Rick Flag Sr.
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Real Identity: General Richard Bill "Rick" Flag, Senior
Affiliations: A.R.G.U.S. and Task Force M
Appearances: The Collywobbles, The Tourmaline Necklace, Cheers to the Tin Man, Chasing Squirrels, The Iron Pot, Priyatel Skelet, and A Very Funny Monster
Powers/Skills: Military Warfare
Voiced By: Frank Grillo
At age 18, Rick Flag and his now ex-wife had a son they named Rick Flag Junior. Flag Senior enrolled in the military to support his family. 18 years later, Flag Jr. enrolled in the military to make the world a better place. Flag Sr. has been deployed to locations, including the Persian Gulk and Jarhanpur. After decades of service in the military, Flag Sr. rose to the rank of general. In 2022, Amanda Waller and Rick Flag Sr. watched a GBS News report about Circe and the Sons of Themyscira violently crossing the border into Pokolistan in Europe. Flag thought the Sons were just a bunch of clowns. She found the Sons to be dangerous clowns and stressed the country was a friend of the U.S. but Flag dismissed the latter. Waller explained it was a friendship built on unmined petroleum deposits that a backward-ass country never took advantage of. She assigned Flag to protect Princess Ilana Rostovic, the heir apparent to Pokolistan they were already in negotiations with for the oil. She took him down several levels to Belle Reve Correctional Center's Non-Human Internment Division.
Flag thought Task Force X was done for. Waller pointed out that technically, Congress said A.R.G.U.S. can't use incarceraated human beings as mission operatives any longer. She entered a password, used a key, and passed a retinal scan. She asked Flag what if the operatives were not human. Flag was stunned. Waller explained for over 50 years, only those at the uppermost levels of security clearance were aware of the division's existence. She believed using these prisoners, they could arguably circumvent their new restrictions. Flag pointed to a woman and asked if she was human. Waller countered if a corpse could be considered a human. She admitted they didn't know who she was and they called her "The Bride." The Bride flipped them off. She summarized Dr. Phosphorus as a sociopath with irradiated skin he can use to burn through people and objects. Flag asked how the radiation affected the people around him. Waller estimated the effects should be minimal as long as you don't sleep in the same room as him. Flag keyed in on "minimal." Waller mused it could be called a free vasectomy.
Flag looked at Weasel and wondered what it was. Waller explained it was one of the few soldiers still alive from Project Starfish in Corto Maltese and felt it knew how to survive. She quickly apologized and told him she didn't mean to intimate anything about his late son. She reiterated he died a hero. Flag asked about the discontinued dishwasher. Waller pointed out it killed over 300 Nazis in World War II and thought it might come into use again someday, G.I. Robot. Flag was not so sure about the last prisoner, Nina Mazursky. Waller boasted in water, it was a different story and added she was the smartest and most reasonable of the bunch who would help keep the rest in line. They entered the common area. Phosphorus, Bride, and Weasel charged at them. Flag drew his gun. Waller, unworried, held out her Nanite Detonation Control and applied a crippling electrocution to all five prisoners. She told Flag they were his new task force, Task Force M. M for Monsters. She also gave them the nickname Creature Commandos and tossed him the controller.
Task Force M was transported on an Osprey named Sheba. While on route to Pokolistan, Flag addressed his team and acknowledged he knew they weren't exactly enthusiastic about the mission. Dr. Phosphorus instead stated they were delighted to serve their country. Bride figured out he was smiling sarcastically. G.I. Robot detected unease in Weasel and wondered if it was afraid of being discovered as Nazi scum. Flag assured him he was not a Nazi. Phosphorus pointed out he was a child killer. Flag revealed he had a bad experience the last trip he took on the Osprey. They were met at the airport by the Pokolistani military and a paramilitary unit known as the Amethyst Knights. Flag tried in vain to tell Weasel to calm down during the drive to Poko Castle. Phosphorus exclaimed Weasel urinated on him. Flag and the Bride looked at the portraits of the royal family and both recognized the gene pool was "above ground and inflatable." To Flag's surprise, Princess Ilana was the opposite - young and beautiful. Flag was annoyed the team keyed on his middle name being "Bill" instead of "William." He bowed to her but the Amethyst Knight Alexi decided to mess with him and lied only the sacred, customary bow was allowed in the castle and they were obligated to kill him. The knights surrounded the task force and armed their gauntlets. Flag claimed he was not briefed on what kind of bow to use. Alexi and the knights broke into laughter. Alexi pointed out Flag was about to mess his pants. Flag denied it repeatedly.
