Joe Higgins was living his dream. On his father’s deathbed he pledged to always do good. His father had fallen in the line of duty for his country. Now Joe has the opportunity to carry out his father’s request. Joe Higgins, G-man extraordinary, becomes the Shield. Only the chief of the FBI knows the Shield's true identity! Joe's father was killed in the famous Black Tom explosion, set off by foreign spies during World War I to gain his secret chemical formula. From that time forward, Joe swears to devote his life to shielding the U.S. government and its people from any harm. Joe succeeds in securing an appointment as a G-man to carry out his avowed purpose. Because of the uniform he developed with the aid of his father's earlier experiments in body chemistry, he is called the Shield. This uniform of his own secret construction is not only bulletproof and flameproof, but gives him the power to perform extraordinary physical feats. Wearing his "shield," he has the speed of a bullet and the strength of Hercules. With these powerful forces he shields the U.S. government from all enemies. The four white stars on the field of blue signify what he has devoted his life to, truth, justice, patriotism, and courage!

    In 1941 Joe takes on a non-super powered partner, Dusty (see individual entry) to aid him in his endeavors. But in 1942 Joe loses his powers, and his suit becomes his sole power. Now the Shield and Dusty are just ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. They fight memorable and horrible villains like the Strangler, the Fang, and the most fearsome of all, the Hun. After the war the Shield and Dusty fight the criminal foes of America until early 1948. The Shield has the distinction of being the first of many patriotic heroes and heroines to wear the red, white, and blue of America!