Americomics #4
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAmericomics #4 is the full origin and first appearance of Dragonfly (Nancy Arazello), one of AC Comics' most enduring original superheroines and a future cornerstone of Femforce. Created entirely by Rik Levins, her debut introduced an unusually reluctant hero whose powers arrived by accident — a narrative inversion of the era's standard superhero wish-fulfillment formula — and the character proved durable enough to headline her own eight-issue series and anchor AC's flagship team book for years. The issue also continued The Shade, AC founder Bill Black's signature astral hero, cementing the Americomics anthology's dual identity as both a launch pad for fresh creator-owned concepts and a showcase for characters Black had been developing since his 1970s Paragon Publications days. Together, the two features in this single issue embody the early-1980s independent comics boom ethos: full-color production values, direct-sales distribution, and genuine creator investment in original characters.
In "Dragonfly," Kenneth’s attempt to summon the powers of the legendary hero goes awry when his girlfriend Nancy stumbles into the ritual—unintentionally becoming the new Dragonfly. Now wielding the same cosmic force, she must face a monstrous threat born from a drug cartel’s dark experiments. Written and illustrated by Rik Levins, with inks by Kevin Dzuban, colors by Rebekah Black, and letters by Bob Pinaha, this 1983 Americomics standout features a striking cover by Jerry Ordway.
In "Dragonfly," Kenneth’s attempt to channel the supernatural legacy of the late John Howard Gallagher goes unexpectedly awry when his girlfriend Nancy stumbles into the ritual at the wrong moment—becoming the new Dragonfly instead. Now wielding powers she never asked for, Nancy must face a monstrous threat born from the greed of unscrupulous drug manufacturers.
When Atomic Mouse returns to his hometown after being spirited away to space two decades prior, he finds it under the iron grip of a colossal robot built by his arch-nemesis, Count Gatto. With time running short and his town trapped in a mechanical nightmare, the heroic mouse must reclaim his home—before the past becomes permanent.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Americomics was launched in January 1983 by Bill Black — writer, artist, editor, and publisher — as a single full-color anthology title designed to anchor his rebranded company (formerly Paragon Publications, soon to become AC Comics) in the new direct-market comic shop distribution system, making it one of the first four color independent lines to do so. Issue #4, cover-dated October 1983, was edited by Bill Black and featured stories scripted and penciled by Rik Levins — who would later become well known for a long consecutive run on Marvel's Captain America in the early 1990s — with inks on the Dragonfly story by Kevin Dzuban and on The Shade story by Willie Blyberg. The Dragonfly feature was a creator-owned property: Levins both owned and funded the character, with a formal profit-sharing arrangement (70% to Levins, 30% to AC) that reflected the independent-publishing spirit of the moment, even if the subsequent solo series consistently broke even rather than generating surplus. The issue's duotone cover was provided by Jerry Ordway, then an emerging talent who had already contributed inking work to earlier Americomics issues.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First full appearance and complete origin of Dragonfly (secret identity: Nancy Arazello), created by writer-artist Rik Levins — a teaser one-page advertising insert had appeared in the preceding issue (#3), making #4 the true debut.
- Dragonfly's origin: architect Kenneth Francis Burton Jr. attempts a mystic ritual to claim the powers of a deceased 1950s Dragonfly hero; his companion Nancy Arazello accidentally interrupts the ceremony and instead receives the abilities — flight (up to Mach 4), super-strength, and telekinesis — bestowed by the extradimensional entity Zzara.
- The Dragonfly feature was written, penciled, and creator-owned by Rik Levins, with inks by Kevin Dzuban; the character was both owned and funded by Levins under a formal agreement with AC Comics.
- Dragonfly went on to headline her own eight-issue solo series (1985–1987) and became a recurring member of AC's long-running Femforce team book.
- The second story in the issue follows The Shade (Roger Brant), the astral AC hero created by Bill Black who debuted in Americomics #1; this installment was scripted and penciled by Rik Levins with inks by Willie Blyberg.
- The issue's cover is a duotone piece by Jerry Ordway; the interiors are printed in full color on glossy paper — production values consistent with AC's positioning as a direct-market color publisher.
- Americomics ran six issues from April 1983 to March 1984, edited throughout by Bill Black, and served as the primary anthology vehicle for AC's new original characters alongside revivals of Black's Paragon Publications-era creations.
- The Americomics line — including this issue — was part of the inaugural wave of independent full-color direct-market comics in the early 1980s, positioning AC alongside a small group of pioneers who built the comic-shop distribution model.
Cast · 10 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in FemForce Up Close #3 (1992)
Key issues in Americomics
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