Posted: December 8, 2009 at 7:22 pm
As I learned last year, Pittsburgh is a surprisingly close drive from Washington, D.C. Only a little over 3 1/2 hours, took me from the door of my house to the Expomart in Monroeville, PA, where the Pittsburgh Comicon is held. I arrived early on Friday morning and, as a 3-day ticket holder, I was one of the first allowed through the doors 15 minutes before the con opened to the general public at 10:00 a.m.
I had come prepared. In the week preceding the con, I had visited the Pittsburgh Comicon website so that I would have an idea of the artists, guests, and panels that would be available. Based upon that information, I had made some preliminary decisions on the artists that I definitely wanted to seek out for con sketches if they were doing them. Moreover, I looked through my own collection of Femforce art and decided which characters were inadequately represented and made a conscious decision to try and get some sketches down featuring those characters. Tops on my list were Rio Rita and the western characters, Buckaroo Betty and the Black Phantom.
Because the Femforce characters do not enjoy as wide a following as they should, I printed images of all of the characters that I hoped to have drawn so that the artists would be able to see their costumes rather than relying on my description. I also jotted down notes to myself in which I tried to match up potential artists and the characters I’d be looking for them to draw based upon what I knew of the artists’ work.
Finally, I had come up with several concepts for drawings that could conceivably be completed in a con setting. I’ve found that con sketches are generally single-character, basic pose, pieces. However, the more skilled artists are sometimes not only willing to draw something just a little out of the ordinary but they may prefer to do so and an idea for a drawing that is not particularly difficult but is a little different will often result in the artist being excited to draw the sketch. I think an artist that is interested in drawing a sketch will usually do a better job on it than if he or she is just drawing the same-old same-old for the hundredth time.
The trick is that the concept can’t be too involved for the artist to easily complete. Multiple characters and detailed backgrounds are more than most artists are willing to draw during a con. The best concepts are single characters with a general pose suggested, such as: “Buckaroo Betty (here’s a reference for what she looks like) with her back against the wall and both her six-shooters blazing away!” However, I decided to push the envelope a little in Pittsburgh and ask for more involved drawings. In order to make the idea more palatable to the artists, I created concept images for the drawings in my computer graphics program and printed them out so that I could show the artists what I was looking for instead of trying to tell them. I also decided to initially approach artists to do them as pencil sketches only since the additional time needed to complete the drawings would be offset by not having to ink them. I came up with an idea featuring Synn, Dracula, and a mirror and printed 2 concept images with those elements representing the scene at 2 stages. I also came up with an idea featuring Stardust trying to escape the pull of a vortex in space. Armed with my ideas, lists, notes, and printed costume and concept images, I entered the con.
This was the 4th Comicon I had attended in the past 3 years and I believe George Perez was in attendance at all of them. However, for various reasons, he wasn’t doing sketches when I was finally able to inquire about having one done. This has been a source of continuing disappointment for me as George Perez is my favorite penciler of all-time. Fate was with me this time, though. Due to the early, 10:00 a.m., start to the con, and because I had been allowed onto the floor even earlier, the line in front of Mr. Perez’s table was only 5 people long when I passed by and he was already there talking to the fans. My initial plan to walk around the entire con and see who was there immediately got back-burnered as I sidled into the line for Mr. Perez.
Mr. Perez has a very well-deserved reputation as one of the nicest artists you can meet. He enjoys chatting with fans about all of the different books he’s worked on and he’s very personable. I was overjoyed when I got to the front of the line and saw that he was offering to do sketches with the proceeds to go to charity. Head sketches and full-length sketches were available with the price for full-length sketches being steep but since the proceeds were going to charity and since the chance to have Mr. Perez draw a sketch specifically for me might not come again, I opted for full-length and requested that he draw the Blue Bulleteer. I figured his classic style would really accentuate the elegance of the character. Since he was familiar with AC Comics but not with the Blue Bulleteer, I provided him with an image reference and told him that the character design is based on the Fox Comics’ Phantom Lady as drawn by Matt Baker. He indicated that as far as he could remember it was the first time that he had drawn a “Femforce” character for a fan at a con and he said that he would likely complete the drawing that night after the con so that he could take more time on it. That was fine with me since I felt very lucky that George Perez would be taking a little bit more time to draw the Blue Bulleteer for me.
I was still walking on air when I finally left his table and continued my route around the con. Many of the artists that I had hoped to meet still had not set up, but against one wall of the con there was an area that I dubbed “Fantasy Painters row.” Dorian’s representative was selling prints. Next door was Brian Rood and then Monte Moore. Dave Dorman was next in line but had not yet arrived. Stacy Walker, the model for many fantasy artists followed and was set up with Alex Horley. Finally, Larry Elmore closed out the section.
After spending some time chatting with Larry Elmore about Kentucky and our memories about each other’s respective hometowns (he’s from Leitchfield about 1 hour south of Louisville), I spent even more time browsing Brian Rood’s and Monte Moore’s tables. Both are young, up and coming artists and really good guys. Mr. Moore is a natural salesman with a big personality while Mr. Rood is a little quieter. I told them both that I would get back with them before the end of the con and buy stuff but that I didn’t want to spend all my money within an hour of the door’s opening.
Next, I found Kevin Rasel’s table in Artists’ Alley. I had met Kevin last year in Pittsburgh when he did a great sketch of Nightveil and a voodoo queen for me. Since then I had contacted him about a couple of commissions and the resultant pencils were fabulous. In fact, Bill Black liked his drawing of Cat-Man and Kitten so much that the 3 of us worked a deal for it to be the cover of Men of Mystery Issue 37. Meanwhile, since receiving the commissioned pencils, I had commissioned Kevin to do a painting based on my double-sized Nightveil/Blue Bulleteer Fantasy Photo from last September. Kevin told me that it was almost done and that, if possible, he’d like to display it at his table on Sunday before I took it home with me. No problem! A big painting featuring Femforce characters would be good publicity!
Kevin’s working with the Frazetta family and representatives on an authorized “Death Dealer” project and is the penciler on Dan Parson’s “Savage Planet” book being published by Basement Comics (the publishers of Budd Root’s “Cavewoman”). He’s also the vocalist and guitarist for a heavy metal band called Stronghold. Busy guy! He was accompanied and assisted at the con every day by some of his bandmates and was sitting in a prime location. Several Playboy Playmates, feature dancers at topless clubs, and Hooters girls, were in the row next to and across from him so there was a crowd of people hanging around his table who clearly appreciated viewing the female form. My particular favorite was the statuesque and busty Glori-Anne Gilbert, a sweet-voiced blonde with a very sunny personality! Since, in his own words, he’s known for drawing babes and dinosaurs, sketch requests were plentiful. I used my pre-existing acquaintance with him to convince him to draw the more difficult of my Synn and Dracula pencil sketch requests.
