The Woman in Red is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...

that first appeared in the period known to

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Created by writer Richard E. Hughes and artist

George Mandel George Mandel (11 February 1920 – 13 February 2021) was an American author and artist. His first novel is considered to be an early work of the east coast Beat Generation. His novels, interviews, novellas, cartoons and short stories have been ...

, she first appeared in '' Thrilling Comics'' #2 (March 1940), published by

Nedor Comics Standard Comics was a comic book imprint of American publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines (under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics) and paperback books (under the Popular Library name). Standard in t ...

. The character was later revived by writer

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...

for

America's Best Comics America's Best Comics (ABC) is a comic book publishing brand. It was set up by Alan Moore in 1999 as an imprint of WildStorm, an idea proposed to Moore by WildStorm founder Jim Lee when it was still under Image Comics. History ''America's Best ...

. She would also be used by

Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004 at Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It is best known as the owners of '' The Boys'' franchise across several IP medias. Dynamite primarily publishes adaptations ...

Project Superpowers ''Project Superpowers'' is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klaub ...

:Chapter two.

Nedor Comics

The Woman in Red is the secret identity of policewoman Peggy Allen. Frustrated by the limitations of her job, Peggy creates a secret identity. As the Woman in Red, she wears a red, floor-length coat, hood, and mask. Among her opponents are the Spirit Killer, and cultists of the African death god Voa. The Woman in Red made her debut in ''Thrilling Comics'' #2 (March 1940). Comics historian

Trina Robbins Trina Robbins (born Trina Perlson; August 17, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American cartoonist. She was an early participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first female artists in that movement. In the 1980s, Robbins beca ...

has identified the Woman in Red as the first masked female crime fighter, preceding such better known characters as

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

Phantom Lady Phantom Lady is a fictional superheroine, one of the first such characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was subsequently published by a series of now-defunct comic book com ...

, and

Mary Marvel Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a superheroine originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in '' Captain Marvel Adventures'' #18 ( cover-dated Dec. 1942). ...

, with

Fantomah Fantomah is an American comics character, best known as one of the earliest comic-book superheroines. Created by Fletcher Hanks, the character first appeared in ''Jungle Comics'' #2 (cover-dated Feb. 1940), published by Fiction House. Hanks is ...

, who debuted one month earlier, being one of the earliest superheroines. While the Woman in Red never made a cover appearance, she continued to appear regularly in issues of ''Thrilling Comics''. Her last Golden Age appearance was in issue #46 (February 1945).

Appearance

In the original 1940 comics, when working as a police officer, Peggy Allen is very rarely depicted in any sort of uniform. Instead, she wears fairly modest but smart clothes, such as a shirt and skirt. She styles her ginger hair in a bob cut just above her shoulders. When she becomes the Woman in Red, she dons a floor-length red coat with a hood and red

domino mask Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

and a pair of red heels. Through her revivals in various other comics, her outfit remains very similar.

AC Comics

In 1990, the Woman in Red was revived by AC Comics in issue #29 of ''

Femforce ''Femforce'' is a comic book published by AC Comics that began publication in 1985, detailing the adventures of the titular team: the "Federal Emergency Missions Force" or "Femforce", some of them original creations, while others originated in th ...

''.

Dynamite Entertainment

Dynamite used the character first in ''Project Superpowers Chapter Two'', where she is shown teaming up with Miss Masque and Lady Satan. This team will be explored more in comic called ''Scarlett Sisters'' scheduled for release in 2022.

America's Best Comics

revived the Woman in Red, along with many other Nedor Comics characters, for his ''

Tom Strong ''Tom Strong'' is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse, initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division. Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero", wi ...

'' series. In ''Tom Strong'' #11 (January 2001), the Woman in Red is revealed to be a member of SMASH, a superhero team that had been placed in suspended animation after an alien invasion from the moon in 1969. She is revived 30 years later thanks to the efforts of Tom Strong. SMASH disbands shortly thereafter. When SMASH reforms three years later, the Woman in Red rejoins the team. Moore also changed the Woman in Red's history for this revival. Sometime after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the Woman in Red came into the possession of a mysterious ruby crystal. This crystal gives her the powers of flight and energy projection. Prolonged contact with the crystal eventually turns her skin a shade of crimson. At first embarrassed by her skin color, she begins wearing a leather costume that covers her from head to toe. She eventually comes to terms with her condition and adopts a costume resembling a one-piece bathing suit.

Powers and abilities

Originally, the Woman in Red had no superpowers but was a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and markswoman. When revived by ABC, after coming into possession of a ruby crystal, the Woman in Red acquires the ability to fly and project energy. Her body is turned into a shade of crimson after prolonged exposure with the crystal.

Film

The Woman in Red appears alongside other Golden Age superheroes in the 2010 independent film ''Avenging Force: The Scarab''.