Joseph Higgins (New Earth)

The Shield
Mainstream Universe‎, 1986‎-2011‎
Gallery
Real Name	Joseph Mattoon Higgins
Main Alias	The Shield
Relatives	William Higgins (father)
Affiliation	Mighty Crusaders
Status
Alignment	Good
Identity	Secret Identity
Citizenship	American
Marital Status	Single
Occupation	Soldier
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Eyes	Blue
Hair	Red
Origin
Universe	New Earth
Creators	Harry Shorten · Irv Novick
First Appearance	Green Arrow and Black Canary #20 (July, 2009)

The Shield is a patriotic superhero and a member of the Mighty Crusaders.

History

Lieutenant Joe Higgins was dying in the dirt of a battlefield in Afghanistan when they whisked him away to a top-secret facility and saved his life with nanotechnology so experimental they couldn't dare to use it on a living man. Now Higgins has been enlisted to a whole new mission – to be the public face of the American fighting man as the patriotic Shield! But today's grueling military battles test the limits of patriotism and the limits of the technology that keeps him alive. And the shocking secret behind that technology may be too much for his bullet-riddled heart to bear.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• The Shield Suit: A new form of nanotechnology was merged with a layer of his epidermis. In relaxed state, it's essentially invisible, but at reflex action or mental command, it encases his body in a hardened warsuit that is nearly indestructible.
  • Superhuman Strength
  • Superhuman Durability
  • Flight
  • Enhanced Senses

Notes

• The Shield is based on the MLJ Comics character of the same name. He first appeared in Pep Comics #1 (January 1940).
  

Trivia

• His name is given by General Latham as "James Multoon Higgins" in Red Circle: The Shield #1, while he refers to himself as Joseph in an email to the Web.

Related

• 25 Appearances of Joseph Higgins (New Earth)
• 19 Images featuring Joseph Higgins (New Earth)
• 2 Quotations by or about Joseph Higgins (New Earth)
• Character Gallery: Joseph Higgins (New Earth)