The Daltons are fictional outlaws in the Lucky Luke comics series and arch-enemies to Lucky Luke. They were created by artist Morris and writer René Goscinny. They are loosely inspired by the historic Dalton Gang of the United States, active in the early 1890s, and are billed as their cousins. While Morris depicts the historic Dalton brothers as evil and successful, these Daltons are portrayed as less skillful and more prone to fighting among the siblings. The four Daltons are depicted as identical except for height and intelligence. The oldest brother Joe is shown as the shortest and smartest, and the youngest brother Averell as the tallest and dumbest.