History
New York Yankees[]
By 1942 Fred Davis was a bat-boy for the New York Yankees. When the Invaders were put under the hypnotic control of the Red Skull and used to attack the United States, Bucky formed the Liberty Legion to help free his friends. After Bucky had captured his hypnotized team mate Toro, Bucky agreed to the Red Skull's challenge to battle it out at Yankees Stadium. There, Fred was asked to pose as Toro to make it look as though Bucky and the Liberty Legion learned how to reverse the mind control. The ruse worked, ultimately allowing Bucky to rescue his friends and defeat the Red Skull.[2]
Partners with William Nasland[]
1945[]
In April of 1945, Bucky and Captain America were reportedly killed. President Truman realized that the news of their deaths could be a severe blow to allied morale and asked William Nasland, the hero known as the Spirit of '76, to assume the identity of Captain America and for Fred to once more wear the costume of Bucky and operate alongside the Invaders to maintain the pretense that America's premiere heroes were still alive. Accepting the position, their identities were revealed to the Invaders who accepted them onto the team.[4] One of Fred's first missions with the Invaders was battling Nazi soldiers in Europe.[5]
Fred and William had also taken up civilian roles in the U.S. Army, filling the void left by the supposed deaths of Steve Rogers and James Barnes. Returning home to the United States, Captain America and Bucky were invited to the hometown of a fellow soldier they fought with in Germany. They soon found the town being whipped up into racial prejudice and rioting. Investigating Cap and Bucky uncovered a nationwide plot to destabilize America by the League of Hate, Nazi's hand picked by Hitler to infiltrate America under the guise of wounded American soldiers. After shutting down the local cell of spies, Captain America addressed the entire nation, exposing the plot and leading to the League's capture. Travelling to New York, William and Fred got involved in the strange murder of Wall Street money carriers, carried out by a mobster named Diavolo who used organ grinders to conceal his silenced weapons. Travelling to Washington, the pair also exposed the crime lord known simply as the Boss as the local district attorney.[6]
In their civilian guises, William and Fred were put on guard duty of a freighter ship that was to transfer works of art that were transferred to America for safekeeping during the war in Europe. They ship was attacked by the Evil Knight who clashed with Captain America and Bucky. The pair followed the Knight back to his castle where captured. Freeing themselves, they prevented the Knight from robbing the Arco Produce Company, handing the villain a humiliating defeat by trapping him with a junkyard's magnetic crane.[7] Also during this time, the pair rescued millionaire Stephen Bellows from "Knucks" Connors and his gang.[8]
William and Fred next investigated sightings of the so-called Walking Dead in a nearby town. Investigating as Captain America and Bucky, they learn that the "Walking Dead" were really Imperial Japanese spies attempting to unearth the body of John Postor, a scientist who created a deadly biological weapon and had it hidden with his body in the nearby cemetery. Cap and Bucky stop the spies and destroy the weapon to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Next the pair clashed with the Leopard who used specially made electric guns to commit his daring robberies. Deployed to India, Captain America and Bucky soon clashed with Japanese spy Genrami who used the element Trelite in mirrors in order to blind American soldiers, ending with Genrami's death.[9]
Having also taken the original Bucky's place in the Young Allies, Fred joined the team in taking a summer job working on a farm in the town of Hampton. There the youths uncovered a protection racket being run by local mobster Tony Lucas, and stopped him before he could ruins their employer's apple crop.[10]
