Nightveil is a fictional character, a superheroine who appears in the Femforce comic book, published by AC Comics . An adaptation of the Golden Age superhero Phantom Lady , she has also been known as Blue Bulleteer and Nightfall . Her secret identity is Laura Wright , daughter of a member of the United States Senate .
56-511: Nightveil (in her Blue Bulleteer identity) is an adaptation of the Golden Age superhero Phantom Lady . AC believed that the copyrights to the original character and stories had lapsed and were now in the public domain , but DC Comics asserted that it owned the rights to the character. AC declined to challenge the larger publisher. In her first appearance, Captain Paragon #1 (1972), she
112-515: A costumed markswoman. After a near-fatal injury, she was rescued by the wizard Azagoth, who has given her genuine mystical powers (such as teleportation , flight, intangibility, and elemental control). Even as a witch, Nightveil still maintains her agility. In live appearances, Nightveil is played by Mary Capps. Capps made appearances at conventions as Nightveil until 2007, her last appearance being at Visioncon in Springfield, Missouri . It
168-438: A hit on his hands, Goodman began assembling an in-house staff, hiring Funnies, Inc. writer-artist Joe Simon as editor. Simon brought along his collaborator, artist Jack Kirby , followed by artist Syd Shores . Goodman then formed Timely Comics, Inc., beginning with comics cover-dated April 1941 or Spring 1941. There is evidence that "Red Circle Comics", a name that would be used for an unrelated imprint of Archie Comics in
224-413: A job in a publishing company ... I didn't even know they published comics. I was fresh out of high school, and I wanted to get into the publishing business, if I could. There was an ad in the paper that said, "Assistant Wanted in a Publishing House." When I found out that they wanted me to assist in comics, I figured, 'Well, I'll stay here for a little while and get some experience, and then I'll get out into
280-467: A lanky 17-year-old in tow. 'This is Stanley Lieber, Martin's wife's cousin,' Uncle Robbie said. 'Martin wants you to keep him busy.'" In an appendix, however, Simon appears to reconcile the two accounts. He relates a 1989 conversation with Lee: Lee: "I've been saying this [classified-ad] story for years, but apparently it isn't so. And I can't remember because I['ve] said it so long now that I believe it." ... Simon: "Your Uncle Robbie brought you into
336-612: A multitude of corporate entities all producing the same product. The company's first publication in 1939 used Timely Publications , based at his existing company in the McGraw-Hill Building at 330 West 42nd Street in New York City. In 1942, it moved to the 14th floor of the Empire State Building , where it remained until 1951. In 2016, Marvel announced that Timely Comics would be the name of
392-558: A new imprint of low-priced reprint comics. In 1939, with the emerging medium of comic books proving hugely popular, and the first superheroes setting the trend, pulp-magazine publisher Martin Goodman founded Timely Publications, basing it at his existing company in the McGraw-Hill Building at 330 West 42nd Street in New York City. Goodman – whose official titles were editor, managing editor, and business manager , with Abraham Goodman officially listed as publisher – contracted with
448-475: A publishing company where he worked. The idea of being involved in publishing definitely appealed to me. ... So I contacted the man Robbie said did the hiring, Joe Simon, and applied for a job. He took me on and I began working as a gofer for eight dollars a week.... Joe Simon , in his 1990 autobiography The Comic Book Makers (cited under References, below), gives the account slightly differently: "One day [Goodman's relative known as] Uncle Robbie came to work with
504-724: A result, the Comics Code Authority was created by the Association of Comics Magazine Publishers to enact self-censorship by comic book publishers. At this time, EC canceled its crime and horror titles and focused primarily on Mad . The Silver Age of Comic Books is recognized by some as beginning with the debut of the first successful new superhero since the Golden Age, DC Comics' new Flash , in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956). Timely Comics Timely Comics
560-525: A single 1948 issue under Red Circle Magazines Corp. Marvel Comics was rechristened Marvel Mystery Comics with issue #2 (Dec. 1939); the magazine would continue under that title through #92 (June 1949) before becoming Marvel Tales through #159 (Aug. 1957). Timely began publishing additional series, beginning with Daring Mystery Comics #1 (Jan. 1940), Mystic Comics #1 (March 1940), Red Raven Comics #1 (Aug. 1940), The Human Torch #2 (premiering Fall 1940 with no cover date and having taken over
616-408: Is the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman , and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics . Founded in 1939, during the era called the Golden Age of comic books , "Timely" was the umbrella name for the comics division of pulp magazine publisher Goodman, whose business strategy involved having
