Dorma is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by writer and artist Bill Everett , the character first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939). She debuted when Marvel Comics was known as Timely Comics . Dorma is a native aristocrat of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis . She initially was Namor the Sub-Mariner 's cousin, and is depicted as his close confidant and childhood friend through several rewrites. Dorma was reintroduced in the late 1960s and early 1970s as Namor's lover and wife-to-be, before her death. She is also known under the codename Lady Dorma .
54-534: Dorma debuted in Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939), the first comic book by Timely Comics , predecessor of Marvel, created by Bill Everett . She appeared in the 1950 Tales to Astonish series, the 1961 Fantastic Four series, the 1963 Fantastic Four Annual series, marking her first Silver Age appearance, and the 1968 Sub-Mariner series. Dorma was the beloved of Namor, Prince of Atlantis. In Sub-Mariner #36 (April 1971), Namor married Dorma — and discovered that
108-520: A different series of the same name in the 1960s, primarily reprinting Spider-Man stories. Timely Comics Timely Comics is the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman , and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics . Founded in 1939, during the era called the Golden Age of comic books , "Timely"
162-413: A job in a publishing company ... I didn't even know they published comics. I was fresh out of high school, and I wanted to get into the publishing business, if I could. There was an ad in the paper that said, "Assistant Wanted in a Publishing House." When I found out that they wanted me to assist in comics, I figured, 'Well, I'll stay here for a little while and get some experience, and then I'll get out into
216-467: A lanky 17-year-old in tow. 'This is Stanley Lieber, Martin's wife's cousin,' Uncle Robbie said. 'Martin wants you to keep him busy.'" In an appendix, however, Simon appears to reconcile the two accounts. He relates a 1989 conversation with Lee: Lee: "I've been saying this [classified-ad] story for years, but apparently it isn't so. And I can't remember because I['ve] said it so long now that I believe it." ... Simon: "Your Uncle Robbie brought you into
270-577: A new logo was adopted: a red disk surrounded by a black ring that bore the phrase 'A Red Circle Magazine.' But it appeared only intermittently, when someone remembered to put it on [a pulp magazine's] cover. Historian Jess Nevins , conversely, writes that, "Timely Publications [was how] Goodman's group [of companies] had become known; before this, it was known as 'Red Circle' because of the logo that Goodman had put on his pulp magazines...." The Grand Comics Database identifies 23 issues of Goodman comic books from 1944 to 1959 with Red Circle, Inc. branding, and
324-475: A publishing company where he worked. The idea of being involved in publishing definitely appealed to me. ... So I contacted the man Robbie said did the hiring, Joe Simon, and applied for a job. He took me on and I began working as a gofer for eight dollars a week.... Joe Simon , in his 1990 autobiography The Comic Book Makers (cited under References, below), gives the account slightly differently: "One day [Goodman's relative known as] Uncle Robbie came to work with
378-560: A second printing, cover-dated November 1939 and identical except for a black bar in the inside-front-cover indicia over the October date and the November date added at the end. That sold approximately 800,000 copies. With a hit on his hands, Goodman began assembling an in-house staff, hiring Funnies, Inc. writer-artist Joe Simon as editor. Simon brought along his collaborator, artist Jack Kirby , followed by artist Syd Shores . The Human Torch and
432-562: A second printing, cover-dated November 1939. The latter is identical except for a black bar over the October date in the inside-front-cover indicia, and the November date added at the end. That sold approximately 800,000 copies. With a hit on his hands, Goodman began assembling an in-house staff, hiring Funnies, Inc. writer-artist Joe Simon as editor. Simon brought along his collaborator, artist Jack Kirby , followed by artist Syd Shores . Goodman then formed Timely Comics, Inc., beginning with comics cover-dated April 1941 or Spring 1941. There
