In Uncle Sam Quarterly #2, the Will Eisner version of Uncle Sam described his origin. He explained that he was originally Sam, a young man from what was then colonial America. When the colonies declared independence, he volunteered to fight in the burgeoning American army. He was killed in battle, but before he could pass on, a mysterious entity declared that he would become a spiritual embodiment of the new nation. Since then, Sam appeared whenever America needed him, lending his hands in the many conflicts it was involved with.