Someday Funnies

In January, I wrote about how I grew up with comic books.

I outgrew comic books circa 1970 and except for Zap and it's ilk, I seldom bought any. But I was interested in the history of comic books and comic strips and began buying books related to that history.

Over the years, I amassed a collection of such histories. A few nights ago, I was reading a recent acquisition and was reminded of Madam Fatal, a 1940's superhero who dressed up as an elderly woman to fight crime.

Richard Stanton, a retired actor whose daughter was kidnapped, used his acting skills to disguise himself as an elderly woman and in that persona was able to effect his daughter’s rescue and her kidnappers’ capture. Seeing the need for justice to be meted out, he continued to use his female identity to battle criminals as the first crossdressing superhero as Madam Fatal. (Source: An International Catalogue of Superheroes)

Madam Fatal was not popular and only ran for 22 issues. (You can see her in action here: Spotlight Comics #9.)

I started thinking about a Madam Fatal revival. Bring her back as a 21st Century superhero, but as a 30-something fashionista rather than an elderly woman... a cross between Katy Keene and Lizz Worthington-Grove.

I researched the idea on the Internet and discovered that Madam Fatal appeared as "Miss Sharp" (above) in a 1944 flashback in Shade #4. But she has never been seen in a contemporary setting.

Wearing Bebe (Source: Bebe)

My skirt's not too short – my legs are too long!