486-482: A series of conflicts between Atlantis and the people of the surface. Dorma also fought alongside Namor against the Nazis. Later, Dorma and Namor started a relationship, which was interrupted when Atlantis was attacked by a telepath named Paul Destine, who killed several inhabitants, with Namor suffering from amnesia . Dorma and Namor were subsequently reunited when Namor remembered his true identity. However, after Namor saved
540-525: A single 1948 issue under Red Circle Magazines Corp. Marvel Comics was rechristened Marvel Mystery Comics with issue #2 (Dec. 1939); the magazine would continue under that title through #92 (June 1949) before becoming Marvel Tales through #159 (Aug. 1957). Timely began publishing additional series, beginning with Daring Mystery Comics #1 (Jan. 1940), Mystic Comics #1 (March 1940), Red Raven Comics #1 (Aug. 1940), The Human Torch #2 (premiering Fall 1940 with no cover date and having taken over
594-521: Is an American comic book series published during the 1930s–1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books . It was the first publication of Marvel Comics ' predecessor, Timely Comics , a division of Timely Publications. In 1949, with the popularity of superheroes having waned, the book was converted into the horror anthology Marvel Tales from issue #93–159 (Aug. 1949 – Aug. 1957), when it ceased publication. In 1939, pulp magazine publisher Martin Goodman expanded into
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#1732854708477648-440: Is evidence that "Red Circle Comics", a name that would be used for an unrelated imprint of Archie Comics in the 1970s and 1980s – may have been a term in use as Goodman prepared to publish his first comic book. Historian Les Daniels , referring to Goodman's pulp-magazine line, describes the name Red Circle as "a halfhearted attempt to establish an identity for what was usually described loosely as 'the Goodman group' [made] when
702-683: The House of M reality. Lady Dorma appears as the Queen of Atlantis. An alternate version of Dorma appears on a duplicate Earth that was the setting of the Heroes Reborn story arc. Her counterpart was the Queen of the Atlanteans. In contrast to the demurely elegant aristocrat on the original Earth, this alternate version of Dorma was a fierce warrior-woman. Marvel Mystery Comics Marvel Mystery Comics (first issue titled simply Marvel Comics )
756-464: The Empire State Building , where it remained until 1951. In 2016, Marvel announced that Timely Comics would be the name of a new imprint of low-priced reprint comics. In 1939, with the emerging medium of comic books proving hugely popular, and the first superheroes setting the trend, pulp-magazine publisher Martin Goodman founded Timely Publications, basing it at his existing company in
810-554: The Human Torch , and Paul Gustavson 's costumed detective the Angel . It also contained the first published appearance of Bill Everett 's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner , created for the unpublished movie-theater giveaway comic Motion Picture Funnies Weekly earlier that year, with the eight-page original story now expanded by four pages. Also included were Al Anders' Western hero
864-509: The Masked Raider ; the jungle lord Ka-Zar the Great , with Ben Thompson beginning a five-issue adaptation of the story "King of Fang and Claw" by Bob Byrd in Goodman's pulp magazine Ka-Zar #1 (Oct. 1936); the non-continuing-character story "Jungle Terror", featuring adventurer Ken Masters, drawn and possibly written by Art Pinajian under the quirky pseudonym "Tohm Dixon" or "Tomm Dixon" (with
918-562: The McGraw-Hill Building at 330 West 42nd Street in New York City. Goodman – whose official titles were editor, managing editor, and business manager , with Abraham Goodman officially listed as publisher – contracted with the newly formed comic book packager Funnies, Inc. to supply material. His first effort, Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939), featured the first appearances of writer-artist Carl Burgos ' android superhero ,
972-628: The Roman goddess of love, posing as a human reporter. Patsy Walker , Millie the Model , Tessie the Typist and other Timely humor titles also included Harvey Kurtzman 's "Hey Look!" one-pagers in several issues. Future Comic Book Hall of Fame artist Gene Colan , a Marvel mainstay from 1946 on, recalled that, "The atmosphere at Timely was very good, very funny. ... [I worked in] a big art room and there were about 20 artists in there, all stacked up. Syd [Shores]
