(Daring Mystery Comics I#8/1) - When the Netherlands surrendered on May 15, 1940, Watkins and the British forces retreated to Dunkirk, France. Watkins volunteered for rearguard duty to help cover the evacuation of British troops. While attempting to reach one of the rescue vessels under heavy enemy fire, Watkins was struck by machine-gun fire and fell into the water. Presumed dead, Watkins was discovered by the French fisherman Pierre, who secretly nursed him back to health over the following weeks.

(Daring Mystery Comics I#8/1) - After several weeks of recovery, Watkins found himself stronger than before and resolved to return to England. Assisted by Pierre, Watkins crossed the English Channel aboard a small fishing boat. Upon reaching England, he was greeted as a hero by soldiers who had believed he had died during the evacuation of Dunkirk. Shortly after his return, Watkins was approached by his superiors and asked to undertake dangerous missions within Nazi-occupied Europe to rally conquered populations against their occupiers. Accepting the assignment, Watkins devised a new identity to inspire resistance movements throughout occupied territory. Adopting the costumed identity of Citizen V, Watkins chose the letter "V" as a symbol of victory and freedom.

(Daring Mystery Comics I#8/1) - Operating throughout occupied Europe, Citizen V encouraged resistance against the Axis powers and became a symbol of hope among oppressed civilians. While operating in occupied France, Citizen V marked Nazi targets with luminous paint and transmitted their locations to Britain. Acting on his intelligence, British bombers destroyed a Nazi ammunition dump, further increasing Citizen V's reputation among the French resistance.

(Daring Mystery Comics I#8/1 - BTS) - Citizen V became a popular symbol of defiance throughout occupied Europe. Inspired by his example, civilians began displaying the "V" symbol on walls, streets, military equipment, and other public places, much to the frustration of Nazi authorities and Adolf Hitler himself.

(Daring Mystery Comics I#8/1) - Disguising himself as a beggar, Citizen V assaulted a Nazi colonel and stole his uniform. Assuming the officer's identity, Citizen V traveled into Germany and gained access to Berlin by posing as a loyal servant of the Third Reich. While infiltrating Berlin, Citizen V secretly marked Nazi personnel and locations with his trademark "V" symbol, driving Hitler into a rage as reports of the mysterious vigilante continued to spread throughout occupied Europe. After infiltrating Hitler's private garden disguised as a German officer, Citizen V approached the dictator under the pretense of requesting an autograph. Instead, he struck Hitler in the face, branded a "V" on his uniform, and escaped before German authorities could apprehend him. Having humiliated Hitler and further strengthened the morale of resistance movements throughout Europe, Citizen V vowed to continue fighting Nazi oppression wherever freedom remained under threat.

(Comedy Comics I#9/6 (fb) - BTS) - Operating in Nazi-occupied France, Citizen V continued inspiring resistance against the German occupation. Through his actions, thousands of civilians had begun supporting the underground movement known as the V-Battalion.

(Comedy Comics I#9/6) - Seeking volunteers for a dangerous mission, Citizen V visited a secret V-Battalion hideout maintained by his old friend Pierre. There, he recruited several patriots to accompany him on a mission against the Nazi war machine. After commandeering a Nazi staff car, Citizen V and selected members of the V-Battalion disguised themselves as German soldiers and traveled toward a pontoon bridge that was scheduled to be used by two Nazi tank divisions en route to the Eastern Front. Working with members of the V-Battalion, Citizen V loosened part of the pontoon bridge and deployed smoke canisters that created the illusion of heavy fog. Deceived by the smoke, the advancing Nazi tanks drove directly into the gap and plunged into the river below. As the remaining tanks became trapped in the resulting wreckage, Citizen V destroyed several of them with grenades and gunfire. During the battle, Citizen V was struck from behind by a Nazi soldier and captured. The Nazis transported him back to Paris and imprisoned him in a dungeon, intending to execute him by firing squad.

(Comedy Comics I#9/6) - While awaiting execution, Citizen V discovered a concealed passage beneath his prison cell. The tunnel had been prepared by members of the V-Battalion who were familiar with the prison. Following the passage, Citizen V escaped captivity and reunited with Pierre and the V-Battalion. Enraged by Citizen V's escape, the Nazi commandant of Paris ordered that one hundred hostages would be executed for every hour Citizen V remained at large unless the hero surrendered himself. Refusing to allow innocent civilians to die on his behalf, Citizen V decided to surrender himself. Before doing so, however, he devised a plan to force the Nazi commandant to rescind the order. Under cover of darkness, Citizen V infiltrated the commandant's private quarters and overpowered the officer. Holding him at gunpoint, Citizen V forced the commandant to write an order canceling the planned executions. He then tied the officer to a chair, painted a large red "V" across his chest, and warned him not to alert his superiors.