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#1732798445916672-847: The Flash , Green Lantern , Doctor Fate , the Atom , Hawkman , Green Arrow and Aquaman . Timely Comics , the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics , had million-selling titles featuring the Human Torch , the Sub-Mariner , and Captain America . Although DC and Timely characters are well remembered today, circulation figures suggest that the best-selling superhero title of the era was Fawcett Comics ' Captain Marvel Adventures with sales of about 1.4 million copies per issue. The comic
728-640: The Roman goddess of love, posing as a human reporter. Patsy Walker , Millie the Model , Tessie the Typist and other Timely humor titles also included Harvey Kurtzman 's "Hey Look!" one-pagers in several issues. Future Comic Book Hall of Fame artist Gene Colan , a Marvel mainstay from 1946 on, recalled that, "The atmosphere at Timely was very good, very funny. ... [I worked in] a big art room and there were about 20 artists in there, all stacked up. Syd [Shores]
784-562: The 14th floor of the Empire State Building , where it remained until 1951. The superheroes were the products of what Timely referred to as the "adventure" bullpen. The company also developed an "animator" bullpen creating such movie tie-in and original talking animal comics as Terrytoons Comics , Mighty Mouse , All Surprise Comics , Super Rabbit Comics , Funny Frolics , and Funny Tunes, renamed Animated Funny Comic-Tunes . Former Fleischer Studios animator Fago, who joined Timely in 1942, headed this group, which consisted through
840-596: The 1960s Marvel hero ). Other Timely characters, many seen both in modern-day retroactive-continuity appearances and in flashbacks, include the Angel , the next-most-popular character in terms of number of appearances; the Destroyer , an early creation of future Marvel chief Stan Lee ; super-speedster the Whizzer ; the flying and super-strong Miss America ; the original Vision , who inspired Marvel writer Roy Thomas in
896-641: The 1960s to create a Silver Age version of the character ; and the Blazing Skull and the Thin Man , two members of the present-day New Invaders . Just as Captain America had his teenage sidekick Bucky and DC Comics' Batman had Robin , the Human Torch acquired a young partner, Toro , in the first issue of the Torch's own magazine. The Young Allies —one of several "kid gangs" popular in comics at
952-399: The 1970s and 1980s – may have been a term in use as Goodman prepared to publish his first comic book. Historian Les Daniels , referring to Goodman's pulp-magazine line, describes the name Red Circle as "a halfhearted attempt to establish an identity for what was usually described loosely as 'the Goodman group' [made] when a new logo was adopted: a red disk surrounded by a black ring that bore
1008-521: The Angel, ended that same month with #92, becoming the horror anthology Marvel Tales beginning with issue #93 (Aug. 1949). Goodman began using the globe logo of the Atlas News Company , the newsstand-distribution company he owned, on comics cover-dated Nov. 1951. In 2015, Marvel registered the trademark "Timely Comics". The following year, Marvel announced that Timely Comics would be
1064-689: The Archie Andrews character remaining in print well into the 21st century. At the same time in Canada, American comic books were prohibited importation under the War Exchange Conservation Act which restricted the importation of non-essential goods. Canadian publishers responded to this lack of competition by producing titles of their own, informally called the Canadian Whites . While these titles flourished during
1120-560: The Golden Age. During this time, the popularity of superhero comics waned. To retain reader interest, comic publishers diversified into other genres, such as war , Westerns , science fiction , romance , crime and horror . Many superhero titles were canceled or converted to other genres. In 1946, DC Comics ' Superboy , Aquaman and Green Arrow were switched from More Fun Comics into Adventure Comics so More Fun could focus on humor. In 1948 All-American Comics , featuring Green Lantern , Johnny Thunder and Dr. Mid-Nite ,
1176-523: The Human Torch, looking much different from the interior story. That initial comic, cover-dated October 1939, quickly sold out 80,000 copies, prompting Goodman to produce a second printing, cover-dated November 1939. The latter is identical except for a black bar over the October date in the inside-front-cover indicia, and the November date added at the end. That sold approximately 800,000 copies. With
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#17327984459161232-673: The Pelican Postman" in Krazy Komics and other titles; "Krazy Krow" in that character's eponymous comic; "Tubby an' Tack", in various comics; and the most popular of these features, Jaffee's " Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal " and Hart's " Super Rabbit ", the cover stars of many different titles. Timely also published one of humor cartoonist Basil Wolverton 's best-known features, Powerhouse Pepper . The first issue, cover-dated January 1943, bore no number, and protagonist Pepper looked different from his more familiar visualization (when
