife (deceased); John (brother, a.k.a Baron Blood); Lord Crichton (son-in-law, deceased); Kenneth (grandson, Baron Blood, deceased); unnamed great-grandson

Aliases: None known

Base of Operations: Great Britain

First Appearance: Invaders #7

Powers/Abilities: In his prime, Falsworth was a capable athlete, equipped with a .455 Webley revolver and a dagger.

History: The original Union Jack was British aristocrat Lord Montgomery Falsworth. During World War I, Lord Falsworth went to work for the British government as their top secret agent. He donned the proud symbol of the union jack and fought Britain's enemies, both alone and as a member of the international group Freedom's Five. That short-lived group disbanded shortly before the end of the war and Lord Falsworth again fought alone. His final mission of the war was to defeat the vampiric German agent Baron Blood. Although he was able to prevent Blood from assassinating a member of Parliament, Union Jack couldn't apprehend the vampire.

After World War I ended, Lord Falsworth retired from active duty and married. He and his wife had two children, Brian and Jacqueline. In the mid-30s, when the British government voted for appeasement with Adolph Hitler's National Socialist party in Germany, Lord Falsworth was appalled. However, his son Brian and Brian's friend Roger Aubrey agreed with appeasement. Lord Falsworth and Brian had many bitter arguments over the matter until finally Brian left home. He and Roger went to Germany, where German officials gladly released publicity photos of British aristocracy posing with Nazi officers. Lord Falsworth was heartbroken by his son's decision, unaware that Brian had actually changed his mind following the invasion of Poland (see below).

In 1941, during the Nazi blitz of Britain, Lady Falsworth was killed when a bomb fell on a hospital where she volunteered. Lord Falsworth became a bit of a recluse after this, and Jacqueline became a wartime volunteer. One night, during a blackout, Jacqueline was attacked by none other than Baron Blood. She was rescued by the Human Torch and in gratitude invited the Invaders to have dinner at Falsworth manor. The Invaders were shocked to learn that Lord Falsworth was Union Jack, and when he decided to don his old costume they quickly voted him into the group. Union Jack's first mission with the group was to battle the restored Baron Blood, who turned out to be none other than Lord Falsworth's own brother John. At the climax of the battle, Union Jack pursued Baron Blood to a cave. There the insidious Baron crushed his brother's legs with a boulder. The other Invaders then forced Baron Blood backwards, until he fell onto a stalagmite and was killed (for a little while, anyway). Jacqueline had been attacked by her uncle John and was rushed to the hospital and treated for blood loss. An emergency transfusion from the Human Torch transformed Jacqueline into Spitfire, who followed in her father's footsteps and joined the Invaders.

Although he was bound to a wheelchair and could no longer serve as an active member of the team, Lord Falsworth remained a valuable asset to the group. He and Jacqueline, along with his chauffeur Oskar and diminutive crime-fighter Dyna-Mite, followed the Invaders to Germany when they were taken captive. There was another reason for going to Germany, though. Dyna-Mite had memory loss and wanted to find the Nazi scientist that transformed him into Dyna-Mite. Lord Falsworth knew that Dyna-Mite was actually Roger Aubrey, and he hoped that if Roger's memory was restored he would learn where Brian was. After finding the scientist they needed and locating Brian (see below), Lord Falsworth took the Nazi scientist back to Falsworth manor, until he returned Roger Aubrey to his full height.

Following World War II, Lord Falsworth led a quiet life until the late 70s. A series of "slasher" murders were committed, and Lord Falsworth was convinced his blood-thirsty brother John was behind the killings. He called his old wartime ally Captain America to investigate. Captain America discovered that Baron Blood was behind the "slasher" murders, and Lord Falsworth decided to use John's hate for him to lure him into a trap. He tried to put on his Union Jack uniform, knowing that the sight of it would be irresistible to Baron Blood, but the very elderly Lord Falsworth suffered a heart attack. Joey Chapman, a friend of Jacqueline's son Kenneth Crichton, donned the Union Jack costume and acted as the bait for Baron Blood. The plan worked, and Baron Blood attacked Chapman. However, Captain America was ready for the Baron and, in a final conflict, decapitated the Nazi vampire. Baron Blood's head and body were burned in two separate piles--ensuring that he would never again rise from the dead--and Lord Falsworth died peacefully as he watched his brother's evil permanently rid from the world.

Comments: Although originally created by an American creative team, they didn't do too bad a job (e.g. he wasn't a hopeless stereotype) and later British writers have built on the firm foundation they were given to make him distinctly British. He died in Captain America #254 (1980).

He is visibly the inspiration for Paul Grist's Jack Staff character.

CLARIFICATIONS:

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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