(Comedy Comics I#9/6) - The following day, Citizen V learned that a train carrying captured Royal Air Force pilots was being transported to a Nazi concentration camp. Leaping aboard the moving train, Citizen V fought off the guards, uncoupled the final railcar, and brought it safely to a halt, freeing the imprisoned airmen. Leading the rescued RAF pilots through a nearby forest, Citizen V discovered a large Nazi airfield. Realizing the enemy aircraft were preparing for an attack, he formulated a plan to seize the planes. Citizen V single-handedly infiltrated the airfield headquarters and used the loudspeaker system to falsely announce the approach of British bombers. As the German personnel abandoned their aircraft and rushed for cover, the rescued RAF pilots boarded the planes and took off. The RAF pilots flew the captured aircraft over the airfield in a V-formation before dropping their bomb loads onto the Nazi base, destroying the installation. Citizen V later instructed the pilots to signal their successful return to England by using their aircraft engines to transmit the V-for-Victory symbol in Morse code.

(Marvels I#1 - BTS) - While stationed near a Nazi fortress, war correspondent Philip Sheldon wrote about the superheroes active during the war, including Citizen V, the Whizzer, and Blue Diamond. Moments later, he witnessed a group of costumed heroes participating in an assault on the fortress.

(Citizen V and the V Battalion I#1 (fb)) - At an unrevealed point during World War II, Citizen V encountered the Destroyer (Roger Aubrey) while battling Nazis. The meeting would later inspire Aubrey to reactivate the V-Battalion.

(Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998 (fb) - BTS) - Citizen V considered Paulette Brazee to be his most trusted operative within the V-Battalion.

(Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998 (fb) - BTS) - Citizen V and Paulette Brazee became romantically involved, resulting in her pregnancy (see comments).

(Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998 (fb) - BTS) - While operating undercover as She-Wolf within Baron Zemo's organization, Paulette Brazee learned that Zemo planned to use the wave-nullifying properties of Particle X to render Britain's radio and radar systems inoperable. To stop him, Citizen V volunteered to assist Company C, Captain America, and Bucky on a mission to prevent Particle X from being launched into the skies above London.

(Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998 (fb)) - When Captain America and Bucky arrived near Zemo's castle, Citizen V revealed his presence and guided them through a secret entrance, where they reunited with Brazee. After introductions were made, Captain America and Bucky agreed to create a diversion while Citizen V and Brazee pursued Zemo. As Company C stormed the castle after the drawbridge was opened, Citizen V confronted Baron Zemo directly. Overconfident, Citizen V was shot through the shoulder by Zemo before Brazee, Captain America, and Bucky arrived to assist him. Together, the heroes prevented Zemo from killing Citizen V and destroyed the controls of the Particle X apparatus. When the machine exploded, Citizen V and the others escaped by leaping from a castle window into the surrounding moat. Although Zemo managed to flee, his plans had been thwarted and the mission was considered a success.

(Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking revenge against Citizen V, Baron Zemo decided to turn his opponent's methods against him and arranged for the V-Battalion to be infiltrated.

(Avengers/Invaders I#10, 12) - In 1943, the Red Skull (Johann Schmidt) gained possession of the Cosmic Cube, resulting in the creation of the alternate reality designated Earth-93198. In this timeline, Citizen V was among the many heroes who were slain and displayed upon a massive wall. The Cube was later recovered by soldier Paul Anselm, who used its power to resurrect the fallen heroes. Citizen V subsequently joined forces with the Invaders and time-displaced Avengers in a battle against the Red Skull's forces. After the Skull's defeat, the Cosmic Cube was used to erase the participants' memories of the entire event.

(Thunderbolts: Distant Rumblings#-1 (fb)) - Later in 1943, Citizen V and the V-Battalion traveled to Poznań, Poland, where they led a rebellion against the Nazi occupation, unaware that Baron Zemo's agents had infiltrated their ranks. During the fighting, Citizen V spotted the arrival of a tank carrying Baron Zemo himself. Having anticipated the confrontation, Zemo drew his weapon and shot Citizen V.

(Thunderbolts: Distant Rumblings#-1 (fb) / Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998 (fb)) - Baron Zemo personally strangled Citizen V to death and forced the members of the V-Battalion to witness the murder in order to destroy their morale and hope.

(Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998 - BTS) - Knowing the identities of the V-Battalion's members, Zemo ordered them hunted down and murdered. Although many were killed, several escaped, including Paulette Brazee, who was pregnant with Citizen V's child. Smuggled to London, Brazee later gave birth to a son whom she named John Watkins Jr.

(Marvels Project I#8 (fb) - BTS) - During the final days of World War II, the Angel (Thomas Halloway) reflected that heroes such as Citizen V had helped usher in the age of marvels and heroes foretold in 1939 by the dying, time-traveling gunslinger Matt Hawke.

