(Human Torch v1 004, 1941)

The Patriot is the heroic alter ego of Jeff Mace, reporter for the Consolidated Press. He is a pretty bay-the-book patriotic hero who would certainly be relegated to the ranks of the minor super-hero page if not for the fact that the integrity of Marvel Comics continuity had become important enough by the mid-70s that the question “if Captain America was frozen in 1945, just who was having all those adventures?” had to be answered. Enter our old pal Roy Thomas, who solves this problem by introducing the idea that the US government had recruited a replacement Captain America so as not to alarm the public at a critical time in US history. Jeff Mace is not that man, but rather the replacement for that man after he dies. Is any of this germane to a discussion of the Patriot’s Golden Age origin and adventures? No it is not.

Like many patriotic Golden Age characters, the Patriot has no real origin beyond that patriotism. His work as a reporter allows him to learn of Fifth Column activity and then he breaks it up in his costumed identity, simple as.

Jeff Mace is blessed with a charming supporting cast in the form of his two reporter pals Jack Casey and Mary Morgan, who have very good friend-energy with each other. I’m no expert on fanfiction but I feel like there would be some traction on Jeff/Mary/Jack shipping if they weren’t from such an ancient property.

Finally: the costume. While he starts out in a perfectly serviceable sleeveless-shirt-with-pants combo, he soon trades his pants in for some high-waisted trunks, and I have to say that I am not a fan of the bare-legs-and-arms look, which persists throughout the remainder of the Golden Age. Modern artists seem to agree with me, as the Patriot costume has been revised to have limb-coverings (and a proper mask!) in most if not all of his subsequent appearances.