Alexi boasted they were a lot like Americans and cited the Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Super Bowl Shuffle and the "Wazzup" phrase. Dr. Phosphorus sarcastically commended him on his current popular culture references. He then asked Phosphorus, "where's the beef?" Princess Ilana told him that was enough and they proceeded to a banquet prepared for the honored guests. Flag apologized to Ilana for his team's lack of manners at the dinner table because they lived on prison grub. She informed him they didn't stand on ceremony and it was okay to call her just "Ilana." They toasted then she asked if he tried the prison grub. He only saw it but knew it was enough to give him the "collywobbles." Ilana insisted she loved seeing friends enjoying themselves. The queen of Pokolistan was present at the head of the table. It was evident the queen was catatonic in her senior years. Princess Ilana explained she had not been herself for a long time. The queen moaned. Ilana told them the queen was pleased they came then addressed that was why she was handling political affairs even though her ascension to the throne would not be official until the queen died. Ilana told the queen she loved her, too.
In the early evening, Ilana played fetch with Weasel. She told Flag she was happy to have the company. They shared a beer as Weasel dragged one of the musicians playing for them. She asked why Weasel was in prison. Flag revealed he supposedly killed 27 children but pointed out he never showed any violent tendencies since then but advised her not to invite the school choir to the castle. Ilana claimed she loved American music like rock and roll. She admitted her country was a charming one but it was backwards, always rejecting progress as corrupt. She revealed it was her most cherished dream to lead her people into the 21st century. Flag quipped he wasn't sure he could recommend it. She asked him if he was married. Flag revealed he was but his wife ended up being his least favorite aspect of that 21st century. She promised to avoid that part. Flag mused missteps sometimes led a person to where they need to be and revealed they had a son when they were both 18 years old but he grew to become a fine young man and an improvement over him in every way.
Ilana was sorry to hear his son passed about two years ago. Flag believed they would have gotten on well like a house on fire. Ilana didn't think that sounded good. Flag assured her it was a good thing. Ilana then intimated she was into older men and announced she wanted to show him something. They went to her room. She showed off an armoire that was over 500 years old. Flag asked her what she wanted to show him. She quickly undressed. He turned away and told her this was not ethical and he was supposed to protect her. She asked him if he had to protect her from loneliness or lack of passion. She pushed him onto her bed and crawled on top of him. She asked if he could protect her from Pokolistani men who never saw the world, had no clue how to treat a woman, and could not see her as a human being from beyond the veil of royalty. He quickly got off the bed and excused himself, promising to assign G.I. Robot to guard her door.
Later that night, Flag awoke to find Dr. Phosphorus trying to steal his Nanite Detonation Control. Flag was quickly reminded of the danger of Phosphorus' irradiated skin after punching him. The fire and damage caused by Phosphorus soon caused the floor to cave in. They both fell down to the kitchen below and continued fighting. Eventually, Flag recovered the control and Phosphorus cowered. Princess Ilana entered the kitchen. Flag called him an idiot and questioned him if he thought Waller only gave him one then pointed out he would be hopping like a Mexican jumping bean for days if he escaped but if he told Waller about it, he would dead. He stressed they were supposed to be on the same team. Princess Ilana took Flag to a bathroom to tend to his wounds. Phosphorus, Weasel, and G.I. stood at the doorway and worried as Flag stared at them while holding the Nanite Detonation Control. Ilana closed the door and inquired about the control. Flag explained a button on it could activate an unbearably painful jolt directly into their brains. She thought it cruel. Flag admitted that was the point. She told him to take his shirt off in order to clean his wounds.