By July of that year, William and Fred were once more in their civilian guises as they were deployed by the military to assist in clearing a Pacific island recently liberated by the United States. There they discovered Japanese scientist Sico Rudo had invented a new volatile explosive called "Atom Water". Clashing with Rudo and his men ultimately led to Rudo's death, and Cap and Bucky managed to collect a sample of the explosive. However, when they turned it over to the military they soon learned the United States had just finished developing an even more powerful weapon: the atomic bomb. Returning to their civilian guises, the pair returned to an American base where American actress Fluffy Flair was to put on a performance as part of a USO show. Upon Flair's arrival she was kidnapped by Japanese agents under the command of Captain Catti. Captain America and Bucky rescued Fluffy, and prevented an impostor from using interpretative dance to signal the location of the American bases gun battlements for the enemy. Returning to the United States, William and Fred became involved in investigating how the "Fraternity for Fat Fellows" sudden dissolution, discovering that it was all a ruse to get portly mortician Jonathan Mortimer out of his morgue long enough for his partner, secretly a criminal calling himself the Chameleon and his gang to dig a tunnel into the bank next door. Discovering this, Cap and Bucky shut down their operation and unmasked the Chameleon.[11]
With the war officially over, the President asks the Invaders to stay together to fight domestic crime. They agree to do so, renaming themselves the All-Winners Squad.[4]
1946[]
While on leave from the military, Fred accompanied William to Louisiana to witness the wedding of Philip Carreaux. The festivities were ruined when an old legend about a Witch and Warlock found Philip murdered. As Captain America and Bucky, William and Fred uncovered the real killer, Frank Lavalle jealous lover of the bride.[12] Bucky also assisted Captain America in battling Am a radio character brought back to life by the combination of imagination and a "telepathic typewriter", and preventing a mob from conning reclusive sculptor Hugo Pergody out of his ownership of his valuable statues.[11]
With the Young Allies, Bucky helped take down infantile criminal Big Boy Bates and the lycanthropic Karr the Mummy.[13] Working with Captain America again, Bucky helped clash with master criminal the Robe, and saved the latest would be victim of voodoo practitioner Ivan the Sculptor.[14] The pair also clashed with diminutive mobster Big Guy, insane actor Bel Cummings, and prevented Dr. Weerd from driving the people of Oka Sama Island from their homes to claim the gold deposits there for himself.[15][16][17]
Bucky also assisted Captain America in stopping Sensitivo a criminal with sensitive hands, stopping mobsters from stealing vaccines for a disease, and the murder spree of yet another actor-gone-insane, this time being an actor named Myron Delasco who believed himself to be his horror character the Merry Widow Murderer.[18] Next, Captain America and Bucky were ordered by the US government to travel to Algiers to find out who has been stealing relief supplies destined for Europe. There the duo uncovered a smuggling operation masterminded by Miguel Juan Gonzales Lopez-Iruil, a local man obsessed with American culture. Back in the United States, Captain America and Bucky helped protect boxer Rocky Norris from a gambling syndicate, and stopped a counterfeit ring at Cumulus College with the help of absent minded Professor Squiggins.[19] While aboard the SS Tranquility, Cap and Bucky discovered the crew had been replaced with criminals and prevented them from springing their boss, Harriet "Harry" Hawkins from Seaside Prison.[20]
In San Francisco, Captain America and Bucky put a stop to the serial murderers of the Silk Stocking Strangler.[21] In New York they put a stop to the robberies of a criminal posing as popular music sensation the Crooner, snap law abiding citizen Bill Summers out of the idea that a statue convinced him to commit crimes, and help travelling medicine man Doc Spiel save his son Tommy from Jug Baker and his gang.[22] Returning to the Young Allies, Bucky is forced to kick out their teammate Jeff Vandergill when he is rude to the team, unaware that he had to do so in order to get into a local fraternity at his school. When Jeff and his classmate Schuyler Van Wickham are kidnapped by mobster Terror Tate, Bucky led the Young Allies to rescue them. Upon learning why Jeff was rude to them earlier, Bucky then reinstated Jeff back into the group.[23]
The All-Winners Squad is then reunited by the Human Torch who shows them a challenge issued to them by the villain Isbisa. The villain challenges them to solve various crimes based on different ages of man. Captain America and Bucky's clue involves the Bronze Age, and they prevent a group of mobsters led by a man named Piggy from stealing a valuable painting. Cap and Bucky then reunite with the rest of the All-Winners and deduce that Isbisa is attempting to steal an atomic bomb. Captain America and Bucky then assist the rest of the All-Winners Squad in capturing Isbisa and turning him over to the authorities.[24] In July of 1946, Bucky and the All-Winners Squad were dispatched the 11th Congressional Race in Boston where the group faced off against the android Adam II who was attempting to replace presidential candidate John F. Kennedy with an android duplicate. The All-Winners Squad succeeded succeeded in destroying Adam II, but not before he killed William Nasland. William's position as Captain America was then taken up by Jeff Mace, formally the hero known as the Patriot.[4]