After prying myself away from the sights near Kevin’s table, I started looking for a penciler to draw the other Synn and Dracula piece. I knew this would be a tough sell. The artist had to be both very good and very willing. I finally happened upon the table of an artist from Michigan named Scott Rosema. We talked for awhile and I looked at some of the drawings he had done and decided that he could do a great job on it so I pitched him on the idea. Pulled out my concept image and explained how it reeealllly wouldn’t be all that difficult. Ensnared, he agreed to take on the job. Now, I could look for an artist to draw my other “concept” pieces.
Mike Manley, currently contributing to “Sketch” magazine, took a look at my concept for “Tara in quicksand reaching for an overhanging branch with a snake coiled around it prepared to strike” and smiled. Hooked, he told me it would be ready in about an hour.
G.W. Fisher, the inker on several issues of the late, lamented Spandex Tights comic, is a Femforce fan and happily agreed to draw “Stardust escaping from the pull of a vortex in space.”
Hannibal King, who recently drew “Vesper” for Acetylene Comics and who does commercial art for gaming card companies, took on “flying Jet Girl,” and Eddy Newell enthusiastically agreed to draw the western character, the Black Phantom.
By now, Mike Deodato had arrived and was doing fairly quick sketches in marker for a small price. Mr. Deodato drew “Wonder Woman” for several years and, as a fan of that title, I was familiar with his work. Since he’s from Brazil, I thought that it would be appropriate if I asked for a sketch of Rio Rita. After being provided with a reference, he quickly drew a bust of the character.
Finally, the line in front of Greg Horn’s table died down enough that I could say hello. He’s one of the hottest cover artists in the industry right now, but I can remember when he was just getting his start working on the Femforce. I told him how much I had enjoyed Femforce in the House of Horror and how it had been the Spotlight Issue for October a few years back at my Femforce-Femfans website. He recalled some fond memories and reminded me that he had also drawn Femforce Issues 19 and 68. It turns out that he was about 17 years old when he drew Femforce 19. We talked some more about the Femforce and how that was his start in the industry and I commissioned him to do his take on the “Stardust in a vortex in space” sketch. I was curious to see what differences in interpretation would result from 2 artists drawing the same concept. Plus, I knew Stardust’s skintight costume would be right up Mr. Horn’s alley!
By now, Friday was drawing to a close. I had already checked into my room at the attached Radisson hotel at lunchtime, so I collected the artwork that was ready and took it to the room. I then returned to the Con to meet Kevin and his band’s drummer so that we could go to dinner.
If Friday had been the day to arrange for con sketches, then Saturday was the day to pick them up and do a little marketing for the Femforce. As part of my pre-con preparations, I had created business cards for the Femforce-Femfans site, in six different varieties, to hand out to prospective fans and artists. I also had taken several duplicate issues of AC comic books that I have to give out as tokens of appreciation. As the con opened on Saturday, I made the rounds of the people I had met the day before, talked to them about how the con was going for them so far, and handed out cards. For many of the artists, it had been a long night. An elevator and a fire alarm problem had led to the evacuation of some upper floors in the Radisson the night before (and had delayed the ability of George Perez to work on my drawing, he promised he’d have it for me bright and early Sunday morning). Apparently, I had somehow slept through all of this. Similar problems had affected the Holiday Inn where some of the other artists were staying. Of course, some of the artists had just stayed out late drinking. Still, it was hit or miss in terms of picking up sketches. So, I decided to get some more!
Late in the day on Friday, I had spoken to Alex Horley about getting a sketch and he had asked me to stop by early on Saturday when he’d have more time. Alex Horley has done some fantastic fantasy paintings and I had become familiar with his work on the web. From Italy, he often works with Stacy Walker, a model who has posed for all of the top fantasy artists and she was helping him handle the business side of his table as well as taking care of her own table. On Saturday morning, I talked to him about sketching “Rio Rita bending over slightly and lifting up her skirt to retrieve her pistol from the garter around her thigh.” I gave him the character reference and we talked about the character a little bit when Ms. Walker joined in the discussion.
A knockout. Strikingly beautiful. An absolutely gorgeous woman, it quickly became apparent that she’s also one smart cookie and a heckuva businessperson. She was very intrigued by Rio Rita’s origins. When I explained the character’s Golden Age history and her current ties to AC Comics and their Femforce comic book, Ms. Walker very engagingly told me that she was familiar with the Femforce. It seems a few years earlier she had written a story about a Charlie’s Angels type of all-female group called the Femforce before learning that the name had already been taken! Before she could change the name, the Charlie’s Angels movie came out and the plot was similar so that was that for that story. Her tale led to a discussion about her preference for more classic comic book tales and art, as well as a taste for pulp stories. Our very enjoyable chat led me to provide her with a couple of AC books (both reprint and Femforce) and a card and I’ve added her website (which I was already familiar with) to the links page of the Femforce-Femfans site. Anybody that beautiful and smart deserves my support 
Another great thing about attending cons is getting to meet some of the classic artists who helped create the industry. In the past, I’ve had an opportunity to meet Irwin Hasen, Martin Nodell, Al Williamson, and Dick Ayers, and I had another opportunity to say hello to several of them in Pittsburgh. I also introduced myself to George Tuska and his wife. I had brought a copy of a Men of Mystery issue with me that contained a Tuska story from his days at the Eisner/Iger studio and I asked him if he would sign the page where the story began. When his wife asked him if he drew the story, he nodded in recognition and remarked that he hadn’t seen it in 60 years. The Tuskas were so sweet that I found another Men of Mystery with a story in it that he had drawn and gave it to them.
A little before noon, I went to meet an artist that I had commissioned some drawings from on the web, Ian Whetstone. He’s a student at the University of Pittsburgh. We met at a pre-arranged location and he apologized because the drawings weren’t quite ready, but it was great to put a face with the name.
