The 1940s were an interesting time for comic books. This era represented the middle of the Golden Age. Comic books went through some changes during the post-war era of the late-1940s. One of these changes was the inclusion of several new female superheroes created to appeal to young female readers. Characters such as Black Canary, Namora, Golden Girl, and Miss America rose to prominence during this time. Perhaps lost in the shuffle was the Timely (Marvel) Comics superheroine known as the Blonde Phantom.
The Origin of the Blonde Phantom
The first appearance of the Blonde Phantom dates back to All Select Comics #11 in 1946. Louise Grant had humble beginnings as the secretary for O.S.S. agent Mark Mason. After developing feelings for agent Mason, Louise decided to help him crack cases by donning a red evening gown, high heels, and a black mask while fighting crime under the guise of the Blonde Phantom. Unfortunately, Mark fell in love with the Blonde Phantom rather than Louise.
Anti-Espionage Exploits
The Blonde Phantom and Mark worked together on a number of secret missions. Early on, the duo thwarted the attempted theft of plans for the atomic bomb. They also hunted down several spies attempting to steal top-secret government information. When Mark departed from the O.S.S., he started his own private detective agency with Louise still as his secretary. Throughout the years, the Blonde Phantom bailed Mark out of several tense situations, including one where he was framed for murder. The more Mark fell in love with the Phantom, the less he noticed her true identity as Louise Grant.
Avengers of the 1950s
Sometime in the 1950s, Louise and Mark got married. They had two children together. Louise secretly joined Nick Fury’s 1950s Avengers, a ragtag group featuring the likes of Kraven the Hunter, Namora, and Sabretooth. The group took down several former Nazi war criminals before going their separate ways. In the end, the Blonde Phantom retired to Los Angeles.
What happened to the Blonde Phantom?
Louise Grant ultimately retired and became a housewife, raising her two children with her husband Mark. When Mark passed away, Louise became a legal secretary. She convinced her boss Blake Tower to hire lawyer and superheroine Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk. The two became good friends. Louise even helped Jen set up her own legal practice. After being exposed to chemicals from the Mole Man, Louise was de-aged by several decades. She later investigated the murder of her friend Michael Brayden. Donning the Blonde Phantom costume for the first time in years, she ultimately discovered that Michael’s wife Amanda was responsible for his murder.
