Sensation Comics #68
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeSensation Comics #68 earns its place as a key issue of the Golden Age primarily because it introduces Paula Brooks — the original Huntress — as a villain opposing Wildcat, making it the debut of the first character to bear the Huntress name in DC Comics history. That debut planted a seed that would flower decades later: the Huntress mantle passed to Helena Wayne in 1977 and Helena Bertinelli thereafter, becoming one of DC's most enduring identities across multiple continuities, animated series, and live-action adaptations. Beyond the headline first appearance, the issue also represents a notable moment in Wonder Woman's publication history: it is one of the very first issues to appear after creator William Moulton Marston's death in May 1947, meaning the Wonder Woman story within was among the last scripted under his byline, closing a foundational chapter for the character.
In "Secret of the Menacing Octopus!", Wildcat finds himself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse when a mysterious female boxer captures him, the Mayor, the D.A., and the Police Chief—only to set them free with a chilling promise: hunt them down, or die trying. Penciled and inked by Mort Meskin, this 1947 thriller blends suspense and pulp action, while the cover by Harry Peter captures the menace with a dramatic, eye-catching scene.
In this 1947 tale from *Sensation Comics* #68, Wildcat is lured into a fight with a mysterious female boxer—only to find himself and key city officials captured, then released under deadly conditions. Now on the run, Wildcat must outwit a cunning pursuer whose game is far more lethal than any match.
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The issue went on sale June 18, 1947, with a cover date of August 1947, and was edited by Sheldon Mayer, with Robert Kanigher serving as uncredited assistant editor. The Wonder Woman lead story — 'Secret of the Menacing Octopus' — was scripted by William Moulton Marston under his Charles Moulton pen name and drawn by his long-running artistic collaborator Harry G. Peter, who also provided the cover; Marston had died of cancer on May 2, 1947, just weeks before the issue went to press, giving this story particular historical weight as part of his final body of work. The Wildcat story introducing the Huntress was drawn by Mort Meskin, though the writer of that backup remains uncredited in contemporary records; Grand Comics Database notes the story's job number indicates it was originally slated for Sensation Comics #71, suggesting it was pulled forward in the schedule.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and origin of the original Golden Age Huntress (Paula Brooks), introduced as a supervillain opposing Wildcat (Ted Grant) in the issue's Wildcat backup story, art by Mort Meskin.
- Paula Brooks debuted under the alias 'the Masked Marvel' before being identified as the Huntress; her scheme involved tricking Wildcat into a boxing match, capturing him alongside the Mayor, District Attorney, and Police Chief, then releasing them to hunt them down.
- The Huntress's writer for this debut story remains uncredited in all major databases (GCD, DC Fandom Wiki, Wikipedia); Mort Meskin is confirmed as penciler and inker.
- Paula Brooks later joined the Injustice Society of America and married the Sportsmaster; she was retroactively given a heroic backstory as 'the Tigress' — a Young All-Stars member — through a 1987 retcon by writer Roy Thomas.
- Paula Brooks appeared as the Huntress in only two Golden Age issues: Sensation Comics #68 and #71 (November 1947), before the character faded for nearly two decades.
- The Wonder Woman lead story, 'Secret of the Menacing Octopus,' was written by William Moulton Marston (under the pen name Charles Moulton) and drawn by Harry G. Peter — one of Marston's final published scripts, as he died May 2, 1947, weeks before this issue went on sale.
- The issue was edited by Sheldon Mayer, with Robert Kanigher as uncredited assistant editor; it ran 52 pages at a cover price of ten cents and also featured backup stories starring Little Boy Blue, Sargon the Sorcerer (art by Paul Reinman), and a humor page by Harry Lampert.
- Variations of the Paula Brooks / Huntress-Tigress lineage have appeared across DC media including the animated series Young Justice (as Paula Nguyen, voiced by Kelly Hu) and the live-action series Stargirl (as Tigress, played by Joy Osmanski).
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Reprinted in The Huntress Fanzine #1 (2007), Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Omnibus #3 (2019)
Key issues in Sensation Comics
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