Marga the Panther Woman (Fox Comics; 1940)

I had a hankering to post something a bit weird today and this classic comics story certainly fits the bill. There are super-scientific elements present, an assortment of wild jungle beasts, a hidden fortress, plus misspellings and unusual coloring errors; just your average pulp-inspired golden age romp. Marga the Panther Woman is a fairly obscure character from the ranks of Fox Feature Syndicate.

Marga and her boyfriend, aviator Ted Grant are captured by Uchunko, who believes himself the rightful ruler of the jungle. He intends to drive all white men out of his domain, by first throwing Ted into a deep pit and then ruling with lovely Marga at his side. However Marga quickly shows why she is also known as "The Panther Woman". She escapes, rescues Ted, and all too suddenly the two fight their way back to civilization, knowing that Uchunko is still out there plotting his next move. This tale is very typical of its type, with an obviously capable female protagonist who just as often plays second banana to the tacked on male boyfriend, who almost seems to be the lead character.

The artwork on this golden oldie from Science Comics #2 (Mar. 1940) is by Emil Gershwin (signed as "James T. Royal"). The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!