Marcus, a young shepherd, is grabbed and falsely accused of attacking a Praetor by the conniving soldier Cinna. Sentenced to a slave galley for life, Marcus becomes a muscled giant. He saves the crew from a loose lion by slinging his chain. He's sold to Cinna and handed to the gladiators and trained. He beats down hated rivals and rides a bull, despite sabotaged weapons from Cinna. He even wins the chariot race with only a shield. He's given the golden helmet and breastplate of the Golden Gladiator - but Cinna plots revenge.; A blond Viking is pulled from the water, but has no memory of his past. Gunna names him "Jon, the Shining, [after] the great Viking Prince of old!" But a spy knows him and reports to Baron Thorvald that "the youth" still lives. The spy threatens Jon's hosts, but gets a surprise as he fights with fish net, sword, and anything handy. Baron Thorvald comes in a dragon ship to capture him. The Viking Prince has himself shot from a catapult to tear the dragonship sail. He brawls with Vikings as Thorvald jumps overboard. Together they'll fight tyranny, as Jon seeks his lost identity.; Sir Edwin Kent dies in a joust because Sir Oswald Bane sabotaged his lance. His son Brian, an orphan, cannot take the throne until he's a knight. Tough Sir Grot trains the boy relentlessly, but no one can handle the hawk Slasher. Squire Brian chases the hawk into the Forest Perilous and finds a suit of armor with a hawk emblem. He dons it just as knights try to seize a girl. Keeping silent lest he's exposed (as a mere squire, not a knight), he drives them off with Slasher's help. He leaves the suit hanging and finds everyone in the castle talks about the mysterious Silent Knight!; Roman gladiator arena humor.