I also had an opportunity to attend some of the panel discussions that took place in the meeting rooms near the convention floor in the Radisson. On Friday, I had been one of the few in attendance when Larry Elmore, Rowena, Joe Jusko, Dave Dorman, Ed Beard, Tommy Castillo, Monte Moore, and Brian Rood, conducted a panel on Fantasy Art. The heavy-hitter lineup was very entertaining and there were usually multiple discussions going on at the same time. They discussed different techniques, the impact of the web, work environment. Even though I’m not an artist, it was a great deal of fun listening to them.
On Saturday, I attended a forum hosted by Playboy Playmates Debra Jo Fondren, Petra Verkaik, and Victoria Zdrok. They talked about their experiences as playmates and dished a little dirt about the current state of affairs in the Playboy “family.” It provided a nice opportunity to rest.
Returning to my priority of getting sketches done, I shopped the finished Rasel pencil sketch of Dracula and Synn around to an inker. I was looking for somebody who was working with a brush and inkwell instead of a pen and who worked professionally as an inker. Steve Bird, who has inked Nightwing for DC Comics in addition to other projects, got the call and did a great job. I then decided to go for the full route on the image and get Tom Smith, a colorist, to finish the piece up. I left the inked Synn and Dracula sketch with him.
I also stood in a long line of people to talk to Frank Cho. Mr. Cho’s “Liberty Meadows” comic strip used to run in the newspapers but he’s now taken it strictly to comic books. I’ve found the strip to be very humorous and he draws some durn fine lookin’ females (he’s also drawn Meriem, Cavewoman, for Budd Root) so I was hoping to have him do a quick sketch of Tara but he said that he takes too long drawing women to draw a quick sketch. Instead, he offered to draw his character, Dean, a male-chauvinist pig, literally and figuratively, in a Tara costume. Priceless! That finished up Saturday at the con.
Sunday was the day to tie up loose ends. First, I moseyed up to George Perez table and he pulled out a top-notch inked drawing of the Blue Bulleteer that immediately became one of my prized possessions. Then I retrieved the colored Synn and Dracula drawing from Tom Smith who was sitting with George Perez at his table.
I decided to get G.W. Fisher’s pencil sketch of Stardust inked and found another professional inker with brush and inkwell at the ready. Mike Kelleher did such a good job on the inking that when I showed the result to Mr. Fisher, normally an inker himself, he cracked that the “penciler really screwed up but the inker saved it!”
Hannibal King and Eddy Newell had done such good jobs on the first sketches they did for me that I went back to them for more. I also tapped a couple of young women in Artists Alley who were just starting in the industry to do basic con sketches for me. Finally, I caught up with Neil Vokes, whose work I’ve enjoyed in the past on “Elvira” from Claypool Comics to draw me a nice cheesecake pose of the Jennifer Burke Ms. Victory.
I went by Kevin Rasel’s table and my painting was on display. Actually, you could see it from all the way across Artists Alley! Kevin said that he had gotten several favorable comments and that he had even heard from another Femforce fan at the con happy to see the Femforce characters so visible.
I continued collecting outstanding sketches and went back to Scott Rosema’s table. I had stopped by several times over the weekend to touch base and the drawing was progressing fabulously. In fact, he was so enamored of the concept that he wanted it to be perfect so he asked if he could finish it at home and mail it to me. It was looking fantastic and I didn’t want him to skimp at that point just to get it done so I had no problem with waiting a little while longer.
As I had promised on Friday, I returned to Brian Rood’s and Monte Moore’s tables and bought stuff from them. Then, my money almost spent and the con a few hours from being over, I stopped by Jill Thompson’s table and asked if she’d draw Ms. Victory for me. It would take the last of my money but Jill Thompson is another artist that has penciled the “Wonder Woman” title for DC Comics (she’s the creator of “Scary Godmother” published by Sirius). Heck, I could use a credit card to purchase gas and food on the way home! She had just completed some rough pencils and inks on the drawing when the power in the Expomart went out. Except for some natural light and some battery-powered flashlights, the room had gone dark! A severe thunderstorm and possible tornado had knocked out the electricity! Where was Rayda when I needed her! When it became clear that the power was not going to quickly return, she gave me my money back and apologized for not being able to finish the sketch. The good fortune of the situation escaped me at that moment of disappointment but since I had forgotten about the tolls on the way home it’s a good thing I didn’t have to pay for that sketch!
As people milled around the floor of the darkened convention, I headed over to Kevin’s table to retrieve my commissioned painting. It had been a very productive convention in terms of obtaining drawings for the Art Museum. Aside from the disappointment of not obtaining a sketch from Jill Thompson, there were only a few tasks I had not accomplished. I had hoped to say hello to Mark Texeira who was scheduled to be at the con but he had to cancel at the last minute. I had hoped to get a drawing from Michael Bair but I never could figure out if he was actually in attendance. Finally, I had hoped to talk to Dave Campiti, a writer and editor who at one time worked for Innovation Comics, about a book he worked on years ago called “Power Factor,” but he always seemed to be in deep discussions with people that I didn’t want to interrupt so I never got the chance.
Still, all in all, a very successful con as far as the Femforce-Femfans website is concerned. About 15 drawings/paintings for the Art Gallery, cards handed out to interested attendees, AC Comic books doled out in appreciation to the artists who drew sketches for me, and a Femforce presence at the con. An act of nature even left me with enough cash to get home!
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 7:25 pm | Tags: jim johnston
“Life is a place of service and in that service one has to suffer a great deal that is hard to bear, but more often to experience a great deal of joy. But that joy can only be real if people look upon their lives as a service and have a definite object in life outside themselves.” Count Leo Tolstoi (Nobel Prize winning Russian Novelist).
One of the most significant features of the FemForce, a feature that both defines the individual members of the team and separates them from many other comic book characters, can be summed up in the answer to the question, “Why are they heroes?” In the case of the Femforce, the answer can be found by examining the concept of civic virtue. Civic virtue is achieved when a citizen acts responsibly, and, in a larger sense, civic virtue can be seen as a willingness to forsake private interest for the common/public/collective good.
While the Femforce is not the only superhero team that demonstrates these ideals, the ladies have consistently lived up to them. With the FemForce, indeed with all the AC heroes, Bill Black has given life to the kind of characters who would find a way to make a big contribution to society even if they did not have paranormal powers. These characters all realize that America affords its citizens many opportunities. Everyone has a more or less equal opportunity to go as far in life as they want. Not everyone will succeed, and some may have to try harder than others, but generally speaking everyone has an equal chance. Also, these characters appreciate that America provides a tremendous amount of personal freedom for its citizens. Within a mostly sensible/reasonable set of rules and laws, everyone is free to do whatever they want to do.
