Madam Fatal

Richard Stanton, a retired actor, disguised himself as a frail old woman named Madam Fatal to investigate the kidnapping of his daughter — making her comics' first cross-dressing crimefighter, using an unconvincing disguise as an unlikely but effective tool against criminals.

One of the Golden Age's most singular creations, Madam Fatal made her debut in Crack Comics #1 in 1940 — brought to life by two of the era's genuine titans, Will Eisner and Lou Fine — and immediately stood apart from the costumed crowd that was just beginning to populate the newsstands. A Quality Comics original, she shared those early pages with a remarkable roster of Golden Age icons including The Black Condor, The Clock, and Brian O'Brien, which speaks to just how rich and ambitious that Crack Comics lineup truly was. The character's footprint stretches across an extraordinary span — from 1940 all the way to 2020 — with appearances in Gwandanaland Comics and The Shade ensuring that new generations of readers could discover this fascinating piece of comics history. With the pedigree of Eisner and Fine behind her debut, Madam Fatal is exactly the kind of deep-cut Golden Age gem that rewards the curious collector willing to dig in.