Gina Misiroglu - The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book Icons and Hollywood Heroes, 2nd Edition

Gina Misiroglualso known by her code name, the Taskmistresshas authored or edited more than three dozen books in the popular culture, biography, American history, folklore, and womens studies genres. She is the editor of the three-volume reference work American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History (2009winner of the 2010 RUSA Award for Outstanding Reference Source) and the Encyclopedia of Women and American Popular Culture (2012), which explores womens contributions to film, television, comics, music, fashion, and graphic art. Misiroglu was the co-editor of the first edition of The Superhero Book and its companion title The Supervillain Book, both of which received numerous accolades from the comics and film communities, including a Top Picks selection from SCOOP. She is a frequent speaker at the San Diego Comic Con, where she moderates panels for the Comics Arts Conference, a gathering of scholars who publish in the American studies and popular culture genres.

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The Ultimate Encyclopedia of
Comic-Book Icons and
Hollywood Heroes

S ECOND E DITION

Copyright 2012 by Visible Ink Press

All illustrations are copyright by their respective copyright holders (according to the original copyright or publication date as printed in the comics) and are reproduced strictly for historical purposes. Any omission or incorrect information should be submitted to the publisher, so that it can be corrected in any future edition of this book.

All DC Comics characters, logos, and related indicia are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc.

All Marvel comic book characters and Marvel comic book material featured herein: & 2004, 2006, 2012 Marvel. Characters, Inc. SUPER HERO is a co-owned trademark. All such material is used with permission.

This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or Website. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended.

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Managing Editor: Kevin S. Hile

Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski

Typesetting: Marco Di Vita

Proofreader: Chrystal Rozsa

Indexing: Larry Baker

Front cover images: The Kobal Collection.

Back cover images: Comic-book cover credits, from left to right: Captain America #106 1968 Marvel Comics; Wonder Woman #22 1988 DC Comics; Hellboy #1 & 1994 Michael Mignola, published by Dark Horse Comics, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-57859-375-0

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The superhero book : the ultimate encyclopedia of comic-book icons and Hollywood heroes / edited by Gina Misiroglu. 2nd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-57859-375-0

1. Comic books, strips, etc.Encyclopedias. 2. Heroes in mass media Encyclopedias. I. Misiroglu, Gina Rene.

PN6707.S87 2012

741.503dc23

2011042669

T he list of people who made this book possible is too long to reproduce here. Building on the backbone of the first edition, a thank-you of superheroic proportions is due to Peter Coogan, Michael Gross, Ivory Madison, Trina Robbins, and Robin S. Rosenberg. Contributing writers Michael Eury, Andy Mangels, Mike Martin, Adam McGovern, Frank Plowright, David A. Roach, and Peter Sanderson tirelessly penned entries into the wee hours of the night and provided critical advice at various points in the writing and editing process. Ed Katayama, proprietor of the comic-book shop A Hidden Fortress in Simi Valley, California, helped put the books finishing touches on the image requirements, while comic-book companies such as AC Comics, Dark Horse, and Image were models of professionalism. An extra-special thanks goes to my team at Visible Ink Press, without whom this encyclopedic volume simply would not have been, including publisher Roger Jnecke managing editor Kevin Hile, art director Mary Claire Krzewinski, typesetter Marco Di Vita, proofreader Crystal Rozsa, and indexer Larry Baker.

Editor

Gina Misiroglu (GM) specializes in the development and editing of popular culture, biography, American history, and womens studies titles. She is the editor of the three-volume reference work American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History (2009)winner of the 2010 RUSA Award for Outstanding Reference Sourceand the Encyclopedia of Women and American Popular Culture (2012), which explores womens contributions to film, television, comics, music, fashion, and graphic art. Misiroglu was the co-editor of the first edition of