Golden Age Idol--Masked Raider And Talon!!

OK, I'm probably bending the Golden Age rules a bit here, as this duo debuted in 1955.

But it's such a glorious idea that I'm running with it anyway. My blog, my rules, nyah!!

Who am I talking about?!?

Oh, yeah.

We start as young Les Wilcox is visiting his uncle. Unfortunately, his timing is pretty terrible:

Well, Les sprains his ankle pretty badly in escaping, but manages to hole up in a secret cave...but he's not alone!

YOW!!

Well, they kind of nurse each other back to health. But when Les goes off to get some food...

Yup, if you kill a mountain lion to rescue an eagle, he becomes your friend for life!!! That's one of the iron laws of nature!!

Ah, but Jud Holt hasn't stopped looking for Les, and...

DON'T FRAK WITH LES WHEN TALON IS AROUND!!!

And so was born the West's greatest heroic team:

Les became a bookworm lawyer, but when trouble showed up...

Did I mention that Talon is pretty much a genius for a bird?

And if you were a varmint, you really didn't want to get on Talon's bad side...

...because you'd usually end up DEAD!!!!

The first Masked Raider series lasted only 8 issues, and the last three became The Masked Raider Presents Billy The Kid, with our heroes gradually disappearing from their own book.

But someone Charlton must have liked the concept, because a year later their Dan'l Boone title changed it's name to Masked Raider, and Les and Talon enjoyed a 17 issue run.

But since then? Nothing.

Which is a shame, because good gosh, a wimpy lawyer who is really a badass Western gunfighter with A GIANT KILLER GOLDEN EAGLE as his sidekick is kind of the most brilliant concept ever.

That said, there are potential problems...Marvel had a Western hero named The Masked Raider (back in Marvel Comics #1!!) which might present some trademark problems; and of course DC currently has a Talon.

So, let's split the difference! Let's revive Masked Raider And Talon as a joint Marvel/DC publication!! The first step in a detente between the two companies!! A Nimbus III of the publishing world, as it were!!

Yeah, I know, it'll never happen...

From Masked Raider #1 (1955)