Captain America
Steven Grant Rogers
Character profile
Patriot
Elijah "Eli" Bradley
The grandson of the first super-soldier nobody was told about.
Biography
Eli Bradley's grandfather is Isaiah Bradley, the Black soldier the United States government experimented on before Steve Rogers ever got the serum, and then buried in a prison cell for thirty years. Truth: Red, White & Black told that story in 2003, and Young Avengers gave it a legacy two years later. Eli founded the team as Patriot and carried the shield out of obligation to a history the country tried to erase.
He started with a lie. Eli had no powers and was secretly using Mutant Growth Hormone to keep up, a deception that nearly killed him and cost him the team's trust. He earned the real thing the hard way: a blood transfusion from Isaiah gave him the genuine super-soldier serum, and made him the only person alive with a legitimate biological claim to Captain America's legacy.
Vital statistics
- Real name
- Elijah "Eli" Bradley
- Also known as
- Eli Bradley, The Patriot
- Species
- Human, super-soldier serum enhanced
- Place of origin
- New York City
- First appearance
- Young Avengers #1 (April 2005)
- Created by
- Allan Heinberg, Jim Cheung
- Affiliations
- Young Avengers, Avengers Academy
- Groups
- Heroes Young Avengers
Power grid
Intelligence3
Strength3
Speed3
Durability3
Energy1
Fighting5
Rated 1–7 on the classic Marvel power-grid scale.
Powers
- Super-Soldier Serum
A transfusion from Isaiah Bradley gave Eli enhanced strength, speed, agility and endurance at the peak of human capability.
- Enhanced Healing
His serum-enriched physiology recovers from injury far faster than normal.
- Shield Combat
He fights with throwing stars and a vibranium-alloy shield in the Captain America tradition.
- Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant
Trained by Captain America himself, Eli is one of the Young Avengers' best pure fighters.
- Natural Leadership
He founded and led the Young Avengers, holding a team of egos together by force of conviction.
Abilities
- Team tactics
- Public speaking
- Extensive knowledge of Captain America's operational history
Weaknesses
- No superhuman durability
- History of performance-enhancing drug dependency
- Fierce pride that resists help
- Carries the weight of his grandfather's story
Comics history
Heinberg and Cheung created Eli in Young Avengers #1, deliberately building him on the foundation Robert Morales and Kyle Baker laid in Truth: Red, White & Black, the 2003 series that revealed the United States tested the super-soldier programme on Black soldiers first.
Eli led the team through the original run and Civil War's Young Avengers tie-ins, then appeared in Avengers: The Children's Crusade and Avengers Academy. The MCU introduced him in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier alongside Isaiah, laying groundwork the studio has yet to pay off.
MCU appearances
| Title | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | 2021 | Elijah Richardson as Eli Bradley alongside Isaiah |
Allies
- Kate Bishop
- Wiccan
- Hulkling
- Captain America
- Isaiah Bradley
Enemies
- Kang
- Hydra
- Super-Skrull
Weapons & equipment
- Vibranium-alloy shield
- Throwing stars
- Patriot costume
- Captain America's original triangular shield design
Trivia
- His grandfather Isaiah Bradley received the super-soldier serum before Steve Rogers, in a programme that killed hundreds of Black test subjects.
- Eli initially had no powers and used Mutant Growth Hormone to fake them.
- He gained genuine super-soldier abilities via a blood transfusion from Isaiah.
- He founded the Young Avengers, making him the team's original leader.
Famous quotes
My grandfather got the serum first. Nobody put him on a poster.
I don't want the shield because it's Steve's. I want it because it's ours too.
Timeline
- 2003
Isaiah Bradley's story is told in Truth: Red, White & Black.
- 2005
Eli debuts and founds the Young Avengers as Patriot.
- 2021
Appears in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Gallery
Poster art is generated from each character’s signature palette. Drop official art into assets/images/ and set the img field to swap it in.
Related characters
Kate Bishop
Katherine Elizabeth Bishop
Wiccan
William "Billy" Kaplan
Hulkling
Theodore "Teddy" Altman, born Dorrek VIII
Cassie Lang
Cassandra Eleanor Lang
Frequently asked
Who is Isaiah Bradley?
The first successful super-soldier, a Black soldier experimented on before Steve Rogers in a programme that killed most of its test subjects. Truth: Red, White & Black told his story in 2003, and Eli Bradley is his grandson.
Does Patriot have real powers?
Now, yes. Eli initially faked them with Mutant Growth Hormone, and only gained genuine super-soldier abilities after a blood transfusion from his grandfather Isaiah.