Colonel Rick Flag

A question of time

Here’s a possible timeline for Mr. Flag, assuming that events occur by publication date. As per our “no sliding time“ method.

So yes, this means that Col. Flag is chronologically in his 50s and 60s during the heydays of the Yale/Ostrander Suicide Squad stories. See our Aging in Superhero Comics article for more about that, eh ?

History (part 2)

In 1985, Amanda Waller created a new version of the Suicide Squad. The concept was closer to those units that Rick Flag’s father had commanded during the 1940s, as she made use of criminals with special capabilities.

It also reused some assets from Rick Flag’s Mission X heydays.

Waller’s project was to have Ben Turner command her unit in the field. But Turner was too Black and too suspicious to the liking of other intelligence big wheels. She therefore had to ally with General Eiling, whom she despised.

Eiling’s condition to support Waller was that Rick Flag would lead the field team.

A few good folks in a cesspool

Amanda Waller took that deal. But she visibly distrusted Flag and resented his presence. She was almost certain that he was Eiling’s mole.

Ben Turner was Flag’s lieutenant. But the two men quickly came to trust and respect each other.

Waller further made a deal with Eve Eden. Who also developed a solid working relationship with both men.

These, plus some members of the ground team, formed the original reliable base to work with. The rest tended to be expendable criminal lowlives.

Waller slowly and warily came to respect Flag as well. Especially as he acted as a counterweight to her more ruthless, cold-blooded penchantsStrong tendency to behave in certain ways..

For the bulk of the events of Flag’s service with Waller’s Suicide Squad, see the corresponding team profiles.

History (part 3)

Flag’s time with this Squad proved harrowing :

And I feel them drown my name

Worn by PTSD  and stress, Rick Flag decided to go out in an heroic act of service. Just like his father had done.

His first attempt was during the Millennium crisis. However, his old flame Karin realised that the Manhunters had deceived her, and had manipulated her into hurting Rick.

She did the suicide run that Rick had been intending to do, asking him to carry on in her name.

Karin’s sacrifice was a major victory in saving Earth. But Rick had lost her again for the last time.

Flag then commanded a mission in Nicaragua that broke real bad. He was the only survivor.

The Squad then had to leave Nemesis (Tom Tresser) behind in the USSR.

Walking to the bright lights in sorrow

Both Flag and Eden were determined to launch a rescue mission. Waller ruled against this, so the pair decided to sacrifice their career to rescue Tresser.

The duo’s special operation in the USSR more or less succeeded. But the Justice League International had been sent to intercept Flag, Eden and their operatives. The harrowed Flag snapped and got into a brawl with Batman (Bruce Wayne).

Though he held his own for a remarkably long time, this achieved little. And the grievously wounded Flag had to be hospitalised.

Colonel Flag cut his hospital stay short to return to his command. But he still sought his dutiful death.

It reminds me of the pain I might leave behind

Flag stopped attending the therapy sessions with Dr. LaGrieve.

The colonel became increasingly withdrawn and morbid, staring at photos of Karin Grace for hours. He rejected Eve Eden’s attempts at helping him.

Flag felt that his failures as the Squad’s leader had dishonoured the memory of his father. In his opinion, Richard Montgomery Flag would have turned the shambling, chaotic Squad into a disciplined crack unit by now.

Having accidentally learned of the Tolliver plot, Flag flew to Washington, D.C.. There he :

I believe my time has come

The Squad’s first full operation had been to attack the Jihad super-mercenaries in Qurac. But though Flag and his operatives had twice prevailed against the Jihad, the team — commanded by Rustam — still presented a major threat.

The Jihad was based in Jotunheim, a fortress built by the Nazis during World War Two. Its distinctive architecture made it almost indestructible.

However, Rick’s father had raided Jotunheim during the War. This successful operation had buried experimental Nazi nuclear warheads that were being developed in Jotunheim’s basement.

Rick had his father’s full reports about this op. He therefore knew of a way to break into the fortress that even the current occupants weren’t aware of. And he knew how to locate and detonate the 40+ year-old nuclear warheads underneath.

Even Rustam couldn’t stop Flag’s solo intrusion. They were both at ground zero when the nukes went off, destroying Jotunheim and the Jihad for good.

Subsequent appearances

Though Rick Flag was later revealed not to have died, there were a few appearances of his in the afterlife.

