In Shadow Comics #69 (on newsstands October 25, 1946*) a new character is introduced - The Shadow Jr.! The Shadow Jr. is even announced on the comic cover where it proclaims "Shadow Jr. a new Shadow for youth!" (look towards the bottom of the cover)
The Shadow story, "The Winged Dagger!" is where we first meet The Shadow Jr. The story begins with Lamont Cranston receiving a telegram from Donald Jordan. Donald is the son of Lamont's friend, Harry Jordan. Donald's telegram states Lamont is Harry's only living friend and he asks him to help as Harry has been murdered.
Lamont flies to Tibet, where he learned the secret of clouding men's minds. At the lamastery, Lamont meets young Donald Jordan and one of the Lamas. Cranston learns more details behind his friend Harry's murder and then goes on the hunt for more clews. He ultimately finds a small Axis base of operations where evil men are using a cyclotron to try and make their own atomic bomb! Cranston, as The Shadow, encounters another person that has his same powers of invisibility - it is young Donald Jordan!
Both The Shadow and Donald destroy the cyclotron and the evil Axis members along with it. Donald asks if he can leave Tibet with Lamont. He tells him, "I would like to devote my life to your fight! Against evil and evil doers!" Cranston allows Donald to come with him and tells him, "I don't want you to think I'm doing you a favor. By coming with me..you'll earn your way. Now at last...I'll be able to be in two places at once...you and I working together."
Donald Jordan only appeared in two other Shadow Comics (#74 and #77). In Shadow Comics #74 his name is Donnie Dart.
I'm not sure why they changed it from Donald Jordan! It appears The Shadow Jr. experiment in the comics didn't catch on or fans didn't like the character. Either way, he only appeared in a total of three Shadow Comics.
*Mike's Amazing World of Comics
Thanks for posting this. Until last week I had no idea about Junior. I think that if the readers were anything like me they would've been fairly cool to this idea of a sidekick. Robin had been around for 6 years by this time so the editors must have thought it would bring a new group of fans to the world of The Shadow.
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