Significantly, the AC characters understand that the country which provides all these freedoms and opportunities also needs the help and participation of everyone. They realize that they are all implicity called to serve, and they voluntarily answer that call even though the service may be difficult and dangerous. There is no draft for paranormals in the AC Universe nor any legal requirement that they serve their country and community. They serve not out of compulsion but because they realize that it is the right thing to do. The team members understand that with their paranormal powers they have more so it behooves them to give more. Furthermore, they all appreciate that public service, in addition to the benefits it achieves for society as a whole, also bestow a special and personal reward. Virtue is its own reward. In each character, the reader can identify the basic sense of civic virtue that underlies their personalities.
Ms. Victory
Ms. Victory has been described as a grown-up Eagle Scout. The description is particularly apt as the character’s actions have consistently reflected the Eagle Scout philosophy. The Eagle Scout oath calls upon its members to live their lives with honour, loyalty, courage, and service. Regarding the Eagle Scout’s final responsibility of service it is said that “the daily good deed evolves into a life of service…” Eagle Scout inductees are called upon to “protect and defend the weak and helpless, comfort the oppressed and the unfortunate, and uphold the rights of others while defending your own.” In the Eagle Scout charge one can see what could easily be the mission statement of the Femforce, as well as Ms. Victory’s personal creed. Furthermore, Eagle Scouts are reminded that their duty extends beyond their comrades to include the entire country and everyone in it. Eagle Scouts are warned that many use their strength and brains to exploit others and gain selfish ends. They are charged with making the future even brighter than America’s great past and told, “Be a leader, but lead only toward the best. Lift every task you do to a high level of service.” The person who tries to live up to this oath personifies the true nature of civic virtue and Ms. Victory’s actions demonstrate a consistent and successful commitment to these ideals.
After all, she didn’t need to become a superhero. Joan Wayne could have stayed a government research scientist and still made a significant contribution. Once acquired, she could have used her powers to enrich herself as a villain or a mercenary, or she could have simply gone on with her life, occasionally using her powers to make her life easier. Instead, she chose the harder path. A love of country and a desire to serve motivated her to take the V-45 serum which gave her paranormal abilities and the same sense of duty compelled her to train, study, and work to acquire the skills to make better use of her powers. It is that same sense of civic virtue that still drives her to keep on being a hero even though that role has cost her a lot, both psychologically and physically. No matter what the challenge or how difficult or dangerous the task, she still perseveres.
Stardust
The United States welcomes many immigrants to its’ shores. The government places no special requirements on them such as extra taxes or mandatory public service. Provided they qualify to enter the country, they are required only to live within the previously mentioned laws of the land. This makes Dr. Mara’s case particularly relevant to a discussion of civic virtue.
Given that she is from another planet, Stardust could be seen as the ultimate immigrant. Like all newcomers, she has left behind everyone she loves and everything that is comforting and familiar to start all over again on our world. She is quite literally a stranger in a strange land. She didn’t need to become a protector of Earth. There were easier opportunities open to her. On Rur, her homeworld, she was a prominent scientist. She could easily have found a similar role here and done very well for herself, or she could have cashed in on her exotic background and alien beauty and become a media celebrity. As an actress or model, she would have made lots of money with little risk.
However, she realized that she had an important contribution to make to her new country, a country that had freely welcomed her. Even though she is not a fighter by training or temperament she joined the FemForce. As a team member, she fights to defent her new home against all enemies both foreign and domestic. A single specific example – During the DarkGods Rampage story arc (Femforce 107-109), Stardust unhesitatingly put her life on the line to purge the well of souls in an act instrumental to the defeat of the invading evil forces.
Colt
In the AC Universe it is strength of character as much as superpowers that make a hero. It was strength of character that allowed Valencia Kirk to recognize the value of civic virtue and the necessity of service when she became an intelligence agent and the same strength of character that motivated her to make the tough choice to carry on the work of her deceased husband and become a true hero.
Even though she has no powers, she is still an integral part of the Femforce world. Far from being a “fifth wheel,” “professional friend,” or hanger on, she has always played an important role. It is useful to remember that back when Ms. Victory was in her “Rad” persona and the Femforce was at a low point, it was Colt who stepped in to lead the team and it was Colt who was responsible for holding things together and getting the team through difficult times in Femforce Issues 9 – 25. Colt demonstrates that civic virtue taken seriously can make anyone a hero.
She-Cat
Jessica Hunt is spiritually bonded with Sekhmet, a vengeful Egyptian cat goddess. She lives with the constant threat of Sekhmet’s blood lust gaining control and turning her into an indiscriminate killer. Given that situation it would be easy for her to fall prey to the evil within her. If not an outright villain, she could easily have become one of those Bad Girl superheroines, an amoral, blood-soaked, violence-prone, killer with a bad attitude and a high body count. As such, she might call herself an “avenger,” a “vigilante,” or even a “guardian.” However, in the final analysis she would not be that different from the villains she fights and murders. Instead, by joining the Femforce, She-Cat follows the much more difficult path of working with others for the common good that leads her to true heroism.
Synn
Silva Synn is a gentle soul with a truly wonderous power. She can literally remake reality to suit her heart’s desire. So it would be simple for her to retreat into a fantasy world of her own creation in which everyone is happy and everything is nice. This would almost certainly be her first impulse since she really dislikes any kind of unpleasantness or discord. Nevertheless, she remains in the “real” world and acts as a catalyst, using her powers to save the day for all instead of only for herself. Synn illustrates what can be achieved when an individual puts public good ahead of private gain, or, in Synn’s case, public good before private bliss.
Tara
The wealthy daughter of a powerful man, Tara could have opted for a life of leisure. Instead, she devoted herself to her commendable ecological concerns. Significantly, she became a full-fledged and equal member of the FemForce long before she gained any super power. Moreover, her power does not afford the level of invulnerability that most of her teammates enjoy. Tara is very mortal, but joins in the same struggles with her more powerful teammates even with the knowledge that her life is on the line.
