A
superhero published by
DC Comics.
Miss America first
appeared in
Military Comics #1 in 1941.
Joan Dale worked as a reporter for a New York newspaper
in the early 1940's. While following a lead on Liberty Island
home of the Statue of Liberty, Dale fell asleep on a park
bench. She dreamed that the Statue came to life and gave her
powers to use to defend America. When Dale awoke, she actually
had the power to rearrange the atomic structure of things.
Dale took the dream to heart and began fighting evil as
Miss America.
Unbeknownst to Dale, her powers were part of a secret U.S.
government project called Project M. Based beneath Liberty
Island, Project M sought to give superhuman abilities to
soldiers. When the project's latest volunteer died as a
result of the experiments, the director turned to one of his
operatives, Agent X. Agent X promised to bring a subject
for experimentation, and called a reporter he believed to be
John Dale, planting a false lead. When Joan Dale arrived,
Agent X decided to use her anyway, drugging her and bringing
her for experimentation. When the scientists involved in
the process tried their test, they thought an error had been
made and that Dale's mind had been destroyed. The group
sought to cover up their mistake, by putting Dale back on
the bench where she was taken. Dale, however, recovered and
began her superhero career.
Miss America was a member of three superhero groups: the Freedom
Fighters, the Justice Society of America and the All-Star
Squadron. She eventually found her abilities fading and so
retired from adventuring and maried Derek Trevor. The two
had a daughter they name Hippolyta or Lyta for short. Lyta went
on to become the superhero Fury.