1026-562: The 14th floor of the Empire State Building , where it remained until 1951. The superheroes were the products of what Timely referred to as the "adventure" bullpen. The company also developed an "animator" bullpen creating such movie tie-in and original talking animal comics as Terrytoons Comics , Mighty Mouse , All Surprise Comics , Super Rabbit Comics , Funny Frolics , and Funny Tunes, renamed Animated Funny Comic-Tunes . Former Fleischer Studios animator Fago, who joined Timely in 1942, headed this group, which consisted through
1080-535: The 1960s Marvel hero ). Other Timely characters, many seen both in modern-day retroactive-continuity appearances and in flashbacks, include the Angel , the next-most-popular character in terms of number of appearances; the Destroyer , an early creation of future Marvel chief Stan Lee ; super-speedster the Whizzer ; the flying and super-strong Miss America ; the original Vision , who inspired Marvel writer Roy Thomas in
1134-669: The 1960s to create a Silver Age version of the character ; and the Blazing Skull and the Thin Man , two members of the present-day New Invaders . Just as Captain America had his teenage sidekick Bucky and DC Comics' Batman had Robin , the Human Torch acquired a young partner, Toro , in the first issue of the Torch's own magazine. The Young Allies —one of several "kid gangs" popular in comics at
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#17328547084771188-650: The 2021 King in Black: Namor series. Dorma, daughter of Wa-Than, belongs to the Atlantean nobility. She is the cousin of Namor, heir to the Atlantean throne. Despite her initial hostility against her cousin, she eventually developed love for Namor as an adult. In an effort to win him over, Dorma helped her cousin attack the Cape Anna Lighthouse. She supported him when Atlantis was attacked by Luther Robinson and Lynne Harris, who assaulted their country in revenge, after
1242-509: The Angel, ended that same month with #92, becoming the horror anthology Marvel Tales beginning with issue #93 (Aug. 1949). Goodman began using the globe logo of the Atlas News Company , the newsstand-distribution company he owned, on comics cover-dated Nov. 1951. In 2015, Marvel registered the trademark "Timely Comics". The following year, Marvel announced that Timely Comics would be
1296-515: The Great (October 1939 – January 1942) American Ace (December 1939 – January 1940) Electro, the Marvel of the Age (February 1940 – May 1941) Ferret, Mystery Detective (February 1940 – July 1940) Terry Vance, The School Boy Sleuth (August 1940 – July 1944) The Vision (November 1940 – October 1943) The Patriot (July 1941 - June 1949) Jimmy Jupiter (February 1942 - October 1943)) The first Marvel Tales
1350-660: The Pelican Postman" in Krazy Komics and other titles; "Krazy Krow" in that character's eponymous comic; "Tubby an' Tack", in various comics; and the most popular of these features, Jaffee's " Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal " and Hart's " Super Rabbit ", the cover stars of many different titles. Timely also published one of humor cartoonist Basil Wolverton 's best-known features, Powerhouse Pepper . The first issue, cover-dated January 1943, bore no number, and protagonist Pepper looked different from his more familiar visualization (when
1404-464: The Sub-Mariner would continue to star in the long-running title even after receiving their own solo comic-book series shortly afterward. The Angel, who was featured on the covers of issues #2–3, would appear in every issue through #79 (Dec. 1946). Other characters introduced in the title include the aviator the American Ace (#2, Dec. 1939), with part one of his origin reprinted, like the first part of
1458-557: The Sub-Mariner's, from Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1; the private detective the Ferret (Leslie Lenrow) by writer Stockbridge Winslow and artist Irwin Hasen (issues 4-9, February 1940-July 1940); and writer-artist Steve Dahlman's robot hero Electro, the Marvel of the Age (appearing in every issue from #4–19, Feb. 1940 – May 1941). Issue #13 saw the first appearance of the Vision , the inspiration for