This is a common issue in both the Marvel and DC Universes. One suspects that these dimensionsOther realms of existence that are not our universe. do not function as people expect them to.

Post-mortem

While hovering a bit beyond death, Captain Atom once had visions. In those he helped Rick Flag overcome obstacles in a sort of purgatory so they could both reach a sort of paradise. There Col. Flag was reunited with Dr. Grace.

Atom soon left this apparent afterlife to face Nekron. It seems likely that his visions and Flag’s presence were mere allegories and hallucinations.

During the Day of Judgement crisis  , Rick Flag was among a number of fallen heroes found in Purgatory. These were allegedly heroes stuck there as a result of their own failures and shortcomings.

A task force of living heroes came to Purgatory to recover Hal Jordan. But angel-like humanoids called Keepers intervened to prevent Jordan from escaping back to life.

Seeing another chance at heroism, Flag, the Vigilante (Adrian Chase) and other fallen heroes fought the Keepers. This allowed the living heroes to leave with Jordan.

Not-mortem

Rick Flag (and Rustam) were later revealed to have escaped at the last second from the atomic blast.

However, it was a “everything you thought you knew about Rick Flag was wrong” story. So it’s prolly best covered separately for clarity.

Personality

Flag is hollowed out. This is the result of decades of service in a hard, treacherous job.

He solely exists to carry out his duty as an officer, no matter what the odds and the hardship. He already lost most of what he had to lose.

Rick comes across as wooden, gloomy and mechanical. It sometimes feels like he’s just going through the motions.

His core problem is survivor’s guilt – starting with the death of his mother to save his life. The destruction of the Mission X Suicide Squad essentially left him a dead man walking.

He could still function fine as an intelligence field officer, but was diminished on an emotional and human level.

The death of Karin Grace finished him off. At that point it was written that he would go out like his father before him – by finding a respectable and heroic way to commit suicide.

Sacred duty

Duty has become everything to Flag. It’s all that he has left, and his lifeline.

Flag sees himself as a good guy despite his blood-soaked job. There are extremities that he will never accept, such as torture or needless deaths. He genuinely fights for democracy and the good stuff.

The Colonel is burnt out as a person, but his cynicism doesn’t extend to the principles he defends.

However, this rapidly eroded after Dr. Grace’s death. By the time of the Janus Directive plot, Flag barely blinked when ordered to assassinate American citizens.

Death is here, is there

The Colonel frequently reminds his operatives to be on their toes. And that things could go real bad at any moment for any or no reason.

Flag’s priority is the mission, but his second priority is to bring back as many squaddies as he can. Even when they are expendable thugs and psychos.

Rick’s ideal would have been to be a super-hero. That’s impossible in his life, though Mission X then the Forgotten Heroes took him fairly close. He therefore chafes at Waller’s ethically dubious Squad missions and having to operate with criminals.

Quotes

Bronze Tiger: “Looks like we’re off to a flying start.”
Rick Flag: “Could be worse. Probably will be. Let’s get going.”

“My real objection to the mission is that it’s not necessary. Like the Penguin said, it’s for propaganda.”

(To the Enchantress) “Get this straight – I’m not your friend, I’m not your social worker, and I don’t have to be nice.”

“If I don’t make it, you take command. Don’t leave anybody behind, Ben, if you can help it. Okay ?”

(As Batman leaves Belle Reve, Flag chews up Deadshot) “Let me tell you something ! That man is worth any ten of creeps like you or Boomerang ! He’s a man I’d have been *proud* to serve with instead of the two-bit jerks like you I get stuck with ! And now that man’s my enemy ! Just to protect scum like you ! Well, you and the other are going to shape up, Lawton. Or I’ll by God know the reason why !”

(As the convalescent Flag comes in to join a field mission).
Amanda Waller: “Who said you were ready, Colonel ?”
Rick Flag: “I did. Want to fight about it ?”

Rick Flag: “Some things in life are worth more than your life.”
Eve Eden: “The Squad isn’t one of them, Rick.”
Rick Flag: “The Squad’s all I got left, Eve.”

“I won’t ask you to ‘carry on for me’, Eve. That’s a dead end I’ve found myself in. Live your life. Get out of the Squad before it poisons you. Be happy – for God’s sake, be happy if you can. That was something I never learned to do.”

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: DC Comics.

Helper(s): Frank Murdock.

Writeup redone on the 31^st of December, 2022.