Prowess and Power: Women in Vintage Comics
How American comics reflect the origins of women’s independence
Written by Genevieve Johnston, Contributing Writer
Illustrated by Samantha Meyerson, Contributing Illustrator and Designer
When I think of comics or superheroes, I often think of strong, powerful men. But what about women? American comics started in 1931, but the first female comic character did not prevail until 1938. Roles for women in comics exploded ever since, but how did female characters originate? Were comics always a space just for men? The short answer is no.
Wonder Woman emerged as the first female superhero after World War II. She was created by American psychologist William Moulton Marston at a time when America’s participation in the war influenced gender ideologies. Wonder Woman represented cultural ideas of financial gain, female workforce pursuit and patriotism. Marston’s wife, Elizabeth Holloway, encouraged the idea of women fighting with love instead of violence. Not only that, but Marston’s invention of the lie detector test via monitored blood pressure inspired Wonder Woman's greatest power: the lasso of truth (Marshall, 2019).
Otherwise known as the “Rosie the Riveter” era of comics, in the 1940s to ’50s, Wonder Woman proved to girls that they can do men’s work using their power as women. Because of Marston’s experience in psychology, Wonder Woman’s lasso reflected his studies that women were more honest and sometimes more capable than men. Merging traditional femininity with power, Marston set the precedent for women in comics (Marshall, 2019). He was hired as an educational consultant at DC Comics and introduced his idea to book publisher Max Gaines. From there, the rest was history (Marshall, 2019).
In 1940, Catwoman, or “The Cat,” was introduced. In contrast to Wonder Woman's outward strength, Catwoman has a mysterious, feminine power. Appearing first in Batman No. 1, Catwoman is an archvillain jewel thief. “The Cat” was the traditional “Femme Fatal” of the 1940s and ’50s. Her character began when noir film icons like Jean Harlow were glamorized for their mysterious and sexual allure, typically leading men––or Batman––into dangerous situations (Peaty, 2012).
Unlike Wonder Woman, Catwoman’s powers revolved around her sexuality. Because of World War II, many men feared that women in the workforce were amassing too much power (Ross, 2022). Catwoman’s ability to manipulate Batman with her allure and wit capture men’s fear of losing control in the wake of women’s independence (Lewis, 2022). Despite Catwoman’s power revolving around men, many women admire the femme fatale as a form of resistance against men’s control (Ross, 2022).
Lois Lane, another comic character who originated in the 1940s, was a woman devoted to her career. She was influenced by the prominent, inspirational women in journalism films and acted as propaganda for women to aid their country by joining the workforce. At the time, films that depicted women as reporters were the only representation in films where an actress could play a role equal to a man. Beginning in issue #58 of Superman, Lois Lane's first appearance is fainting at the overwhelming power of Superman (Marshall, 2019).
Yeah, right.
Later, Lois defines herself through her devotion to her career over men: she breaks up with her boyfriend, Super Man, to pursue her job in the newspaper industry. Although Lois is at first depicted as a damsel in distress, she marks the beginning of women in the workforce––namely journalism (Marshall, 2019).
Wonder Woman, Catgirl and Lois Lane’s characters have evolved throughout time to reflect the changing narrative of women’s positions throughout history. As comics moved into the 1950s and ’60s, traditional, conservative gender roles were pushed by businesses and governments; soon after, the ultimate wife-husband dynamic was pushed. Wonder Woman, for instance, exhibited less “men’s work” and more traditionally feminine behavior in the ’60s (Marshall, 2019).
Moving into the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War, Marvel comics reflected a different story. The feminist narrative was finally addressed within comics, particularly with a new presence of villains who portrayed an anti-feminist archetype (Marshall, 2019). From the 1980s and 1990s, power and femininity were expressed in the depiction of the female body, while the 2000s have shown more sexuality but physically strong female characters (Marshall, 2019).
Today, women in comics are changing the narrative—women aren’t always defined by men. In the comic series Hothead Pasian, the main character, HotHead, is a queer woman whose primary goal is dismantling the patriarchy. Created by Sally Munt in 2008, Hothead Paisan is a superhero who carries out her revenge fantasies against homophobic and sexist men (Munt, 2020).
More recently, female characters and authors are breaking through the male-dominated field. In 2019, the world-renowned annual event, Comic Con, made a change for the women’s movement. For the first time, the Women of Color in Comics: Race, Gender and Comic Book Medium panel stood amidst Star Wars and Marvel to examine women of color’s roles in today’s comics and graphics novels. Characters like Iron heart, a young Black woman who exemplifies Ironman, and initiatives like the Women in Comics Collective International, an organization focused on the work of women and nonbinary people in the comic industry, are exemplary of a new space for women in comics (Hornick, 2019).
Sources:
Ross, U. (2022). The classic film noir femme fatale. The Vintage Woman.
Lewis, M. M. (2022, March 7). A short history of the black catwoman. GQ.
Peaty, J. (2012, June 26). Batman: The history of catwoman. Den of Geek.
Marshall, L. D. (n.d.). SJSU Scholar Works.
Knight, R. (2022, February 24). The many lives and origins of Catwoman. Nerdist.
Munt, S, Richards, R (2020). Feminist Comics in an International Frame. Academia.
Hornick, S. (2019, August 24). 7 women in comics redrawing a visual, more inclusive landscape. Shondaland.