The Shield, the first patriotic superhero, published by Archie months before Captain America, returns from DC Comics. He not only has a great history, there are also some fantastic collectibles out there.   The Shield first appeared in Pep Comics #1, cover dated January 1940, almost two years before America's involvement in World War 2.  The Official card for members of The Shield G-Man Club. Photo supplied by Harry Matetsky  The envelope your club materials arrived in  The first Shield pin, featuring a blue rim, measured 1 3/4"  The second Shield pin measured 1 1/4"  By the summer of 1940, Shield-Wizard Comics #1, which featuerd two MLJ heroes, debuted.  Shield-Wizard Comics #12  Shield - Wizard Comics #13

Months ahead of Captain America and the other red, white and blue-themed super folks who populated comic books in the days of World War II, The Shield was ready for action.

Many people have recognized The Shield as the first patriotic superhero, but did you know the Shield G-Man Club ran from 1941 until 1948? Truth, justice, patriotism and courage were represented by the four stars on the Shield's extraordinary uniform - the uniform that gave him all his powers - and his true identity, Joe Higgins, was only known by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. And based on the exploits of the MLJ Magazines hero, the Shield G-Man Club was first advertised in Pep Comics #15. It offered a red, white and blue badge and membership card in exchange for a 2¢ stamp (those were the days!). Unlike other such clubs, like U.S. Jones for example (See Scoop, 8-23-02 for more), which concentrated on homeland defense, the Shield's club's theme was more geared towards crime fighting (and it encouraged members to write in with their law enforcement experiences).

There were two varieties of the Shield badge. The first, introduced with the beginning of the club, was 1 3/4", and the second, introduced in 1943, was slightly smaller at 1 1/4".

In 1948, with many superhero comics on the wane and MLJ's Archie titles on the way up, the dissolution of the Shield G-Man Club was announced. Pep Comics #66 carried the message that the club would be known as the Archie Club. Members were requested to send in their membership cards in exchange for which they were to receive a new Archie Club button free of charge (New members could join for 10¢ -- you just knew the 2¢ was too good to last!). This should help explain why the membership cards from the Shield G-Man Club are so hard to find and so prized by collectors today.

The G-Man Club may be a thing of the past, but The Shield himself is returning to new comic book adventures. DC Comics licnesed the character and others from Archie for their new Red Circle project.