Nightveil
Like Tara, Laura Wright is wealthy and could have opted for a life of luxury. She was also a heroine long before she acquired her paranormal abilities. Like Synn, she has a truly awesome power. Her long education in the arcane arts, resulting in her becoming the Sorceress Supreme, and her many experiences with the super-natural have given her an almost omnipotent perspective that sometimes seems to put her beyond the interests and concerns of mere mortals. Yet, like all of her teammates, she can always be relied on when her talents and abilities are most needed. Laura Wright, even as Nightveil, remembers the obligation, the necessity, and the value of public service. In fact, her adherence to these principles helps to keep her grounded to the “real” world.
Clearly, AC’s heroines have strength of character and their actions demonstrate an adherence to the principle of civic virtue, but isn’t a comic book’s primary function to provide entertainment? Of course, and characters that exhibit civic virtue provide for better entertainment. Because their actions demonstrate a commitment to ideals beyond their own self-interest, AC’s heroines have more humanity, more personality, and are more interesting. Where a hero has a clearly defined set of values and beliefs that are reflected in his or her actions then their conflicts with opponents are more clearly defined. The challenge of strong opponents yields the opportunity for better stories. Cinematic, epic stories with a broad scope and wide focus touching on themes of right vs. might, democracy vs. totalitarianism, and the rule of law vs. the rule of the jungle can be told from amidst the perspective of more personal tales.
Moreover, stories in which the protagonists do not differ significantly from each other in attitude, philosophy, or methods offer less interesting themes. There is little real difference between the hero and the villain in themes such as vigilantes vs. violence, facism vs. communism, or cynical amoral violence vs. brutal venal criminality, and dark characters live in a morally dead universe in which the ends justify the means and nothing else really matters. In stories set in such a universe, the hero and villain are just opposite sides of the same devalued coin. While affording plenty of opportunities for violence and extended fight scenes, there is little else that can be offered and, no matter how good the art may be in such a comic book, pretty soon the tales become dully predictable, repetitive, and boring.
In contrast, the “civic virtue aware” heroine provides opportunities for interesting stories beyond conflicts with villains. Themes touching on the consequences of civic virtue and the effect of civic virtue on interactions with teammates, superiors, the government, or the public may be explored. The FemForce has touched on such themes on an ongoing basis. In Good Girl Art Quarterly Issue 16, the heroine is faced with a situation where the public does not truly value or appreciate her efforts on their behalf. In almost every issue, AC’s heroines demonstrate how to deal with physical pain or injury to overcome a tough opponent, and, make no mistake, AC villains are tough, they fight dirty, and, it doesn’t matter if you’re invulnerable, getting gut-punched by Iron Jaw or Valkyra is going to hurt. As an example, just check out page 12 of Femforce Issue 112 (Number 3 of 3 in the Femforce special “Rayda: The Cyberian Connection).
The missed opportunities resulting from their civic virtue have often been touched upon in the series as the heroine off saving the world, defeating the bad guys, or helping out with a civil disaster such as a forest fire or a hurricane, finds that the life she has chosen doesn’t leave much free time to work on relationships or to spend quality time with her family. The resulting marital difficulties, such as Joan Wayne’s divorce detailed in “Femforce: Origins” or the break-up of Jennifer Burke’s (Ms. Victory/Rad) marriage between Femforce Issues 53 and 92; and, family alienation, such as the hostility in Femforce Issues 50-94 between Jennifer Burke and Joan Wayne, have been examined and add depth, texture, and humanity to the stories. So too, the death of a loved one due to the heroine’s choice to become a heroine, and the emergence of the truth behind the death, can lead to a heart-rending tale such as the death of Jason Burke (Jennifer’s son and Joan’s grandson) in Femforce Issues 50 and 51.
The Femforce has also been able to touch on themes surrounding the manipulation of team members by unscrupulous government supervisors to further cynical agendas. In Femforce Issues 62 and 68, General Gordon manipulates Colt into stealing classified government files and then sets her up to take the fall. At what point does the good soldier question or go against her orders? Does she follow the letter of the spirit of the law? In Femforce Issues 92 and 93, General Strock, the military officer in charge of the team disobeys orders and risks her career and her life to discover the truth behind an event. In the course of her actions, she also rescues Rad and her companion, the Terrorist.
Of course, such themes don’t have to make up the entire story. After all, comics with a lot of action are a good thing. However, these subjects can provide excellent background details, character insights, and secondary storylines that enrich the main story and flesh out the characters giving them more depth, making them more compelling, and, ultimately, creating characters the reader cares about.
Finally, motivation is important in making stories come alive for the reader. A character who has free will and can make moral choices is intrinsically more interesting than one who is driven by guilt or revenge, or a character who seemingly has no motivation at all except possibly to fight, because the comic book reader struggles with moral choices every day and cannot rely on the cop-out of senseless violence. A character who understands an obligation to serve, who realizes that service is a choice, and who makes that choice freely, is by nature a better character because such a character reminds the reader that we have obligations and the free will to decide if we will meet those obligations. Who we are, who we want to be, and who we are working at becoming are reflected in the choices we make, and are reflected in the choices of characters such as AC’s heroines who put the needs of others above their own and adhere to the ideal of civic virtue, setting an example for us all.
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I’ve never understood it. There’s a comic book universe where the Earth’s greatest superteam consists entirely of women. The team’s leader was a top-level scientist back in the 1940’s, long before the women’s liberation movement. In fact, she was a divorced, working woman, professionally involved in top secret experiments at the highest security clearances during World War II which, under the circumstances of that era, means she was mentally and emotionally one of the strongest human beings on the planet before she ever took on the powers which made her the physically strongest human being on the planet.
Other members of the team also had backgrounds in science before obtaining the powers that made them superheroines. Archaeology. Biology. Heck, one member of the team was the top scientist on ANOTHER planet before traveling to Earth and adopting this world as her own. We’re talking about the portrayal of strong, smart, personable women. Role models. Yet, the comic book dedicated to their adventures is dismissed by the avatars of political correctness as unworthy of being read.
I speak, of course, about the Femforce. What is it about this title that leads so many to slander it without even opening its pages? It must be the art. In 1985, when the title was first published, comic book women weren’t as curvy as Mark Heike’s Femforce women. Oh sure, there had been Frank Thorne’s Red Sonja, but by and large, comic book heroines, unlike the femme fatales, were not purposefully drawn as being sexy. It hadn’t always been that way. Back in the 1940’s and early 1950’s, during the Golden Age of comics, the heroines were drawn in a style that was considered very sexy for that time, but by the ‘70’s and early ‘80’s, superheroines weren’t curvy and most of the women in comic books were non-powered girlfriends of superheroes who managed to do nothing but cause trouble for the hero.
