Samson

Emerging from the fertile Bronze Age independent comics scene, Samson debuted in 1984's Bolt and Starforce Six #1, courtesy of creators Bill Black and Rod Whigham at AC Comics — a publisher beloved by fans who know that some of the era's most distinctive heroes lived outside the Big Two. With a run spanning only a few years in the mid-eighties, this is a compact but characterful corner of comics history, and one of Samson's appearances already carries key-issue status for collectors keeping score. Across Bolt and Starforce Six, Bolt Special, and FemForce Special, Samson keeps lively company with the likes of Nightowl, Belladonna, Buckeye, and Gardner Lee — a roster that captures exactly the scrappy, ensemble energy AC Comics did so well. Six appearances may be a tight canon, but for the dedicated Bronze Age hunter, that kind of rarity only sweetens the chase.