As she wiped his wounds, she asked if he controlled his team with the remote. Flag admitted he did hypothetically. Ilana understood why Phosphorus tried to steal it. He promised to get them under control and keep her safe. She found him to be a kind man, which was rare in Pokolistan. Ilana finished bandaging Flag's wrist and asked about the origin of a wound. Flag resisted at first but told her he was stabbed in the Persian Gulf. She asked about another and traced it with her finger. He repeated to her it was unethical for them to fool around. She reminded him she was going to the queen soon and she got what she wanted. She kissed him and they had sex. Alexi approached the bathroom door but Phosphorus stopped him. Alexi wanted to inform Flag two of his teammates left the grounds. As they walked to the transport, Flag made it clear they should have let Alexi brief him sooner. Phosphorus shrugged and told him to sue him for being a bro and doing him a favor. Flag didn't think much of the favor. Phosphorus concluded he couldn't do anything right in his eyes. Flag advised him to drop the martyr complex since he tried to murder him two hours ago.
G.I. Robot armed a gun and asked Flag if Phosphorus was a dirty Nazi. Flag stated he wasn't. They loaded up into the transport. Alexi asked where the destination was. Flag showed him his phone and explained his team had trackers in their bodies and asked if he knew the location where Mazursky and Bride were showing up at. He did, exclaimed, and hit the gas. They took off for Frankenstein Manor. Mazursky contacted Flag but she ran into more Sons and was chased back towards the manor. The Commandos and Alexi took up positions at the manor's fountain. G.I. Robot asked to open fire but Flag ordered him to stay back and keep mum. He checked Bride and Mazurky's locations and noticed they were not moving so they were most certainly captured. He ordered everyone to attack and don't stop until the enemies are all dead or incapacitated. On Flag's signal, they breached the manor and discovered Bride in the foyer chained to a chair with her mouth taped shut. Dr. Phosphorus believed it was a trap. Bride exclaimed. Alexi demanded her to point her head to the enemy location.
Flag ripped the tape off. She told them Circe and the Sons of Themyscira were gone. Flag asked why she was screaming. Bride wanted them to take the tape off so she screamed. G.I. Robot asked where Mazursky was. Bride revealed the Sons took her upstairs before they left. Flag reprimanded Bride. Flag pondered why Bride was left alive and realized Circe and the Sons lured them to the manor so they could attack the castle. They took off. Alexi and the Commandos joined the battle. They took cover behind the fountain. G.I. Robot asked Flag if the Sons were Nazis. Flag got an idea and told G.I. those were Nazis. G.I. Robot opened fire on the Sons but he was blown to pieces by Circe. Flag was frozen as he watched Weasel tackle Circe out of Ilana's bedroom onto the castle grounds then slash her up while Phosphorus burnt her face. Bride reckoned he wanted monsters, so he got monsters. The defeated Circe claimed the Commandos had doomed the world.
Flag and Ilana kissed. She asked if would be coming back to see her but Flag only talked about having to bring Circe back to the U.S. to find out why she tried to kill her. Ilana suggested it would be better to just execute her. He chuckled when she said "bong" instead of "bang" but she insisted it didn't sound like the latter. Flag insisted that wasn't how they did things in America. She quipped the Internet said otherwise. Flag clarified it's not how America should do things. She conceded he was a good man and she had feelings for him. He told her had to go and left. Back at Belle Reve, Flag admitted to Bride he hoped she would be part of this group if the need ever came again. She quipped she didn't realize she had a choice then noticed an Army grunt was spying on them from the fence. Eric Frankenstein paid off a lieutenant and pilot to help him spy on the Bride from a helicopter. He believed she was looking at Flag lovingly and asked who he was. The lieutenant recalled they fought together in Jarhanpur many moons ago and called in "General Boy Scout." Frankenstein fixated on the way she "looked" at Flag and believed it had to do with the beard.