Spending time with the Young Allies, Bucky assisted in rescuing young heiress Patricia Van Dyke from mobster Devil Don who was keeping her prisoner on Devil's Island.[25][26][27]
Partners with Jeff Mace[]
1946[]
Upon becoming partners with Jeff Mace, Fred enrolled at Lee School, where Jeff had taken up a position as a teacher. During their first day in class, the duo learned that one of their students Snipe Gooligan was being tricked into selling incendiary perfume bottles that caused fires allowing the gang to steal from the victims. As Bucky, Fred aided Captain America in shutting this operation down. They also put a stop to a Modern Day Robin Hood and deranged stage magician Amazo.[28] Bucky also came to the aid of his fellow Young Ally Knuckles O'Toole who was competing in a soapbox derby to get a college tuition, by preventing rival racer Warren Lewis from cheating in the race.[29]
Bucky next joined Cap with the rest of the All-Winners Squad in facing off against the Future Man a time traveller from the year 1,000,000 AD and his lover Madame Death. The two villains unleashed various global threats prompting the All-Winners to split up. Captain America and Bucky travelled to Europe where they prevented the Future Man from unleashing the Green Plague on the content. They then reunited with the rest of the team and battled Future Man and Madame Death aboard the Future Man's time machine.[30] During the course of the battle, Cap's shield struck Future Man's time control causing the vessel to overload shunting it back through time while the All-Winners escaped. Bucky was later called to battle when it appeared that an army of zombified US soldiers had risen from their graves. Jeff and Fred were confronted by the apparent zombies of their predecessors Steve Rogers and James Barnes who demanded that Jeff and Fred give up their lives so that they could live again. While Jeff was willing to sacrifice himself to bring back the original Captain America, Fred was not willing to do sacrifice himself. However, it was soon revealed that this was all a ploy by Madame Death, who had returned from the past after Future Man died to get revenge against the All-Winners Squad. The Squad defeated her in battle, ending in her death and the destruction of the team's base.[31]
In September of 1946, Bucky joined the All-Winners Squad in England to protect atomic scientist Dr. Klaus Fuschs from Russian operatives led by the Red Guardian. When Jeff went to the funeral of his old reporter friend Jack Casey as the Patriot, despite the negative public relations due to the fact that Casey was homosexual, Fred supported his partner in his decision and was impressed when Jeff punched out the Sub-Mariner when the Atlantean chastised the hero for his decisions.[32]
1947[]
As 1947 began, Jeff and Fred continued working together as Captain America, and using their cover as teacher and student as the Lee School while also continuing to lead the Young Allies. Early on that year, Bucky and the Young Allies stopped the murder spree of failed comedian Joe Diller. Back with Captain America, Bucky joined Cap in assisting Doris Ford in searching for her uncles fortune hidden in an Egyptian-inspired crypt, clashing with the Howling Mummy, who was really Doris' cousin.[33] Next they apprehended the suction-cupped jewel thief called the Human Fly, exposed the life insurance fraud scheme of Rocky Rhodes and his girl Broadway Lil Carter, and stopping the mobster known as Hatchetface from forcing young boxer Tommy Kelly from throwing his fight against Fred Davis.[34] Later, Cap and Bucky rejoined the All-Winners Squad on orders by the president to protect a new atom bomb called "Rosebud" being developed in Las Vegas. The team were unable to stop a mobster named Dutch from stealing the bomb, as Dutch was assisted by the time travelling She-Hulk and Wanda Mason.[35] In February of that year, Cap and Bucky put a stop to a supposed masked hero calling himself the Protector who was in reality the leader of a gang and protection racket.[32] One more with the Young Allies, Bucky visited the circus where they stopped Derko the Clown, who like Joe Diller, had snapped and gone on a murder spree when fired from his profession.[36]
