Blonde Phantom

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Blonde Phantom

Cover detail, The Steranko History of Comics 2
Art by Jim Steranko.
Publication information
Publisher Timely Comics, Marvel Comics
First appearance All-Select Comics #11 (Fall 1946)
Created by Stan Lee, Syd Shores
In story information
Alter ego Louise Grant Mason
Notable aliases Louise Mason, Weezie
Abilities Highly athletic
Skilled marksman and hand-to-hand combatant

The Blonde Phantom (Louise Grant Mason) is a fictional masked crimefighter in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. She was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Syd Shores for Timely Comics, a predecessor of Marvel Comics, in All-Select Comics #11 (Fall 1946).

Contents

[edit] Publication history

As superheroes began to fade out of fashion in the post-war era, comic book publishers scrambled to explore new types of stories, characters, and audiences. In an attempt to appeal to young female readers, comics companies began introducing some of the first significant super-heroines since Wonder Woman (created for one of DC Comics' predecessors, All-American Publications). These new female leads would include Timely's Golden Girl, Miss America, Namora, Sun Girl, and Venus, and its teen-humor star Millie the Model; Fox Comics' revival of Quality Comics' Phantom Lady; and DC's Black Canary.

All Select Comics became Blonde Phantom Comics the following issue. The series lasted a little over two years (from #12-22, Winter 1946 to March 1949), during which time the lissome and evidently very popular crime-fighter also appeared as a backup feature in:


The character was the province of no one artist, and aside from originator Shores, her adventures in this wide variety of comics were pencilled by Vince Alascia, Ken Bald, Allen Bellman, Carl Burgos, Vernon Henkel, Mike Sekowsky, Ed Winiarski, the pseudonymous Charles Nicholas, and others. When the pencilers weren't inking themselves, their embellishers included Al Avison, Jack Binder, and Harry Sahle.

Blonde Phantom Comics changed titles and formats completely to become the anthological romance comic Lovers with issue #23 (May 1949).

[edit] Fictional character biography

[edit] Origin and Golden Age adventures

All Winners Comics vol. 2, #1 (Aug. 1948), cover artist(s) unknown
All Winners Comics vol. 2, #1 (Aug. 1948), cover artist(s) unknown

Louise Grant, born in Hoboken, New Jersey, was secretary to private detective Mark Mason. Enamored with her boss and wanting to help him break cases, she surreptitiously donned a black domino mask and a sexy, skintight, slit-leg red evening gown and high heels, and ventured out at night fighting crime. Highly athletic and seemingly trained in martial arts, the Blonde Phantom also carried a .45 caliber pistol. In a distaff echo of Superman and Lois Lane, Mason had a crush on the Blonde Phantom, but not on Louise. Eventually, Grant and Mason married. .[issue # needed] -->

[edit] Modern Age

Louise Grant Mason had left crime-fighting to marry her employer, Mark Mason, in 1949 and give birth to their daughter Wanda and, later, to son Earl. After Mason's death, she began working as a legal secretary for District Attorney Blake Tower.[1], and became the general voice-of-reason for both Tower and She-Hulk.

Mason would often find herself more or less willingly pulled into the She-Hulk's surreal adventures, and occasionally vice-versa. They would confront many menaces, from Stilt-Man[2] to a town where stepping out of line, even swearing, was fatally punished. Mason would accompany She-Hulk into outer space, where the pair become allies of the space-faring hero Razorback and his compatriots U.S. Archer and Al the alien.

Louise's daughter becomes the Phantom Blonde in She-Hulk #23 (Jan. 1991). Cover art by Kevin Maguire and Jim Sanders III.
Louise's daughter becomes the Phantom Blonde in She-Hulk #23 (Jan. 1991). Cover art by Kevin Maguire and Jim Sanders III.

Mason, affectionately nicknamed "Weezi", began a romantic relationship with Jennifer's father, Morris Walters.[3] She also saw her daughter Wanda become the costumed crimefighter the Phantom Blonde. Mason later found herself trading physical stature and powers with a none-too-pleased Jennifer, becoming so enamored with her new form and abilities that she only changed back when Morris revealed he wanted Weezi the way she had been.

After being taken prisoner by the subterranean ruler the Mole Man, she was restored to her youthful adult self by technology from the underground realm Subterranea[4]

[edit] Powers and abilities

The Blonde Phantom had no superhuman powers. She was an athletic woman, and a fine markswoman with the conventional handgun she carried. She also had excellent secretarial skills, as the secretary for the Mark Mason Detective Agency, and later as the secretary of New York City District Attorney Blake Tower.

[edit] Phantom Blonde (Wanda Grant)

Louise's daughter, Wanda Louise Mason Grant, briefly followed her mother's crime-fighter legacy, becoming the Phantom Blonde[5] and later being considered a "potential recruit" for the Initiative program.[6]

Phantom Blonde was created by Steve Gerber and Buzz Dixon.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ The Sensational She-Hulk #4 (July 1989)
  2. ^ She-Hulk vol. 2 #4
  3. ^ She-Hulk vol. 2, #36
  4. ^ She-Hulk vol. 2, #31-33
  5. ^ Sensational She-Hulk #23 (Jan. 1991)
  6. ^ Civil War: Battle Damage Report

[edit] References

[edit] External links