1512-497: The cancellation of Captain America Comics at issue #75 (Feb. 1950) – by which time the series had already been Captain America's Weird Tales for two issues, with the finale featuring merely anthological horror/suspense tales and no superheroes. Sub-Mariner Comics and Human Torch Comics had already ended with #32 (June 1949) and #35 (March 1949) respectively, and the company's flagship title, Marvel Mystery Comics , starring
1566-553: The era fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books . Rival publishers National Comics Publications / All-American Comics , the sister companies that would evolve into DC Comics , likewise had their own "big three": Superman and Batman plus the soon-to-debut Wonder Woman . Timely's other major competitors were Fawcett Publications (with Captain Marvel , introduced in 1940); Quality Comics (with Plastic Man and Blackhawk , both in 1941); and Lev Gleason Publications (with Daredevil , introduced in 1940 and unrelated to
1620-408: The first generally available appearance of Bill Everett 's mutant anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner. The Sub-Mariner was created for the unpublished movie-theater giveaway comic Motion Picture Funnies Weekly earlier that year, with the eight-page original story now expanded by four pages. Also included were Al Anders' Western hero the Masked Raider (Jim Gardley), canceled after appearing in
1674-455: The first twelve issues; the jungle lord feature "The Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great", with Ben Thompson beginning a five-issue adaptation of the story "King of Fang and Claw" by Bob Byrd (pseudonym of Martin Goodman) in Goodman's pulp magazine Ka-Zar #1 (Oct. 1936); the non-continuing-character story "Jungle Terror", featuring an adventurer named Ken Masters and Professor John Roberts, written by
Dorma (character) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1728-401: The life of Susan Storm / Invisible Girl , Dorma became jealous. She helped Attuma attack Atlantis out of vengeance. Namor later forgave her actions. Dorma was engaged to be married to Namor when she was kidnapped by Llyra , who assumed her identity and tricked Namor into marrying her instead. However, according to Atlantean law, Dorma was now Namor's wife, not Llyra, despite her absence from
1782-521: The name in 1961. This brand extended to the company's short-lived editorial advisory board in 1948 in an effort to compete with other publishers like DC Comics and Fawcett Comics , and used the moniker Marvel Comic Group in its editorials. List of characters making multiple appearances, either in Timely Comics solely or in Timely and subsequent companies Atlas Comics and Marvel Comics . I applied for
1836-564: The name of a new imprint of low-priced reprint comics. Publisher Martin Goodman's business strategy involved having his various magazines and comic books published by a number of companies all operating out of the same office and with the same staff. One of these shell companies under which Timely Comics was published was named Marvel Comics by at least Marvel Mystery Comics #55 (May 1944). As well, some comics' covers, such as All Surprise Comics #12 (Winter 1946–47), were labeled "A Marvel Magazine" many years before Goodman would formally adopt
1890-591: The new title, through #159 (Aug. 1957). It ended because of the collapse of Atlas's distributor, American News Company , and the subsequent restructuring that limited the number of comics the company could publish in a month. An issue of Marvel Tales was included in a display of covers representative of the "Crime, Horror & Weird Variety" at the April 1954 hearings of the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency . Marvel published
1944-400: The newly emerging comic book field by buying content from comics packager Funnies, Inc. On August 31, 1939, his first effort, Marvel Comics #1 ( cover-dated Oct. 1939), from his company Timely Publications , was published. This featured the first appearances of writer-artist Carl Burgos ' android superhero the Human Torch , Paul Gustavson 's costumed detective the Angel , and
1998-486: The numbering from the unsuccessful Red Raven ), and Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). Going on sale in December 1940, a year before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and already showing the hero punching Hitler , that first issue sold nearly one million copies. With the hit characters Human Torch and Sub-Mariner now joined by Simon and Kirby's seminal patriotic hero Captain America , Timely had its "big three" stars of