Soon after, Captain America and Bucky clashed with an unknown criminal posing as the Red Skull who had freed a number of death row inmates and began stealing medical supplies. The clash ended with the death of the Skull. In attempting to get the autograph from Yvonne, a young actress apparently from France, Fred and his classmate Snipe Gooligan were attacked Bullfrog who attempted to steal Yvonne's priceless necklace. When Snipe protected the necklace, Yvonne became smitten of Snipe, much to Fred's distress. Hoping to impress her, Fred went out looking for frogs to prepare her frogs legs, and was once more attacked by the Bullfrog and rescued by Captain America who bested the foe. Later, when presenting Yvonne the frogs legs, he learned to his dismay that Yvonne was not really from France, but Brooklyn. Later, Fred's autograph book was stolen by a criminal calling himself Laughing Boy who used the autographs to forge checks. With the aid of Betsy Ross, Captain America and Bucky put a stop to Laughing Boy, preventing him from killing actress Susan Dane.[37][38] Once more working with Betsy Ross, Cap and Bucky shut down the Crime Club which was being run by a criminal calling himself the Black Baron. They also stopped Signor Zagana and his gypsy troupe from robbing the Thorndyke Ball, and stopped the Mad Musician from getting revenge against his old music instructor Professor Carlotti.[39] Bucky then returned to the Young Allies where they assisted police Detective Tom Lanson apprehend Moose Mulligan and his gang. After Bucky was shocked to learn that Captain America was accused of murdering James Winthorp, and struck with amnesia. Bailing Cap out Bucky helped Cap clear his name by exposing the real killer: Crystal Green. During the fight, Jeff's memory was restored from a blow to the head while apprehending Green and her gang.[40]
Later, Captain America and Bucky came to the aid of the Lee School, first by preventing Rip Van Winkle from stealing items up for sale at a charity auction for the school, then later they recovered a stolen shipment of lumber intended for building a new wing to the Lee School that was stolen by the criminal known as Mr. Polly.[41] In his final adventure with the Young Allies, Bucky was awarded with the job of being mayor of New York City for the day. Shortly thereafter Toro was framed for robbing a jewellery store while trying apprehend Gypper Jordan and his gang. Bucky used his powers as the mayor to have Toro released from prison, and with the aid of the Young Allies captured Gypper and cleared Toro's name. When one of Jeff's friend is murdered by gambling racketeer Deuce Wilde, Jeff avenged his death as Captain America by shutting down Wilde's operation. During his battle with Wilde, the criminal fell off a roof and fell to his death.[42] Following this, Captain America and Bucky also captured notorious jewel thief Sparkles Labelle, and crooked nightclub owner King Leer. After, Captain America was later the guest of honour at the state fair, where he and Bucky helped protect "City of the Future" models that were on display there when they were threatened by a crook calling himself the Acrobat.[43] Next, in his capacity as a school teacher, Jeff accompanied a class field trip to a nearby planetarium. When the charity money from a pay-telescope was stolen by a petty crook calling himself the Oracle, Captain America and Bucky stopped him and his gang.[44]
In December, Captain America and Bucky rescued a number of kidnapped children from the clutches of the diabolical Dr. Satan.[32]
1948[]
1948 sparked the beginning of the end for the partnership between Jeff Mace and Fred Davis Jr. Early in the year the pair Captain America and Bucky were invited down to New Orleans to be the guests of honor in a Mardi Gras parade. The parade turned tragic when the Mardi Gras Queen is poisoned during the parade. Captain America and Bucky quickly deduce her lover Caesar had done it in order to steal an expensive jewel necklace.[45] Returning to New York, Bucky was disheartened when Cap suddenly began romancing a woman named Gloria in the midst of their mission to shut down the Crime Syndicate. Jeff even went to so far as to terminate their partnership and kick Fred out of his apartment. As Bucky, Fred continued to try and shut down the Syndicate. Eventually, he learned that Gloria was the leader and helped Cap take down the organization. In the end, Bucky had learned that Cap sent him away to protect him from death threats from the Syndicate and the two where happily reunited as crime fighting partners. Bucky also helped protect one of his classmates at the Lee School from the Matador who was attempting to steal the Cortez Crown in her possession, and helped Cap put a stop to the Jester who was trying to prove he was the funniest criminal in town.[46] The pair next investigated a series of arsons and their connection to the Lightning Cult whose leaders professed to be Olympian gods Zeus and Hera. However Cap and Bucky exposed them as two arsonists that were using the cult as a cover for their criminal activities.[47]
