Golden Lad was a comic-book series created by Joseph Green and Mort Meskin and published by Spark Comics. It is currently a public-domain property.
After young Tommy Preston finds the "Heart of Gold", an old Aztec artifact powered by "the blood of a thousand martyred Aztecs", he gains the powers of strength and courage, which he uses to fight crime.
This series contains examples of:
- Artistic License – History: The series takes considerable liberties with Pre-Colombian history. For one thing, the Aztec symbol for a heart looks nothing like the heart-shaped pendant that Tommy wears.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: By shouting "Heart of Gold!", Tommy Preston becomes Golden Lad.
- Catchphrase: By shouting "Heart of Gold!", Tommy Preston becomes Golden Lad.
- Distaff Counterpart: After five issues, Golden Lad receives a sidekick, Golden Girl, who has much the same powers.
- Hijacked by Jesus: The sacrficed Aztecs whose blood powers the Heart of Gold are referred to as "martyrs".
- Public Domain Character: With the closing of Spark Comics, Golden Lad has become a public-domain character.
