Freedom Ring
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Freedom Ring (Curtis Doyle), is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, created by writer Robert Kirkman. Curtis first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #20. He became Freedom Ring in Marvel Team-Up #21.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Origin
After the Master of the Ring story arc in Marvel Team-Up ended, Captain America and Wolverine showed up. Cap told everyone he would take the reality-altering ring that the Ringmaster was wearing into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. Unfortunately, A.I.M. sent a group of soldiers called a M.O.D.O.C. (Military Operatives Designed Only for Combat) Squad to fight Cap for an unknown reason. The ring falls out of the pouch that Cap was supposed to bring it to S.H.I.E.L.D. in, but he doesn't notice.
The ring is eventually found by mild-mannered Curtis Doyle, whose friend Troy calls the ring a "free, dumb ring". This comment helps Curtis find his superhero name later. He discovers that the ring gives him the ability to alter reality when he accidentally creates an ice cream sundae. He runs away terrified, but when he returns, he finds that the sundae has disappeared without a trace. He calls Troy, and later, they have a long night of super-power practice.
The next day while Curtis is on a date with Jeffrey, the Abomination attacks nearby and Curtis runs off to fight him. While fighting Abomination along with Spider-Man and the X-Men, Curtis is seriously injured. Spider-Man rushes him to the hospital.
Curtis recovers, but is told he will never walk again. Troy helps him return home, and Curtis uses the ring to restore his legs. Going after Troy, who just left, he finds that his neighbour is an undercover Skrull who was sent to monitor the Avengers just before they disassembled. Losing track of them, the Skrull turned his spy equipment towards his neighbours. He knows everything about Curtis, and having decided to become a Superhero himself (dubbed the Crusader), asks Curtis if he wishes to be his partner.
Curtis is unsure, given what happen with the Abomination, but the Crusader convinces Curtis that he can do it, because if he fixed his legs, he can make himself stronger and faster, and less reliant on conjuring up the right item. Curtis agrees, making himself stronger, and practices with the Crusader for two weeks. In a later battle with Iron Maniac[1] Curtis is slain after revealing the source of his power to the foe, who slices off Curtis's finger before stabbing him multiple times.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Curtis Doyle originally had no inherent super-powers on his own, however the character comes into possession of a ring crafted from a fragment of a destroyed Cosmic Cube which allows the wearer to alter reality within a radius of roughly 15 feet (4.6m) around him him, giving him a 30-foot sphere of reality he can alter[2].
After his first attempt as Freedom Ring, he altered his physiology to give himself superhuman strength, stamina, durability and enhanced speed.
[edit] Trivia
- Curtis' first interpretation of his powers seem to be based on the DC character Green Lantern, although the difference between their powers is that Freedom Ring creates actual objects while Green Lantern merely creates hard-light constructs.
- The term "freedom rings" also refers to a set of five interlocked rings of different colors, frequently seen on decals, as a symbol of gay rights, similar to the rainbow flag. Since Curtis is gay, he might also have chosen the name for this connotation.
- Curtis's death was met with many strong negative reactions, including accusations of homophobia from gay comic book sites Gay League and Prism Comics, specifically because Joe Quesada touted him as Marvel Comics' leading gay hero a month prior to his death.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 #24
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #20