When an outbreak of the Mumps infected Fred's teacher Otto Drumm, he and Jeff as Captain America and Bucky came to his rescue when they learned that mobster Cheeks Chadwick was using their resemblance to try to throw off a police dragnet searching for him. After saving Drumm and apprehending Cheeks, Bucky soon fell ill with the Mumps himself, much to his chagrin. Recovering, Bucky accompanied the All-Winners Squad on a mission with Union Jack and the Destroyer, the encounter inspired the pair to form the V-Battalion an organization that Fred would join in later years.[48] Back at the Lee School, Bucky assisted Captain America in stopping yet another criminal operation running out of the school, this time a painting theft carried out by the Masked Cavalier.[49]
In April 1948, Bucky and the other members of the All-Winners Squad had moved into their new headquarters located within the Baxter Building and celebrated Jeff's birthday. Later that night Cap and Bucky were out on patrol attempting to capture diamond thieves. Splitting up to interrupt the robbery, Bucky was seriously wounded by a gunshot.[32] Bucky underwent emergency surgery while Captain America and Betsy Ross (having adopted the costumed identity of Golden Girl) sought out the shooter Lavender and brought her to justice. Fred survived his surgery, but needed time to recover, leaving Captain America to continue his crime fighting career with his new partner Golden Girl while he recovered in hospital.[50] There is an alternate account of these events, but it has been identified as a fictional tale based on the true events.[49]
Fred Davis Jr. spent the remained of 1948 recovering from his injuries.
1949[]
By mid-1949, Fred had mostly recovered from his gunshot wound and Jeff went to pick him up at the hospital. As they were leaving they were ambushed and captured by the Trickster a criminal who properly deduced Fred's secret identity and sought to get at Captain America. Unaware that Jeff was really Captain America, the Trickster let him loose to go and place a message in the newspaper demanding that Captain America meet his challenge. Jeff instead changed into Cap and crashed in on the Trickster and his men, freeing Fred who changed into Bucky and helped Cap capture the Trickster and his men and turn them over to the authorities.[51] Despite this brief return, Fred was in no condition to continue as Cap's sidekick and retired from his position, and began working for the government.[52]
1950[]
In February 1940, Captain America and Golden Girl had been broken up by FBI agent Skinner who was orchestrating a plan to force Captain America into getting into the Korean War and get himself a role in a new government agency called Vanguard, to this end he assigned Fred Davis as Captain America's new liaison. Not happy with his inactivity, Captain America confronted agent Skinner and demanded to do more. However, with the Communist witch hunts of the McCarthy Era in full swing, the United States government was keeping a close reign on Captain America, and Skinner had developed a deep suspicion of Cap when considering his Russian-Jewish ancestry and his previous interactions with Mary Morgan.
In June of 1950, Mace was sent to a New York elementary school to give a speech. There he learned about a missing boy and decided to get involved in rescuing him, even though it was against his orders. Following eye witness reports of UFOs sighted at the local graveyard, Cap went there to investigate. Instead of aliens he stumbled upon a secret government operation called Vanguard and rescued the boy. Learning of the operation by Fred, Cap soon found himself in a unrecorded disciplinary meeting with Skinner. Having realized that this was a means to get him shipped off to Korea while taking a position with Vanguard, Cap recorded their conversation and used it to force Skinner to retire him as Captain America and reunite him with Betsy Ross, who was also discharged from the FBI.[52]
Fred soon left government service shortly thereafter to involve himself in the formation of the V-Battalion.
