Number One Son

Number One Son is a Golden Age Columbia Comics character who appears alongside Charlie Chan and his family, fitting the role of Chan's eager eldest son familiar from the popular detective stories and films of the era.

Few characters can claim a Golden Age debut and a publishing footprint that stretches all the way to 2019, but Number One Son is exactly that kind of quietly enduring figure. Introduced in Feature Comics #23 in 1939 by creator George Brenner, this Columbia Comics original stepped onto the page during one of the most fertile eras in the medium's history. Over the decades, Number One Son has kept remarkable company — sharing adventures with the likes of Charlie Chan, Barry Chan, and Jimmy Chan across titles like Big Shot, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, and Charlie Chan, with at least one appearance significant enough to earn key-issue status among collectors. Forty-five appearances spanning eighty years is a testament to the staying power of a character who was there at the very beginning of the art form.