1288-683: The Sorcerers Eye - 2010 - Maria Paris as Nightveil - 49 minutes - Bill Black - director & producer. Golden Age of Comic Books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known characters were introduced, including Superman , Batman , Robin , Captain Marvel , Captain America , and Wonder Woman . The first recorded use of
1344-504: The cancellation of Captain America Comics at issue #75 (Feb. 1950) – by which time the series had already been Captain America's Weird Tales for two issues, with the finale featuring merely anthological horror/suspense tales and no superheroes. Sub-Mariner Comics and Human Torch Comics had already ended with #32 (June 1949) and #35 (March 1949) respectively, and the company's flagship title, Marvel Mystery Comics , starring
1400-582: The comic book industry hit a setback when the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was created in order to investigate the problem of juvenile delinquency . After the publication of Fredric Wertham 's Seduction of the Innocent the following year that claimed comics sparked illegal behavior among minors, comic book publishers such as EC's William Gaines were subpoenaed to testify in public hearings. As
1456-470: The entire 1950s were Action Comics , Adventure Comics , Batman , Detective Comics , Superboy , Superman , Wonder Woman and World's Finest Comics . Plastic Man appeared in Quality Comics ' Police Comics until 1950, when its focus switched to detective stories; his solo title continued bimonthly until issue 52, cover-dated February 1955. Timely Comics ' The Human Torch
1512-553: The era fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books . Rival publishers National Comics Publications / All-American Comics , the sister companies that would evolve into DC Comics , likewise had their own "big three": Superman and Batman plus the soon-to-debut Wonder Woman . Timely's other major competitors were Fawcett Publications (with Captain Marvel , introduced in 1940); Quality Comics (with Plastic Man and Blackhawk , both in 1941); and Lev Gleason Publications (with Daredevil , introduced in 1940 and unrelated to
1568-531: The final two issues, which included Black Cat stories. Lev Gleason Publications ' Daredevil was edged out of his title by the Little Wise Guys in 1950. Fawcett Comics ' Whiz Comics , Master Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures were canceled in 1953, and The Marvel Family was canceled the following year. Also during this period, the mass media with the advent of television were forcing media companies to put out comics that reflected
1624-510: The licensed Walt Disney animated-character comics) outsold the superhero comics of the day. The publisher featured licensed movie and literary characters such as Mickey Mouse , Donald Duck , Roy Rogers and Tarzan . It was during this era that noted Donald Duck writer-artist Carl Barks rose to prominence. Additionally, MLJ 's introduction of Archie Andrews in Pep Comics #22 (December 1941) gave rise to teen humor comics , with
1680-532: The name in 1961. This brand extended to the company's short-lived editorial advisory board in 1948 in an effort to compete with other publishers like DC Comics and Fawcett Comics , and used the moniker Marvel Comic Group in its editorials. List of characters making multiple appearances, either in Timely Comics solely or in Timely and subsequent companies Atlas Comics and Marvel Comics . I applied for
1736-564: The name of a new imprint of low-priced reprint comics. Publisher Martin Goodman's business strategy involved having his various magazines and comic books published by a number of companies all operating out of the same office and with the same staff. One of these shell companies under which Timely Comics was published was named Marvel Comics by at least Marvel Mystery Comics #55 (May 1944). As well, some comics' covers, such as All Surprise Comics #12 (Winter 1946–47), were labeled "A Marvel Magazine" many years before Goodman would formally adopt
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1792-469: The newly formed comic book packager Funnies, Inc. to supply material. His first effort, Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939), featured the first appearances of writer-artist Carl Burgos ' android superhero , the Human Torch , and Paul Gustavson 's costumed detective the Angel . It also contained the first published appearance of Bill Everett 's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner , created for
1848-502: The non-continuing-character story "Jungle Terror", featuring adventurer Ken Masters, drawn and possibly written by Art Pinajian under the quirky pseudonym "Tohm Dixon" or "Tomm Dixon" (with the published signature smudged); "Now I'll Tell One", five single-panel, black-and-white gag cartoons by Fred Schwab , on the inside front cover; and a two-page prose story by Ray Gill , "Burning Rubber", about auto racing . A painted cover by veteran science-fiction pulp artist Frank R. Paul featured
1904-491: The numbering from the unsuccessful Red Raven ), and Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). Going on sale in December 1940, a year before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and already showing the hero punching Hitler , that first issue sold nearly one million copies. With the hit characters Human Torch and Sub-Mariner now joined by Simon and Kirby's seminal patriotic hero Captain America , Timely had its "big three" stars of
