Superman Through the Ages! Forum

So I am still working on indexing and cataloguing all the old Superman daily newspaper strips.  And this storyline stood out and I thought I needed to share it.  Running from strips 5775-5876 (June 17, 1957 to October 12, 1957) is a storyline I've titled "Myrtle Pepper, Super-Girl."

(http://www.thespeedingbullet.com/downloads/supergirl1.jpg)

It's a story about Clark Kent giving a blood transfusion to a girl in a hospital, granting her Super powers.  Granted, it seems similar to the "Lois Lane - Superwoman" storyline from 1943 in Action Comics #60.  However, what I find interesting is the length of the story (1/3 of the year, with Myrtle in her costume for much of it), and the fact that it is so close to Superman #123 (August 1958) which many consider to be the Supergirl "tryout" issue.  Kara Zor-el, as we all know, then made her first appearance in 1959.

(http://www.thespeedingbullet.com/daily/ep91_105/episode101.jpg)

So my question...did people know of this newspaper strip storyline before?  Have they looked at it as a proto-proto Supergirl story?  Or were there too many of these earlier storylines that involved superpowered women? (did Myrtle appear in the comics?)  Anyhow, thought I'd share.  :D

That's yet another incredible find you've made.  I've never heard of the story line before - and I'm certain that if it were known about, it would have been mentioned elsewhere.  This is obviously the pre-cursor to Super-Girl; plus I think it also ties in with the "Lois Lane, Superwoman" story concept from the early issues of Superman.  I know that Lois did receive a blood transfusion from Superman, but I don't know if her gaining Superpowers actually happened or was a dream.

In Will Murray's K-Metal article, he argues that Lois's blood transfusion from Superman (in Superman #6, 1940), along with Lois learning Clark's dual identity in K-Metal (which would have been published two issues later), the groundwork was being laid for Lois actually becoming a permanent Superwoman, the first member in Siegel's vision of a "Superman Family."

Oh, and there's a great gag early on in the strip. Myrtle makes her costume to impress Superman, and then flies to help extinguish a roaring inferno.  Much to her embarassment, when Superman finally arrives, she has to flee, as she had forgotten to make her costume fireproof.  Naked, and hiding behind a rock, she quickly asks Superman if she flew out *really* quickly, if other people would be able to see her  :D

Cool find, but here is the Original Supergirl from 1949!

http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Lucy_Regent

Ah, the fifties.....  ;D

(http://www.thespeedingbullet.com/downloads/supergirl3.jpg)

As I recall, there was much Marlboro product placement in Superman II

So how does the storyline end?

Superman takes it upon himself to teach Myrtle how to be a proper superhero and lady (think My Fair Lady).  She falls for him, he doesn't notice, and she looks elsewhere. (Meanwhile, Superman realizes that Myrtle may be the perfect woman for him) So after giving up her crush on Superman, she goes and woes another eligible bachelor.  Myrtle flies into space to get a rare mineral to use to make a horse sculpture for the guy.  She then shows up to see Superman, and he realizes that the mineral is Kryptonite, and that he forgot to tell her about it. (oops!) The prolongued exposure negated all of her powers gained from the transfusion, and she was normal again.

Oh...and here's the requisite panel that seems out-of-place today:
(http://www.thespeedingbullet.com/downloads/supergirl2.jpg)

BWAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, boy.

What I think is most surprising about this entire affair is not that there was a Super-Girl as far back as the early 1940s, but the idea that a pretty, glamorous girl could be named "Myrtle."

This reminds me of that episode of MacGyver where after getting hit on the head, Richard Dean Anderson was sent back in time to King Arthur's Court, where he sought to discover his first name, which was the same as his ancestor alive at that time. His ancestor's name?

"Angus."

You could see the horror creeping into MacGuyver's face at the discovery.

"Oh, 'tis a lovely name!" A woman proclaimed.

"Not in my time." RDA said, a look of dead horror in his eyes.

Well, Myrtle makes a little more sense in the context of the story.  A beautiful unconcscious woman appears at the hospital and the doctor strong arms Clark Kent into giving her a blood transfusion to save her life.  As she is about to wake up, the doctor and clark muse that she must be some important woman from high society, and then Myrtle opens her mouth and spouts horrible english in (my mind at least) a brooklyn accent.  So part of the story is Superman teaching her how to speak and how to act like a lady and be a role model.  Myrtle fits. :)

Wow, so it's Pygmalion as well? It's almost too good to be true!

Moidle da Soopagoil. Wow.

In 2075, children will wonder why all the old ladies have stripper names

Yea, and they acknowledge it too.  Lois tries to give Clark tickets to see My Fair Lady, and he references it a bit that the play would hit too close to home  :)

It sounds fantastic! I don't suppose there's any chance of your putting the whole story up on your site? (It's a terrific site, by the way, thanks!)

I love obscure DC heroes! They're the bomb! ;D

When I think of the name Myrtle and Superman, I think of Myrtle Beech, the Wedding Destroyer (played by Delta Burke), perhaps the lamest villain from Lois & Clark.  This has given me a positive image to associate with Myrtle, and that's a good thing.  :)

Yea, I'll try to use this one as my sample storyline from this period (though it is quite long). Not sure when I'll get around to it, trying to finish another years worth of indexing in order to prepare questions to ask the writer of these stories...

I love the M on her chest. It's like when Galactus wore a big G.  ;D

That's a fabulous find and again thanks for The Speeding Bullet!

It took me a while to notice that she's not only the first Supergirl - she's the only Supergirl to wear Superman-like tights and boots instead of a skirt.  I think I prefer it.

Excellent point...I agree.....a far superior look !

binary, sounds like fun!  I would love to ask him about politics: was he conscious of any class issues when he was writing the strip?  is superman a working class hero or something else?

That strip is amazing!  I guess the strips were had a different standard of censorship than the comic books had with the CCA?  I can't picture the lap comment making it past the CCA only 3 years after its inception.

Her costume does look pretty good.  There was a brief period in Adventure Comics (#412 and 413) where Linda also sported a costume more closely resembling Superman's, complete with blue tights and red boots, and no skirt.

Yes, the Earth-1 Supergirl once wore an all-blue bodysuit with red gloves, boots and cape in two issues of Adventure Comics.  I didn't care for the S-shield belt buckle, since it was too repetitious with that larger shield immediately above.  (And I still didn't care too much for the similiar look in "Superman Returns".)

Another Supergirl who wore a blue bodysuit was Louise-L in Superman Family #215 - 216 (February - March 1982).  The Kara Zor-El from Elseworlds Finest:  Supergirl & Batgirl (September 1998) was very similar, though lacking a belt.  And more recently there was Lara Lane-Kent, Mxyzptlk’s “Child of Hope”, in Adventures of Superman #638 (May 2005).

As for "Supergirls" wearing a more exact copy of Superman's costume (red briefs and all), there was the “Turnabout Trap” Superwoman in Superman #349 (July 1980), and Laurel, the Superwoman who first appeared in Superman/Batman #23 (November 2005).  The first was definitely a creation of Mxyzptlk, and the second most likely also.

The similarities and differences in the strips and comics is really interesting.  The Speeding Bullet continues to amaze.