Wonder Woman was drawn nothing like Lynda Carter looked
But Mark Heike's Femforce were curvy and attractive
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, but not by much. Then, along comes the Femforce. The women were good looking, the costumes were sexy, and the excellent characterization was ignored in the rush to label the book sexist. The title was pushed into the never read it and never will read it pile by those that form opinions without having any knowledge of the subject and who loudly voice those uninformed opinions from their pulpit of omniscience. Nevertheless, the Femforce has managed to be published for nigh on fifteen years. Fifteen years in which the comic book landscape has changed dramatically.
Fifteen years ago, when the Femforce first gave us art that harkened back to the Golden Age of Comics but with an updated feel, it was the only comic book on the market that had the audacity to put a team of females in the lead role. In fact, the accepted wisdom of the time was that books with female leads did not sell. Today, we’re on the back end of a phase where women with breasts larger than their heads, waists as thin as their ankles, deformed spines, missing ribs, and costumes made out of dental floss had to appear on every cover to make a book profitable.
Comics has gone from Red Sonja...
to Red Monika
Of course, the pundits of political correctness decry the “Bad Girl” art, and some more correctly decry the “bad” girl art. Of the latter, I enjoy Sequential Tart’s (www.sequentialtart.com) Bizarre Breasts feature. What is left unsaid, whether through unfamiliarity or ignorance, is that “Good Girl” art doesn’t suffer from the noted unrealities that so afflict the Bad Girl genre. Rather, Good Girl art, and that is what the Femforce is and has been, is a direct descendant of Gil Elvgren’s pin-up art or Matt Baker’s Golden Age work. The sexy, slightly devilish, but decent, girl next door, who fights crime and evil because she can, not because she’s a revenge-seeking, bloodthirsty, caricature.
Perhaps now is the time for all those who have been crying for years about the portrayal of women in comics to pick up some back issues of the Femforce. Everything they’ve been asking to see and read has always been between the book’s pages if they’d just put aside their preconceptions and looked inside the cover. Those of us who’ve been reading the Femforce for years are already aware of the team’s charm. The responsible Ms. Victory; the often childlike Synn; the environmentalist/conservationist Tara; the grouchy but always loyal She-Cat; the arrogant yet afraid of herself Nightveil; the alien learning to live in a new world, Stardust. We’ve come to know them as if they were real because, like everyone who reads a couple of issues of the Femforce, we can’t get enough.
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I’ve gotta be kidding, right? I mean, everybody knows that the Femforce is just a T and A comic book. It’s not a REAL superhero comic book just an excuse for guys to look at 2 dimensional fantasy women. You just have to read the name of the title to know that’s the case. The FEMFORCE. Who’s AC trying to fool. Just go on any newsgroup and some comic book fan will be happy to tell you all about the Femforce title. They’ll say: “It’s just a bunch of posed pictures of impossibly proportioned women;” or, “There’s no plot or characterization, everybody just stands around looking pretty;” or, “It’s an adult book, full of sex and nudity.”
You know what? That’s baloney! Ask those same commenters the basis for their opinion and they’ll tell you they never actually read the title, or they picked up an issue at the beginning of the run and don’t remember liking it very much. So much for an informed judgement! Well, I’ve been reading the title since it first appeared on the racks and, yeah, the “drawrings” of the featured female superheroines are “purty.” I got some news for you, the male superheroes are drawn as pretty handsome guys themselves. Last time I checked, the superheroes and superheroines over at Marvel and DC were looking pretty good also. It’s part of the genre.
The unrealistic proportions stuff gets me steamed, but what gets my dander up almost as much is the unfair accusation that the art is just a collection of pin-up poses. That’s when you really know you’re dealing with an ignoramus. You know what the Femforce artists have always done very well? Action! The Femforce is full of action! Slugfests? They’ve got ‘em. The heroine coming to save the day? Got that as well, and it’s not blood and guts. Nope. We’re talking old-fashioned comic book action. Just a collection of posed pin-up panels? I think not! Unlike the uninformed sources willing to offer their opinions of books they’ve never read, however, I’m going to provide proof. Evidence that some of the best action sequences you’ll ever see occurred on the pages of the Femforce. Starting right at the beginning.
Here’s a single page from the first issue. I post this one because I still remember getting a kick out of it the first time I saw it 15 years ago. It’s not the first action sequence in that issue, but the image of a startled Tara instinctively going for her knife only to be grabbed and tossed through the trees was memorable. It’s not often that the heroine’s defeat is treated as comic relief. You probably can’t read the words being uttered by She-Cat. She’s saying, “Say, Tara really can move fast through the jungle!”
In Issue 2, there was this great scene where Tara moves around this prehistoric jungle and breaks into a clearing just in time to see Rita Farrar being carried away by a pterodactyl. Mark Heike’s art conveys both the humidity of the age and Tara’s shock at the unbelievability of what she’s seeing.
On the next page, the Jungle Girl’s instincts take over and she whips out a knife and unerringly sends it aloft to down the flying creature in a lake. She dives in, rescues Rita and swims to the surface. Notice that Heike doesn’t have blood flying everywhere. Notice also how easily the scene moves from one panel to the next. There’s enough detail to give the sense of place but not so much that the page gets cluttered. Visually, the reader doesn’t get lost. We’ll come back to Tara later for my favorite action sequence ever in a comic book, but first I want to show you a knock-down, drag-out, slugfest between two powerhouses, Ms. Victory and Valkyra.
There are a lot of good fight scenes spread throughout the Femforce’s run, but this one in Issue 72 is one of the best and goes on for the longest time. It’s so long, in fact, that I’m not even going to try and show you all of it. It starts with Ms. Victory trying to restrain the villain, Valkyra, from behind. She gets an elbow to the gut for her trouble and before she can fully recover Valkyra brings a knee up into her stomach, clobbers her, and then sends her flying head over heels with a two-fisted uppercut. Of course, this can’t really be considered an action scene because nobody’s guts are getting ripped out by adamantium claws (Yes, Virginia, that was sarcasm)! Notice how this page is just a collection of pin-up images with no sense that the characters are actually in motion (uhmm, sarcasm again!).
