Career Girl

When high school student Patsy Walker considered future employment opportunities, she thought about becoming a nurse, an aviatrix, or a lawyer. She finally decided on career girl as her occupation of choice. Although boyfriend Buzz Baxter was dismissive of women in the workforce, Patsy's father was supportive (Patsy Walker #21). After Patsy graduated from high school, comic books billed her, and friend Hedy Wolfe, as career girls (Patsy and Hedy #96-108).

These covers show Patsy Walker #21 (March 1949) and Patsy and Hedy #96 (July 1964).

Masked Man

There was plenty of humor within Patsy Walker #19 (Nov. 1948), but the cover image of Patsy and boyfriend Buzz Baxter at the beach was the best part!

Pat Walker

Although they occasionally dated other people, Buzz Baxter and Patsy Walker were high school sweethearts. As a sign of their deepening connection, Buzz eventually started calling her Pat from time to time, while everyone else still knew her as Patsy. Rival classmate Hedy Wolfe, meanwhile, often referred to her as Red.

The covers of Patsy Walker #112 (Dec. 1963) and #114 (April 1964) show Buzz Baxter calling her Pat.

The Search for the Sub-Mariner

Sub-Mariner's preoccupation with Susan Storm reached an all-time low when he kidnapped her and held her captive in Atlantis. The prince of Atlantis intended to make the Invisible Girl his bride! With the help of Dr. Strange, the rest of the Fantastic Four located and rescued their imprisoned teammate. Sub-Mariner finally accepted that she was in love with Reed Richards (Fantastic Four #27). Reed and Sue would marry the following year (Fantastic Four Annual #3).

Fantastic Four. Vol. 1. No. 27. June 1964. "The Search for the Sub-Mariner. Stan Lee (author), Jack Kirby (illustrator), Geo. Bell (inker), S. Rosen (letterer).

Miss America Magazine

Before Patsy Walker got her own comic book series, she appeared regularly in Miss America Magazine. Her stories were so popular that the magazine regularly highlighted them on the cover.

Several Patsy Walker comic stories appeared in this issue of Miss America Magazine. Vol. 7. No. 37. January 1951.

Scaredy Cat

A sight gag on the cover of Patsy and Hedy #7 (Sept. 1952) pictured the two friends double dating at the movies. Patsy's boyfriend, Buzz, was so frightened by The Bride of the Vampire that he clung to Hedy's date. In contrast, Patsy Walker #93 (Feb. 1961) showed Patsy clutching Buzz in fear at the sight of a mouse. The symbolism of the two scenes takes on additional subtext when we consider that Patsy later becomes the happy-go-lucky Hellcat and marries the Son of Satan (after divorcing Buzz, who then becomes the villain Mad-Dog).

  

Heart Shaped Wreckage

I was a fan of the show Smash, which aired on NBC more than a decade ago. For some time now I've thought about posting how a song from the show titled Heart Shaped Wreckage reminds me of the relationship between Daimon Hellstrom and Patsy Walker during their time as Defenders. I'll skip a lengthy explanation, as the lyrics from the first two verses of the duet speak for themselves.

I'm not scared to tell the truth
I've been to hell and back and I went with you
Remind me what we were before
When we said, "You are mine and I am yours"

I don't know much but I know myself
And I don't want to love anybody else
So let's break the spell and lift the curse
Remember where we fell for each other, head first

Jealousy

This panel from Patsy Walker #32 (Jan. 1951) shows a teenage Buzz Baxter jealous that Patsy might be dating someone else. The devil on his shoulder is oddly prophetic, as one day Buzz will crash Patsy's wedding to Daimon Hellstrom, a.k.a. the Son of Satan (Defenders #125). By that time, Patsy and Buzz will have married, divorced, and become Hellcat and Mad-Dog.

Venus vs. Son of Satan

When Atlas Comics gave Venus her own series, the genre of that title gradually transitioned from romance to horror. Case in point, Venus #10 (June 1950). In that issue, the love goddess received an unwanted marriage proposal from the Son of Satan. This was not Daimon Hellstrom, who would premiere as the Son of Satan two decades later. Rather, it was another character who happened to be the devil's son. Venus discreetly referred to her unwanted suitor as Mr. Satin and successfully fought off his advances.

Disappearing Act

Although the covers of Patsy Walker comic books sometimes referenced the stories within, the covers often worked as stand-alone gags. Such was the case with Patsy and Her Pals #22 (May 1956). That cover showed Patsy Walker and Hedy Wolfe fighting for the attention of Buzz Baxter at a magic show starring Presto the Magician. While it would have made for a creative setting, the magic show did not appear inside the issue. Incidentally, Presto closely resembled longtime comic character Mandrake the Magician, who would become one of the anachronistic Defenders of the Earth.

