Wonder Woman #6
Wonder Woman #6 (Fall 1943) introduced the Cheetah — in her original incarnation as Priscilla Rich — making it the origin issue for what would become Wonder Woman's most enduring archenemesis. The character established a template for villain psychology that was unusually sophisticated for Golden Age comics: rather than a straightforward criminal, Priscilla's malevolence springs from a diagnosable inferiority complex and a dissociative split personality, framed explicitly by Marston as the destructive power of jealousy. That psychological grounding has given the Cheetah a staying power across eight decades, with the mantle passed through four successors while always tracing its conceptual roots back to this single issue. The debut lead story was reprinted as early as 1976 in DC's oversized Limited Collectors' Edition C-45, confirming the company's own early recognition of its foundational status.
In "Wonder Woman and The Cheetah [Part 1]," Wonder Woman faces her fiercest adversary yet as the enigmatic Cheetah emerges with a personal vendetta. Written by Alice Marble and illustrated by Sheldon Moldoff, this 1943 classic blends espionage and action in a story that marks a pivotal moment in the Amazon’s ongoing mission. The cover by Harry Peter captures the tension with striking intensity.
When a jealous socialite is overshadowed by Wonder Woman at a charity gala, her envy ignites a sinister transformation—donning a Cheetah hide and launching a dangerous scheme to frame and eliminate her rival. With the help of Detective Casey, Inspector Dugan, and a bank president caught in the web, Wonder Woman must unravel a plot that turns high society into a battleground of deception and fury.
In this 1943 adventure, Wonder Woman uncovers a secret operation hidden behind the glamour of the Beauty Club, where a network of spies uses charm and deception to steal military intelligence. With the help of intelligence secretary Agnes and beauty club manager Brenda West, she must expose the scheme before General Snidu and Colonel Chinda carry out their plan—before the Pacific base falls.
In this 1943 biography from Wonder Woman #6, the story of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek unfolds—a remarkable woman whose voice shaped history. From her early life in China to her pivotal role in education and social reform, her journey reflects a powerful commitment to progress and justice.
In "The Conquest of Paradise," the Cheetah disrupts a high-stakes athletic rivalry between the Amazons and female champions from the outside world—Berta Hale and Kay Carlton—on Paradise Island, hunting for the secret behind the Amazons' power. As tensions rise and the island’s peace is tested, Gail Young and Sgt. Doot find themselves drawn into the conflict, while the female prisoners Claudia, Ema, and Carla watch from the shadows, their own fates intertwined with the unfolding crisis.
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The issue was produced by Wonder Woman's founding team: psychologist-turned-writer William Moulton Marston (credited under his pen name Charles Moulton) and co-creator artist Harry G. Peter, working under editor Sheldon Mayer at All-American Publications/DC. Marston designed the Cheetah to embody a core thesis he returned to throughout his run — that unchecked jealousy and feelings of inferiority were the root of human evil — making the villain as much a psychological argument as a narrative antagonist. The 'Women of History' backup in this issue, a four-page biography of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek scripted by tennis champion Alice Marble with art by Sheldon Moldoff, reflects the wartime editorial mandate to celebrate real-world women leaders alongside the fictional ones; this recurring feature was a deliberate and consistent element of Marston and Mayer's vision for the title. A noteworthy publication quirk: Library of Congress copyright records place Wonder Woman #6's newsstand date around August 14, 1943, while Sensation Comics #22 — which contains a follow-up Cheetah story — carries a copyright date of August 3, 1943, though both issues cross-advertise each other and Wonder Woman #6 is universally recognized as the origin and first appearance because its story is the introduction while Sensation Comics #22 references those events in flashback.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and origin of the Cheetah (Priscilla Rich), one of Wonder Woman's principal Golden Age villains, in the lead story titled 'Wonder Woman and the Cheetah.'
- Created by writer William Moulton Marston (as 'Charles Moulton') and artist Harry G. Peter — the same team that created Wonder Woman herself — with Sheldon Mayer as editor.
- Priscilla Rich is depicted as a Washington, D.C. debutante with a split personality: after being overshadowed by Wonder Woman at a wartime charity event, she sees her own costumed alter ego in a mirror and fashions a costume from a cheetah-skin rug.
- The issue contains four distinct stories: (1) 'Wonder Woman and the Cheetah' (15 pages, origin story); (2) 'The Adventure of the Beauty Club' (13 pages, Cheetah's second appearance in the same issue, operating a spy-front salon); (3) a 'Hop Harrigan and the Radiosonde' prose text story; and (4) a 'Wonder Women of History' four-page biography of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek scripted by Alice Marble with art by Sheldon Moldoff.
- A third story in the issue, 'The Conquest of Paradise,' features the Cheetah invading Paradise Island to steal Queen Hippolyta's magical girdle in a bid to defeat Wonder Woman — an early example of the villain threatening the Amazon homeland directly.
- Cover date is September 1943 (also indexed as Fall 1943 and October 10, 1943 by different databases); cover and interior art by H. G. Peter, with Sheldon Moldoff contributing art to the backup features.
- The lead Cheetah origin story was reprinted in DC's Limited Collectors' Edition #C-45 (June/July 1976), and the issue as a whole was later collected in DC's trade paperback Wonder Woman: The Cheetah, alongside key Cheetah appearances spanning 1943–2016.
- Sensation Comics #22 (August 1943), released in close proximity and cross-advertised with this issue, contains a direct follow-up Cheetah story that references the events of Wonder Woman #6 in flashback — both issues were intended for near-simultaneous release, but Wonder Woman #6 is universally recognized as the first appearance because it presents the origin.
Cast · 9 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Limited Collectors' Edition #C-45 (1976), Wonder Woman Archives #3 (2002), Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Omnibus #1 (2016), Wonder Woman: The Golden Age #2 (2019), Wonder Woman: The Cheetah #[nn] (2020)
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