Elizabeth Bates asked Flag where he took Weasel, referring to him as a man. Flag noticed and asked who she was. Bates introduced herself as an attorney with the Freedom Project representing John Doe. Flag tossed her business card and pointed out they didn't know Weasel's real name because he couldn't speak. She admitted as much. He stated where they went was classified. Bates stated Weasel was innocent. Flag recalled he killed 27 children. Weasel remembered the night the children died and being shot at by two police officers. Bates tossed him another treat and clarified he was accused. Flag countered he was convicted. She added "unfairly." Weasel sniffed her purse. Bates stated he was unfairly accused of killing eight children. Flag remarked that made him a saint. She pointed out there was no real evidence to prove it and revealed she was waiting three days to see him. Flag relented and walked away.
Flag and Economos entered a monitor room where Waller was waiting for them. Circe was escorted into the adjoining room vowing to make them feel pain they never knew existed. The two guards forced her to sit. Circe promised to kill their whole family. Waller told them to leave her be. Circe spat at them. Waller introduced herself. Circe stated she had no right to keep her imprisoned and asked what the charges were. Waller replied they were first degree witchie-poo and Maleficent in the second degree. Economos added Bette Midler in that one movie in the third degree. Waller told him that was an actress, not a character's name. Flag pointed out he was talking about "Hocus Pocus" and Waller repeated he didn't say her character's name. Circe vowed to kill her. Waller noted she can't cast spells as long as her hands are restrained so she was just another redheaded waif in an inappropriately revealing outfit.
Waller told Circe she was in the middle of an international incident and asked her what she was doing in Pokolistan. Circe replied she was trying to save their worthless lives. Flag was skeptical on account she tried to kill the Commandos. Waller pressed on. Circe explained she was trying to kill Princess Ilana Rostovic to save the world. Flag didn't believe her. Waller pointed out her "resume" didn't back up the Glinda the Good Witch routine, namely the murder and assault charges. Circe contended even the devil doesn't want to see the world dying. Waller asked why they should believe her. Circe revealed she could show her the future then asked if she wanted to see it or stay a pig in the slop of her own ignorance. Waller asked how. Circe told her if she wanted to see it, to join her. Flag thought she was full of it. Economos checked her file and noted she was possibly clairvoyant. Waller asked which one that was again and thought it was mind reading. Economos replied it was seeing the future. Economos believed she might be able to get into her head even with her hands restrained.
Flag advised Waller not to do it. Waller went into the same room as Circe and saw an apocalyptic vision of Princess Ilana, with scars on her face, clad in armor addressing her Amethyst Knights while having an armored gorilla at her side. Metropolis was bombed, civilians were massacred, and various heroes and vigilantes were impaled on stakes. Waller fell to her knees and panted in shock. Tears flowed down Circe's face. Waller returned to the monitor room and didn't know what to think. Flag thought it was a Jedi mind trick. She thought it seemed legitimate to Flag and Economos's dismay. Waller got out her phone and summoned Dr. Aisla MacPherson to consult. MacPherson believed her research pointed to Circe being legitimately clairvoyant and on Themyscira, it was taken as fact. Flag sarcastically noted they were taking Themsycira as fact. Economos chimed in they knew it was real place. Flag was still skeptical.
