Blonde Phantom

Superherobox|

caption=Cover detail, "The Steranko History of Comics 2"
Art by Jim Steranko.
character_name=Blonde Phantom
real_name=Louise Grant Mason
publisher=Timely Comics, Marvel Comics
debut="All Select Comics" #11 (Fall 1946)
creators=Stan Lee, Syd Shores
alliances=
aliases=Louise Mason, Weezie
powers=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).

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. 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.

The Blonde Phantom debuted in "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 crime-fighter also appeared as a backup feature in:

*"Marvel Mystery Comics" #84-91 (Oct. 1947 - April 1949)
* "All Winners Comics" #1 (Aug. 1948)
* "Sub-Mariner Comics" #25-28 & 30 (Spring - Oct. 1948 & Feb. 1949)
* all three issues of "Blackstone the Magician" (#2-4, May-Sept. 1948)
* "Namora" #2 (Oct. 1948)
* "Sun Girl" #2-3 (Oct.-Dec. 1948).

The character was the province of no one artist, and aside from originator Shores, her adventures in this wide variety of comics were [penciler|pencilled] by Vince Alascia, Ken Bald, Allen Bellman, Carl Burgos, Vernon Henkel, Mike Sekowsky, Ed Winiarski, the pseudonymous Charles Nicholas, and others. When not inking themselves, the pencilers were embellished by inkers including 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).

Concurrent Blonde Phantom

Comics historian Jess Nevins notes that the Timely Comics teen-humor character Millie Collins wore a mask and veil and posed as the "Blonde Phantom" for a cosmetics company's publicity campaign in a story in "Millie the Model" #2 (Oct. 1946), published near the same time as the superheroine Blonde Phantom's debut in "All-Select Comics" #11 (Fall 1946). Acknowledging the shared Marvel Universe, Nevins writes that the famous model's stunt "perhaps inspired Louise Grant to put on a costume and fight crime". [ [http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/phantom.html Nevins, Jess. "A Guide To Marvel's Golden Age Characters: The Blonde Phantom (I)"] ]

Fictional character biography

Origin and Golden Age adventures

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 At an unspecified point, the Blonde Phantom fought alongside the superhero team All-Winners Squad for an adventure.Fact | date=July 2008

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. ["The Sensational She-Hulk" #4 (July 1989)] , 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 ["She-Hulk" vol. 2 #4] 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. Mason, affectionately nicknamed "Weezi", began a romantic relationship with Jennifer's father, Morris Walters. ["She-Hulk" vol. 2, #36] 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 ["She-Hulk" vol. 2, #31-33]

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.

Phantom Blonde (Wanda Grant)

Louise's daughter, Wanda Louise Mason Grant, briefly followed her mother's crime-fighter legacy, becoming the Phantom Blonde ["Sensational She-Hulk" #23 (Jan. 1991)] and later being considered a "potential recruit" for the program. ["Civil War: Battle Damage Report"]

Phantom Blonde was created by Steve Gerber and Buzz Dixon.

Footnotes

References

* [http://www.toonopedia.com/blondeph.htm Don Markstein's Toonpedia: The Blonde Phantom]
* [http://www.atlastales.com/sT/45 Atlas Tales: "Blonde Phantom Comics"]
* [http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/phantom.html Jess Nevins' "A Guide To Marvel's Golden Age Characters: The Blonde Phantom (I)] and [http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/phantom2.html The Blonde Phantom (II)]
* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/b/blondfan.htm International Hero: The Blonde Phantom]
* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/m/milliemodel.htm International Hero: Millie the Model]
* [http://www.comics.org The Grand Comics Database]

External links

* [http://www.cgccomics.com/news/enews/cgc_enews_0408aug.htm CGC newsletter, vol. 3, #8 (Aug. 2004): "The Super Women of Timely" by Michelle Nolan]
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/phantomblonde.htm Appendix to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Phantom Blonde]
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/waltersmorrissh.htm Appendix to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Sheriff Morris Walters]