On a Lark

Lady Lark was among the most tragic members of the Squadron Supreme. As revealed in the Squadron Supreme limited series, Linda Lewis had been a successful recording artist until an accident damaged her vocal cords. Following an operation, new vocal cords gave her superhuman sonic powers. As a drawback, however, she could no longer sing (Squadron Supreme #1, #4). In some respects, Lady Lark's music career had parallels to that of Dazzler, a singer whose mutant powers over light and sound propelled her into the role of reluctant superhero.

Like other early members of the Squadron Supreme, Lady Lark had a counterpart in the Justice League of America—specifically, Black Canary, with her ear-piercing "canary cry." On top of that, Lady Lark's on-again, off-again relationship with teammate Golden Archer was an homage to Black Canary's romantic pairing with Green Arrow in DC Comics.

This image of Lady Lark comes from Avengers #147 (May 1976). Since her powers often appeared as music notes, singing may have been how Lady Lark activated her superhuman abilities.

Love Triangulation

A complicated love triangle developed in the "Patsy Walker" story from Miss America #44 (March 1952). Patsy was upset that boyfriend Buzz Baxter was more interested in reading a Kid Colt comic book than paying attention to her. At Patsy's prompting, Buzz put aside the comic book only to become equally preoccupied with westerns on TV and film.

Buzz then took Patsy on a date to the rodeo to see Tex Dallas, a cowboy he admired. After the show, Tex coerced Buzz into riding a horse called "Back-Buster"; the ornery animal immediately threw Buzz to the ground! Buzz went home with a sore back while Tex invited Patsy out dancing—leaving Buzz feeling bitter and betrayed by his hero.

Lost Signs

When the Defenders battled the Zodiac, not all twelve signs were there. Leading the cadre was Scorpio, brother of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury. The rest of the Zodiac were Life Model Decoys that Scorpio designed using S.H.I.E.L.D. technology. But activating these androids prematurely caused three of them to malfunction: Capricorn, Pisces and Virgo. I am uncertain of the astrological implications of losing these particular signs, but Scorpio had designated Virgo—the only female in the group—as his love interest. The heartbroken criminal killed himself (Defenders #50).

Two of the androids, Sagittarius and Libra, would return to lead other supervillains pretending to be Defenders for a Day.

This image of Scorpio (Jake Fury) comes from Defenders #50.

Meeting Millie the Model

In one of her most reflective moments as Hellcat, Patsy Walker became reacquainted with Millie the Model (Defenders #65).

Patsy and her pals were still in high school when they met the celebrity model, who was visiting the town of Centerville (Patsy Walker #76). Later, Millie and her photographer boyfriend, Clicker Holbrook, were headed to a fashion event when they got a flat tire in front of Patsy's house. Patsy was leaving for a masquerade party at the time and happened to be dressed as Millie. The disguise was so convincing that Clicker couldn't tell the two women apart (#98).

Donning a blonde wig, Patsy may have resembled Millie but the two characters were very different. Patsy was inherently relatable, often daydreaming about the future long before becoming a superhero. Millie, in contrast, was already glamorous, cosmopolitan and comfortable in her own skin.

The Making of Mad-Dog

Published two decades before Patsy Walker become Hellcat, Patsy and Hedy #46 reads almost like an origin story for Buzz Baxter becoming the supervillain known as Mad-Dog.

Patsy dated Buzz regularly in high school. But when his car kept breaking down, Patsy insisted that Buzz get a new car. Pressured by Patsy and a handful of their friends, Buzz traded in his car at Mad-Dog Cur Used-Cars. The new car, however, proved almost as unreliable as his old jalopy had been.

Later that issue, Patsy turned down Buzz when he asked her to go for a drive—or on any kind of date for that matter. Classmate Hedy Wolfe, who also pined for Buzz, spoke to him about Patsy's behavior.

Hedy: Can't you see how she treats you? She takes you for granted like you were the family dog!

To make Patsy jealous, Hedy suggested that Buzz start dating her instead. Hedy then told Patsy that it was Buzz who had come up with the scheme. Patsy responded by making a date with a stranger who had whistled at her on the street. When Buzz saw the two of them out together, he slugged the unsuspecting fellow. In hindsight, these story elements set the stage for Buzz taking the name Mad-Dog and plotting to disrupt Patsy's wedding to Daimon Helstrom (New Defenders #125).

These panels come from Patsy and Hedy #46 (Oct. 1956).

In the Wings

Angel was basically benched from the team after New Defenders #143, when an attack from Moondragon left him blind until #152, the final issue of the series. If Angel seemed unfettered while wounded, he had already done his share of soul searching just before joining the New Defenders (#125), when the subterranean band of mutants known as Morlocks kidnapped him and clipped his pin feathers (X-Men #169-170).

