DARKMARK’S COMIC INDEX – Shield (Lancelot Strong)
Mighty Comics Heroes
The Double Life of Private Strong No. 1
June 1959
Cover: Lancelot Strong becoming the Shield as aliens attack soldiers //Joe Simon
Story: “Meet Lancelot Strong, the Man With the Double Life” (1 page)
Editor, writer, inker: Joe Simon
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Feature Character: The Shield II (Roger Fleming, later Lancelot Strong; first appearance)
Comment: This is a one-page featurette introducing the second Shield.
Story: “The Double Life of Private Strong” (3 pages)
Editor, writer, inker: Joe Simon
Plotter, penciller: Jack Kirby
Feature Character: The Shield II (origin, part 1)
Supporting Character: Dr. Malcolm Fleming (first appearance; dies in this story), Abel Strong, Martha Strong (first appearance for both)
Villains: The Commissar, Agent Four, Klaut (first appearance for all), the Communists
Synopsis: Dr. Malcolm Fleming is raising his son to be a superhuman who draws on the untapped reservoir of the entire brain, but he is killed by Communist spies and his son Roger is adopted by the Strongs, a farm couple.
Story: “Spawn of the ‘X’ World” (6 pages)
Editor, writer, inker: Joe Simon
Plotter, penciller: Jack Kirby
Feature Character: The Shield (origin, part 2)
Intro: Big Jim, Johnson (only appearance for both), Spud (dies in this story)
Villain: An alien (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Lancelot Strong finds the costume of the Shield in the remains of his father’s laboratory, and, in his new identity, battles an alien monster.
Story: “Mystery of the Vanished Wreckage” (6 pages)
Editor, writer, inker: Joe Simon
Plotter, penciller: Jack Kirby
Feature Character: The Shield II (origin; part 3)
Supporting Characters: Abel Strong, Martha Strong
Cameo appearance: Dr. Malcolm Fleming, the alien (both in flashback), Mrs. Fleming (in flashback; first and only appearance)
Villains: Klaut, Agent Four (last appearance for both; both possibly die in this story), the Communists
Synopsis: The new Shield must keep his father’s scientific notebooks out of the hands of the Communists.
Story: “The Menace of the Micro-Men” (8 pages)
Editor, writer, inker: Joe Simon
Plotter, penciller: Jack Kirby
Feature Character: The Shield II
Supporting Characters: Sgt. Griper, Gloria Smith, Gen. Smith (mistakenly called Col. Smith in this story; first appearance for all)
Villains: Dr. Diablo and his micro-men (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Drafted into the Army, Pvt. Lancelot Strong becomes the Shield to save a colonel and his daughter from a mad scientist who uses micro-beings in his crimes.
The Double Life of Private Strong No. 2
August 1959
Cover: The Shield II vs. the Toy-Maker and his toys //Jack Kirby / Joe Simon
Story: “The Strange Case of Lovable Lou, the Toy Master” (6 pages)
Editor, writer: Joe Simon
Artist: Bob Powell?
Feature Character: The Shield II
Supporting Character: Gen. Smith
Villains: The Toy Master (Lovable Lou; first and only appearance), the Communists
Synopsis: The Shield encounters a Communist spy who uses toys as weapons.
Story: “Upsy Daisy” (6 pages)
Editor, writer: Joe Simon
Artist: George Tuska
Feature Character: The Shield II
Supporting Characters: Pee Wee (first appearance), Sgt. Griper
Villains: Bull, Mike (first and only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Lance Strong’s buddy Pee Wee thinks he’s inherited $50,000, but it turns out to be a ruse perpetrated by two spies wishing to steal an atomic tank he and Lance guard.
Story: “I Wish I Were the Shield” (6 pages)
Editor, writer, inker: Joe Simon
Penciller: George Tuska
Feature Character: The Shield II
Supporting Characters: Gen. Smith, Gloria Smith
Intro: Herman Krupka (first and only appearance)
Villains: The Communists, Charlie and his accomplice (first and only appearance for both)
Comment: It is revealed in this story that Gen. Smith knows the Shield’s secret identity.
Synopsis: A tailor who dreams of being the Shield creates a Shield uniform for himself and gets the real hero in trouble.
Story: “The General’s Favorite Private” (1 page)
Editor: Joe Simon
Writer: Unknown
Artist: Joe Simon?
Feature Character: The Shield II
Supporting Character: Gen. Smith, Sgt. Hardrock (first appearance)
Comment: This is a text story and takes place before the previous story.
Synopsis: Gen. Smith summons Pvt. Strong to his office to tell him that he knows he is the Shield.
Story: “The Ultra-Sonic Spies” (6 pages)
Editor, writer, inker: Joe Simon
Plotter, penciller: Jack Kirby
Feature Character: The Shield II (next appears in ADVENTURES OF THE FLY #1)
Supporting Character: Sgt. Hardrock (last appearance)
Intro: Mike and another pilot (only applearance for both)
Villains: Yelko and another spy (first and only appearance for both)
Synopsis: The Shield must stop a pair of Communist spies from stealing an experimental plane.
Adventures of the Fly No. 1
August 1959
Story: “The Search” (2 pages)
Editor: John Goldwater
Writers: Jack Kirby, Joe Simon
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Joe Simon
Feature Character: The Shield II (last appearance in THE DOUBLE LIFE OF PRIVATE STRONG #2)
GA: The Fly
Villain: A spy (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: The Shield captures a spy.