Moving on a little further in the scene, I’m still waiting for pin-up poses but what I’m pretty sure of is that there is a fight going on. Once again, Ms. Victory is sent flying! Notice that the artist depicts the blows as being so powerful that they lift the heroine off her feet, but different angles are utilized in different panels so that it doesn’t seem to be all one note.
Ms. Victory is a true heroine so she fights back and delivers a telling blow of her own, but the punishment she has taken has left her injured and she doubles over in pain unable to act upon her advantage.
Not the kind to show mercy to an injured foe, Valkyra pounds Ms. Victory repeatedly to her injured ribs. You can almost feel the air escaping the heroine’s lips with each punch to the gut.
Ms. Victory has been pounded into the ground but luck is on her side as help comes to the rescue and Valkyra is forced to flee to escape capture before she can finish the heroine off. Now, I want to show you a really cool action scene pencilled by Brad Gorby featuring Tara. This is from Issue 90. If you don’t have it, get it. It’s a really fun read.
As you can see, we’re joining the story part way through. An explosive has just gone off, knocking Tara off her feet as we join the action. Jumping to her feet, she tries to avoid getting blown up as a group of hunters prepare to track her as prey.
Without any weapons, she has to incapacitate the men chasing her. Check out the panel with her swinging down from the tree limb and knocking the guy of his ATV with a two-booted assault. When the terrain and weapons fire cause her to lose control of the vehicle she has appropriated, she turns on her pursuer and in a cool move takes him right off his vehicle. Notice that Gorby doesn’t even use motion lines, the angles he chooses and the positions of the bodies are enough to convey what’s happening.
How can you have a classic action scene without somebody chasing a rider on horseback?
Well folks, I rest my case. The evidence proves that the Femforce isn’t just a bunch of pin-up poses strung together with no sense of movement. On the contrary, the Femforce are action heroines!
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 8:14 pm | Tags: jim johnston
I’d like to talk about FemForce Comics.
There will be a new FemForce 3-issue mini-series coming out early in the new year. This means that there will be some new product for new readers to check out. So I thought now would be a good time to talk about FemForce and perhaps start a discussion.
I understand that the general impression among many comic fans is that FemForce (FF) is simply a “bimbo” comic. It is often seen as a mere excuse to look at drawings of well-endowed women in skimpy costumes. For a long time that’s what I thought, but I have learned that this isn’t the whole story.
Now it is true that well done drawings of attractive women are an integral part of FF comics. But this isn’t the only thing FF is about. There’s much more to it than just that.
The editorial staff, writers and artists, understand that there are readers who want more than just pictures of well-endowed women in skimpy costumes. They also care about the whole enterprise (as much as an admittedly hardcore fan, like myself). In any FF comic the art and story come together to consistently produce a comic that contains great art, imaginative layout, and stories that feature intelligent plots and well thought out story lines.
The characters, both major and minor, are drawn as individuals rather than stereotypes. The writers give them individual character and fully developed personalities that grow and change over time. They all have human feelings, frailties, and problems which are all realistically portrayed.
The artists are able to convey these subtlties and nuances onto the page via some truly excellent artwork. Not only are the artists great at doing fight scenes, action sequences and “big pictures”, they can also portray complex human feelings and emotions, as well as utilize various literary devices like tension and foreshadowing, by the way they do the more intimate work – like posture, facial expressions, gestures, body language, etc.
But it isn’t all introspection and personal growth. FF comics features lots of the two-fisted, slam-bang comic book action that many of us enjoy. Significantly, however, the FemForcer’s do not simply rely on brute strength, limitless violence, and a high body count to resolve a conflict. While all the FF team members have physical strength, and each has some form of “meta-human” super power, they will most often rely on their intelligence, perseverance, strength of character and ability to “think on their feet” to deal with the situation.
I did want to specifically mention the writers and the stories they give us. They do not rely on teenage angst, insouciance, and bad attitude. From them we get things like ongoing character development, plausible motivations and realistic (within the context of the comic) plots. We constantly learn more about the characters and why they do what they do. More significantly, we don’t keep getting the same stories (with minor changes) over and over again. It’s always something fresh and new and unexpected. Most importantly they give us stories where the heroes behave as heroes all the time, not just when it’s convenient.
The stories themselves are solidly entertaining and while they have lots of action, conflict, interaction and all the other stuff I mentioned earlier, they avoid being dark, depressing and “faux gritty”. The writers take the time to work small fun bits into the storyline. For instance, little amusing vignettes going on in the background or brief “cameo” appearances of movie or TV characters.
I would also like to mention the layout. THIS was one of the first things that impressed me about FF comics. Their use of layout is always clever, imaginitive and well thought out. It really helps the art to move the story along. It successfully conveys the impression of movement, as though you are looking at a sequence of movie stills rather than a series of static drawings. Moreover, the layouts are never so intricate or overly complicated that they get in the way of the story. They just combine with all the other features I have mentioned to produce a truly excellent and over-looked comic.
Finally, in addition to the relaunch of the Femforce title in February, I would like to mention that there is a new AC publication called Synn Watch which is already on the stands. It features an excellent 8-page FF story that contains most of the elements I talked about here. Synn Watch magazine also has a lot of well written, well researched and entertaining articles and interviews about comics and comic related subjects. It has been solicited in Previews. Check it out and you’ll be able to see what I’m talking about.
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 8:16 pm | Tags: femforce
It’s milestone atop milestone this issue, as AC COMICS officially celebrates 25 years of publishing with the BIG 150th issue of its landmark FEMFORCE comic book series. In the history of the medium, only a select few comic book titles have reached the 150 mark, and even fewer publishers have been able to stay in the comic book business for as much as a quarter century, so AC does the celebration up right, introducing the ALL-NEW 84-page format for FEMFORCE with this special DOUBLE-SIZED issue, sporting TWICE as many pages (with EVERY ONE ALL-NEW, and never-before-seen!! Not a SINGLE reprint!!) as a regular issue.!! Inside a cover drawn by AC publisher (and FF creator) Bill Black, the climax of the long-running “Death of Stardust” plotline reaches fruition. NIGHTVEIL and SYNN have gathered their special force of paranormals (guest-stars FIREBEAM, The HAUNTER, COMMAND D, The SHADE, BOLT, ASTRON and ASTRA) for a final showdown on the world of the villainous OLD DARK ONES. At the last minute, MS. VICTORY arrives to join the heroic band, leaving SHE-CAT to stay behind to watch over TARA FREMONT and PARAGON, injured last issue. While an unexpected complication arrives to join the party Earthside, The cosmic contingent is amazed to find STARDUST ALIVE (if not well) and a captive of the Old Dark Ones. The day is won, STARDUST is reunited with her teammates, and all return to Earth. But- the story of the Old Dark Ones may NOT be over. “Full Circle” is the special 42-page conclusion of this long-running storyline, written (in 7 chapters) by Mark Heike, with art by Jeff Austin, Rock Baker, Quinton Bedwell, Gianluca Cerritelli, Eric Theriault, Javier Lugo, Chris Allen, Richard Scott and Jeremiah Lambert. Special editorial messages from both Bill Black and Mark Heike, and pinups/short features from Mike Machlan, Enrico Teodoarani and Giampaulo Frizzi.
