America. Maybe you’ve heard about it? Well America has inspired a host of different characters across various forms of media that act as symbols of the country, caricatures of Americans themselves, or just doing something truly patriotic (like punching Nazis).

So for this 4th of July, let’s dive in and look at ten characters, both domestic and abroad, that scream: “America”. This list i best read while listening to Hulk Hogan’s Real American entrance song.

10. Apollo Creed (Rocky films)

The main antagonist of the first two Rocky films also happens to present himself as the most American man alive. Creed was inspired in part by Muhammad Ali, and was doing the All-American face act before Hulk Hogan made it popular.

Despite his role as obstacle in the first two films, Creed would become a friend and ally to Rocky Balboa, helping him in his fight with Clubber Lang in Rocky III.

9. Guile (Street Fighter)

Guile was introduced in Street Fighter II and was designed to appeal to American fans. And apparently it worked, as Guile has become something of a meme for his theme song which apparently goes with anything.

Guile is a major in the United States Air Force and entered the World Warrior tournament to avenge his war buddy Charlie, who was killed by the tournament’s sponsor: M. Bison, the leader of terrorist organization Shadaloo.

Infamously, Guile was portrayed in the 1994 live action Street Fighter film by (the very not American) Jean-Claude Van Damme. Although that is hardly that movie’s greatest sin.

With his signature flat top, tough guy persona, and his role as a family man, Guile is the American Japan wants you to be.

8. Lt. Surge (Pokemon)

Speaking of Japanese depictions of Americans, we have Lt. Surge from the Pokémon franchise.

Before they decided the series would be set in an entirely different depiction of Earth, the early Gen 1 Pokémon games seemed to be set in our real world, but with the addition of the titular pocket monsters.

Lt. Surge is the third gym leader players would face in the game and as known as the “Lightning American” due to his specialization in the training of Eectric-type Pokémon, notably the evolved form of series mascot Pikachu: Raichu.

His backstory involves having fought in some unnamed war where Electric-type Pokémon saved his life. That raises so many questions I can’t help but love it. So did people use Pokémon in this war as weapons or did they use them along side the regular guns, artillery and grenades? Or were they throwing Voltorbs at each other as grenades?

Whatever the answer is suppose to be, Lt. Surge adds a little extra (American) flavor to the world of Pokémon.

7. Chibodee Crocket (Mobile Fighter G Gundam)

In the spirits of Street Fighter, we have a series that revolves around the same idea, only with giant robots. Specifically, various countries have their own space colonies and instead of having war, sent giant robots to Earth to fight, and whoever wins gets to be the ruler of all of space for a four year period.

Now G Gundam is a lot of insane fun, but also has some absurd (and somewhat borderline offensive) depictions of the various mobile suits depicting different countries (see Tequila Gundam, Hurricane Gundam and Zebra Gundam).

Although none are as absurd as the Gundam Maxter of Neo-America piloted by Chibodee Crocket.

Crocket is depicted as having grown up on the rough streets of New York City and wanted to always go to the Neo-America space colony. He is on this list purely due to his mobile suit the Gundam Maxter. So let’s break this down, most of the gundams try to convey one idea about a country: Neo-China’s gundam is based on dragons, Neo-France’s gundam uses a rapier and so on. So what aspect of America is depicted in the Gundam Maxter? A little bit of everything. It has a football helmet, rides on a flying surf board, has an alternate mode that turns it into a boxer, and it is also one of the only gundams in this tournament with a gun.

6. Quincey Morris (Dracula)

Going abroad again, we have the depiction of an American from the 1897 Bram Stoker novel: Dracula.

Quincey Morris is presented as one of Lucy Westenra’s suitors along with Dr. John Seward and Arthur Holmwood. Quincey comes from Texas and is portrayed as a man of action.

Quincey proves to be instrumental in the death of Count Dracula with his trademark bowie knife being used to stab the vampire in the heart.

5. Green Lantern (John Stewart)

There have been a lot of Green Lanterns, after all, there is one for every sector in the universe, but Earth always seems to have the most. John Stewart in the comics was introduced as a carpenter, but was later retconned into being a Marine to match the character’s depiction in the Justice League cartoon, which is the version we’ll be discussing today.

I grew up with Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. While I was aware of Hal Jordan from the Superfriends cartoon, and somewhat from the comics (Kyle Rayner was the main GL in comics when I was a kid), it was John Stewart that became my favorite.

Stewart was depicted in the cartoon as stern, no-nonsense and a foil to The Flash. His relationship with Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl is one the most developed within the DC animated universe, and Stewart arguably gets the most character development and screen time of the entire team.

4. Sgt. Slaughter (Wrestling/G.I. Joe)

Wrestlers are known for having a gimmick or persona that they put on to distinguish themselves from others in the staple of talent. And none we’re quite as colorful as Sgt. Slaughter.

Real name Robert Rudolph Remus, the character of Sgt. Slaughter was a Marine who served in Vietnam and was dressed in dark sunglasses, Vietnam War-era fatigues and his signature campaign hat.

Slaughter was also featured in the Sunbow G.I. Joe cartoon where he was depicted as the toughest of all the Joes.

Sgt. Slaughter was even able to go toe-to-toe with Cobra super soldier Serpentor (who you absolutely have to Google, just to see the guy’s outfit).

3. Uncle Sam (DC Comics)

Yes, that Uncle Sam!

In an example of comic books taking something absurd and running with it, Uncle Sam is a mystical being that served as the spirit of a slain soldier from the American Revolutionary War. He appears whenever his country needs him and made his first debut in National Comics #1 in July of 1940 fighting the Axis.

Uncle Sam possesses a lot of different powers including super strength, invulnerability, can alter his size and can transport himself and others to a dimension known as The Heartland.

Uncle Sam has also been depicted as the leader of the superhero group known as the Freedom Fighters.

2. Captain America

Was it any surprise that the Sentinel of Liberty was going to make the list?

Captain America is made as a direct response to the World War II. Cap is depicted as the most idealistic and heroic of heroes in the Marvel Universe.

He is a man out of time and often surprises people when they realize that he is authentically the hero they learned about from history.

Cap is the leader of the Avengers, and has faced off against many of the biggest bad guys around including Doctor Doom, Thanos, the Red Skull. He has even went against the government when he feels they betrayed the ideals of America such as during the Superhuman Registration Act in Civil War and abandoning the identity of Captain America in response to the Marvel version of the Watergate scandal.

No doubt, Captain America is one of the most patriotic and All-American superheroes around… except for one.

1. Superman

Yes on an All-American character list, I put Superman over Captain America.

Superman is the superhero. Full stop.

Not only was Superman the archetypical superhero, I think he embodies the American dream in a way a lot of superheroes can’t.

Superman come to Earth (and specifically America) after the destruction of Krypton in a rocket build by his father Jor-El. He lands in the heartland of America outside the town of Smallville, Kansas and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent.

I’d suggest going back and watching the 1978 film Superman: The Movie, the opening scenes in Smallville simply scream Americana and look like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

And it isn’t just where Superman grew up, but also the whole of his story is like the American Dream. He is an immigrant from the stars, sent here for a better chance at life. He grows up in small town, USA and moves into the big city (Metropolis).

Superman at his core is also the wholesome idea of someone doing good for the sake of good. His old catchphrase was fighting for “truth, justice, and the American way”, that last one sometimes being changed to “freedom” (which I’d argue is the American way).

The original Superman as created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster was depicted as an activist in Depression-era USA fighting corrupt businessmen and politicians, and was later depicted fighting Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan.

So for his story, characterization, and inspiring ideals; I’d rate Superman as one of the most All-American characters in media.