Adventures of the Fly No. 2
September 1959
Story: “Sneak Attack” (2 pages)
Editor, writer, artist: Joe Simon
Feature Character: The Shield II (next appears in issue #4)
Villains: The Communists
Synopsis: The Shield staves off an enemy aerial incursion into a foreign country.
Adventures of the Fly No. 4
January 1960
Story: “The Power Pack” (2 pages)
Editor: John Goldwater
Writer: unknown
Artist: Sol Brodsky
Feature Character: The Shield II (next appears in issue #8)
Villains: Three crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Sometime after this story the Shield teams up with the Fly to fight Pascal and the Monster Gang in ADVENTURES OF THE FLY #8 and Yogi Shimar in ADVENTURES OF THE FLY #9. Then he joins the Mighty Crusaders to help them fight Eterno, the Brain Emperor, and the Malevolent Legion of Juggernauts in MIGHTY CRUSADERS (2nd series) #1-3.
Synopsis: Three crooks think they can wrest the secrets of the Power Pack from an unconscious Shield.
Lancelot Strong, the Shield No. 1
June 1983
Cover: Shield II and Laureen Smith vs. Negatron //Alan Weiss / John Severin (signed)
Story: “The Deathstar Dilemma” (19 pages)
Editor, co-scripter: Rich Buckler
Penciller: Alan Weiss
Inker: Sam DeLaRosa
Letterer: Victor Gorelick
Colorist: Barry Grossman
Feature Character: The Shield II (last appearance in MIGHTY CRUSADERS (2nd series) #3; promoted to Captain by this story)
Supporting Characters: Gen. Smith (last appearance in MIGHTY CRUSADERS (2nd series) #3), Laureen Smith (first appearance)
Villains: Deathstar (Dr. Collins; first appearance), the Communists
Synopsis: An accidental discharge of a “negatron stimulator” turns a Communist spy into the energy-wielding Deathstar, and pits him against the Shield.
Lancelot Strong, the Shield No. 2
August 1983
Cover: The Shield II vs. the Red Sun //Rich Buckler / Ricardo Villagran
Story: “Dark Day of the Red Sun” (18 pages)
Editor: Robin Snyder
Writers: Rich Buckler, Stan Timmons
Penciller: Michael Chen
Inker, letterer: Sam DeLaRosa
Colorist: C. Hawk
Feature Character: The Shield II (next appears in SHIELD / STEEL STERLING #3)
GA: The Shield I (in flashback)
Supporting Characters: Dr. Laureen Smith (first appearance), General Smith
Intro: Toshiyuki Shigeta (merges with the Red Sun in this story)
Villains: Red Sun, Dr. Ishida (first appearance for both), a crook (first and only appearance)
Comment: Story continues in next issue.
Synopsis: The Red Sun, a super-agent created by the Japanese in World War II, is broken free of suspended animation and attempts to fulfill his assignment: to assassinate the president of the United States.
Shield / Steel Sterling No. 3
December 1983
Cover: The Shield and Steel Sterling vs. //Alan Weiss
Story: “Dark Day of the Red Sun II: Target USA” (18 pages)
Editor: Robin Snyder
Writer: Robert Kanigher
Artist: Alex Nino
Letterer: Adam Kubert
Colorist: Ken Feduniewicz
Feature Character: The Shield II (last appearance in LANCELOT STRONG, THE SHIELD #2; apparently dies in this story, but returns without explanation in MIGHTY CRUSADERS (2nd series) #10)
GS: Steel Sterling (last appearance in Steel Sterling story in this issue)
Supporting Characters: Dr. Laureen Smith, Gen. Smith (both next appear in STEEL STERLING #6)
Intro: Prof. Yashida (dies in this story)
Other Character: Pres. Ronald Reagan (of Earth-MLJ)
Cameo appearance: Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Fleming (in flashback)
Villains: The Soulless Samurai (last appearance in LANCELOT STRONG, THE SHIELD #2; last appearance), Deathstar (last appearance; probably dies in this story)
Comment: Sometime after this story, the Shield rejoins the Mighty Crusaders to fight DELTA in MIGHTY CRUSADERS (2nd series) #10 and the Brain Emperor in MIGHTY CRUSADERS (2nd series) #11.
Synopsis: The Soulless Samurai and Deathstar are both out to assassinate President Reagan and each other, and only the Shield stands in their way.
Steel Sterling No. 6
May 1994
Story: “Report From an Astral Alien” (5 pages)
Editor: Robin Snyder
Writer: Robert Kanigher
Artist: Eduardo Barretto
Feature Character: The Shield II (in flashback)
Supporting Characters: Gen. Smith (last appearance in SHIELD / STEEL STERLING #3), Laureen Smith (also appears in flashback; last appearance in SHIELD / STEEL STERLING #3)
Villain: Deathstar (in flashback)
Synopsis: In the wake of the Shield’s apparent death, Laureen Smith remembers their relationship and the hero’s battle with Deathstar.
Steel Sterling No. 7
July 1984
Story: “The Hypnotized Heart” (5 pages)
Editor: Robin Snyder
Writer: Robert Kanigher
Artist: Eduardo Barretto
Feature Character: The Shield II (in flashback)
Supporting Characters: Laureen Smith, General Smith (last appearance for both)
Intro: A group of aliens (only appearance)
Villain: Col. Gates (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: An enemy agent tries to hypnotize Laureen Smith into helping him steal important documents.