MacPherson shared the fact that Circe warned her fellow Amazons 10 years ago of a tsunami that was going to kill thousands but not all the islanders took refuge inland. A major tsunami hit Themsycira within an hour of what Circe predicted and those who took refuge survived. She admitted since that event, Circe's talents had fallen more often on the less altruistic side. Waller asked her why she thought showing the vision was altruistic of her. MacPherson pointed out she didn't have the power to imagine futures so whatever she shared had to be genuine. Flag wasn't buying it. Waller ordered Flag to gather the Commandos and head back to Pokolistan to kill Princess Ilana. Flag was irate. Waller explained MacPherson was a tenured professor at Terrebone University and the world's leading scholar on Themyscira. Flag added it was a place where no outsider ever set foot on because anyone who tried was killed. Waller asked him why he was wasting time. Flag asked if Circe was clairvoyant, how she didn't see Weasel would beat the crud out of her or Phosphorus burning her face off.
MacPherson revealed clairvoyants didn't control what bits of the future they saw. Flag found that convenient. Waller told Economos to contact the Pokolistan Embassy and tell them they had information of another credible threat against the Princess. Flag tried to get her to stop. Waller believed the Commandos could easily neutralize the threat now that they had her trust. Flag objected to the notion of the United States being in the business of executing people for crimes they haven't committed yet. Waller stated they were in the business of saving the world by any means necessary. Flag pleaded with her and tried to convince her Ilana was innocent. Waller retorted bumping uglies with someone doesn't mean he's infallibly able to know a person's character. Flag tried to deny it but Waller warned him. Flag refused to take part in it and left. He tried in vain to warn Princess Ilana over the phone as he drove home. Frankenstein tailed Flag back to his home but crashed into a tree. He got out and tackled Flag through his front door ranting she would never love him. He threw Flag into a case.
Flag shot at him in vain then got grabbed. He kicked Frankenstein in the crotch but realized he was out of bullets. Frankenstein slammed him around and threw him into the kitchen. Flag jumped on his back and aimed his gun at one of Frankenstein's eyes, reckoning it wasn't as bulletproof as the rest of him. He stomped the floor angrily. Flag remarked he should be the one screaming for being attacked for no reason. He thought he was talking about Princess Ilana but realized he meant the Bride. He quickly denied there was anything between them but Frankenstein was skeptical, noting Flag as a DILF. Flag convinced him to stop attacking him so they could talk. He offered coffee or something to drink. Frankenstein ordered tea. Frankenstein was moved by Flag's story about Princess Ilana and knew it was love. He agreed Flag couldn't stand by and let her be murdered by the Creature Commandos then likened them to Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in "Titanic". He asked Flag if he saw the movie. Flag admitted he did.
Frankenstein was surprised since not many have people watched it and admitted he had a hard time distinguishing Flag from DiCaprio. He asked Flag which one of them was king of the world. Flag replied DiCaprio was. Frankenstein shook his head side to side and pointed at Flag. He compared his love to "When Harry Met Sally..." and believed Bride knew they were destined to be together. Flag believed they could help each other. Frankenstein called him his best friend to Flag's surprise. They made their way to Terrebone University and observed MacPherson's Themyscira course from outside the lecture hall through a window. Frankenstein didn't find her behavior very professional. The students outside noticed them. Frankenstein pretended to be looking for a lost contact lens. The students dispersed. Frankenstein asked how this was helping him get to the Bride. Flag explained it was a trade-off: he helped him help Princess Ilana Rostovic and he helped him with the Bride.
Frankenstein noted the plan was taking a long time. Flag explained MacPherson was the one who claimed Circe's vision of Princess Ilana causing "World War III" was real. Frankenstein didn't see the point. Flag asked him if she seemed like she knew what she was talking about. He admitted she didn't. Flag continued that his Creature Commandos team were on their way to assassinate Princess Ilana so he wanted to find out the truth about MacPherson, stop the Commandos, and then Frankenstein would get to see the Bride, emphasizing he would be a hero. Frankenstein started to get it and asked if he should kill MacPherson. Flag told him no. He asked if he should kill a few kids. Flag asked why he had to kill anyone. Frankenstein pointed out he said he wanted him to be a hero. Flag clarified they should go and check out MacPherson's house while she was on campus. Frankenstein called dibs on her underwear drawer. Flag was speechless. He tried calling Pokolistan again but was hung up on again.
