Joe Higgins, Jr.

Joe Higgins, Jr. is the son of Joe Higgins, the original Shield — one of Archie Comics' earliest patriotic superheroes. As the Shield's son, he is connected to that legacy within Archie's superhero universe.

A Bronze Age arrival introduced in The Mighty Crusaders #3 (1983) by Rich Buckler, Joe Higgins, Jr. is a character whose legacy is woven into the colorful fabric of Archie's superhero universe — rubbing shoulders with icons like The Shield alongside the beloved Riverdale crew of Archie Andrews, Jughead, Reggie, and Veronica. His appearances, preserved through Dark Horse's Archie Archives and the beloved Double Digest format, span an impressive four decades, making him a quietly enduring presence across some of comics' most nostalgic pages. With only six catalog appearances he's a genuine rarity — the kind of deep-cut discovery that reminds dedicated collectors just how richly layered the Archie universe truly is.