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The Debut of Fletcher Hanks' Fantomah in Jungle Comics #2, at Auction

Jungle Comics #2 features the first appearance of Fantomah, a significant early female superhero from the Golden Age of comic books.

Published Sun, 08 Oct 2023 15:55:09 -0500

by Mark Seifert

Last updated Sun, 08 Oct 2023 16:00:53 -0500

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The February 1940 issue of Jungle Comics is perhaps every bit as sought-after and desirable as the debut issue of the series. While the first issue of this iconic Fiction House title is best remembered for the debut of Kaanga, Jungle Comics #2 features the first appearance of Fantomah, Mystery Woman of the Jungle, who is called by some historians the first female costumed comic book superhero. Created by Fletcher Hanks (best known for the wildly creative Stardust the Super Wizard who debuted in Fox's Fantastic Comics #1), Fantomah's debut was one of the earliest examples of a super-powered woman in Golden Age comics. This early Fiction House release also features a Kaanga cover by Will Eisner, the debut of the Red Panther by Arthur Peddy, Wambi, The Jungle Boy by Henry Kiefer, and Camilla by Chuck Winter. An overlooked issue far less known than the important character it premiered, there's a high grade Jungle Comics #2 (Fiction House, 1940) CGC FN/VF 7.0 White pages up for auction in the 2023 October 19 The Fiction House Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40235 at Heritage Auctions.

Jungle Comics #2 (Fiction House, 1940) featuring Fantomah.

Calling firsts is a tricky business throughout any area of history, and there are a lot of different opinions out there as to which character qualifies as the first female comic book superhero. Interestingly enough, the Guinness Book of World Records currently calls it for Fantomah. But as even they say, it depends on the definition. Other noteworthy contenders would include Ritty, Lady Zina, Vana, and Olga Mesmer among others. And the possibilities open up considerably if one decouples the notion of superheroes from the comic book medium. That aside, in terms female comic book super-powered characters before Wonder Woman, Fantomah is certainly among the most important and best-known of the early contenders. This is due in no small part to the seemingly boundless imagination of Fletcher Hanks, who gave the character an endless number of abilities ranging from the power of flight and teleportation to being able to transform humans into weird creatures as punishment for crossing her. Fletcher's work simply demands attention.

Important to both collectors and historians for its debut of Fantomah as well as for its inclusion of Camilla and other significant characters, Jungle Comics #2 is deserving of more attention, and there's a high grade Jungle Comics #2 (Fiction House, 1940) CGC FN/VF 7.0 White pages up for auction in the 2023 October 19 The Fiction House Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40235 at Heritage Auctions. Potential bidders who are interested in this iconic comic book should make sure to read Heritage Auctions' FAQ on the bidding process and related matters before participating in the auction.