(Heroes for Hire I#7 - BTS) - The Human Torch (Jim Hammond) later recalled meeting Citizen V during World War II and remained saddened that such a noble hero had ultimately been murdered by Baron Zemo.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Ben Tompson.

John Watkins Sr. was a relatively obscure Golden Age hero, making only two wartime appearances. While many Golden Age characters appeared only once, Citizen V remained largely forgotten until the debut of the Thunderbolts in 1996. The team's apparent leader, Citizen V, was initially presented as John Watkins' grandson. In reality, however, he was Helmut Zemo, who had disguised himself as Citizen V while leading a reformed Masters of Evil masquerading as superheroes. Some time later, Dallas Riordan also adopted the Citizen V identity. Despite occasional assumptions to the contrary, she was not related to either John Watkins Sr. or Paulette Brazee, although her grandfather had been a member of the original V-Battalion.

It has never been revealed whether John Watkins was aware that Paulette Brazee was pregnant with his child. While it remains possible, it seems unlikely. Reliable pregnancy tests as they are known today did not exist during World War II, and several weeks would typically have passed before a pregnancy could reasonably have been suspected. Given Watkins' active role in the war and the dangerous circumstances under which he and Brazee operated, it is possible that he died before either of them became aware of the pregnancy.

Citizen V received handbook profiles in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Golden Age (2004) and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z HC#2 (2008).

Profile by MarvellousLuke

CLARIFICATIONS:
Citizen V should not be confused with

• CITIZEN V, Paulette Brazee, former double agents who was romantically involved with John--Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998
• CITIZEN V, John Watkins jr, son and successor of Citizen V--Citizen V and the V-Battalion: The Everlasting I#1
• CITIZEN V, John Watkins III, grandson of John Sr. and Paulette Brazee, formerly possessed by Baron Zemo--Thunderbolts I#45
• CITIZEN V, Baron Helmut Zemo, posed as and later possessed Watkins III, original leader of Thunderbolts while posing as Watkins--Incredible Hulk I#449
• CITIZEN V, Dallas Riordan, temporarily served as Citizen V and opposed Zemo--Thunderbolts I#1
• CITIZEN V, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the latest person to carry the title--Thunderbolts: Doomstrike I#1
• or any other "Citizen" characters

images: (without ads)
Thunderbolts: Distant Rumblings#-1, p1, pan1 (main image)
Daring Mystery Comics I#8, p5, pan2 (determined to become a costumed hero)
Daring Mystery Comics I#8, p10, pan5 (punching Hitler)
Comedy Comics I#9/6, p47, pan1 ("decorating" his victim with a red V)
Thunderbolts: Distant Rumblings#-1, p22, pan1 (death)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Golden Age, Citizen V entry (ohotmu)

Appearances:
Daring Mystery Comics I#8/1 (January, 1942) - Stan Lee (writer), Ben Tompson (pencils)
Comedy Comics I#9/6 (April, 1941) - Stan Lee (writer), Ben Thompson (pencils, inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvels I#1 (January, 1994) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Alex Ross (art), Marcus McLaurin (editor)
Thunderbolts: Distant Rumblings#-1 (June, 1997) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Steve Epting (pencils), Bob Wiacek (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Heroes for Hire I#7 (November, 1997) - John Ostrander (writer), Pasqual Ferry (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Captain America & Citizen V Annual I#1998 (November, 1998) - Kurt Busiek, Karl Kesel, Barbara Kesel (writers), Mark Bagley (pencils), Greg Adams, Scott Hanna (inkers), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Citizen V and the V Battalion I#1 (April, 2001) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Michael Ryan (pencils), Sean Parsons (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Golden Age (December, 2004) - Ronald Byrd, Michael Hoskin (writers), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z HC#2 (April, 2008) - Al Sjoerdsma, Anthony Flamini, Barry Reese, Bill Lentz, Chad Anderson, Chris Biggs, David Sexton, David Wiltfong, Eric J. Moreels, Jacob Rougemont, Jeff Christiansen, Jonathan Couper-Smartt, Kyle Sims, Madison Carter, Mark O'English, Michael Hoskin, Mike Fichera, Rich Green, Ronald Byrd, Sean McQuaid, Stuart Vandal (writer), Roberto De La Torre (pencils)
Avengers/Invaders I#10 (June, 2009) - Alex Ross (plot), Jim Krueger (plot/script), Steve Sadowski, Patrick Berkenkotter (pencilers), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Avengers/Invaders I#12 (August, 2009) - Alex Ross (plot), Jim Krueger (plot/script), Steve Sadowski, Patrick Berkenkotter (pencilers), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Marvels Project I#8 (July, 2010) - Ed Brubaker (writer), Steve Epting (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First Posted: 06/12/2026
Last Updated: 06/12/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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