the Invaders

They were the single greatest collection of heroes of their time, bar none. Sure, there was the Liberty Legion, the Kid Commandos, and of course, the Crusaders, but no single group of costumed heroes are as well-remembered as the mighty Invaders. When they originally formed, the Invaders consisted of five powerful men without peer, including the following:

Bucky: Captain America's trusty partner, James 'Bucky' Barnes is something of a con man and swindler, and doesn't seem to have a problem getting his hands dirty to get what he wants - and what he wants is to protect the world from the Nazi scourge! Availability:

Captain America: sickly Steve Rogers became a hero after he proved to be the only test subject of an experimental super soldier serum. Quickly growing into the role of the Sentinel of Liberty, he gave his all to the fight against America's many enemies! Availability:

the Human Torch: an artificial man created Phineas T. Horton, this android proved to be 'flawed' when he ignited upon exposure to air. Eventually mastering his powers, he took the name of the Human Torch, and used his abilities to fight evil in all its forms! Availability:

Namor, the Sub-Mariner: child of an Atlantean princess and an American sea captain, Namor was raised from childhood to hate humanity. When he saw the worst of them in the form of Nazi Germany, Namor allied with humans of power like his to oppose their every move. Availability:

Toro: his parents being exposed to both asbestos and radium as youths, Thomas Raymond was born a mutant. He eventually developed powers quite similar to the Human Torch, and the duo founded a crime-fighting partnership that lasted for years after their first run-in. Availability:

Shortly after their formation, the Invaders saw the addition of two more heroes to their fold, Spitfire and Union Jack. Both from England, these two were actually relatives, but gained their impressive powers under different conditions. Furthermore, towards the end of World War II, the team gained an all-new Captain America and Bucky when the originals were lost in the Arctic.

Bucky 2: after the tragic loss of the first Captain America and Bucky, government replaced them as soon as possible, for the purposes of public morale. As the new Bucky, they chose Fred Davis, a youth with the same build and general appearance of his predecessor! Availability:

Spirit of '76 / Captain America 3: a patriot who idolized Captain America, William Naslund developed his skills so that he could fight the Axis hand to hand as well. After William's hero seemingly died in battle, President Truman made him the third Captain America! Availability:

Spitfire: mauled by Baron Blood, Lady Jacqueline was given an emergency blood transfusion from the Human Torch. In addition to saving her life, his android blood interacted with the vampire ichor in her body to grant her amazing super speed and other powers! Availability:

Union Jack 2 / Mighty Destroyer 2: when socialite Brian Falsworth met a Mad Scientist in a German prison, he was given a variant of the Super-Soldier Serum to hide it from the Nazis. Fighting them for a time as the Destroyer, he returned home as... Union Jack! Availability:

This collection of heroes worked well together, either all together or in smaller groups, despite their individual differences. You see, they intimately knew what their Nazi foes were capable of, and were able to put aside lesser concerns such as 'personality conflicts' for the greater good. They stuck together through thick and thin, until the very end of World War II.

Once the War was over and the Nazis were defeated, the membership shifted considerably, as did their mission. No longer having Nazis to contend with, they took on various other foes that solo heroes simply couldn't handle on their own. Furthermore, they took on a new identity, that of the All-Winners Squad. That team is covered more fully in its own entry, below.

Continue on to the All-Winners Squad!

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