V-Battalion[]
In 1951, Davis joined the V-Battalion, a secret organization that hunted war criminals, and eventually became one of its leaders on the Penance Council. He served the V-Battalion in both a leadership role in the Penance Council, and as an engineer.[53]
Death[]
Fred Davis was later targeted and killed by a psychopathic Red Room assassin named Leo Novokov as part of a plan to taunt and break Winter Soldier, who was the original Bucky. Leo used Fred's blood to write "Only one Bucky left" on the wall.[54]Attributes
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Abilities
- Skilled Combatant: As Bucky, he was well trained in unarmed and armed combat.[1]
- Acrobatics: As Bucky he was a skilled acrobat.[1]
- Piloting: Fred is a skilled driver and pilot.[1]
- Espionage: Fred is well-versed in the use of advanced technology and is an expert code-breaker and detective.[1]
- Multilingualism: Aside from his native English he can speak Russian, Japanese and German.[1]
- Disguise: Fred is a master of disguises.[1]
Notes
- Fred Davis was invented in the 70s to retroactively explain why Bucky (and Captain America) appeared in comics dated after 1945 and their encounter with Zemo's bomb-rocket. As a result, there is no officially recognized point when Fred Davis replaced Bucky Barnes in the original Timely Comics stories of Captain America. Based on the dates involved, however, Captain America Comics #49 is often recognized as the first Fred Davis story.
See Also
- 80 appearance(s) of Fred Davis Jr. (Earth-616)
- 3 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Fred Davis Jr. (Earth-616)
- 6 minor appearance(s) of Fred Davis Jr. (Earth-616)
- 2 mention(s) of Fred Davis Jr. (Earth-616)
- 3 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Fred Davis Jr. (Earth-616)
- 38 image(s) of Fred Davis Jr. (Earth-616)
- 2 quotation(s) by or about Fred Davis Jr. (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Captain America: America's Avenger #1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Marvel Premiere #30
- ↑ All-New Invaders #6
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 What If? #4
- ↑ Captain America Annual #6
- ↑ Captain America Comics #49
- ↑ U.S.A. Comics #17
- ↑ All Select Comics #9
- ↑ Captain America Comics #50
- ↑ Kid Komics #9
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Captain America Comics #52
- ↑ All Winners Comics #17
- ↑ Young Allies #18
- ↑ Captain America Comics #53
- ↑ Captain America Comics #54
- ↑ Appearance in Young Allies #19 goes here
- ↑ Appearance in Kid Komics #10 goes here
- ↑ Captain America Comics #55
- ↑ Captain America Comics #56
- ↑ All Select Comics #10
- ↑ All Winners Comics #18
- ↑ Captain America Comics #57
- ↑ Marvel Mystery Comics #75
- ↑ All Winners Comics #19
- ↑ Marvel Mystery Comics #76
- ↑ Appearance in Marvel Mystery Comics #77 goes here
- ↑ Appearance in Marvel Mystery Comics #78 goes here
- ↑ Captain America Comics #59
- ↑ Marvel Mystery Comics #79
- ↑ All Winners Comics #21
- ↑ All Winners Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 Captain America: Patriot #2
- ↑ Marvel Mystery Comics #80
- ↑ Captain America Comics #60
- ↑ Sensational She-Hulk #22
- ↑ Sub-Mariner Comics #22
- ↑ Captain America Comics #61
- ↑ Appearance in Marvel Mystery Comics #81 goes here
- ↑ Captain America Comics #62
- ↑ Marvel Mystery Comics #82
- ↑ Captain America Comics #63
- ↑ Marvel Mystery Comics #83
- ↑ Captain America Comics #64
- ↑ Marvel Mystery Comics #84
- ↑ Blonde Phantom Comics #16
- ↑ Captain America Comics #65
- ↑ Marvel Mystery Comics #86
- ↑ Citizen V and the V-Battalion: The Everlasting #1
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 Captain America Comics #66
- ↑ Captain America: Patriot #3
- ↑ Captain America Comics #71
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 Captain America: Patriot #4
- ↑ Thunderbolts #40–41
- ↑ Winter Soldier #6
- ↑ Captain America: America's Avenger #1
- ↑ Captain America: America's Avenger Vol 1 1