Golden Age Miss America (Madeline Joyce Frank) Appreciation (2019)

[JudicatorPrime]

Wonder woman looked just as campy. Even the game "you don't know jack" made fun of it. Plus mary marvel looks a little like miss America and you can buy her toy at Wal-Mart!

Of course if we're using current day games/standards as reference for 1940s styles, I would expect nothing less than for WW's costume back then to be lampooned. But in 1940s her costume wasn't ridiculed. Quite the contrary. And the pajama suit that Miss America wearing wasn't exactly lauded in any era.

They never USED her back in the 60s and 70s.

Actually, she did appear in the 70s in everything from Marvel Two-In-One to Avengers Annuals (Giant and King Size, if I recall correctly.) But you're right, she was always a part of a team, not as a solo hero. And they did allow her to age, which is the kiss of death for most women characters.

Marvel depowered miss america (in some stories she is as strong as superman!)

Well, to be honest, her powers were exactly like Superman's, right down to the X-ray vision. In a vacuum we can make a number of assumptions as to the whys and wherefores, but let's not forget that DC (as National Comics) was engaged in a major lawsuit with Fawcett over a character deemed too much like the Man of Steel. I don't know this for a fact, but perhaps that played some role with Marvel doing away with the powers that Miss America had? National Comics was eventually awarded $4M for copyright infringement. That may not seem like a big deal now, but back then that was HUGE. Enough to discourage any copycats or even homage characters, no matter the gender.

To your main point, I agree. Marvel didn't do enough to reimagine Miss America over the years. They were unrelenting in the wretched things that they did decide to do with the character, but that's true of just about all of their women heroes. It wasn't until much later in Marvel Comics history that the women heroes started to be treated with much more reverence, if not respect. That said, they're still depowering extremely powerful Marvel women without cause. Monica Rambeau comes to mind.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Avengers #186 Aug 1979
"Nights of Wundagore!"
Quicksilver, searching for his sister, has been rescued by Bova, servant of the High Evolutionary.
Bova tells Quicksilver about both of their history; of how Magda came to Wundagore heavy with child,

of how Bova was midwife to Magda when Pietro and Wanda were born, of how
the High Evolutionary intended to give Robert and Madeline Frank the twins in addition to their own,

of Madeline's death and Robert's inability to deal with his loss,
and finally how the High Evolutionary gave the children to Django Maximoff and his wife.

But Quicksilver is still left with two burning questions. Who is his father? And where is Wanda?

Wanda is magically bound by Mordred atop the mountain, but she uses her
hex power to break free, and a magical battle ensues. A battle which she loses, badly.

Quicksilver is saying goodbye to Bova when his sister's face appears as an apparition
in the night sky, but it threatens Quicksilver to leave and lashes out with a lightning bolt!
Quicksilver runs down the mountain and encounters Django. They get attacked by magically animated trees but escape.
Braving a number of arcane assaults, they reach East Transia, where Quicksilver places a call to Avengers Mansion!

Vision answers the call and rushes to inform everyone. Just as they start getting ready to go, Gyrich nixes the mission,
claiming that there is no US security interest. Wanda isn't an active member, and they don't need another international incident.
Steve Rogers goes to make a call. Beast and Gyrich trade insults, then Gyrich gets a call from the President authorizing the Avengers mission!

Back in East Transia, Django and Quicksilver are ambushed by Wanda. Except it's not Wanda... she is now possessed by Chthon!

Flashback cameos by the High Evolutionary, Magda, Jonathan Drew, Robert Frank, Madeline Frank and the Toad.
Avengers Lineup: Beast, Captain America, Falcon, Ms. Marvel, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision and the Wasp.

Plot by Mark Gruenwald and Steven Grant. Script by David Michelinie. Pencils by John Byrne. Inks by Dan Green.

[Electricmastro]

In which marvel comic did Sue Storm acknowledge Madeline Joyce, aka Miss America, to be the True First Lady of Marvel?

Would it be too late to mention the possibility of Black Widow being Marvel's first female crimefighter?

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

The golden age Black Widow made her debut 3 years before the golden age Miss America! Thanks for making me aware Electricmastro