2052-436: The post-war era found superheroes falling out of fashion. Television and mass market paperback books now also competed for readers and leisure time . Goodman began turning to a wider variety of genres than ever, emphasizing horror , Westerns , teen humor, crime and war comics, and introducing female heroes to try to attract girls and young women to read comics. In 1946, for instance, the superhero title All Select Comics
2106-485: The published signature smudged); "Now I'll Tell One", five single-panel, black-and-white gag cartoons by Fred Schwab , on the inside front cover; and a two-page prose story by Ray Gill , "Burning Rubber", about auto racing . A painted cover by veteran science-fiction pulp artist Frank R. Paul featured the Human Torch, looking much different from the interior story. That initial comic, cover-dated October 1939, quickly sold out 80,000 copies, prompting Goodman to produce
2160-458: The quirkily named Tohm Dixon; "Now I'll Tell One", five single-panel, black-and-white gag cartoons by Fred Schwab , on the inside front cover; and "Burning Rubber", a two-page prose story by Ray Gill about auto racing . A painted cover by veteran science fiction pulp artist Frank R. Paul featured the Human Torch, looking much different than in the interior story. That initial magazine quickly sold out 80,000 copies, prompting Goodman to produce
2214-407: The real world.' ... I just wanted to know, 'What do you do in a publishing company?' How do you write? ... How do you publish? I was an assistant. There were two people there named Joe Simon and Jack Kirby—Joe was sort-of the editor/artist/writer, and Jack was the artist/writer. Joe was the senior member. They were turning out most of the artwork. Then there was the publisher, Martin Goodman... And that
Dorma (character) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2268-681: The same-name Marvel Comics superhero created in 1968. The original Vision appeared in solo stories through Marvel Mystery Comics #48. Also featured in the title was Terry Vance, The School Boy Sleuth by Ray Gill and Bob Oksner (debuting in issue #10, August 1940 until #57, July 1944, as well as appearing in the first two issues of the revived Mystic Comics shortly thereafter). (in order of appearance) The Human Torch (October 1939 – June 1949) The Angel (October 1939 – December 1946) The Sub-Mariner (October 1939 – April 1949) The Masked Raider (October 1939 – October 1940) Ken Masters/Professor John Roberts (October 1939) The Adventures of Ka-Zar
2322-484: The series returned for four issues, May–Nov. 1948) as the bullet-headed naif in the striped turtleneck sweater. Additionally, Timely in 1944 and 1945 initiated a sitcom selection of titles aimed at female readers: Millie the Model , Tessie the Typist and Nellie the Nurse . The company continued to pursue female readers later in the decade with such superheroines as Sun Girl ; the Sub-Mariner spin-off Namora ; and Venus ,
2376-475: The story from the two characters' different perspectives). After the Simon and Kirby team moved to DC late 1941, having produced Captain America Comics through issue #10 (Jan. 1942), Al Avison and Syd Shores became regular pencilers on the title, with one generally inking over the other. Stan Lee (né Stanley Lieber), a cousin of Goodman's by marriage who had been serving as an assistant since 1939, at age 16,
2430-569: The time—debuted under the rubric the Sentinels of Liberty in a text story in Captain America Comics #4 (June 1941) before making it to the comics pages themselves the following issue, and then eventually into their own title. Seeing a natural "fire and water" theme, Timely was responsible for comic books' first major crossover, with a two-issue battle between the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner that spanned Marvel Mystery Comics #8–9 (telling
2484-498: The wedding ceremony. Furious, Llyra fled to the surface world, followed by an equally enraged Namor. Llyra returned to the imprisoned Dorma and smashed Dorma's water-filled prison. Unable to breathe out of water, Dorma suffocated, but not before she struck down Llyra and saved her husband's life. Dorma possesses an Atlantean physiology that grants her several abilities. She can breathe underwater and resist extreme water pressures and temperatures. An alternate version of Dorma appears in
