FLASH FOSTER

Real Name: Robert Foster

Identity/Class: Human (World War 2 Era)

Occupation: College football player

Group Membership: Crazy S.U.E.S. (American Ace/Percy Webb, Archie the Gruesome, Blue Diamond, Bucky/James Buchanan Barnes, Sgt. Byrd, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Captain Flame, Davey Drew and his demon, Father Time/Larry Scott, Fighting Yank/Bill Prince, Fin/Peter Noble, Invisible Man/Leonard Gade, Doug "Jap-Buster" Johnson, Albert "Slow-Motion" Jones, Merzah the Mystic, Moon-Man, Secret Stamp/Roddy Colt, Captain Bob Strong, Jim "Taxi" Taylor, Vagabond/Pat Murphy, Victory Boys, Young Avenger, others)

Affiliations: American Ace (Percy Webb), Archie the Gruesome, Harry "Shorty" Biro, Blue Diamond, Bucky (James Buchanan Barnes), Sgt. Byrd, Captain America (Steve Rogers), Captain Flame, Davey Drew and his demon, Father Time (Larry Scott), Fighting Yank (Bill Prince), Fin (Peter Noble), Connie Hodges, Invisible Man (Leonard Gade), Doug "Jap-Buster" Johnson, Albert "Slow-Motion" Jones, Merzah the Mystic, Miss Patriot (Mary Morgenstern), Moon-Man, Secret Stamp (Roddy Colt), Smith, Captain Bob Strong, Jim "Taxi" Taylor, Vagabond (Pat Murphy), Victory Boys, Young Avenger

Enemies: Nick Bruno, the Dip (see comments), Nazis, Pat

Known Relatives: None

Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Aliases: None

Education: College student

Base of Operations: Valhalla Villas, Miami, Florida, USA;
Midwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA

First Appearance: Daring Mystery Comics I#1/5 (January, 1940)

Powers/Abilities: Flash Foster was an excellent college football player who possessed indomitable strength and the ability to pass a ball up to 70 yards in play. His strength and size were also useful assets in hand-to-hand combat. After receiving military training he used his skill with footballs to hurl grenades. He carried a rifle in armed combat.

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 240 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red

History:

(Daring Mystery Comics I#1/5) - While attending Midwestern University, Flash Foster brought his team to victory on the football field. Midwestern's next game was against Hale, which would determine whether they played in the Rose Bowl. That night, Flash took his girlfriend Connie Hodges to a nightclub to dance, although his coach cautioned him to get home early so he could rest for the game at Hale. When Flash left Connie to speak to his coach, Connie was kidnapped by gangsters working for Nick Bruno, who wanted to affect the outcome of the game against Hale.

Later that night, Nick Bruno and his underling Pat confronted Flash at his room and warned him that if Midwestern won against Hale, Connie would suffer. Flash started to fight the two men but Bruno's accomplice Pat knocked Flash over the head with the butt of his gun. Flash regained consciousness the following morning when his friend Shorty Biro woke him up. Flash told Shorty what had happened but refused to involve the police for fear of what might happen to Connie.

Shorty drove Flash to the stadium and he played in the game against Hale. Although he intended to do his best, Flash was distracted as he worried about Connie and finally he was benched. Shorty had found Nick Bruno's hideout and informed Flash. Leaving the game, Flash and Shorty borrowed the coach's car and drove to Bruno's hideout. Although Bruno was armed with a gun and Pat had a knife, Flash defeated both men with his bare fists. A police officer who had followed Flash and Shorty to arrest them for speeding instead arrested Bruno and Pat. Flash set Connie free and while Shorty explained matters to the policeman, Flash and Connie went back to the stadium and Flash returned in time to play in the last 4 minutes of the game. Flash and fullback Smith led Midwestern to a narrow victory over Hale, clinching Midwestern's entry into the Rose Bowl.

(All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#2 (fb)) - During World War II, Flash Foster joined a U.S. Army outfit called the Crazy S.U.E.S. (Specialized Unit, Enhanced Soldiers) that was comprised primarily of costumed super heroes. Sgt. Byrd and Captain America introduced themselves as the leaders of the unit. After their introduction, the unit went to their barracks and Flash spent time throwing a ball back and forth with Bob Strong. When "Slow-Motion" Jones touched the ball, Strong got into a fight with him.

(All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#4 (fb)) - Flash accompanied the Crazy S.U.E.S. as they entered the European Theater.

(All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#1 (fb)) - On December 6, 1944, Flash Foster accompanied the Crazy S.U.E.S. into Saarlautern, Germany and witnessed the deaths of the Victory Boys.

(Ant-Man: Last Days I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Flash Foster eventually retired to Valhalla Villas in Miami, Florida, a retirement community run by Mary Morgenstern, the former Miss Patriot. Many of Flash's fellow residents had been crimefighters and even criminals during the 1940s and 1950s.

(Ant-Man: Last Days I#1) - As it was believed the world was about to end (due to the incursions which resulted in Secret Wars), Mary gathered Flash and the other residents of Valhalla Villas in their old costumes, with Flash donning his old football uniform. Mary used an Asgardian artifact to temporarily restore youth to Flash and the other residents so they could enjoy a final day of adventures before the world came to an end. Flash was eager to do this, saying he'd been "overpayin' this dump for years."

Comments: Created by Bob Wood.

Flash's solo story ended with a promise that in his next adventure Flash would play in the Rose Bowl against Central California "but - a sinister character 'the Dip' enters our story." However, that story never appeared.

Flash Foster received an OHOTMU entry in the Marvel Mystery Handbook.

All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes was supposed to be an 8-issue series but it was cancelled after issue #5 due to poor sales. Consequently, we don't know the fates of all of the Crazy S.U.E.S.; it's possible that Flash Foster was intended to have died during World War II but the later publication of Ant-Man: Last Days seems to show he's survived into contemporary times.

This profile was completed on 11/24/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Flash Foster should not be confused with:

images: (without ads)
Marvel Mystery Handbook, Flash Foster entry (main)
Daring Mystery Comics I#1/5, page 3, panel 10 (face)
Ant-Man: Last Days I#1, page 13, panel 1 (as an old man)

Appearances:
Daring Mystery Comics I#1/5 (January, 1940) - Bob Wood (writer, artist), unidentified editor
All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#1-2 (August-September, 2011) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#4 (November, 2011) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Ant-Man: Last Days I#1 (October, 2015) - Nick Spencer (writer), Ramon Rosanas (artist), Wil Moss (editor)

First posted: 09/20/2026
Last updated: 09/18/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
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