No longer a prospective mate for Callisto, leader of the Morlocks, Angel was instead boyfriend to Candy Southern, leader of the New Defenders. This may have helped him maintain his perspective.

In this panel from Defenders #146 (Aug. 1985), Cloud verbally guides Angel as he practices flying without his eyesight.

Fun and Games

Fun and Games Magazine #4 (Dec. 1979) had a lot to offer Defenders fans. The opening page featured Nighthawk above a bird-word puzzle. Among the hidden words were other characters with bird names, including Falcon (of the Defenders for a Day) and Lady Lark (from the Squadron Supreme).

Red Guardian appeared a few pages later with a fill-in puzzle of words beginning with red, plus these similarly named characters: Red Ghost, Red Rajah, Red Raven, and Redwing (Falcon's pet bird).

Another activity used a grid to show readers how to draw Hellcat. A two-page wedding game asked readers to match the first names of various couples, including Buzz and Patsy (Hellcat's alter ego), Jack and Barbara (Norriss), and Glenn and Betty (Talbot).

The wedding image of Patsy Walker and Buzz Baxter shown on the cover of Fun and Games Magazine #4 originally appeared as a flashback in Avengers #144, as the couple had already divorced.

The Case for Mantis

After much anticipation, Mantis became the Celestial Madonna because she had learned humility whereas Moondragon had not. What evidence worked in Mantis' favor? On a superficial level, Mantis seldom used the word I, typically referring to herself instead as "this one" (and, as a result, the first time I read a comic book featuring Mantis, I thought she was speaking of another character).

While giving lip service to a form of detachment, Mantis was not without flaw. Unhappy in her relationship with the Swordsman, Mantis made romantic overtures toward Vision by saying that others suitors were unworthy (Avengers #128). Already in love with the Scarlet Witch, Vision rebuffed such advances. When Mantis came to regret her behavior, Vision gladly accepted her apology (#131). Ultimately, Mantis' willingness to acknowledge when she was mistaken gave her an edge over Moondragon.

Mantis joined the Avengers in #114 (Aug. 1973). As the Celestial Madonna, she married an intelligent plant that took on the physical appearance of the Swordsman.

Wedding Bells

As a teenager, Patsy Walker dreamed of one day marrying her high-school sweetheart, Buzz Baxter. Bursting her bubble, however, Patsy Walker #97 (Oct. 1961) offered the young protagonist an unromantic vision of married life. In the dream sequence, Buzz proved to be a klutzy and inattentive husband, burying his head in the newspaper over breakfast, spending his evenings watching baseball on TV, and leaving Patsy feeling unfulfilled.

Ultimately, the couple would eventually marry and divorce—setting the stage for Patsy to become the happy-go-lucky Hellcat and Buzz to become the supervillain Mad-Dog.

The Avenging Angel

Warren Worthington III faced a crisis of conscience during a shocking chain of events that could put Hamlet to shame. At home visiting his parents, Warren accepted an invitation to go out on a date that evening. While out on the town with his date, Warren heard over the radio that two masked men had just murdered his father. In his costumed guise as Angel, Warren tracked down the killers and learned they were working for a criminal known as the Dazzler (Ka-Zar #2-3). After capturing Warren and his date, Dazzler revealed himself to be none other than Warren's uncle Burt (Marvel Tales #30). The family drama aside, Warren felt torn about his role as a crimefighter, as so much of humanity still regarded mutants like himself as freaks.

Even though Warren's romantic interest during this three-party story was named Candy, the following evidence suggests this was not Candy Southern, an old flame from X-Men #31 who would become leader of the New Defenders.

1. Whereas Candy Southern consistently had black hair, the Candy introduced in Ka-Zar #2 had red hair.
2. Looking at a picture of redheaded Candy, Warren exclaimed that their relationship was over, as Warren held her indirectly responsible for his father's death (Ka-Zar #3). In contrast, black-haired Candy Southern returned as Warren's romantic interest in Incredible Hulk #7.
3. Candy's last name went unstated in Ka-Zar #2-3. Then, in Marvel Tales #30, Dazzler referred to the redhead as Candy Summers.

Granted, one could explain away the above inconsistencies by arguing instead that

1. Candy Southern simply dyed her hair red prior to Ka-Zar #2 and later changed it back,
2. Warren no longer felt reminded of his father's death when he saw Candy with dark hair, and
3. Dazzler misspoke, confusing Candy's last name with the last name of Warren's classmate Scott Summers (a.k.a. Cyclops).

In a skewed take on the Oedipal complex, Warren's interest in Candy Southern began to wane as he romantically pursued the mutant hero Dazzler (no relation to Warren's uncle). Warren's feelings went unrequited, however, and he returned to dating Candy Southern. As for Dazzler, she would similarly turn down romantic advances from Hank McCoy during the Beauty and the Beast limited series.

This image comes from Marvel Tales #30 (April 1971).