Bruce Carter III obtained his superhuman powers when the ghost of his ancestor Bruce Carter I, a soldier from the American Revolution, appeared to him and showed him the location of a magical cloak that could give the wearer invulnerability and super strength. Only Carter III's girlfriend, Joan Farwell, knows of his dual identity. The Fighting Yank fought against the Axis Powers during World War II. The ghost of Bruce Carter I became his guide in his war against evil.