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 8:35 pm | Tags: buckaroo betty
The Sheriff's in town!
The daughter of famous lawman, Rex Fury (who also battled evil in the guise of the Haunted Horseman), Elizabeth Fury grew up riding horses and shooting guns. She was nicknamed, “Buckaroo” by the time she met and married Mike Bates, the sheriff of Apache, Texas. When her husband was murdered, the only person brave enough to take up his star was Betty. She enforced the law in Apache until her mystical link with her deceased father, now the wraith known as the Haunter, pulled her through the Time Triangle to assist the Femforce in their battle against the Shroud. After the Shroud’s threat was beaten back, Betty took a look around at the advancements in women’s rights and decided not to return to 1887. She’s been aiding the Femforce whenever she could ever since and her latent magical abilities have led to her taking up the superheroic mantle of “The Hood.”
"Buckaroo" Betty Fury Bates A modern day cowgirl!
Betty was born in 1865 in Apache, Texas, and has brown hair and green eyes. At 5′6″ and 120 lbs., to the modern world she looks like a certain 1950’s pin-up queen, but, if the true story were known, Buckaroo Betty’s legend would be greater!
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 8:38 pm | Tags: general strock
An army brat, Roberta Strock graduated first in her class from college and joined the military as an officer. After service in Grenada and Panama, she was elevated to the rank of colonel. Attached to the 1st Cavalry Armored Division during Desert Storm, her effective leadership resulted in her becoming the youngest woman ever commissioned as a general. Afforded the opportunity to choose her command, she jumped at the chance to fill the recently vacated role of military liaison to the Femforce, a position she has filled for approximately a decade.
Military Liaison to the Femforce General Roberta Strock is always in command!
General Strock is a 5′8 1/2″, 130 lbs. While usually seen in uniform, she wears more fashionable outfits when military garb is not appropriate and has recently shown signs of having a social life outside of work.
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Garganta Grows!
Dr. Carol Heisler volunteered to test her own scientific formula, an outgrowth of the formula Joan Wayne developed. The variation in the formula, combined with her body chemistry, caused her to become filled with energy and her body to grow to gigantic proportions. Her altered state caused her to go on a rampage as she could not control the energy coursing through her. The Femforce was able to stop her and return her to her normal size but shortly thereafter the government decided to further experiment with her and determine her capabilities. Reactivating her growth powers with electricity, they found she could not be controlled and she was off on another rampage. It seemed she’s met her end in the depths of the Atlantic but instead she mutated into a giant sea mammal.
Host of her own Book
The marauding space Gammazons plucked her from her peaceful life in the deep blue sea to help them in their efforts to subdue the planet, but the Femforce once again came toher rescue. With practice, she’s learned to control her size-changing abilities and has developed the empathic powers that previously caused her to be overwhelmed with emotion and to go on rampages.
On the Rampage!
Garganta can control her size, growing from 5′6″ to a maximum of 60′6″ through willpower. She also has empathic powers which enable her to sense and influence emotions in others.
When she’s not lounging about Femforce Headquarters where she’s always a welcome guest, Garganta has launched a showbiz career, under the management of the less than trustworthy Stella Stargaze, taking advantage of her size-changing abilities as a unique talent in the entertainment industry.
Cover Art
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 8:54 pm | Tags: cat-man, kitten
Art by L.B. Cole
Holyoke published the adventures of Cat-Man and Kitten in 34 stories between 1940 and 1946. Cat-Man, a.k.a. David Merryweather, began in Crash Comics Adventures No. 4 and was partially created by Irwin Hasen. In these early stories he wore a green, yellow, and orange costume. He appeared again in Crash Comics Adventures No. 5 before getting his own title in May 1941. David was raised by a tigress after his parents were killed in Burma and acquired great cat-like abilities such as night vision, greath strength, and the legendary 9 lives. He joined the army and at the beginning of the series was a Lieutenant. Cat-Man Comics ran for 32 issues and in Issue 5 David acquired a ward, a young orphan girl named Katie Conn, who donned the now orange and red costume and joined him in fighting crime as “The Kitten.” By the end of the series, Katie had matured and David had been promoted to the rank of Captain. With art by the likes of Charles M. Quinlan (who also wrote many stories for Holyoke), the aforementioned Irwin Hasen, and the legendary Bob Fujitani, and with covers by L. B. Cole, Cat-Man stood out artistically for the era. Information taken from “The Official Golden Age Hero and Heroine Directory” by Bill Black, ISBN 1-56225-017-5.
Cat-Man and Kitten
Introduced to the AC Universe after having been revived from the Vault of Heroes, Cat-Man and Kitten have quickly become fan favorites. Altering their Holyoke history, readers learned that the 20-year-old Katie Conn met Lt. David Merryweather at a USO dance during World War II and that after a few months of dating he revealed to her that he was actually Cat-Man. Her interest in the young Lieutenant was piqued even more with this revelation and she aided him from the sidelines for a few months before fashioning herself a costume and joining him on patrol. The duo married after many years of courtship and later made the decision to enter the Vault. Since being revived they have adapted well to life in the present. However, they continue to be reminded of their past as their arch-enemy, Dr. Macabre, was also revived from suspended animation and continues to pose a sinister threat to the couple’s life together.
- Art by Kevin Rasel
Katie Merryweather is a short-haired brunette with hazel eyes. Diminutive in height, she has the body of a gymnast with the exception of being quite buxom.
- Kitten in repose!
Kitten has no powers but is a superbly trained athlete and an experienced hand to hand combatant. She’s also an excellent detective and excellent at formulating solutions to problems.
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