Nick Craft

Nick Craft was the biggest fan of the Freedom Force, USA's greatest super team but especially of his own personal hero; Minuteman. At 16, Craft would lie about his age and enlist while working hard to get into a position to be one of the Liberty Troops, those that worked to support the NuType Team.
In a violent fight with hostile forces, Craft was wounded saving Minuteman, for this he was slotted for the NuType Project, where his age was found out. Got dubbed the Liberty Lad by the press and the name stuck, often working closely with his hero Minuteman, the liberty lad wasn't far behind.
By the time of the Sixth Crisis, Liberty Lad had outgrown his "Lad" alias, and opted to be known as Patriot. Sporting a new costume and working now to grow beyond the shadow of the Minuteman.
However, with the Fall of the USA and merger into the Coalition, Craft begin to feel the Coalition had lost something and was one of the public member of the Freedom Force to speak out against it. A shock when his hero Minuteman was the hero that came out to debate him and counter his criticism. Worst, Craft would find that Minuteman genuinely felt that the UCAA was a good thing for the American People, all American People.
Harsh words were spoken between Craft and Minuteman, they would be the last world to pass amongst the pair.
Operation Anchor took place and during the battle the Centurai gain control to the USA Minuteman missile system and launched the nuclear weapons at the Anchor, the Minuteman quickly jumped onto the missiles and using tools and abilities he destroyed the missile before getting them to cluster up and detonated one of the missiles himself, destroying all the missiles in a single nuclear strike, at the cost of his own life.
Craft watched in horror at the flare that was his hero and mentor. All the anger and frustration boiled over, and he declared vengeance against the UCAA.
Craft adopted the Minuteman Identity and has joined the Stars and Stripes led by Uncle Sam who hope to destroy the UCAA or at least stop its advance and restore the USA.