2538-427: The woman that he married was actually his disguised enemy Llyra , who murdered the real Dorma by bringing the water-breathing bride to the surface and causing her to suffocate in the open air. Writer Roy Thomas said that he decided to do away with Lady Dorma because "he felt that Sub-Mariner should be a lone wolf, and he didn't like the idea of his having such a stable home, a Lois Lane situation." Dorma appeared in
2592-530: The years of such writer/artists as Hart, Gantz, Klein, Platt, Rule, Sekowsky, Frank Carin (né Carino), Bob Deschamps , Chad Grothkopf , Pauline Loth , Jim Mooney , Moss Worthman a.k.a. Moe Worth, and future Mad magazine cartoonists Dave Berg and Al Jaffee . Features from this department include "Dinky" and "Frenchy Rabbit" in Terrytoons Comics ; "Floop and Skilly Boo" in Comedy Comics ; "Posty
2646-563: Was about the only staff that I was involved with. After a while, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby left. I was about 17 years old [sic], and Martin Goodman said to me, 'Do you think you can hold down the job of editor until I can find a real person?' When you're 17, what do you know? I said, 'Sure! I can do it!' I think he forgot about me, because I stayed there ever since. However, in his 2002 autobiography, Excelsior! The Amazing Life of Stan Lee (cited under References, below), he says: My uncle, Robbie Solomon, told me they might be able to use someone at
2700-543: Was changed to Blonde Phantom Comics , and now starred a masked secretary who fought crime in an evening gown . That same year, Kid Komics eliminated its stars and became Kid Movie Comics . All Winners Comics became All Teen Comics in January 1947. Timely eliminated virtually all its staff positions in 1948. The precise end-point of the Golden Age of comics is vague, but for Timely, at least, it appears to have ended with
2754-405: Was in the last row on my side, and there was another row on the other side. Dan DeCarlo was there, several other people – Vince Alascia was an inker; Rudy LaPick sat right behind me," with Mike Sekowsky "in another room". Yet after the wartime boom years – when superheroes had been new and inspirational, and comics provided cheap entertainment for millions of children, soldiers and others –
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#17328547084772808-696: Was promoted to interim editor just shy of his 19th birthday. Showing a knack for the business, Lee stayed on for decades, eventually becoming Marvel Comics' publisher in 1972. Fellow Timely staffer Vincent Fago would substitute during Lee's World War II military service . The staff at that time, Fago recalled, was, " Mike Sekowsky . Ed Winiarski . Gary Keller was a production assistant and letterer. Ernest Hart and Kin Platt were writers, but they worked freelance; Hart also drew. George Klein , Syd Shores, Vince Alascia , Dave Gantz , and Chris Rule were there, too". In 1942, Goodman moved his publisher operations to
2862-975: Was the direct continuation of the superhero anthology Marvel Mystery Comics , published by Marvel Comics ' initial iteration, Timely Comics . This series ran through issue #92 (cover-dated June 1949). Beginning with issue #93 (Aug. 1949), it became Marvel Tales , an anthology of horror, fantasy, and science fiction stories. The bulk of this series was published under the company name Atlas Comics . Marvel Tales included among its contributors writer and editor-in-chief Stan Lee and such comics artists as Golden Age veterans Harry Anderson, Carl Burgos , Bill Everett , Fred Kida , Mike Sekowsky , Syd Shores , and Ogden Whitney , and, early in their careers, Dick Ayers , Gene Colan , Tony DiPreta , Mort Drucker , Russ Heath , Bernard Krigstein , Joe Maneely , Joe Sinnott , and Basil Wolverton , among others. Issue #147 featured one of Steve Ditko 's first stories for Marvel, "The Vanishing Martians". The series ran 67 issues under
2916-407: Was the umbrella name for the comics division of pulp magazine publisher Goodman, whose business strategy involved having a multitude of corporate entities all producing the same product. The company's first publication in 1939 used Timely Publications , based at his existing company in the McGraw-Hill Building at 330 West 42nd Street in New York City. In 1942, it moved to the 14th floor of
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