Print

[Lorendiac]

A question suddenly occurred to me.

Mary Marvel, Billy Batson's long-lost twin sister, was basically a case, in the Golden Age, of "let's create an obvious female knockoff of a popular male superhero concept, and see how it goes!" I think she may have been the first such character to get to star in her own adventures. First as a feature within the pages of "Wow Comics," and later in her very own regular comic book series (with the catchy title of "Mary Marvel").

My question is: Were there any other female knockoff characters, in the Golden or Silver Ages, who also had that much success in the old days? Not just guest-starring in the adventures of the hero they were mimicking; not just appearing as the protagonist of a small feature within a larger anthology title; but making the big leap to being The Title Character of a brand new comic book series devoted exclusively to that young lady's solo adventures?

(Frankly, the next such example I can remember, off the top of my head, is Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El, who debuted as Supergirl in the late 1950s, but didn't get promoted to be the star of her own comic book series until the 1970s -- and I think her first regular title only lasted ten issues before DC pulled the plug.)

Anybody remember anyone else who went all the way from "female imitator of a popular male hero" to "star of her own regular title" before Kara Zor-El made that leap in the 1970s?

[jimmm kelly]

I wonder if Archie's Betty fits your strict criteria. She appeared on the cover and inside of BETTY AND ME as Superteen from issues 3 to 5 in 1966. Of course, you could argue whether the title belonged to Betty or to Me.

[festerb4]

Namora, who was the female cousin of Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, had her own title for a brief time in the late 1940s. Miss America had her own title for a long time, but despite her name and a common publisher her origin was independent of Captain America.

[jimmm kelly]

MISS AMERICA was only a regular comic book for one issue, coming out in 1944. The second issue (cover date November '44) switched to a glossy magazine format, with a romance angle and featuring Patsy Walker. Miss America herself, like all good soldiers, faded away.