A
superhero published by
DC Comics. Liberty Bell first
appeared in
Boy Commandos #1 in 1943.
Libby Belle Lawrence was the daughter of Major James Lawrence,
a U.S. Army attache stationed in Poland during the early
1940's. When the Nazis attacked Poland, Major Lawrence was
killed and Libby was stranded in enemy territory. Using her
formidable athletic skills, Libby traversed most of Europe
and swam the English Channel to freedom and safety. Her
adventures made her an overnight sensation and she used
her new-found fame to go on radio and television to speak
out against the Nazi menace. Feeling there was more that she
could be doing and taking her inspiration from the mystery
men who were appearing, Libby created a costume for herself
and became the patriotic hero Liberty Belle.
For a time, Liberty Belle fought the good fight depending entirely
upon her own physical prowess. During this time, she
adopted as her confidant the custodian of the actual Liberty
Bell, an old man named Tom Revere. Tom fashioned a small
replica of the Bell for Libby who wore it on the buckle of her
costume. After that, whenever Tom rang the actual bell, Libby
would gain a boost of strength, speed, and stamina. Why
this occurred was never explained.
Liberty Belle was one of the original members of the World War
II group of heroes known as the All-Star Squadron. Liberty
Belle became their leader after a time and was named their
permanent leader after a time. She co-chaired the group for
a while with the Golden Age Hawkman.
While a member of the All-Star Squadron, Libby began a relationship
with Johnny Chambers who was also the hero Johnny Quick. The
two heroes secretly married for a time and had a daughter
Jesse Belle Chambers. They eventually divorced.
Liberty Belle also gained an additional power for a time. While
captured by the villain Baron Blitzkreig, Libby was exposed
to a machine that concentrated the vibrations of the Liberty Bell
on her body. The machine allowed Liberty Belle to create
intense waves of sound. Whether the power was temporary or
permanent has yet to be seen.