1960-505: The phrase 'A Red Circle Magazine.' But it appeared only intermittently, when someone remembered to put it on [a pulp magazine's] cover. Historian Jess Nevins , conversely, writes that, "Timely Publications [was how] Goodman's group [of companies] had become known; before this, it was known as 'Red Circle' because of the logo that Goodman had put on his pulp magazines...." The Grand Comics Database identifies 23 issues of Goodman comic books from 1944 to 1959 with Red Circle, Inc. branding, and
2016-551: The popular culture of the time period. Comic books focused on space, mystery, and suspense that television and other forms of media were turning to in the march toward scientific progress. According to historian Michael A. Amundson, appealing comic-book characters helped ease young readers' fear of nuclear war and neutralize anxiety about the questions posed by atomic power. It was during this period that long-running humor comics debuted, including EC Comics ' series Mad and Dell's series Uncle Scrooge (both in 1952). In 1953,
2072-436: The post-war era found superheroes falling out of fashion. Television and mass market paperback books now also competed for readers and leisure time . Goodman began turning to a wider variety of genres than ever, emphasizing horror , Westerns , teen humor, crime and war comics, and introducing female heroes to try to attract girls and young women to read comics. In 1946, for instance, the superhero title All Select Comics
2128-585: The pupil of an otherworldly being Azagoth. He took her to another dimension called Limbo for sorcery training. Then, she later reappeared on Earth as Nightveil, with her youth restored and ready to fight crime again. Nightveil combats supernatural villains like the Black Shroud, Gorgana, and her nemesis Alizarin Crimson. Originally, Laura have no superpowers, but fought evil as the Blue Bulleteer,
2184-407: The real world.' ... I just wanted to know, 'What do you do in a publishing company?' How do you write? ... How do you publish? I was an assistant. There were two people there named Joe Simon and Jack Kirby—Joe was sort-of the editor/artist/writer, and Jack was the artist/writer. Joe was the senior member. They were turning out most of the artwork. Then there was the publisher, Martin Goodman... And that
2240-488: The series returned for four issues, May–Nov. 1948) as the bullet-headed naif in the striped turtleneck sweater. Additionally, Timely in 1944 and 1945 initiated a sitcom selection of titles aimed at female readers: Millie the Model , Tessie the Typist and Nellie the Nurse . The company continued to pursue female readers later in the decade with such superheroines as Sun Girl ; the Sub-Mariner spin-off Namora ; and Venus ,
2296-479: The story from the two characters' different perspectives). After the Simon and Kirby team moved to DC late 1941, having produced Captain America Comics through issue #10 (Jan. 1942), Al Avison and Syd Shores became regular pencilers on the title, with one generally inking over the other. Stan Lee (né Stanley Lieber), a cousin of Goodman's by marriage who had been serving as an assistant since 1939, at age 16,
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2352-788: The term "Golden Age" was by Richard A. Lupoff in an article, "Re-Birth", published in issue one of the fanzine Comic Art in April 1960. An event cited by many as marking the beginning of the Golden Age was the 1938 debut of Superman in Action Comics #1, published by Detective Comics (predecessor of DC Comics ). Superman's popularity helped make comic books a major arm of publishing, which led rival companies to create superheroes of their own to emulate Superman's success. Between 1939 and 1941 Detective Comics and its sister company, All-American Publications , introduced popular superheroes such as Batman and Robin , Wonder Woman ,
2408-609: The time of the Second World War following the Shield 's debut in 1940. Many heroes of this time period battled the Axis powers , with covers such as Captain America Comics #1 ( cover-dated March 1941) showing the title character punching Nazi leader Adolf Hitler . As comic books grew in popularity, publishers began launching titles that expanded into a variety of genres. Dell Comics ' non-superhero characters (particularly
2464-584: The time—debuted under the rubric the Sentinels of Liberty in a text story in Captain America Comics #4 (June 1941) before making it to the comics pages themselves the following issue, and then eventually into their own title. Seeing a natural "fire and water" theme, Timely was responsible for comic books' first major crossover, with a two-issue battle between the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner that spanned Marvel Mystery Comics #8–9 (telling
2520-535: The unpublished movie-theater giveaway comic Motion Picture Funnies Weekly earlier that year, with the eight-page original story now expanded by four pages. Also included were Al Anders' Western hero the Masked Raider ; the jungle lord Ka-Zar the Great , with Ben Thompson beginning a five-issue adaptation of the story "King of Fang and Claw" by Bob Byrd in Goodman's pulp magazine Ka-Zar #1 (Oct. 1936);