They pulled up to MacPherson's house. Frankenstein was stunned to see a woman walking a cat on a leash and thought it could be a bad omen. Flag picked the lock on the front door and mused it was just a cat on a leash. Frankenstein wouldn't dispel something so odd to him and thought it was definitely an augury or some type and told him he once lived with a gypsy woman steeped in the occult. Flag went upstairs while Frankenstein looked at the collection of Amazonian artifacts. He called him up. Flag found the corpse of the real MacPherson. Frankenstein didn't get it. Flag believed the one they saw at the university was a disguise artist or someone working for Circe to throw them all off track to get Princess Ilana killed. Flag called Poko Castle again and managed to get a hold of Princess Ilana. Princess Ilana overheard Flag's voice on the phone in the dining hall and pushed the butler away. He told her to flee the castle and warned her the Creature Commandos were going to kill her.
Frankenstein kept telling Flag to tell Ilana about him so she could put in a good word for him with the Bride. Flag eventually yelled at him to shut up. After the call he told Frankenstein that Bride probably wouldn't listen to Princess Ilana vouching for him on account of trying to kill her. Frankenstein began to suspect the whole plan made absolutely no sense from his point of view. He saw the fake MacPherson pull up in the driveway and told him to hide. He pouted and stood behind a small bird cage in protest. Flag pointed at the bed. He continued to pout and hid behind the bed with part of his arm still showing. Flag sighed. The fake MacPherson dumped out a bag of cat food into a bowl for the real one's pet cat then retired to the den to play Mortal Kombat on an Xbox Series X/S. Flag and Frankenstein tried to sneak out the front door but Clayface detected them and tendrils snaked under the couch and grabbed them. He decked Flag, slammed him into a wall, and punched him repeatedly.
Frankenstein broke free and charged but was restrained in Clayface's body. Flag shot a hole in him but it regenerated instantly. He continued punching Flag then slammed his back on his knee. Frankenstein slowly forced a hand out and pulled a mini-speaker from a nearby wall socket. He was enveloped with clay again but he burst out, punched the socket, and ripped the wiring out then electrocuted himself and Clayface. Clayface lost cohesion and collapsed into a puddle of inert clay on the floor. Frankenstein told Flag not to die before he could ask him some lingering questions. He wanted to know if the Bride ever mentioned him by name. Flag coughed up blood. He wondered if that was a "yes" then asked if by his estimation, she said his name fondly. Flag told Frankenstein to tell the Bride the truth then he lost lost consciousness. Eric Frankenstein left Flag at the doors to a hospital emergency room.
John Economos and Amanda Waller followed as staff moved him to surgery. Waller quickly introduced herself to the presiding doctor and asked what happened. The doctor was unsure but stated Flag was in a coma, is back was broken, and he seemed to have suffered major internal damage. He recalled a supposed monster dropped him off at the emergency doors. Waller and Economos inquired what kind of monster it was. Economos asked if it was reptaloid, amphibious, simian, mite, or poltergeist. A nurse described the monster as green, about seven feet tall, humanoid, and with bolts on his head. Economos immediately thought of Eric Frankenstein. The doctor told them they would have to wait outside. Waller asked if he was going to be okay. The doctor thought there was a chance. They realized if Flag told Frankenstein about where the Bride was, he could stop her from assassinating Princess Ilana and allow for Circe's apocalyptic vision to come true. She ordered him to get A.R.G.U.S. operatives watching the local airports immediately. He got out his phone.
After the surgery, Waller sat by Flag's bedside and told him he was going to make it. She needed to know what happened and how it tied into everything going on. She told him he was too old and too stubborn to give up on her now. Flag regained consciousness the next day. Waller asked him what happened. He could only tell her she was wrong about Ilana and struggled to tell her MacPherson wasn't who she thought she was. He passed out again. Waller called up Economos for MacPherson's home address.