2576-423: The war, they did not survive the lifting of trade restrictions afterwards. The term Atomic Age of Comic Books is sometimes used to describe a brief time period, starting with either the end of World War II in 1945 or in 1948 with the first outcry of Fredric Wertham, and lasting until the mid-1950s. Some authors consider this an interregnum period or an era in its own right, but most regard it as still part of
2632-545: The years of such writer/artists as Hart, Gantz, Klein, Platt, Rule, Sekowsky, Frank Carin (né Carino), Bob Deschamps , Chad Grothkopf , Pauline Loth , Jim Mooney , Moss Worthman a.k.a. Moe Worth, and future Mad magazine cartoonists Dave Berg and Al Jaffee . Features from this department include "Dinky" and "Frenchy Rabbit" in Terrytoons Comics ; "Floop and Skilly Boo" in Comedy Comics ; "Posty
2688-563: Was about the only staff that I was involved with. After a while, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby left. I was about 17 years old [sic], and Martin Goodman said to me, 'Do you think you can hold down the job of editor until I can find a real person?' When you're 17, what do you know? I said, 'Sure! I can do it!' I think he forgot about me, because I stayed there ever since. However, in his 2002 autobiography, Excelsior! The Amazing Life of Stan Lee (cited under References, below), he says: My uncle, Robbie Solomon, told me they might be able to use someone at
2744-550: Was at this point that Visioncon declined to re-invite her because of lack of fan interest. She has said, however, that even if she had been invited, she would not have been able to make the trip from Texas. In 2005, AC Comics released the low-budget live-action movie Nightveil: Witch War . It starred Mary Capps in the title role. Her husband, Chuck Capps, played a jewel thief, with Maria Paris as Nightveil's nemesis, Alizarin Crimson/Lenore Stratten. Nightveil and
2800-530: Was canceled with issue #35 (March 1949) and Marvel Mystery Comics , featuring the Human Torch, with issue #93 (Aug. 1949) became the horror comic Marvel Tales . Sub-Mariner Comics was canceled with issue #42 (June 1949) and Captain America Comics , by then Captain America's Weird Tales , with #75 (Feb. 1950). Harvey Comics ' Black Cat was canceled in 1951 and rebooted as a horror comic later that year—the title would change to Black Cat Mystery , Black Cat Mystic , and eventually Black Cat Western for
2856-495: Was changed to Blonde Phantom Comics , and now starred a masked secretary who fought crime in an evening gown . That same year, Kid Komics eliminated its stars and became Kid Movie Comics . All Winners Comics became All Teen Comics in January 1947. Timely eliminated virtually all its staff positions in 1948. The precise end-point of the Golden Age of comics is vague, but for Timely, at least, it appears to have ended with
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#17327984459162912-405: Was in the last row on my side, and there was another row on the other side. Dan DeCarlo was there, several other people – Vince Alascia was an inker; Rudy LaPick sat right behind me," with Mike Sekowsky "in another room". Yet after the wartime boom years – when superheroes had been new and inspirational, and comics provided cheap entertainment for millions of children, soldiers and others –
2968-526: Was named The Phantom Lady. In Bill Black's Fun Comics #4 (March 1983), she became Nightfall. She was renamed Nightveil in Nightveil #1 (1984). She first appeared as Blue Bulleteer in FemForce Special #1 (Fall 1984). Laura Wright was born on December 4, 1920. She began her crimefighting career as the masked Blue Bulleteer, using a pair of firearms to battle evil. In the 1960s, Laura became
3024-700: Was promoted to interim editor just shy of his 19th birthday. Showing a knack for the business, Lee stayed on for decades, eventually becoming Marvel Comics' publisher in 1972. Fellow Timely staffer Vincent Fago would substitute during Lee's World War II military service . The staff at that time, Fago recalled, was, " Mike Sekowsky . Ed Winiarski . Gary Keller was a production assistant and letterer. Ernest Hart and Kin Platt were writers, but they worked freelance; Hart also drew. George Klein , Syd Shores, Vince Alascia , Dave Gantz , and Chris Rule were there, too". In 1942, Goodman moved his publisher operations to
3080-499: Was published biweekly at one point to capitalize on its popularity. Another notable series was The Spirit by Will Eisner , which deviated from the usual publishing model of the period as a weekly multi-page supplement in the Register and Tribune Syndicate newspapers for which Eisner held the copyright, a rare consideration for creators of that period. Patriotic heroes donning red, white, and blue were particularly popular during
3136-515: Was replaced with All-American Western . The following year, Flash Comics and Green Lantern were canceled. In 1951 All Star Comics , featuring the Justice Society of America , became All-Star Western . The next year Star Spangled Comics , featuring Robin, was retitled Star Spangled War Stories . Sensation Comics , featuring Wonder Woman , was canceled in 1953. The only superhero comics published continuously through
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